LUNAR Remastered Collection Review

RPG fans have always thought of the Lunar series as one of the best in the genre, especially when it came out on the Sega CD and then the PlayStation in the 1990s. The original games were made by Game Arts, a studio known for making high-quality RPGs. They had a lot of dedicated fans, but in recent years, they have become less well-known. 

The LUNAR Remastered Collection brings back these classic games, Lunar: Silver Star Story and Lunar: Eternal Blue, on newer platforms with improvements that will please both new and old fans. These old JRPGs get a new lease of life with the remaster, which brings back their charm while adding modern conveniences.

At their core, both Silver Star Story and Eternal Blue stay true to their roots. They tell classic fantasy RPG stories, which is a breath of fresh air in a time when subversive plots and edgy characters are the norm. Lunar: Silver Star Story starts with Alex, a young man who is set on becoming the next Dragonmaster, a legendary figure who protects the goddess Althena. 

Alex's journey is accompanied by his friends, such as Luna, whose powerful singing seems to be connected to an old prophecy. It takes place in a world full of rich history, but the story is mostly just a background for building characters and the world.

The story doesn't do anything new, but one of its strengths is how it focuses on how the characters interact with each other. The NPCs in each village have dialogue that is always changing. These conversations add humor and personal insight to the world, making it feel alive and real. 

However, Alex, even though he has a big goal, often feels like a flat character. It can be hard to connect with him because he doesn't say much and doesn't have much depth. This is especially true when compared to Luna, who steals the show with her much more interesting presence.

Lunar: Eternal Blue is better than the first game because it adds Hiro, a young archaeologist who meets Lucia, a serious girl with a mysterious mission connected to the goddess Althena, a thousand years after the events of the first game.

Hiro is drawn into Lucia's quest. Hiro's interactions with the cast feel more personal and emotional because he has full-voice acting. The story in Eternal Blue is also more interesting, with better pacing and bigger plot twists that make the experience more cohesive and believable.

Classic JRPG rules are used in both Silver Star Story and Eternal Blue. This may feel familiar to people who played RPGs in the 1990s. Turn-based combat is what the game is all about. You control a group of characters as they fight enemies, explore dungeons, and complete quests. 

As the game goes on, you level up your characters, get better gear for them, and improve their skills by giving them new spells and abilities. At first, the gameplay seems simple, but what makes it fun is that it's not overly complicated, so the player can focus on the most important parts, like exploring and fighting.

But how you deal with the world is what makes magic happen. There are non-playable characters (NPCs) in every town, and many of them change what they say as the story goes on. This makes the world feel like it's alive and well. As you move through the towns and dungeons, you'll probably stop to talk to the locals or look around for hidden treasures. This makes the experience feel rewarding even when it's not busy.

Those who have played older RPGs will be familiar with the simple but effective turn-based combat system used in Lunar Remastered. You are in charge of your party and tell each character what to do, like attack, use magic, or use an item. The system isn't revolutionary, but it works well and is easy to use. 

The battles in these games also happen on a 2D grid, so both characters and enemies can move and change positions during battle. This makes battles more strategic because skill range and positioning can change the outcome. This gave the combat a tactical feel that was ahead of its time.

One thing to keep in mind is that the combat is still very satisfying, even though it doesn't try to be new. There aren't any modern mechanics, so there aren't any gimmicks or systems that are too hard to understand. It's just good old-fashioned turn-based combat with enough variety to keep things interesting. The experience system is easy to understand. As you level up, you get new skills and stats, and it feels great to notice your power slowly growing.

The combat, on the other hand, has some problems. It's a bit hard to use at first, especially in the first game, thanks to the user interface. Managing your inventory and items can be tricky at first, and the number of items you can carry at once can be annoying, especially in Eternal Blue, where each character has their own luggage limit. 

The shared limit in Silver Star Story, on the other hand, is a bit easier to handle. Another problem is that neither game is too hard, but some parts can still surprise you. This is especially true in Eternal Blue, where the open-world areas can be tough if you're not careful with your resources and healing.

As with most JRPGs, Lunar has a standard experience system where you get experience points (XP) for killing enemies. This lets characters gain levels, which raises their stats and gives them access to new skills. But grinding for XP is often necessary, especially when you go to new areas or fight stronger enemies. 

Although the combat in the game is pretty basic, you still need to be smart about how you use your MP (magic points) and healing items. You'll need to stay alert because enemies can do a lot of damage. Grinding for XP every once in a while helps you get ready for tougher battles.

One thing about Lunar that could be seen as a double-edged sword is how simple it is to earn XP. There aren't a lot of complicated systems in the game, like skill trees or stat allocations. Leveling up is easy, and you don't have to worry too much about min-maxing. It's both strong and weak that this is so simple. It makes things easy to understand and fun, but compared to newer RPGs with more complex ways to progress, it can feel too simple at times.

One of the best things about this collection is that both Silver Star Story and Eternal Blue have had their graphics remastered. The graphics have been cleaned up and polished, but the pixel art still has the old-school look of the original games. It looks sharp and colorful on modern screens. The remaster doesn't completely change the way the game looks, but small changes to the backgrounds and character portraits help bring the world to life without taking away from the game's original charm.

The Lunar series is known for its anime cutscenes, which are beautifully drawn and keep the classic 2000s animation style. When you're tired of normal gameplay, these cutscenes are a nice break. They also give important story moments more emotional weight. The only bad thing is that sometimes the changes from 4:3 cutscenes to 16:9 gameplay are jarring, especially if you play in widescreen mode, but this isn't a big deal because the quality is so good overall.

The music is one of the best parts of both Silver Star Story and Eternal Blue. The music in these games is classic. There are big orchestral pieces and catchy town themes that you'll remember long after you're done playing. The remaster has new English voice acting, which is nice, though the quality isn't always great. Voice-acted scenes are better in Eternal Blue than in Silver Star Story, but there are still enough in Silver Star Story to make the experience better.

With LUNAR Remastered Collection, you can feel like you're back in the good old days of JRPGs. Even though it doesn't bring anything new to the genre, it holds up surprisingly well thanks to its interesting characters, fun but simple gameplay, and charming world. 

The improved graphics and voice acting make the experience better without taking away from the charm of the original. The battles aren't anything new, but they have enough depth and strategy to keep players interested, and the dialogue between NPCs makes the world feel alive.

Those who liked the first games will love LUNAR Remastered Collection because it brings back all of Alex and Hiro's adventures. It's a great way for newcomers to get into the world of Lunar. The Lunar series is still one of the most beloved in the history of JRPGs, even though it's not as well-known as it used to be.