21) Lunar: Silver Star Story (1999)

More than any other game I've covered thus far, Lunar has given me the greatest headache in deciding which year to place in the article title. See, normally the article title is the easiest thing for me to do, as I'm writing about these games in the order I played them this year. So, the number is simple, as is the name in almost all instances. The year, which is included in parentheses, only becomes problematic in the case of remakes and remasters, though I've decided to stick to the year the of the original North American release date unless enough changes are made to warrant considering a newer version a different game. For instance, Tales of Graces f, though ported and remastered, is still essentially the same game it was when released with a new coat of paint. Lunar has such an odd history, that it gave me pause.

Lunar was originally released in Japan in 1992 for the Sega Mega-CD under the name Lunar: The Silver Star. This version was localized and released in the US in 1993 for the Sega-CD, however, the game was remade for the Sega Saturn in Japan as Lunar: Silver Story Story in 1996, with yet another version released a year later in 1997 making use of Sega's MPEG add-on. This version was then ported to Sony's Playstation in 1998, being released as Lunar: Silver Star Story Complete in the US in 1999. The Playstation version was enhanced and rereleased again for modern consoles this year, which is what I played. All of that's not even mentioning the 2002 Game Boy Advance remake, Lunar Legend, or the 2010 PSP version, Lunar: Silver Star Harmony. With such a rich history of rereleases, remakes, and remasters, the game at the core of it all must be something pretty impressive, right?

The story begins with our protagonist, Alex, dreaming of becoming a Dragonmaster like his idol, the legendary hero, Dyne. At the insistence of his fortune obsessed friend, Ramus, he and his flying catlike creature, Nall, and his love interest, Luna, embark on a quest to the nearby Dragon's Cave to find a precious gem. There, they encounter, surprise, a dragon known as Quark who sees great potential in Alex. He gives the party his gem and urges him to travel the world to become the next Dragonmaster. After a series of small adventures, Ramus leaves the party to become a merchant, and we eventually meet with Ghaleon, one of the great heroes who once traveled with Dyne before he died. Ghaleon travels with the party back to the Dragon's Cave. There, he reminisces with Quark, cryptically asking if Luna is "the one from back then." After receiving confirmation, Ghaleon reveals his true intentions, turning Quark to energy and kidnapping Luna. The rest of the game consists of Alex and his crew traveling the land to meet with the few remaining dragons in order to acquire the power to stop Ghaleon and rescue Luna.

The story, while relatively simple and inoffensive, is greatly enhanced with voice acting and the use of high quality traditional animation provided by Studio Gonzo. Studio Gonzo, in addition to working on numerous anime series, OVAs, and films, also did the breathtaking animation for Linkin Park's music video, "Breaking the Habit." The voice acting was a small point of controversy leading up to the recent remaster, as it featured an entirely new cast. While I can't attest to the quality of the original, I found the updated voice cast to be quite good, with everyone providing a great performance. I do wish that the original voice acting was included as an option, and perhaps it could be added down the road, though I find it doubtful.

While I enjoyed almost everything presented in the game, I find it unfortunate that the gameplay is the weakest part of the experience. While the turn based combat is certainly not bad, it does come across as rather bland, and while I like the cast of characters well enough, they do little to make the game stand out. Traversing the environments lacks any sense of exploration, and while I would like to praise how the game uses enemies in the overworld in an interesting way by having them interact with the environment to allow progression, it's a feature utilized only a handful of times, and even then it's poorly explained to the player. It's so poorly explained and used so infrequently, that I only recall two times it was required, and confused me to the point of having to turn to a walkthrough. Hell, when it was used the second time, I had completely forgotten about it as it hadn't been relevant.

Overall, Lunar: Silver Star Story is a relatively middling RPG that is buoyed by its presentation. The use of animation and voice acting help to make the cast and story memorable, while the gameplay does little to set it apart. The game is certainly not bad, though I struggle to say that it's anything more than inoffensive. Combat is simple and repetitive, the game is very linear with no true chance for exploration or deviation, and the story, at its core, is predictable and saccharine, almost to a fault. I do recommend the game for anyone who's a fan of animated cutscenes and great voice acting, and it's a short and easy enough game with enough polish to recommend for those new to gaming or the genre.