Most Helpful Customer Reviews
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70 of 80 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
SOLID! But is it too late?, November 20, 2000
That's right, this game is absolutely solid! I'll readily admit that I belong to the old school RPG players who strongly believe that the garbage that many companies try to give us is just that, garbage. It must be understood that the PSX version is actually a rehash of the SEGA CD (which I'm proud to own) with a more animations and extra video this game does shine . . . if reviewed on it's own.Needless to say, I was very surprised that Working Designs decided to go ahead and release an aging game on a near dead system (never mind the recent release of the Playstation 2). And yes, despite popular opinion, this game is NOT NEW. Because of it's age and the ultra "cool" eye candy that more recent RPG games have to offer, this game will most assuredly, once again, become a cult classic. Unlike many games, this game actually has a history. Every one knows that the SEGA CD was a major failure in terms of sales. But what most people don't realize is that the original Lunar was a raging success. Several hundred thousand SEGA CD's have been sold in Japan, while the same number plus 50,000 Lunar games have been sold. The same holds true in the US as well. What that means is that every single person who bought a SEGA CD also has one or more copies of the game. Lunar 2 wasn't quite as successful but still managed to hit the 1:1 ratio of owners. And I'm sure that many people, including myself, bought the SEGA CD ... based solely on owning the Lunar games. So why buy the PSX version of the games? Easy, despite the fact that the game is based on traditional sprite based characters, the game actually has a STORY. One of the things that game companies today are suffering from is the attempt to create a game with so much eye candy with 3D polygon graphics, Pre-rendered backgrounds, and special effects that the story literally disappears. Worse still, is that some games attempt to make up for this by adding so much dialog that even an "auto fire" feature on controllers wouldn't get through it all before you return from a trip to the store with a new game. However, Lunar is perfect. The story unfolds at a perfect pace, not too slow and not too fast. Video is a reward and not used as "filler" to help the story along. the only thing that could cripple this game is the lack of 3D polygons or full use of SGI pre-rendered backgrounds. But with a story like Lunar's, who needs the eye candy? So I guess we get to the story. One thousand years after Lunar: Silver Star takes place. Evil has crept across the land again (Or has it? Is there a plot twist there?), now it is up to Hiro and Ruby to help a young girl to contact Athena (Who actually appears in the first game as well under a different name. Now really! I can't spoil that plot twist for you, can I?) to help rid the land of the evil Zophar. In their many adventures (or would that be misadventures?) your band of character meets and joins up with a myriad of characters including Lucia, who is innocent to the things around her. Lemina, who is pretty much a selfish, greedy brat who wields powerful magic. Jean, who is a beautiful dancer who has a deadly battle tactic. Ronfar, who is pretty much a .... (Pay attention to his innuendoes) and Nall, who . . . um . . whoops, Ha ha. Another branching plot line. With twice as many plot twists as the original the game certainly feels very long. And with good reason. Play through the first time. And the game let's you think you "beat" it. Reload the saved file and you have to play through again, backwards (more or less)! This game is lovable and a classic. The entire series harbors many secrets both in game and real world. Do the research and you'll be surprised. I was. I would not be very surprised if this game fails. I've shown this game to people who never played the original and all I got was a "ho hum" response. When I showed the same person the garbage that other companies put out with zero story and tons of eye candy they instantly want to borrow the game. Trust me, buy or at least rent the game. The sprite based characters won't be fantastic but you'll like the story as it unfolds. You'll be surprised. Tigerpomme
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17 of 17 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
One of the best RPG stories ever told., April 9, 2001
The story of Eternal Blue is pure classic. It's the simple story of a brash adventurer who falls for an enigmatic girl with a mission. Quite simple, but monolithic nonetheless. Unlike many current RPGs, the simple charm of the love story is not buried under reams of dross. Yes, an epic adventure unfolds, but Eternal Blue never loses sight of its greatest strengths: its characters, simple romance, and a sense of lighthearted adventure. Working Designs knows what they are doing: their script is witty and proficient, underscoring unique personalities and heightening the emotional impact of any given scene. The villains are more interesting this time around, the plot hardly ever runs off track, and there's a few plot twists you'll never expect. For those who didn't experience this wonderful story in the Sega CD days, you owe it to yourself to play it through. It ranks among the greatest stories ever, and in many ways is surpasses the original telling (which had too much humor for its own good). The graphics are very 16-bit, so the game lacks graphical titillation. (The FMV is gorgeous, though.) The gameplay, likewise, is archaic, and actually a step down from the Sega CD original. The magic system, which was one of the greatest merits of the original, has been simplified to the point of mindlessness, which is ridiculous and dumb. Actually, the gameplay seems more tiring than I remembered, the dungeons being particularly exhausting. The game is a little tougher though, which creates a sense of urgency not often associated with many RPGs these days. While the gameplay hasn't aged well, the story is as timeless as they come, and that makes the game worth playing. All the extras are a nice treat as well. I personally found the "Making Of Lunar 2" CD very interesting, and while I have no use for the amulet or the character standees, they are nice bonuses. The map is a nifty keepsake, and the full soundtrack is great. I don't listen to the soundtrack, because I don't really enjoy the Lunar music outside the context of the game, but I appreciate the gesture, and there are still several good tunes included (Lemina's theme is fookin' catchy). Hopefully other publishers will include soundtracks with their games in the future.
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15 of 17 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Dragonmaster Viper Review, June 9, 2000
By A Customer
Durability:5.0 out of 5 stars Fun:5.0 out of 5 stars Educational:5.0 out of 5 stars
I must say Working Designs has done it again! Lunar 2 is definitely a classic game that no household should do without. I've played Lunar SSS Complete and that game was a definite masterpiece. The storyline was excellent, the characters were well drawn, the music soundtrack of the game was brilliant, and most importantly the game play itself was top notch. Working Designs does excellent RPG games. The packaging of the game was a great idea and the artwork of the casing was really cool. I must say Lunar 2 is a must have type game. For those thats played Lunar SSS...your gonna love this game just as much as you loved the previous title. For those that hasn't played Lunar SSS...your in for a good treat. I personally recommend this game to everyone. I feel this game will blow away the minds of those who don't even like RPGs. Congradulations Working Designs...you've done it again!
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