Like a dog who’s perennially chasing
his tail, remakes of classic games tend to leave fans tired, nauseous, and
without much to show for their efforts. Too many changes to the original can
send loyalists into a blind rage, where genuine improvements will be ignored in
favor of complaining about the hero’s cape being a lighter shade of green than
it was before. Too few changes can cause fans to kvetch about whether the remake
should exist at all, leading to an almost Kobayashi Maru-like no-win situation.
Lunar: The Silver Star was the one
that defied the odds, as its incredibly successful PlayStation remake blew
everyone away, including hardcore fans of the original Sega CD release. Now, an
all new remake of the classic turn-based RPG – dubbed Lunar: Silver Star Harmony
– has hit the PSP like a splash of rainbow paint on a plain grey wall, bringing
with it a colorful array of improvements that no right-minded fan would dare
complain about.
These improvements are immediately
noticeable in the visuals, which are eye-widening enough to make you believe
that Silver Star Harmony is an entirely new game. The pint-sized character
sprites of the original have been blissfully redrawn into larger, more detailed
avatars, and the lush, beautiful world of Lunar has also been given the HD
upgrade. From the epic majesty of the floating city of Vane to the simplistic,
natural charm of Burg, each location is truly a sight to behold. The audio has
also been completely redone, as exclusive orchestrations of the original’s
stellar, upbeat soundtrack continues to amaze. Unfortunately, this impressive
presentation results in some exceptionally long load times, with transitions
between certain areas taking upwards of 10 seconds. While not game-killing,
these load times do slow the pacing down quite a bit, and will make exploring
each building of every town a somewhat arduous task.
Despite all of these changes, the
developers at Game Arts were wise enough to leave the story be. Players still
control a young stud named Alex, who leaves his tiny, hometown village with
aspirations of becoming a Dragonmaster like his childhood hero. Yes, I realize
that my description pretty much fits every J-RPG ever made, but Alex’s journey
from childhood to adulthood as he and his friends develop their abilities,
combat power-hungry magicians, explore the vast, open world, and grow into
planet-saving legends is one that will stick with you for quite some time. It
also helps that Lunar’s cast of characters is exceptionally entertaining across
the board. Each has their own personal journey within the game, and it’s a
genuine pleasure to see all of them blossom as things begin to grow dour. The
PSP version adds a few cut scenes and dialogue sequences that end up being
welcomed new additions, filling in backstory without feeling like tacked-on
fluff.
The humor of Silver Star Harmony
also necessitates a mention, as Lunar’s dialogue is as sharp as barbed-wire
thumb tack. Most of the cast is made up of no nonsense sasstalkers, with a
pitch-perfect translation that breathes some modern attitude into the
traditional character archetypes. An early example of this occurs in the game’s
first real quest, where you are tasked with recovering a dragon’s crystal. After
encountering the majestic beast, his response to your mission is one of
befuddlement. “Don’t you know where that comes from,” he remarks. “I’ll never
understand why you people want to collect my sh…ehr, it’s over there.” The
witty banter between characters is also a delight, as each builds up an engaging
rapport with one another that guarantees a few chuckles during the fairly
longwinded interplays.
Lunar’s combat is also somewhat
longwinded, with a turn-based, menu-driven system that requires a lot of
grinding. One of my biggest J-RPG pet peeves has always been random encounters,
where your party is suddenly attacked without warning while you’re trying to get
from one place to another. In Lunar, enemies are always visible in the overworld,
so you might be able to run by random encounters without getting your rumble on.
Of course, since enemies stay tough throughout and don’t seem to adapt to your
current experience level, you’ll be forced to keep fighting if you hope to get
through some of the tougher boss battles. This is where Lunar’s age begins to
work against it, as it sometimes feels like you have to do a little too much
work to reap the next reward.
The game’s lack of customization can
also be attributed to its age, as you can’t focus your character’s experience
points at all. Level advancements are automatically applied for you, so gamers
that are used to having total control over their characters might feel a bit
restricted. Guidance is also a problem, as it’s sometimes difficult to figure
out what your next objective is or where you’re supposed to go. Since the
aforementioned load times slow down each movement, finding the right path can be
a frustrating endeavor.
So is the fresher, prettier Lunar
worth checking out for RPG-hungry PSP owners? Well, the rough load times and
antiquated combat system might keep newer, less patient gamers from discovering
the true joy that exists within, but those who value a game that can masterfully
mix off-the-wall humor and heart-wrenching need not look any further. Lunar:
Silver Star Harmony will make you understand why the original has become such a
treasured classic, offering dozens of hours of role-playing glee for those who
can look past its faults.
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Gameplay: 6
Enjoyable
exploration is ruined by not-so-enjoyable load times. Turn-based RPG combat
feels a bit antiquated.
Graphics: 8
Colorful, detailed background art and
character sprites are a massive improvement over the decades-old original
Sound: 9
Catchy battle
tunes and some beautifully sung ballads highlight a tremendous audio package.
Difficulty: Medium
The boss battles
and random conflicts aren’t too difficult…if you are willing to grind up
your characters’ levels. If not, save often.
Concept: 8
The Lunar story
is timeless, and all of the updates really accentuate the great qualities that
the original presented.
Overall: 8
Lunar: Silver Star Harmony’s engrossing
story, lovable characters, and newly redrawn visuals make it a great on-the-go
RPG for fans and newcomers alike, but the long load times and grind-heavy combat
system keep it from being unbeatable.
