The original Lunar games on the Sega CD were the flagship JRPGs for the console. These were big deals back in the day and were instrumental in helping anime penetrate the West. While the Sega CD faded and both Lunar games became cult classics, they got a second chance with remakes on the PlayStation.
If you were a gamer during the mid 90s, you might have done a double take while browsing your Electronics Boutique if you came across copies of Lunar: Silver Star Story Complete, or its sequel Eternal Blue Complete. Working Designs held nothing back and packaged these babies in some of the most premium sets on the PlayStation. They came in enormous boxes, had hardcover manuals, and a bunch of other cool stuff that drew you deeper into its world.
I still proudly have my copy of Lunar 2, and while the main carton has withered away, it still impresses how much care was put into its presentation. This was something that the Lunar games excelled at. You could always count on them being in massive packages that mentally prepared you for the huge adventure you were about to partake. This wasn’t a “collector’s edition”, this was the only edition, and the premium pricing was due to the thoughtful localization which was rare since most JRPG localization was half-assed at the time.
These days, if you want to play the Lunar games, you’re outta luck because they’re rare and expensive. Thankfully the boys at GungHo have compiled both titles in what promises to be remastered editions. How have these JPRGs aged since the early 90s? How have they been improved? Find out in our Lunar Remastered Collection review!
This is a review coupled with a supplemental video review. You can watch the video review or read the full review of the below:
Lunar Remastered Collection
Developer: ASHIBI, GAME ARTS, Studio Alex, Vanguard, Alfa System
Publisher: GungHo Online Entertainment America, Kadokawa
Platforms: Windows PC, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch (reviewed)
Release Date: April 18, 2025
Price: $49.99
The Lunar games are very much products of their time. Both games are as traditional as it gets when it comes to the JRPG genre. These were originally Sega CD games, and they still are at their core. As such, they are basically 16-bit games that punched above their weight thanks to the CD format, allowing for some impressive pixel art cutscenes, CD-quality sound, and voice acting. This was in the early 90s. Final Fantasy, the biggest name in JRPGs, wouldn’t get voice acting until the turn of the millennium.
The gameplay in these is very straightforward across both titles. You run around in your classic overheard RPG POV, explore towns, dungeons, talk to NPCs, buy the next equipment set, watch cutscenes, and get into turn-based battles. Characters level up and they sometimes learn new moves at certain milestones.
It may not seem like much by today’s standards where every JRPG is wrought with elaborate systems and mechanics that feed into each other. The fact of the matter is that the Lunar games are both from a different time when the genre was still new, and the developers were still trying to figure things out.
The battle system in both Lunars has a semi-tactical element where melee attacks require characters to walk up to foes. Depending on their stats, if the fiend is too far, the attacker will run out of steam before reaching their target, and you’ll have to wait till the next turn for an action. This mechanic applies to foes too and the main strategy comes from weighing ranged or melee attacks. Spells will always be long ranged but cost MP and some dungeons or bosses can be lengthy.
The other mechanic to consider when battling is party member position in battle. Unlike in Final Fantasy where you have a front and back row; there is a grid of spaces to choose for placing characters. This is important when getting into a fight because having a melee guy in the back means more walking and that means missing turns. Yet it may be helpful to keep a fighter in the furthest reaches and play defense to lure foes while ranged attacks rain down.
The biggest innovations that the Lunar games had were they didn’t feature random encounters and displayed all party members on screen while traveling. Most of the time, even the biggest budgeted JRPGs couldn’t render enemies on screen and party members would always “merge” into the protagonist.
It is because Lunar Remastered Collection is adamantly traditional is why it feels so refreshing. Yes, it’s true; we have reached the other end of the bell curve and now Lunar is innovative by virtue by being so old-school that it feels fresh again. As awesome as all those Xenoblade games are, the sheer density of the gameplay can be overstimulating and sensory overload after a while. Coming back to these games feels like going home for JRPG hold-heads.
Despite their age, both titles are surprisingly forward-thinking in their design. The gameplay is streamlined compared to most JPRGs on the original PlayStation. Every party member fights and nobody gets benched. Other times the story dictates who’s in the party since this is a very story-focused JRPG.
The stories for both games move quickly, and you aren’t given much freedom to deviate from the main path. This is another example of these games being a product of their times since side quests or mini games in JRPGs were basically unheard of. The world maps in both games are designed to keep players focused on a linear path without any room to do much exploring.
The lack of freedom may disappoint some gamers, but this isn’t a small package here. Lunar Remastered Collection is two beefy JRPGs that add up to about 70 hours of gameplay. This isn’t to say that there are no side quests to speak of. Both games backload the optional fun stuff. Gamers will need to make substantial progress in the first Lunar before they’re free to do some side activities.
The side quests in Lunar 2 are basically saved for the very end of the game but is totally worth it and is unlike any side content in any JRPG ever made. It’s basically a playable epilogue where you can explore the world and see what everyone is up to after the end and find some cool stuff that connects events more directly to the prior game.
Not only is the gameplay traditional, but the stories are too. Any weeb will feel right at home with the adventurous, wind-blowing-in-your-hair, standing-in-a-grassy-field, and traveling-with-your-friends kind of shounen story. The first game has it all; the cute childhood friend, the tsundere priestess, the brash musclehead buddy, and the big bad evil wizard that kind of looks like Golbez, who’s got some sexy evil witches working for him.
Lunar is your classic hero’s journey where the plucky protagonist fulfills his destiny and gets the girl-next-door. The sequel is a more epic story set thousands of years later and features a much longer quest that unfolds in a less cliche way. You won’t be finding the elemental thingies but will be on the run from the Althenian guards while protecting his new hot goddess girlfriend who doesn’t understand human interaction.
When these games were new, their stories were novel. Today everyone has seen similar narratives in anime and other games, but Lunar did it first. What makes both Lunar games hold up so well is the care put into its characters and writing. Dialogue flows naturally and the extensive anime cutscenes go a long way in sucking you into the world. The sprites may not be the most expressive, but they have a surprising number of poses and actions, especially during story scenes and battles.
Between the two titles in the compilation, Lunar 2’s graphics stand out for its background pixel art which are drawn in a way that keeps repeating tiles to a minimum. The background art is on another level and is still mind-blowing. There are tons of them and each one is meticulously drawn.
The new voice actors for the remasters are adequate for the most part. Everyone sounds like how you’d think, and the actresses for Luna and Lucia are exceptional singers. Lunar 2 has significantly more voice acting in it than the first and more anime scenes too. It’s too bad they couldn’t get the original performances included, but these new ones are worthy alternatives.
The anime scenes have had some AI upscaling done to them with some mixed results. For a majority of the time, they look crisp and clean. When playing Lunar Remastered Collection in portable mode on Switch, you won’t notice at all, but on the big screen some details and frames of animation might make you raise an eyebrow.
Lunar Remastered Collection is a faithful and tasteful compilation with restrained additions. The gameplay is untouched for the most part and the most noticable QOL feature is the battle speed controls. Speeding through fights is a godsend for getting through inconsequential battles or grinding.
Just like with the Suikoden I & II HD Remaster, these are two amazing JRPGs from the genre’s golden age. Any weeb worth their salt owes it to themselves to check out Lunar Remastered Collection. They don’t make them like this anymore and now they’re here in one neat package with a very appealing price.
Lunar Remastered Collection was reviewed on Nintendo Switch using a code provided by GungHo Online. You can find additional information about Niche Gamer’s review/ethics policy here. Lunar Remastered Collection is available on April 18th for Windows PC (via STEAM), PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and Nintendo Switch.
