Review scoopings 4/5 · Dec 16, 2025
Good, And Nostalgic, But Not As Great As Hoped--Much Like The First One
Preliminary: Well like with the earlier Lunar game I was really looking forward to this series because I would read a guide for a re-release or later game released for I believe PS1 in a game magazine. I never owned it nor ever had the chance to rent it, but I would imagine what the plot was between the bosses …
Preliminary: Well like with the earlier Lunar game I was really looking forward to this series because I would read a guide for a re-release or later game released for I believe PS1 in a game magazine. I never owned it nor ever had the chance to rent it, but I would imagine what the plot was between the bosses and towns they'd tell me about and it was a lot of fun imagining this when visiting my dad. Sadly, the first game did not stand out and was quite poor for its time, despite my expecting more because it was on a presumably stronger new medium--Sega CD. I was hoping it'd be my next Ys Books I & II that made Turbografx-CD stand out so much. So, at least my hopes aren't super high for this one, but based on the playthrough I peeked through, even this looks backwards for its time.
Oh wait what am I talking about. I gave the first one 4 stars. Just had pictured a perfect 5 star and was excited for the Sega CD capabilities. Hopefully this one holds up, then.
Nice I'm glad to see there is a fan hack that gets rid of the illogical changes Working Designs did to the original Japanese game (as per their usual).
Early Game
Lol that intro video has some super cheesy music/lyrics and starts this off with the cheesy anime vibe I knew it had.
Instantly recognizing the tune at the beginning of the actual game, and the city/memorial/forest near the city etc. But my goodness some of this voice acting lol. (BAHAHAHA Woops, I was playing Silver Star, no wonder it was so very familiar).
Okay, now this is a lot fresher and more dramatic of a beginning video. Indeed, it's very cinematic. I can imagine what parts were likely censored? The blood, the nudity? Lol. Great music after the dramatic beginning, it's coming together and looking like this'll be a solid one! Hopefully I will have patience for a full JRPG still in this more retro style as I'm antsy for Super Mario RPG, Chrono Trigger, and FF7! It's quite the long credits and video sequence, seemingly unskippable, but it's oddly modern. Eventually it becomes basically just an anime intro thanks to Sega CD technology, but the credits even had a Legend of Dragoon quality to them, hard to explain. The music and the antics of it.
Bahahahah this cheesy breaking of the 4th wall at the beginning, but I'm loving it all. I love to see Command Memory as a toggle-able feature, I love that the Window Background could be changed to a simple black for my eyes, I love that the menu opening sounds exactly like Resident Evil, and I love that the walking is quite fast and good collision masks/walk-around for corners. I love the AI QoL for when I'm likely to fast forward and grind and watch a movie. Everything I like about RPGs. Ah! Good world map music. I dunno the list could go on, so I'll just stop there. But I went from being iffy from a playthrough viewing, to really enjoying this so far. (Luckily I'm playing the unworked version, so it doesn't have the unnecessary change of using Magic Experience to save... Why, localizers... why)
Only complaint so far is the long loading times. I can only imagine how I will feel once CDs are the norm with PS1 era. Oh and I wish you could move diagonally.
The random battle encoutner rate is quite forgiving, and the AI feature alleviates some of the headache of random battles too. I like that there are healing spots withing dungeons at logical places. And I like that you can save anywhere
Omg I love the maps here . These dungeons get a bit... much. But I am still enjoying this. You can tell it's in the lineage of Phantasy Star and I am okay with that (complex dungeons, AI/automatic battles, and the colors all give Phantasy Star vibes)
Can't believe I forgot I enjoyed the first game. The Litany spells bring back memories. And yessss Lucia's entrance. I want to forever have her in my party this is nice! (She's OP lol)
Some of these super short cutscenes requiring load times don't feel necessary, but they're still nice and pretty.
Yessss this introduction of Zophar, the way Lucia responds is sooo Sailor Moon "I will use the power of the 4 dragons!" etc. This is all so classic. I had almost forgot about the Luanr mechanic of multiple attacks/number of attacks being super important, it's a nice touch.
I love that the Command Memory is very comprehensive, even remembering that I had used the full-group Litany spell when I then wanted to in battle. And even though the AI is messy and only really useful for mindless grinds, I feel like that's how it should be (I tested it out on the first boss and of course it was pitiful lol). I don't want it to eliminate the RPG gameplay, just alleviate the grinds :-p Perfect!
Not all the music is great-great, but when it is, it's great great. Love the music when we return to Hiro's house, and all of it is high quality even the less-my-vibe dungeon-y and combat tunes.
