Update [Tue 12th Nov, 2024 16:30 GMT]: It's been a fair few weeks since Sabotage Studio announced a release date for Sea of Stars' free 'Dawn of Equinox' update, but it's finally here!
The latest patch has arrived on Nintendo Switch today adding in local co-op, a fresh take on the game's combat system, a revamped prologue, fresh cinematics, difficulty settings and much more — all that (yes, we'll say it again) for free.
Sharing the above trailer on Twitter, Sabotage Studio thanked the players for their "overwhelming support" since the game's launch, noting that this new version contains "everything we ever hoped this adventure to be".
You can find a complete rundown of everything added in the 'Dawn of Equinox' update on the Sabotage website. Alternatively, you can scroll down and check out the full list in our original article below.
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Original article [Mon 30th Sep, 2024 15:00 BST]: Well, this is a nice surprise. Ahead of next year's 'Throes of the Watchmaker' DLC, Sabotage Studio has today announced another feature-rich free update for the excellent nautical RPG Sea of Stars. What's more, it'll set sail on 12th November.
The 'Dawn of Equinox' update is all about adding some of the game's most requested features, with Sabotage stating that it represents the "fully realised vision for Sea of Stars’ spectacular adventure".
So, what's included? The big addition is local co-op, something which was briefly teased earlier this year and will see you able to play the entire story with up to two other pals (there's even a new Co-Op Timed Hits system so you can make your way through enemies as a team).
On top of this, there's a fresh combat system, fittingly called Combat 2.0, which brings a new way to break through enemy barriers and rack up Combo Points. You'll also find a fully revamped prologue complete with its own action sequences, a new cinematic, difficulty presets and more.
Sabotage Studios' full list of every feature included in Dawn of Equinox can be found below:
All-New Local Co-op: Sea of Stars’ story will be playable in its entirety by up to three players, with allies traversing the world together and mastering a new Co-op Timed Hits combat mechanic.
Combat 2.0: The addition of Mystery Locks brings a new gameplay loop around revealing the ways to break the spells of enemies each time a new type is encountered in battle. Along with "Reveal" functions added to some of the playable cast’s special skills, Combo Points now remain after battle, offering new ways to open certain encounters, or test different damage types on enemies to reveal their locks. A comprehensive balancing pass has also been done to reflect both these new changes and player feedback since launch.
A Revamped Prologue: Implementing combat for the young versions of our heroes, the updated flow does away with the flashback structure to begin in their childhood, directly including action in the prologue.
Bonus Cinematic Scene: An entirely new cutscene has been added to accentuate a pivotal moment in the original adventure, referred to as "Paths on Water".
A Speedrunner Mode Relic: This new item activates a range of features helpful for those looking to set a new personal best or world record.
Difficulty Presets: Three difficulty options are now available when starting a new game, which are presets using the game's Relics. New Relics have also been added, both for quality of life and difficulty adjustments.
Improved Parrot Relic: Sea of Stars’ secret-tracking parrot has learned a few new tricks to better assist players tracking down overlooked challenges and collectibles.
Quebecois Localization: A comprehensive French Canadian translation for Quebec’s finest Solstice Warriors.
Quality of Life Improvements: A constellation of general updates and improvements spanning Sea of Stars’ full campaign.
The wait until Throes of the Watchmaker's Spring 2025 release felt like a long one, so it's nice to know that we'll have this arriving in the meantime to reintroduce us to the Solstice Warriors.
For those who haven't picked up Sea of Stars yet, we were completely enamoured by it when it landed on Switch last year. You can find our full review below, where we called the throwback RPG "an instant classic and a new high-water mark for modern retro-styled indies".
What feature are you excited to see in November's free content update? Let us know in the comments.
Comments 46
100% in game pass and got physical version for switch, I was waiting for a DLC before replaying it. So the time has come. One of best games from past year, no doubt.
Quality of life updates are always welcome! I beat Sea of Stars probably a month ago now, and loved it to pieces. I did not commit to the best ending however (it asks a lot
Of players, but god bless whoever sticks it out) and I think it undoes a dramatic moment from the game that while making the ending a bit more cheerful, I feel would not be in the best interest of the narrative
Haven't played this, would it be worth my time? I haven't played many turn based RPGs
@Olrun this is not the DLC
Ugh too many games to go back and replay this one but it sounds awesome!
Quebecois Localization, finally! I've been waiting for this!
Love this game and these updates look really neat.
But I'm going to wait to replay it until 'Throes of the Watchmaker' releases.
@Sylamp oh man you're right. Then it will have to wait a bit more to be played though. Thank you for clarifying me!
Love to see it, makes me even more excited to play Sea if Stars for the first time when I can!
@solarwolf07 I would say decent? From what I read around the web, the combat can be either be really great or really not. For some the combat lacks depth, for others it's just right.
The story? Eh that's going to be on what you find enjoyable. People think the story is the weakest part and the two main protagonists are uninteresting. On the other hand people seem to think the story is great and the characters are great.
So, my advice? If in doubt wait it out. By on sale if you can. Or take a leap of faith Miles.
I played this for awhile when it came out and despite the lighter than expected story, (why did they make the two main characters borderline silent protagonists? 😭) I enjoyed it a lot. The combat, exploration and music did not disappoint. But life happened and I didn't get a chance to finish it.
