29 August 2023 , 12:29
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Sea of Stars launches today on every platform, but PS Plus and Xbox Game Pass subscribers will have access to the game for free as a part of the subscription.
PS Plus and Xbox Game Pass are getting one of the most critically acclaimed titles of 2023 today (a year packed full of critically acclaimed titles, if you hadn't noticed) as a day one release. Sea of Stars, developed by Sabotage Studio, is the prequel to 2018's The Messenger, which won The Game Awards' 'Best Debut Indie Game' that year. Sea of Stars is currently sitting at 90 on OpenCritic, which places it above Diablo 4 Pikmin 4 which both scored 88, while sitting just below Resident Evil 4 and Street Fighter 6 which both scored 92 on it's 2023 Hall of Fame.
Xbox Game Pass Subscribers will be able to download the Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, and PC versions with the base subscription, while PS Plus Subscribers will have to be subscribed to PS Plus Extra or Premium to get the title on PS4 and PS5 as part of the PS Plus August 2023 lineup. Sea of Stars is also available on Nintendo Switch, but there's no way to get it for free (as part of a subscription) like every other platform.
Sea of Starfield
Sea of Stars takes cues from classic SNES era RPGs like Chrono Trigger, Breath of Fire, and Illusion of Gaia – which are all big deals for those unacquainted – and from the looks of reviews it looks like the game has managed to reach the high expectations set by the titles its inspired by. The Messenger is a hard-as-nails high-energy platformer, which Sabotage Studio knocked out of the park, creating one of the most electric NES-style indies in recent years. It's cool to see the studio also nail it with such an extreme pivot.
The only issue now is that the game has some harsh competition; Xbox Game Pass subscribers, of course, have Starfield launching in just over a week (or this Friday if you have early access to the game with a Starfield pre-order). Meanwhile, PS5 owners are getting Baldur's Gate 3 – which is currently the highest rated game of 2023 on that OpenCritic list – arriving that exact same day.
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Hopefully, Sea of Stars doesn't get lost amongst the wave of giant new releases, because by nearly all accounts it's one of the most exciting games of the year so far – in a year filled with countless exciting games.