Mini-Review: Sea of Stars: Throes of the Watchmaker DLC

If you’re old enough to remember the mid-to-late ’90s, you might recall how every other dusty SNES cartridge seemed haunted by giggling, bell-hatted, squeaky-nosed creeps. Clowns. Gaming back then had its own commedia dell’arte moment - a circus of Pandemoniums, Twisted Metals, and Crazy Chases.

Sabotage’s Sea of Stars continues to tap into its signature nostalgic charm with Throes of the Watchmaker. This free, post-game DLC introduces a clockwork realm, circus-inspired character classes, clown minions, and even a quirky new party member. 

It’s an eight-hour side quest reserved for Sea of Stars alumni who’ve already rolled credits on the main game - or near enough. If you were hoping to waltz straight into the big top whimsy, you might want to temper expectations - this ride doesn’t start immediately. Still, the journey to get there is more than worth it - for Garl alone. Long live the Warrior Cook!

In this DLC, Solstice Warriors - Valere, Zale, and a newly playable Arty - shrink down into the clockwork world of Horloge, where a cursed carnival has twisted harmony into something wicked. It’s a striking setup: a ticking, mechanical microcosm with all the playful scale of a Minish Cap adventure.

Taking centre stage is The Puppeteer, the mischievous ringmaster pulling the strings behind this evil circus. She’s a clockwork queen in her own right - and shortly after your arrival in Horloge, her dreaded clown minions, Pif and Pouf (a clear nod to Final Fantasy IX’s Zorn and Thorn), burst onto the scene. Tossing rhymed insults, they curse the Solstice Warriors, drain them of their magic, and usher in the DLC’s new mechanics.

It’s here, quite early on in the adventure, that we're left alone with the DLC’s new playable character: Arty the Artificer, a laser-blasting robot whose endearing shy personality charmed me on the spot. A relief I’d say, since entering Horloge meant temporarily saying goodbye to several party members. I’ll return to you Garl, I swear!

Arty’s combat style is as playful as the robot’s goofy design. They can leapfrog across enemies’ heads, with well-timed button presses extending each chain of bonks. Arty can also whip out a comically oversized cannon, firing it into the air to rain down damage, using a trampoline to relaunch attacks across the battlefield. That last one - the Cannonball Trampoline, as it’s aptly named - quickly became my favourite skill in the DLC: it’s engaging to pull off, fun to watch, and absolutely devastating when timed right.

Zale and Valere both receive new carnival-themed movesets. Zale, now reimagined as a fire-juggling performer, hurls flaming clubs at his clockwork foes with rhythmic flair. Valere, taking on the role of an acrobat, swings from rafters and contorts through the air to strike her enemies with graceful precision. These revamped attacks, skills, and combos - paired with Arty’s playful and inventive toolkit - keep scraps feeling fresh, dynamic, and delightfully chaotic. 

The enemy variety, set-piece battles, and boss fights stick the landing for the most part. My only gripe? During the otherwise spectacular cursed train battle in Rail Forest, some UI elements got obscured by the train sprites, which led to a few missed inputs in the heat of battle.

As for the story beats, I won’t go too deep - I’d much rather you experience those for yourself. That said, it would be remiss of me not to mention the slightly repetitive nature of the overworld puzzles.

The world of Horloge is gorgeous - as expected from Sabotage Studios by this point. From climbing the pristine Ivory Towers to the dank moody caverns of Wolf Rock, and the Rail Forest, each area is a joy to explore. Navigating between these areas on a train is a fun addition too, especially with the press of a button you can toot your own horn whenever you feel like it. That said however, the dungeon design reveals a predictable pattern - clear path to objective A, battle a few enemies, hit a switch, unlock path to B, repeat. It’s never tedious exactly, and the puzzles are decently crafted, but the formula starts to show its seams by the halfway point.

In addition to the scraps and dungeons, there’s a whole carnival of side activities to dive into. Come one, come all, and test your strength in the Town of Horloge - the main hub of Sea of Stars: Throes of the Watchmaker. Each party member stars in their own themed mini-game: Valere’s pole-vaulting challenge, Zale’s pinball-like balancing act, and my personal favourite, Arty’s precision target range. These bite-sized activities offer welcome palate cleansers between scraps and highlight each character’s flair.

Conclusion

Sea of Stars: Throes of the Watchmaker is, once again, a modern blast from the past. Sabotage Studios nails the circus aesthetic whilst delivering an engaging, tightly paced narrative that’s well worth returning for. I adored playing as the charming Arty and was honestly saddened to learn they’re limited to this DLC alone. However with inventive new classes, a stunning clockwork world, catchy new soundtrack, and a plot that mostly sticks the landing, this DLC feels impressively substantial. The fact that it’s free to existing players makes it all the more of a steal.

Are you going to play Sea of Stars: Throes of the Watchmaker? Let us know in the comments.