I had been thinking about if I should start over when I have the chance and based on this update, it seems like that would be the best route to take. I'm curious to see what the new prologue looks like and how the combat adjustments affect the flow of the game.
Glad this is sitting in my backlog, so I can do a first playthrough with the patch included.
Very sweet update, seems enough to justify a second run with the changes made, but I’ll wait until The Watchmaker DLC comes along until I replay this one I think 🤔
Combat was my biggest issue with the game because you use the same few abilities the entire time, and I you learn them early into the game.
Also didn't think the main characters were very interesting
Otherwise it was a good game
Time to start the campaign!
@Smackosynthesis Seems they are changing this with mystery locks changing between battles. I am personally excited since it seems you are now able to choose relics from the get go. There were ones that made the game harder (or easier if you want as well), but they were unlocked at the last part of the game only.
As usual, the best strategy with new releases is to just wait for the major patches to release.
I liked it and got the extended ending with the extra post game trials (it wasnt that much work), but I do not see a reason to go back to it. But if you havent played it and like old school rpgs it is pretty good.
Hmm, may wishlist this now cos there isn't too many RPGs I can play with friends. Been playing co-op in Secret of Mana, Pokemon Shield, and Fire Emblem Engage, (maybe a few others I'm forgetting) but I've been wanting more good rpg experiences I can play with friends on Switch. Looks fun.
Wow ! I did not even started that one, so I'm pleased to hear all that !!
Although, it really seems that nowadays we should not play games on day one. It's amazing how they're improving over the months after their release.
Had the physical sat wrapped and unopened for a while now. Think I’ll wait just a little bit longer so my daughter and I can play through together 😁
I hope the Mystery Locks function like enemy weaknesses in Octopath Traveler and that once they are discovered for a particular enemy (either by attacking with the correct lock skill or by using a skill to reveal a lock) it will remain discovered for that enemy in all future encounters. Otherwise, I think it would be a slog if they are randomized and hidden every time.
Can these be toggled on and off? I don't quite understand what a couple of them are describing, but what if I want the experience to be the way it already was?
@Minako-Meleph Absolutely loved the localization for The Messenger. I've hold myself to play Sea Of Stars because I wanted to wait the Québécois version XD plus that also mean I will get to play it with my girlfriend because of the added co-op!
@ScalenePowers yeah, that post game stuff really put a dent in my enthusiasm to continue beyond the closing credits — 100%ing absolutely everything to get the true ending was a daunting ask. Now that they've apparently tweaked the parrot, I might give it another go
@Minako-Meleph should be funny en tabarnak!😅
I couldn't vibe with the combat. The battles felt sluggish and too long.
Local co-op! 😍
I'm glad I didn't get around to playing it since the demo.
@solarwolf07
It is if you like turnbased rpgs!
See if this can make me come back to it because sadly, it was a bit dull for me.
Hell, if this were like Secret of Mana I'd see myself playing this with my partner and roommate. The turn-based battles, outside of Mario and Luigi/Paper Mario-like games, are no longer something I'm willing to put up with.
Thank you for giving us this wonderful free update to an already fantastic RPG.
Now that it's out, can anyone confirm if this can be toggled on and off? I love the base game and I'm not sure I want things tweaked or changed. I don't totally understand what these changes are going to do or how they might affect the experience the way I enjoyed it. Might not want to download update until I can compare the differences.
Specifically combat 2.0 and the revamped prologue. What if I don't want mystery locks and points to last after battle because I liked how it was? What if I don't want to be active in the prologue because I thought the storytelling was beautiful? Or does this permanently change the game for every time I replay?
@speedracer216 for the combat 2.0 question. You can choose relics that enable/disable this feature if you desire. As for the prologue, I am not sure, I can imagine they added a skip function but sadly not something that restored the previous tutorial version.
This game never quite clicked for me, guess this is the perfect opportunity to give it another shot. On one hand I'm actually happy I haven't spent more than a few short hours on it, or starting from scratch to see the new stuff might have been a bit annoying.
Its also on a decent sale on UK eshop
Started this on Xbox but I’m really tempted to get it on Switch where I might have more time to dig into it.
@solarwolf07 - It’s a great game, but part of what makes it great is the nostalgia factor many of us 30-40 somethings have of playing SNES rpgs. I believe it to be objectively good as well, but since you don’t normally play turn based rpgs, maybe wait for a sale, but yeah, give it a chance! The art, soundtrack, combat, and story are all good.
Very cool of these guys to do this. I'm happy to start a new game soon and try out the updated battle system!
Glad I can experience this new powered up version of the game for the first time since this is still sitting in my backlog.
Wow, there’s a whole lot more in the free update than I imagined!
This is definitely getting a replay once the Watchmaker DLC comes out to give me enough time away that it feels fresh.
@Minako-Meleph criss que oui!!! For you my non Québécois speaking friends you can roughly translate what I just wrote as "f*** yeah". 😅
I wish I liked this game more.
I didn't 100% it but did get the "true" ending this weekend and set it down. It's really cool that they're doing and a few little curves to complicate battles might have been interesting but I'll wait until Throes of the Clockmaker until I dig into it.
What a sexy trailer. Killer soundtrack, concisely shows what's new, and is punchy and exciting. Hats off, Sabotage!
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