Lunar Silver Star Story is one of the earliest RPGs to release on PS1 and easily one of the classics. Surprisingly, Lunar has had few remakes, with only one appearing on the Gameboy Advance back in 2005. The latest, Lunar: Silver Star Harmony, brings the classic story to the PSP with some new additions and upgrades.
There’re a lot of enhancements in Lunar: Silver Star Harmony. Of course there’s graphical improvements, but along with that comes a new storyline that expands on the story of Dragonmaster Alex and Althena and a new revamp battle system. Let’s take a look at a few things that I noticed when playing the final build of the game.
WHAT I SEE
Crisp and Vibrant Graphics
One of the things that everyone should look forward to is the graphics of this game. From the character portraits to the beautiful scenery of the towns and dungeons, the way the game is presented is really impressive. The dungeon layouts are similar to the old game, but have a fresh new look and feel to them thanks to the updated visuals.
Another thing worth mentioning is the animation on the attacks. Characters in this game will have the same skills and magic that they had in past Lunar games, but now the animation on each attack looks incredible
New Story Plot- Prologue
If you’ve been eager to find out what happened with the Four Heroes that rescued Althena from the Black Star then now’s your chance. The prologue of the game will take you to a battle against the one who imprisoned Althena. You get to control Dyne, Ghaleon and the other two heroes that saved the world from destruction. It really is interesting to see and it adds more depth to the story of the game. There are more added sequences in the game but I’d rather not spoil it.
Story is still classic
If you’ve been worrying about whether or not the story was changed in this game, don’t be. Lunar Silver Star Harmony still follows the same storyline that everyone loved. You will still get to experience the hardship and trials of Alex as he follows his path to become a Dragonmaster. As always, there will be someone that will be a hindrance to this dream and he will do anything to achieve his dream and be like Dragonmaster Dyne, the one who saved Althena fifteen years ago. Aside from added story elements to expand the game, nothing has changed.
Voice Overs are top-notch
Lunar Silver Star Harmony provides top-notch voice overs. There are several changes to the script of the game but overall it is a good translation. Your favorite actors from past XSEED games will make a comeback in Lunar Silver Star Harmony and give life to your favorite characters. Their voices fit exactly to their personality except for a few. Sorry folks, no Japanese VA included in this game.
Battle Systems
Random encounters are history in Lunar: Silver Star Harmony. Instead, you can see the enemy sprites on the field and you can avoid them. There will be some parts in the game where you will have to use the enemy to break obstacles and gain access to secret treasures. Enemies respawn every time you exit an area.
Our Final Say?
So far, Lunar Silver Star Harmony managed to live up to my expectations as a fan of the Lunar series. Visuals are top notch and the new transition to the PSP is good. I have still more than ten hours to look forward to since I’ve only played only the first three hours of the game. Check back with us near the release of the game for our in-depth review of the game.
