Lunar 2: Eternal Blue Complete

"Game Arts’ masterpiece finally arrived on the Playstation"

1000 years have passed since Lunar: Silver Star Story, and a mysterious entity known as the black god Zophar threatens to destroy the Silver Star and rebuild it in his own image. It is because of this threat that Lucier, a woman from the Blue Star, is awakened and journeys to the Silver Star to meet with the goddess Altena. Along the way, she runs across the path of Hiero, an archaeologist who lives with his grandfather Gwen and dragon friend Ruby, and it is this meeting which sets in motion a series of events that ultimately puts the fate of Lunar in their hands. Thus begins the story of Eternal Blue, the sequel to Game Arts' classic Lunar: Silver Star Story.

Lunar2: Eternal Blue is the PSX and Saturn remake of the Sega MegaCD game, Lunar: Eternal Blue. Unlike the Silver Star Story remake, however, Lunar2: Eternal Blue remains faithful to the original MegaCD script, with only a few minor alterations to the story proper to accommodate the changes made to Silver Star Story. Now that references to the past tie up some loose ends that were in the original, this game seems more like a natural continuation of the first game instead of just a sequel, hence the ‘2' in the title.

The in-game graphics still adhere to the 2D format of the original, but they never fail to impress nonetheless. The backgrounds are all nicely detailed and the sprites more animated than in the original Silver Star Story. The battle graphics are some of the most impressive I've seen; many of the bosses are huge, and some, particularly the demon dragons, look like something out of the player's worst nightmares. Fans who've played the Saturn Silver Star Story may be a bit disappointed at the lack of water effects, but there is so much in the game that looks nice that their disappointment will soon disappear.

The anime sequences are unbelievable; many of them are so beautifully drawn and seamlessly interwoven with CG backgrounds and effects that they'll take the player's breath away. It's obvious Kadokawa Shoten spared no expense when producing these scenes, as they rival the most technologically advanced of animated movies. There are times where the player will select New Game, just to see the gorgeous intro over and over. Like Silver Star Story, the PSX port clears up much of the grain from the Saturn version. And as in most good anime, the voices are top notch and always fit the characters' personalities.

Eternal Blue contains one of the best musical scores ever in a video game. The sound quality is impressive and isn't reminiscent of ‘16-bit' synthesis. The character themes are all memorable, and the battle themes never fail to pump you up for a decisive fight. And, unlike Silver Star Story, the PSX version contains exactly the same music as the Saturn version, which actually causes some slowdown during loading times. There are times when the player will stop playing and just listen to the music, something which rarely happens during Silver Star Story.

The battles flow much more quickly than in the first Lunar, which makes dungeon encounters much less tedious and boss fights much more intense. No longer does it take about 5 seconds for a blob slime to reach the party, nor are the swings of the Master sword so lethargic. Spell effects are generally more impressive than in the first game, though some (particularly the wind spells) are rather boring. Interestingly, the AI of the bosses actually got dumber from the first game, as they pick only one target for their single-target attacks and only attack that one target until it perishes, making many boss battles easier (though their mass-damage spells are oftentimes stronger than in the first game). The AI function still isn't effective, but since battles are much less tedious than in the first game, there isn't any real need for it.

The item handling system is much improved over the awkward system in Silver Star Story. Instead of each individual item taking up a slot and the frustrating equipping of rings and accessories, items are grouped together and the player can select specific slots where they want their rings and medallions equipped. Also, the entire item pool can be accessed from battle, instead of the characters' individual item caches (which were done away with, fortunately).

The plot is perhaps the most moving and touching seen in an RPG. The strong character development seen in the first Lunar is taken to another step in this game, but it never seems overly melodramatic or soap-operatic; it is always handled with masterful subtlety not often seen in video games. Even the villains are three-dimensional, discovering for themselves the power inherent in humanity and the desire to protect loved ones. And even after the game proper has ended, there is an added subquest to tie up one last loose end shown in the ending and to allow the player the opportunity to live a little longer with the characters. The PSX subquest has two more dungeons and six new bromides not found in the Saturn release, much to the delight of Lunar fanatics.

Lunar2: Eternal Blue is one of the most amazing and unforgettable games to ever grace any platform. Its beautiful graphics, memorable characters, incredible music, unsurpassed plot, and poignant endings will captivate the player like nothing else. PSX owners have much to rejoice, for their version surpasses the Saturn's in every way and is the most "Complete" version available. If a video game could ever be called a masterpiece, this would be it.

Reviewer's Score: 10/10, Originally Posted: 11/01/99, Updated 11/01/99