Sea of Stars is a big game with a lot of places to see, enemies to fight, and characters to meet, and naturally, that can be a bit intimidating for some players who aren’t sure how to get started. Some might struggle with combat, be unsure how to use Relics, or maybe just how the game should be played.
To help you get the best start and experience in Sea of Stars, we’ve put together this guide with some tips and advice to help you get started in the game, including help with certain mechanics and what you should consider during your playthrough.
Related: Sea of Stars Complete Guide – Party Members, Collectibles, Wheels, & Side Quests
Talk to Your Party on the Ship and at Camp
During your adventures, you might think chatting with your party isn’t that important, but that’s not the case in Sea of Stars, especially as you progress through the story. Talking to your party can help while resting at camp as they will discuss some secrets and challenges and give you some help if you are a bit lost in the story. They can also offer hints to help you work towards the game’s alternate ending.
You should also talk with Teaks at camp, the NPC historian, along with your party. Their stories can offer details on the lore and background of certain characters and elude to some story moments, making it worth finding their artifacts and unlocking their tales. They are also very cool and add a lot of flavor to the world, so it’s well worth the effort.
Cook and Use Your Food
Cooking food is a vital part of Sea of Stars, as they offer you healing, MP regeneration, and revives that can make combat easier, so you should always be stocked up with a variety of food. Whenever you see a camp, take the time to check your food and what you have. If you are low on party healing, cook up a few meals. If you need some MP regen, prepare a few of them. Whatever it is, just be sure to stock up.
Bear in mind that you can only carry ten meals at a time, so you’ll need to be smart about what you take. As a general rule, I would always have two of each type of dish, so two for solo heals, party, MP, and revives, and the last two I would use for whatever I felt was needed. By extension, be sure to look for ingredients and check stores when you can to keep topped up so you aren’t missing ingredients when you need them.
Be Smart in Combat
You’ll be doing a lot of fighting in Sea of Stars, so it’s worth knowing all the ins and outs of combat and how you can use your party to the best of its ability.
Take the time to learn the game mechanics, such as breaking enemy locks to avoid substantial attacks or abilities that can do a lot of damage, call reinforcements, or heal enemies. Use Live Mana to buff and deal some extra damage if needed. Use your items to heal and stay topped up, and use Combo Points and abilities frequently, but with consideration.
These are just a few things to consider, but we have an extensive combat guide with all the details and nuances of combat, and we recommend giving it a read so you are fully prepared for battle.
Visit and Revisit Areas as You Progress
As you progress through Sea of Stars, locations will change, and new areas that you previously couldn’t reach or explore will become open to you, so it is well worth taking a detour to revisit an area and see if that chest or pathway can now be opened. You often find treasures or collectibles, so don’t be afraid to pop back to Brisk or Mooncradle.
Later in the game, this will be easier as you unlock fast travel, so if you want to wait, that’s cool too.
Related: Sea of Stars: Wheels Guide – Figurines, Tips, and Rewards
Take Time to Explore
Let’s just put it this way: Sea of Stars is a dense game. There are loads of hidden areas, chests, items, accessories, and collectibles to find in the world, and making time to explore and investigate these will be a major boon for you during your playthrough. It may lead to a better weapon, an extra Rainbow Conch, or even a Combo Move, so be sure to look under every rock and bush for anything that can be helpful.
In that same vein, taking time in a town or village to talk to NPC will yield the same result. They may point you towards a secret, have a side quest, or give you an item if you are lucky, so chat away and find everything you can!
Use and Purchase Relics
Relics allow players to customize their experience in Sea of Stars, both in and out of combat, and you should make an effort to get these where you can. Some can provide help in combat, such as helping with timed blocks and increasing your health. Others can make it more challenging, increasing enemy health, defense, or damage. Then, you have some that can lower gold prices or make your boat sail faster. They can be toggled on and off, so if one doesn’t take you fancy, you can easily turn them off.
Many of these can be purchased from merchants at relatively cheap prices, while others are rewards from Rainbow Conches, Fishing, or can be found in the world, and they all can tailor your experience to your liking. Search them out, try them, and enjoy the game how you want to!
