Sea Of Stars is out now for PC and consoles, and it’s a modern classic if you’re itching for a well-made Japanese RPG tailor-made for 2023.

Made by Sabotage Studio of The Messenger fame, Sea Of Stars puts you in the role of two Children of the Solstice as they solve the world of its evil Fleshmancer and his army problem, one major quest at a time. Sea Of Stars’ puzzles and dungeons are pretty fun, though they can be tricky. Here are a few video walkthroughs on how to solve the game’s many challenges. We’ll start with the one you’ll be using a lot: the combat system.

Use Inputs & Timing To Amp Up Your Spells

Every combat action outside of Ultimate attacks or Item usage has timing input to affect the outcome. This means any spell or combo attack can be timed for extra damage or additional hits. Conversely, any hit you receive from enemies can be blocked with proper timing to reduce incoming damage.

For instance, our favourite Moonerang spell from Valere can keep dishing out multiple hits until you mess up the input, as it gets faster the more times it deflects. While the spell has a damage cap, it’s still fun to attempt more than 10 hits.

Break Locks!

When enemies prepare their spells and special moves, there will be a row of icons popping up next to their name. These are Locks. You can use the correct spell or attack type to break them, either to reduce damage or just outright cancel the spell if all of them are broken.

If an attack hits twice, that counts as two broken Locks. Keep in mind how many hits your spells and attacks can be landed (via the game’s input boost system).

Live Mana

When a party member hits an enemy, grey mana orbs pop out from enemies. When it’s their turn, your party member can absorb the mana to power up either their regular attacks with their corresponding element, or power up their spells.

Note that this feature is unlocked during and after the Elder Mist Trials quest, which is very early in the game. Also, one of your party members Garl has no element due to plot reasons, so he’s best to knock Live Mana out for Zale and Valere to absorb.

No Need To Grind!

Every battle and story bit in Sea Of Stars is meant for your current level, so you don’t need to go somewhere else to overlevel. All battles in the game can be conquered if you play your cards right and are smart in using the Lock system and the Live mana stuff.

Find The Game Tough? Use Relics!

The game menu has a Relics section where different Relics can be turned off or on at no cost. Blue ones offer easier experiences, while Red ones increase the challenge. You can find them in shops or in dungeons.