LUNAR Remastered Collection Review – Powerful 90s Anime Vibes

LUNAR Remastered Collection Review

Old RPGs aren’t always easy to play again, especially after a decade or two. The Lunar games didn’t get quite as many ports as some other franchises, so it’s not as well-known these days. Thankfully, the LUNAR Remastered Collection is here to drag these games into the 21st century. The devs have even added a couple of modern upgrades, like a speed toggle and new English voice recordings. The visuals are almost (but not quite) untouched, which is honestly for the best. These games already looked pretty incredible.

Pretty Excellent Sprites

Silver Star Story is already something of a glow-up over the game’s first release. They added anime cutscenes and voice acting, along with some visual touches you could only pull off on the PS1. Thanks to that, the new edition just needed some gentle upscaling to look its absolute best. The enemy sprite art is downright lush, and the effects all pop off the screen. Plus, the transition between anime cutscenes and regular gameplay is shockingly smooth. Eternal Blue got the same treatment a few years after its initial release. This newest edition wisely leaves the visuals more or less intact.

The Lunar Remastered Collection features a few major modern upgrades. The first is a battle speed toggle. When used in combination with the autobattle function, suddenly level grinding isn’t such a big deal. In fact, battles themselves become an afterthought. Instead, you’re managing resources to make sure your party can keep doing their thing. I normally can’t stand autobattle, but it’s a very handy tool as a game reviewer staring down a 40-hour barrel.

Much Needed Upgrades

You can also switch between modern and classic item management. This one is a no-brainer. Swapping equipment in games used to be absolutely awful. Anytime you can ease that pain, you take that chance. This new system makes equipment swapping and item use a much smoother experience. If you don’t believe me, you’re welcome to use that original system for a while. I promise you won’t last long.

Voice acting has also improved, with a new English cast recording available. The cast did a terrific job. It still sounds and feels like a 90s anime, but not in an embarrassing way. That’s a pretty fine line to walk, and the Lunar Remastered games walk it quite well. I usually default to Japanese audio in situations like this, but I’ve really enjoyed the English dialogue so far. Maybe it’s pure nostalgia, or maybe we’ve just steadily gotten better at this kind of VO work. Either way, I’m having a great time.

Just Like You Remember

This is helped along by the writing. It’s not good, exactly, but it is extremely ’90s anime.’ You’re playing a Gonzo OVA, you can feel it in every line. This pairs nicely with the English VO to create a kind of basement bathtub time travel. I felt 14 again, is what I’m saying. The plot is stock standard, but it’s bolstered by a lot of personal touches. The characters are flawed, immature, and fascinating. They grow and change, at least a little bit, while saving the world. I appreciate that.

Still, nostalgia is doing a lot of heavy lifting here. If you’re playing these games for the first time (like me!), you might not find as much to latch onto. The plot is pretty broad, the mechanics are straightforward, and the music is a mixed bag. I heard a few tunes that stopped me in my tracks, but most of the OST is kind of forgettable. I was pulled along by atmospheric 90s vibes and kept engaged by all the modern upgrades. Your mileage, as always, may vary.

If you’ve been looking for a way to play these games on modern consoles, then Lunar Remastered Collection is a godsend. The visuals are mostly preserved, the item management is better, and the voice acting is brand new. New players might be thrown by the simple plot and the retro combat, but the high-speed autobattles offer a convenient off-ramp. While they aren’t my favorite retro RPGs by any means, this collection is a great way to get ahold of them. If nothing else, the 90s anime vibes are downright immaculate.

***A PS4 code was provided by the publisher***