Review NaN of 34
, from USA
Price Paid:
$40.00
from Software Etc. Summary:
Lunar 2 is one of the best, and most satisfying RPGs I've played in a long time.
I happened upon it by accident. Software Etc. had it used, but everything was still in the package, untouched, including Lucia's pendant, still wrapped.
I have to talk about the packaging because, while the Japanese gets perks like this all the time, Americans typically don't, and Working Designs packed a lot in. You get Lucia's pendant, that no one but the weirdest of the hardcore would wear, the soundtrack, (24 tracks) a disk of the making of Lunar and an omake box with little standees of the characters. The manual is a black hardcover and it's packed with information, including interviews with developers.
Is that enough for ya? Ok on to the game itself.
While playing all the next generation RPGs, I had forgotten about the simplicity and charm of an old school game like this. It has very simple beginnings, much like Grandia. Hiro and his pal Ruby, are exploring some ruins that Hiro's grandpa told him to stay out of. That's all I wanna say because I don't wanna give any of the story away, because it's so good!
Lunar 2 is direct sequel to the first game. It's set 1,000 years (if I remember right) in the future, and some characters from Lunar Silver Star Story will appear. There are a ton of references to the first game, but if you never played it, it doesn't hurt anything.
It's interesting that in all it's 2D simplicity and cliches, it beats the pants off of many next-generation RPGs.
I think RPGs today try too hard to be too epic and grand from the very beginning. And because of time limits, production costs, etc., RPGs are generally, shorter. So you have developers trying to cram these grand, epic themes, into shorter playing times. The thing that is missing, is simplicity and charm. From simple beginnings, the story develops and becomes grand and epic, and that's part of the charm. Interestingly enough I beat it in 36 hours, but it felt like 60 or more. This story is extremely well done, with lots of character development and interaction. That I got only 36 hours of gameplay out of it is kinda shocking. I thought the timer on my PS1 was broke or something. But that is a credit to how well the story is done. You will have up to 5 other characters in your party at certain times, and everyone's story is touched on nicely, and doesn't feel forced, or rushed. Lunar 2 has all the charm, emotion, and atmosphere, with a tight battle system, excellent anime cutscenes, great, cheesy, but charming anime music and voice acting, great gameplay and some of the funniest, raunchy dialogue I've heard or read in a game. You'll get jokes about women's hygiene to beastiality. Jokes like those are a bit off the beaten path, so you'll have to hunt around and explore to read those jokes. At one point one character tells everyone to hold into their valuables. Then she tells a male character to take his hands out his pockets. He sheepishly replies, "just following orders." That kind of humor is rampant. Report this review >>
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5 of 5
