Lunar: Silver Star Story Complete

"A classic is reborn"

Well I've never actually played the original Lunar (because I never owned a Sega CD) but I kept hearing about what a great game it was. 7 years I have waited to play this game and now I am about to tell you how well it stacks up against the competition.

Story: As far as story goes this one of the best I have heard in a while. The story itself is fairly standard. The story mostly revolves around Alex trying to become the next Dragonmaster, save the world and the person he loves. Its fairly standard but the way the story is told and personality each character has is unrivaled. Unlike Xenogears, Lunar's storyline really drew me in and made me feel like I was a part of that world.

Graphics: While most people complain about the dated 16-bit graphics I personally enjoyed them. Sure they look like a 16 bit game but there suppose to look that way. They are beautiful in their own right. The 2D overhead maps and cute SD sprites brought back many memories of playing Phantasy Star 4 or Final Fantasy 6.

Music: Lunar has a very nice soundtrack. It cannot beat some Squaresoft RPG's (Final Fantasy 6, Final Fantasy Tactics, Xenogears) but it gets the job done.

Gameplay: Lunars gameplay is outstanding. I've heard that the battle engine is exactly like the old Lunar so that should please fans of the original. One of the best features I have ever seen in an RPG has got to be the A.I. option. All you have to do is hit A.I. and any battle is fought automatically for you. Thanks to the A.I. option, small battles become a breeze.

Workind Designs has done a masterpiece of a job translating this game to the U.S. This is hands down the best translation I have ever seen. They've even translated all the songs into English and the voice acting is superb! And whats to say about the packaging. A very thick Art/Instruction book, soundtrack, Making of Lunar CD, Cloth Map all on top of the 2 game CDs. Plus the cover is absolutely gorgeous.

So there you have it. If you like old school RPG's (Phantasy Star, Final Fantasy VI, etc.) than by all means give this game a try you'll love it.

Reviewer's Score: 9/10, Originally Posted: 11/01/99, Updated 06/09/03