10 Incredible Recent RPGs That Surprised EVERYONE

Sea of Stars is a beautiful love letter to 16-bit RPGs, taking the best elements from classic titles and refining them with a modern polish.

The retro world is a joy to explore, since it's filled with secrets, creative puzzles, and side-quests that reward curiosity and engagement. Chrono Trigger composer, Yasunori Mitsuda, compiled the gorgeous soundtrack, further encapsulating that old-school feel.

Of course, no role-player is complete without a solid combat system. Sea of Stars incorporates timing-based inputs and combo attacks (similar to Super Mario RPG), which keep battles exciting and interactive. Enemies encounters are direct, not random, so it's less tedious when you're working your way around the map. Although the battles are challenging, you can lower the difficulty in mid-game if things get too hard.

Although RPGs side-quests usually serve as filler, most of the optional adventures tie into the lore directly or develop the characters, enticing players to complete additional tasks. The mini-games, fishing, and cooking elements are superfluous but they're so fun, it's clear the developers put just as much work in them than the main campaign.

Though there are many SNES-like RPGs released in recent years, Sea of Stars is among the very best.