Sea of Stars

Aware

knew someone was going to bully me for this, because gamers are so lovely. oh well.

i understand that JRPGs are supposed to be more linear, but from what I remember - and, granted, i've played the most influential games in the genre well over a decade ago - it still doesn't mean that you get railroaded every step of the way.

i don't remember combat in other games, but in FF7-9 you can make characters use different elements/summons, choose gear which nudges them into different playstyles, customize your team.

when you get an open world transport - you can go wherever you want, and there are places for you to go besides the main quest line. some of my fondest memories of playing FFVIII as a kid are of just popping off to different places around the map for dozens of hours and just ignoring the main story. in Sea of Stars all the map except the main objective is locked when you get the ship.

and more importantly, whenever you get to a new location in classic JRPGs, there's a lot to do there: quests, mini-games, and just fun stuff hidden around the locations. you can choose to stick to the main mission or just fuck around and explore. Sea of Stars gives you zero reasons to explore, all the locations (and I mean hubs between quests) i've visited during my 10 hours were absolutely barren, you're just there to get to the next dungeon/story beat.

hope that answers your concers, dear angry weebs

There will be much more locations and travel possibilities towards the end. You have to just wait 'till the characters get to the actual Sea of Stars.

cool, i'm glad they eventually give you more things to explore! but personally i don't feel like the game gave enough to keep me interested beyond the initial 10 hours

^ stealing this analogy for the future