Magazine Coverage
Lunar: Silver Star Story Complete (Playstation)
Magazine Text
GAME OF THE MONTH
John R’s 9.0 review:
The Sega CD version of Lunar and Lunar II are two of my favorite RPGs of all time. Needless to say, I had been eagerly awaiting the Lunar remake for quite a while, and now that I’ve finally played through it, I have to say - it was well worth the wait. Even if you played through the Sega CD version, I still highly recommend you check this version out, because a lot has changed. All of the graphics and most of the music have been redone (almost all for the better), the animation is all-new (there’s a lot more of it, too), and the gameplay has been tweaked as well (enemies are now visible in dungeons, the battle system has been improved, etc.). The animation is some of the best I’ve ever seen in a game - especially near the end - and the voice acting is really well done (though Nall’s voice is rather irritating…). The story is fantastic (it’s the main reason why the Lunar games appeal to me so much), and the writing is superb. In fact, this is easily the most well-written RPG I’ve ever played. The dialogue is extremely witty, and the characters have tons of personality - you’d be hard-pressed not to get emotionally attached to them by the the time you reach the end. Finally, the battle system is great. Strategy plays a key part in determinig whether you win or lose. And all the extras only add to what is already a must-buy for RPGers.
Chris’s 9.5 review:
For me to play an RPG all the way through, the story has to be engaging. Lunar is as engaging as it gets. At no point while playing Lunar did I feel like anything I had to do was a chore - it was all pure enjoyment. WD has done a great job translating, dubbing and adding new things to Lunar to make it a better game than any of the previous Japanese versions. The bonus CDs and cloth map only make a fantastic game an even better value.
Che’s 8.5 review:
Having never played the original Sega CD Lunar, I was surprised at how well the game holds together for being six years old. Combat in Lunar is all about strategy - learning which characters are best at attacking, defending, healing and so on is key. The added Dual Shock support is welcome, and doesn’t seem like an afterthought. As usual, WD’s trademark humor is present, but it doesn’t seem to override or detract from a very engaging story.
Crispin’s 9.0 review:
Whether you played the Sega CD classic or not, march out right now and get Lunar immediately. Sure, it’s about as traditional as RPGs get, without any fancy monster ranching or complex character-development schemes. But the big draw here is the story. Lunar’s plot, writing and voice acting are about the best you’ll find. And you already know the cinemas are awesome. The pile of extras you get in the box don’t hurt, either.
| Visuals | Sound | Ingenuity | Replay |
|---|---|---|---|
| 8 | 9 | 7 | 5 |
Commentary
It always shocks me at the timeline of the review coming in. In July 1999 I was about to have my life flipped over with the launch of the Sega Dreamcast. Being a primary Sega household, I judge times by their generation timelines and the Dreamcast was much earlier than the PS2.
The reviews were really good and it’s so cool to see other people recognize why I love Lunar so much: the story and the characters.
Posted on: 15 November 2024
