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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”.
https://x.com/seaofstarsgame/status/1856351459408805925
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”.