Ok I swear I will eventually stop typing so much (this is all the first night lol), but I always love movies that have a "fish out of water" type antic, especially an alien completely unfamiliar with our ways and misunderstanding idioms etc. Also often androids/bots. Etc. It's quite the trope, especially in the 80s. Anyway, I like that element in Lucia's character and conversation. With this amazing music at Hiro's house too, I got chills down my body. Good art is great!
Some really great tunes keep popping up (and some just good ones), and this is one of the first RPGs I'm actually compelled to read much (albeit not all) the dialog. In Runescape and many RPGs I was just a button masher during dialog :-p Tho my roots were getting really involved in the FFIX and FFX and Legend of Dragoon plot, it took epic deaths to get me to actually read :-p
I like that the conversations and, for example, the searching for Ronfar around town actually made sense and the hints gradually led me to figuring it out etc. I have been using maps but haven't had to turn to a walkthrough yet. I'm sure eventually the puzzles or dungeons or next-step-debacle of JRPGs will get me, but it's nice to truly experience an RPG again.
I like the Dalton music. Also nice that they have the Buy & Equip QoL feature, though the buying and item/inventory management could be better implemented/more up-to-date. The frequency of status effects is increasing but hasn't been toooooo irritating luckily.
I feel like the game does a good job of balancing the new-character debacle of early JRPGs. Yes they come underleveled, but I've noticed some have super high exp rates per level (Ronfar) and this dancer Jean has high HP despite her low level. Well-done. It's also nice and impressive for its time how much variety the different NPCs have, I never have a problem recognizing my characters or even side NPCs (yes there are certainly repeat NPC sprites, don't get me wrong, but no where near how many of its contemporaries are and the dialog actually distinguishes important-enough side NPCs). I've also kinda noticed that about the dungeons/towns, though I still have had some navigation confusion. but I knew to expect that due to my lifelong struggle with that, so I have had maps ready to reference.
This has been full of good screens, but I finally took a moment to take some screenshots, I was liking this area and the secret cave with treasure chests I stumbled upon 
I wish they didn't use this annoying haunty/"creepy"/dungeony tune (the one used in Illusion of Woods and now the Haunted Manor). Most the tunes so far I love, but this one has gotten me to mute it sometimes.
I had to step away for something irl and came back in and saw this screen where I had stopped. It's not one of the most notable screens frmo the game, but the colors and vibe is just so classic and mid 90s SNES, and is most closely fulfilling the expectations I had for Lunar based on my imagination from that magazine walkthrough (indeed, more and more I'm thinking this is the game... I think I remember the Magic Tester boss) 
I was patient through the carnival silliness which I never like humorous or playful interludes, preferring serious and epic. But always with the creepy comments and now peeping in these JRPGs. Bringing down the Feel. (although Lucia's final outfit reveal was nice)
Nice Lunar 1 recap and back to the serious/focus. Even tho his voice is silly,
I love the training spots near the healing statues. Nice classic RPG feel for me.
I do wish the UI of the menus for equipping, dropping/trading items, and buying things was better. There are QoL features, and I assume it's due to lack of buttons, but it made me miss the SNES shoulder buttons for swithcing characters and the later FF item systems that made inventory management essentially unnecessary/very easy. And disappointed how many of the tunes are getting repeated, though still several excellent ones. And ugh the unnecessary sidequests distracting from the central story and the repeated backtracking to do so/instead of teleporting me out etc (bahaha turns out there was a lift out of this area, but it was too late for me to use it. but yea there are plenty of times I had to backtrack out of an area)
Ehhh really dragging down with the repeated songs (isn't this a large CD file?), unnecessary weirdness about nudity and sex, and the absurd number of diversions from the central plot.
Mid Game
Welp I'm considering Vane mid game. The initial thrill has definitely died out, and these songs continue to get repeated, but I am still hooked. It's simultaneously neat and disappointing to see so many places from the first game, albeit different etc. The Cave of Trials and spring definitely brought back flashbacks, both good and bad lol.
I'm getting to the point that I have to mute in many dungeons, including the Cave of Trials (tho I really like the enemy sprites in here). I still like the battle music. It's just disappointing since Sound was initially a highlight.
Lol this Borgan guy.
The Look, new tunes, and more cutscenes building up to and in Pentagulia is spicing things up a bit after I was in quite the lull.
Ahh I think this is the magazine guide I used to read. tho I thought it was for the whole game this seems likely it . https://www.lunarthreads.com/viewtopic.php?t=5538 Well no I remember White Dragon being mentioned (tho also indeed Star Dragon)
I had a slight panic attack, thought I softlocked my game, found no info about Leo continuously saying that we must wait for the goddess and Ruby saying we should sightsee at Pentagulia. Turns out I just hadn't talked to my party back at the Destiny. So far, most the next-steps have been quite clear and easy to tell from dialog. That was a bit messy cuz tbh they shouldn't have let me enter Pentagulia till I had talked to my party to send them off. Resulted in nonsequiters in the conversations.
