Lunar Remastered Collection review: Let rise the dreams of your heart

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For those familiar with my handle, it’s no secret that I hold a soft spot for classic, strategic RPGs. Titles such as Dragon Quest, SaGa, Shin Megami Tensei, Final Fantasy, and other lesser-known gems have always brought joy to me whenever I sit down to play them. Yet, if you were to ask me which game encapsulates the essence of the role-playing genre in my eyes, it would undoubtedly be Lunar.

These games, particularly their PlayStation reissues brimming with additional goodies, hold a special place in my heart as they greatly influenced me during my early years when I was barely aware of what anime and “role-playing games” even meant on a conceptual level. The moment I fired up Lunar Remastered Collection and heard the newly recorded rendition of “Wings,” a powerful wave of nostalgia washed over me, reminiscent of a truck’s impact. Thus, keep in mind that this review may elicit some cringe moments as I delve into my personal connection with this classic series.

The most classical of classics

The games “Lunar: Silver Star Story” and its sequel, “Eternal Blue,” while not groundbreaking in terms of originality or uniqueness, have a unique charm. In particular, “Silver Silver Story” leans heavily on tropes, presenting a tale about a boy embarking on a classic hero’s journey alongside his female childhood friend who possesses healing abilities. However, the way this game is brought to life sets it apart from others.

This animated series features prominent characters skillfully introduced, boasts a lively voice cast that endears an already charming ensemble, offers vibrant, detailed graphics, and includes catchy, heartfelt Disney-like songs that are as sincere and touching as they are cheesy. It’s almost like someone took a Final Fantasy game, removed the gloom and emotional turmoil, and filled it with sunshine, rainbows, and tears of happiness instead. To top it off, you might find some cupcakes and those bouncy musical blocks from Super Mario Bros. 3 thrown in for good measure.

Eternal Blue takes inspiration from Lunar’s polish and energy, aiming to add a touch more eccentricity while strengthening the narrative. It maintains its roots in friendship and anime themes, sprinkled with some light-hearted adult content that adds depth to the game. This makes it an ideal RPG experience for young teenagers, though not quite as mature or risqué as Compile Heart games. Picture Sailor Moon, but with a wider demographic appeal.

Reflecting on my past experiences with Lunar games, I must admit it’s challenging to approach them objectively as a new player. You see, long ago, my friend and I stumbled upon Lunar 2 at a store like Walmart or Toys ‘R’ Us, and we were so captivated that we recorded the cutscenes on a VHS tape for future viewing. It was an experience from childhood that left a lasting impression. However, I still possess the game, and there are aspects to discuss from a retrospective perspective. For younger RPG enthusiasts who appreciated the recent Dragon Quest 3 remake, consider Lunar as something similar but with less traditional gameplay mechanics and a more playful, theatrical feel.

Legal issues, rumors, and who knows what else?

Previously, longtime fans of the Lunar series have found themselves in a state of uncertainty since its Sega CD and PlayStation era, due to complications related to localization and rights ownership by the late co-founder of Working Designs, Victor Ireland. While much of this information is rumor or conjecture, occasional updates from Ireland add fuel to the fire. However, when the Lunar Remastered Collection was announced, it was a pleasant surprise, yet it also raised some questions. Additionally, the history of developer GameArts and publisher GungHo with their other classic RPG series, Grandia, is not without its own concerns.

The positive point is that this isn’t like the Grandia scenario at all. Although I have a few minor complaints, Lunar appears to be better than anticipated for the most part. Unlike other remasters such as Square Enix’s SaGa series or Konami’s recent Suikoden lineup, it handles widescreen support in a unique way. The developers chose to maintain the original game’s appearance and feel while expanding the field of view. The lighting may vary somewhat, but the sprites and tiles follow the same style, as if they were merely enlarged and given an upgrade with a “higher resolution” wand. It’s tough to notice any differences even when you switch between the original games and the remaster.

In this new version, you have the ability to switch between “Classic Mode” and “Remastered Mode”. This transition can be made from a launcher menu, keeping your save file consistent across both versions. The Classic Mode offers some good CRT filters, a border option, and maintains a 4:3 aspect ratio. However, you can also enjoy enhancements from the remaster, such as improved inventory management, battle settings, automatic combat, and most notably, subtitles for cutscenes. This feature provides an enjoyable experience while still preserving the original’s essence, demonstrating a commitment to authenticity in this release.

In simpler terms, I’m using “as possible” because Lunar’s localization is unique due to its specific circumstances. This can be good or bad, as Working Designs (WD), which is well-likened, was also known for making games challenging (to discourage rentals) and incorporating many pop-culture references and humorous elements that were divisive among fans. It’s tricky to compare fully before release due to time and budget limitations, but there are observable differences. For instance, some of the difficulty issues from the WD versions have been resolved, reducing the need for grinding money. The translation appears similar, but with minor tweaks here and there. Notably, the opening song in the first Lunar remains close to the WD lyrics, unlike a more literal translation seen in a PSP remake.

Remastering the look, remaking the sounds

Regarding the theme song, it’s important to note that Lunar Remastered Collection features brand new voiceovers for both games. Although it can be disappointing when changes like this occur, especially since we may have grown fond of the original voices, there are advantages. For instance, the recording quality is significantly improved. The new actors do a commendable job and in certain instances, their performances bear a striking, if unusual, resemblance to the original cast members. The songs remain as impactful as before, and the lack of lyric translation is an acceptable concession. However, it’s worth acknowledging the excellent work done by Jenny Stigile and the rest of the original voice actors for their literal and metaphorical contributions to this series.

The remastered version has some visual hiccups, primarily in the areas of upscaled cutscenes. To begin with, these upscaled scenes appear to have overly aggressive digital coloring that distorts the original artwork’s line work. You can find improved versions of these scenes on YouTube uploaded by fans, which is unfortunate. In essence, enhanced clarity comes at a price. The same scenes in Classic Mode look terrible, with no upscaling at all. Given the significance of anime scenes in the Lunar series, this is a notable issue from both perspectives. While it could’ve been much worse (no apparent AI issues), it had the potential to be significantly better as well.

In Remastered Mode, some of the finer details such as texture art don’t appear as sharp. The text seems blurry, menu icons seem overly filtered, and character portraits in dialogue boxes are inconsistent. These smaller textures often cause issues in projects like this, but given how impressive the overall visuals within the game are, these flaws become more noticeable. It gives the impression that GungHo was unsure about the level of intensity they wanted to apply to the cutscenes and UI textures, which detracts from the final product’s quality.

The screen has a strange, unhelpful blur on its edges that only makes the top and bottom parts hazy without purpose. However, there’s an option to turn it off, which is good news. It seems they intended for a photographic effect like Square Enix in Star Ocean 2, but they didn’t quite hit the mark. Fortunately, the mistakes of Grandia HD were not replicated in Lunar.

The Lunar series is an outstanding gem in the history of RPGs, yet it receives far less recognition than it deserves today. The fact that the Lunar Remastered Collection even exists feels almost miraculous given its complex background. For the most part, it’s a success as it takes a restorative, hands-off approach, aiming to make it look like a direct widescreen conversion of a PlayStation game. However, there are certain issues that prevent an excellent re-release from being perfect. On the other hand, the new dub compensates for these flaws with its superior quality and respect for the original series. In summary, I salute GungHo for allowing these timeless classics to shine on their own, as they truly need no embellishment.

The Lunar Remastered Collection will be released on April 18, 2025, and it’s playable on the PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, and personal computers. For this review, a Nintendo Switch code was generously provided by the publisher.

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2025-04-14 17:29