Lunacy

"A great FMV game if you like FMV games"

Chances are, most people have not heard of this one. Lunacy was an FMV game (which to some people means all graphics and no gameplay) that got bad reviews from the gaming magazines (Ultra Gameplayers gave it a 6.0). Yes, it's an FMV game meaning you'll be watching a lot of story sequences rather than playing a lot, but that's what these games are for. They are relaxing and don't take a lot of energy to play, and it's enjoyable to sit back and watch the plot unfold while you decipher the mysteries of the virtual world.

Lunacy is one of these games.

Gameplay: 8/10

Some may argue with this, saying that there IS no gameplay in an FMV game. But there is! Lunacy takes place in a mysterious city known as the City Of Mist run by the insidious Lord Gordon, with about 30 different locations that you can visit. Your ultimate goal is to get down the well in the center of the city. But to do this, you'll need to speak with and get to know all the characters in the city, get valuable items off them by bartering other items (such as medical herbs for Doctor Norse) and using your wits to figure out the various puzzles in the game. Once this is all done, you are teleported to the mysterious City of Moons where the second disc takes place, which is an evil city stuck in eternal night, where the evil Lord Gordon (i like that name!) shows his true colours.

With about 60 different locations throughout the game, you'll be backtracking and revisiting a lot. Sometimes when nothing seems to work, you need to return to a certain person's house and talk to them to get the game in motion again. That's the only gripe I have about the gameplay really. It's fun and easy to play, relying more on smarts than game-playing ability.

Controls: 10/10

Smooth as silk, really. FMV games are easy to control, and Lunacy is no exception.

Story: 9/10

An FMV game isn't an FMV game without a good story, and Lunacy doesn't disappoint. You are Fred (odd name), a traveller who has lost his memory. He awakens in a jail cell with Anthony, a strange man with an affinity for butterflies. He has the key to escape, but he doesn't want to leave for some reason.

After escaping, Fred is captured and beaten to unconsciousness by Jade, the right hand man of Lord Gordon. Fred meets with Gordon, where Gordon asks Fred what he knows about the City Of Moons, the place where dreams come true and people are always happy. Gordon figures Fred came from this city due to the strange crest on his forehead which brands people who have once travelled there. Gordon tells Fred that he must find the way to the City of Moons, or he will be killed.

The story is quite good, and it's gets a lot better and more suspenseful at the second disc of the game, where everything is revealed. The characters are likeable and well designed, and you'll really grow to hate the aloof and rude Doctor Morse, who thankfully gets killed later.

Graphics: 10/10

Very good, as expected from the Saturn. The characters have a realistic look to them, a little like Final Fantasy 8. The lip-synching is kind of bothersome, though.

Audio: 9/10

The voice acting is pretty bad unfortunately (especially Fred). It is here where the bad translation of the game rears it's ugly head. Fred seems to talk with little emotion, or too much at the wrong time. He calls the town a ''nut farm'' and when asked his name, he says ''The name that they call me is Fred.'' Ugh.

However, the music is absolutely beautiful. Soft and mysterious most of the time, but very well done. When you are near the end of the first disc, the music gets really fast-paced, which stimulates you to press on.. you're almost there!

Replayability: 2/10

This is the problem. FMV games are almost always the same and have little replay. The only replay value to this game is the fact that it has multiple endings.

Buy or Rent: I'd buy it if I were you. But it all depends on whether or not you like FMV games.

Overall, a nice little FMV game. Some may argue about the graphics over gameplay matter, but it's an FMV... it's supposed to be like that. And it's fun, so quit complaining.
It must be fun if I stayed up until 5:00 AM playing it! 8)

Reviewer's Score: 10/10, Originally Posted: 07/10/02, Updated 07/10/02