I just spent way too long trying to find the magazine article/confirm which one I was thinking of lol. I'm starting to freak out that I might have been thinking of a Breath of Fire?! Or am I mixing up my ads... The Star Dragon si so familiar... hmm. In the end I'm back to thinking it was the original one I had foudn and all this was unnecessary lol. I think what's bothering me the most is that I remember seeing the Magic Tester boss in a magazine, but maybe it was a different clown-esque boss. Argh! Memories/nostalgia/memories that stand out for no good reason. Orrr maybe it was Silver Star https://archive.org/details/game-pro-issue-54-january-1994/page/n259/mode/2up
Still loving the Look and colors and most of the gameplay, but gosh am I tired of this overused dungeon song. Really burning out with this. It's sort of like with FF4 where I know it's a good game, but the mid to late game starts to drag for me. Only the really special RPGs seems to hold me then like FF5.
And some really good cutscene screens like this but they;r'e always so short and sometimes empty feeling, tho still really cool. And I love when teh calmer good tunes come even if they're repeated 
Really? You'd think Neo-Vane would have a new tune or something. The Look is great tho. And I'm still into the gameplay even if I keep putting off playing (which I attribute more to exhaustion from work, embracing chilling more, and being into Melvor/starting a second account in Ancient Relics mode).
In many ways I know this'll just be a 4 star (or 3 star but likely 4 due to the nostalgia frmo childhood and the strong beginning and the overall high quality of the game despite my mehness about it), but I can't fully get myself to drop it. And one thing is for sure: thank goodness I am playing the un-worked version, closer to the original, because as usual Working Designs ruined this game. Why would you have to spend Magic Exp to save? Why increase the cost of the healing statues? So silly.. In many ways it'd be right for me to give the 4 star and move on, and it's sad that I went from enjoying every little scene and dialog to wanting to fast forward through them. But in the end that's fine, it's often hard for me to drop RPGs due to their hook, and I really play them for the grinding and the bossing and the Look. So be it. If only the Sound were better, I think it would've made all the difference to make how long this took me to play feel like it's cuz I was savoring every second of it. I can't wait to get to that era when Sound is truly that well-done that I could enjoy 30+ hours because the Sound changes enough and is good enough.
I am VERY grateful for status effects going away after battles. Reminds me a bit of the Live A Live conception of RPG combat. And yessss Slam Dance as a skill in this
Despite my disappointments, and uncertainty about finishing the game, I am choosing to do an optional part of the game I just read about, so that's a sign of something. And I like when the bosses are challenging. I wish the plot held me more (I'm worried no RPGs will, since I feel like they've all been quite done already by this point and it's only 1994! It doesn't help that I have my lifetime of later RPGs I played too.) As absurd as it is, I really think it all comes down to the overuse of the dungeon-y tune and the odd sexual aspects, otherwise this would've hooked me so much more, with the Sound playing a huge role.
End Game
It's absolutely ridiculous that it's still the same annoying dungeon tune. But jeesh I sure hope this Phoenix Ring was worth it.
And okay yea the plotline is getting better-done, better-shown, and more epic now. More what I want from an RPG. I've been really antsy to get to FF9 ahhh. Loving how evil
Beautiful colors 
And yessss fluttering wings climactic boss 
Ok the Zophar sequence is getting a bit repetitive and cheesy and back to that mid-game tackiness after the repeated "no chance now!" speech. But still good stuff. In the end this was an addictive RPG, with good colors and a nostalgia from the magazine, mixed with a pretty good plot, but still doesn't come to what I was hoping from the CD format and animated cutscenes and potential.
I'm glad this post-ending Vane time has a seemingly-new tune. Feels epic and relieving. And welp I got "The End" even though I know there really is an epilogue. I think this going great self-control on my end. As much as I was enjoying the late game vibe, I have spent way too many days on this game, and it's clear it wouldn't get above a 4 star anyway. It's time to move on.
Look: 8/10
Sound: 7.5/10 Some really great tunes, but the dungeon one is my least favorite yet the most used.
Play: 8.5/10 Good ol RPG gameplay. Lots of good QoL features, tho I suppose I'm reayd for the "next step" in RPGs.
Feel: 8.5/10
Attachment: 8/10
Overall: 8.1/10
Playtime: 25 hours (even with fast forward! and didn't even do the epilogue. I think it's cuz of the cutscenes and spoken word, can't really speed that up and still listen)
Completion: Main Story, not Epilogue