Cosmic Star Heroine

Short review after 100% the game on mostly second hardest difficulty (heroine): An awesome indie JRPG set in a futuristic sci-fi setting with a plot ripe with political intrigue, powerhungry individuals, good old adventuring and a quest to save worlds/galaxy?

Pros:
- Great futuristic setting and atmosphere (you got it all, abandoned laboratories, sewers, cities, swamps, alien ship, futuristic bases, etc.)
- Decent music and ambient sound with 2 highlights being the "jazz theme" and Lauren singing
- Cliche though still okay storyline elevated by great retro cutscenes and good story and enviroment pacing
- 11 unique characters with good personalities and different and unique combat abilities
- Chrono trigger style turnbased combat with great possiblities beacuse of so many characters with many skills (you cant spam same skill/need to recharge skills so combat is more tactical, main heroine has a different ultimate ability with each other character, no random encounters, triggering strong abilities at right time when hyper or have a high style rewards you with more dmg or higher chance to debuff)
- Great amount of sidequests, side/super bosses and optional areas with loot

Cons:
- Superbosses are sponges, on higher difficulties you need to grind and overlv a lot
- Limited usage of items in combat, items do replenish after each battle (i only had 4 uses of items without any item related buffs who have a chance not to consume items)
- Some of the later characters that join arent fleshed out as much as others or have no sidequests of their own (no indication of avaiable sidequest means after each chapter/major event you need to talk to most people to get them)

A must buy for any JRPG fan and in my opinion Zeybods greatest work that they achieved, showing that indie rpgs even made in rpgmaker can compete with the best.

Cosmic Star Heroine is a solid JRPG game which goes for that Chrono Trigger feel.
Unfortunately story and the characters do not have the depth they wish they had.
Still a very well done indie game with well paced combat.
6/10

Cosmic Star Heroines initially bursts onto the scene with a vibrant energy, promising a thrilling ride through a galaxy teeming with intrigue and adventure. The sheer variety of party members, each with their unique skills and personalities, is a definite highlight. I loved experimenting with different team compositions and tailoring their abilities to my playstyle. The recruitment mechanic adds a layer of depth, with choices that subtly influence the world around you. And the ability to further customize characters through armor and ability selection adds a welcome layer of personalization.
However, this initial burst of excitement soon fizzles out as the game's pacing becomes its biggest downfall. Everything is thrown at you at warp speed, leaving little time to breathe and appreciate the nuances of the world or the characters. This breakneck pace is further exacerbated by the stagnant difficulty curve. Whether I was facing a random encounter or a major boss, the challenge felt remarkably similar. This made grinding an absolute chore, especially since most battles are unavoidable.
Overall: Cosmic Star Heroines tantalizes with its potential, offering a rich roster of characters and customization options. However, the relentless pacing and monotonous difficulty ultimately hold it back from reaching its full potential. If you're looking for a fast-paced RPG with plenty of character options, this might be worth a look. But be prepared for a somewhat uneven and occasionally frustrating experience.

A great turn-based RPG with a well-designed combat system that feels like a puzzle on hard mode. Overall, a love letter to classic rpgs, while introducing modern features like a visible turn timeline, diffilcuty options, autoheal after battles, and no random encounters.

I'm really, really liking this game. I knew I would, because I love RPGs and I enjoyed Zeboyd Games' earlier projects.
Back in the day, I played Breath of Death VII and Cthulu Saves the World on Xbox 360 arcade and thought they were fun, humorous little RPGs. My only criticism would be that they are too short
So it's nice to see what Zeboyd has done with a larger budget and a more fleshed out game. The combat system is nice, with a wide range of playable characters that each have their own distinct playstyle. Battles are turn based but most abilities can only be used once until you rest for a turn to recharge. Additionally, the "Hyper" mechanic gives a damage/heal/effect boost every X number of turns (varies per character), so you need to save something good for your Hyper turn.
Party freedom really opens up after the first 3-5 hrs, letting you swap characters freely except for some situations that force you to use specific parties
Last thing I want to mention is the soundtrack. I'm used to hearing good music in games, but this might be the best I've heard in a long time. There are so many catchy tracks, especially the main battle theme
For anyone who enjoys games like Chrono Trigger, FF 1-6, Phantasy Star I-IV, etc you will love this game

Only took around 7 years for me to crack this gem open. It screams and ooze's Chrono Trigger with a splash of Suikoden. I love the look and feel of the game. The soundtrack is absolutely brilliant! Had a ton of fun playing this throwback. Highly recommend!

I'll start this off by saying Cosmic Star Heroine is a rough gem, and in my opinion, very much worth its asking price.
I'll start with the good. In terms of mechanics for turn-based RPGs, this game feels fresh. Status effects are based on an "HP" system, rather than chance-based. This makes them largely predictable, and very useful. I love this. Characters dedicated to status ailments can be a part of your primary crew, even against bosses. On the matter of mainstays, any and every playable character serves a purpose, and they're all equally viable in your crew. Alyssa, your ever-present protag, can be flexible in how she works, so you can bend your crew to just about any combination you want.
The soundtrack is smooth and an absolute pleasure on the ears. The art is also quite nice, from enemies to character portraits. And in terms of content, the game isn't lacking. Superbosses, side quests, optional dungeons, extra gear, it's all there and none of it felt awful to engage with (though I was definitely taking on one quest earlier than I should have with how difficult it was).
Now for the not so good. In a game with a plethora of status effects, buffs, and ailments, the game does a very poor job of conveying what they all mean and when they're active. The UI won't give you any information about buffs and debuffs, and you'll have to look at an enemy/ally's icon above their head to know what's afflicting them, IF that affliction has an icon, which many don't. This is kind of a big deal, as entire strategies can depend on status effects that you may not fully understand.
The story is nothing particularly interesting, and I'm sad to say, neither are the characters. They're really just cliches that give you some dialogue in between you jumping to the next plot point. It's odd that the story feels like it's SPRINTING from beat to beat, despite this being a fairly lengthy game. Now I want to clarify, I don't think the story is awful, nor is the dialogue anything particularly wince-worthy, but if you're looking for depth of narrative or character, it isn't here.
All in all, I still had a very good time with with Cosmic Star Heroine. If you're looking for a fun RPG you can experiment with status effects and party comp in, this game is for you.