|
Lunar 2: Eternal Blue is the sequel to the role-playing video game Lunar: Silver Star Story Complete. It was originally released in 1998 for the Sega Saturn playing console in Japan; in 1998 it was adapted for the PlayStation console, and in 2000 it was translated for the American market by the game company Working Designs. This game is a remake of Lunar Eternal Blue originally released for the Sega CD platform. As with the first game, Lunar 2 features an enormous amount of material appealing to game players in a personal level: The story features likeable characters engaged in quests that will help them mature as people; in particular, the two main characters develop a powerful romance. The dialogue is also a standout, as even minor characters have large amounts of speech to say, including some very funny jokes. There are also several appealing game features, such as several hand-animated sequences, done in anime style (which can actually be replayed at will later in the game, if the appropiate quests is completed) as well as wonderful musical pieces (although unlike the first Lunar, none of the characters actually sing within the story). Best of all was a second, optional adventure that could be played after completing the first, another improvement over the first Lunar. These elements make the Lunar games stand out among most other RPG video games, and make the experience of playing them more akin to playing an interactive Disney movie. Spoiler warning: Plot details follow. The story takes place aproximately one thousand years after the first game's. Once again, Lunar (an inhabited moon that circles a planet called The Blue Star) is endangered, this time by the return of Zophar, the God of Evil responsible for the destruction of life in the Blue Star 1,500 years before. Zophar secretly takes over the cult that worships the goddess Althena (whose transformation into a human long before is unknown to most Lunarians) and prepares to manifest in this universe again. This causes Lucia (pronounced Lushia) a demigoddess assigned by Althena to the purpose of helping revive life on the Blue Star after the planet had recovered from the destruction, to awaken before her time. Lucia arrives on Lunar and meets a teenage boy named Hiro and Ruby, his pet baby red dragon (who, like Nall in the first game, resembles a talking, winged cat) and they set out to help her find Althena so they can prevent Zophar's revival. Along the way, they'll meet other allies, including: Ronfar, a former priest of Althena, now a gambler; Jean, a gypsy dancer with martial arts skills and a secret, troubled past; and Lemina, a descendant from two of the Lunar 1 characters, as well as a greedy magician. Also after them is Leo, a half-human/half-beastman Knight of Althena who is convinced that Lucia will bring about the destruction of Lunar. Some characters from the first game make surprising reappearances. Although the story does have its plot problems (in particular, Zophar's revival, Althena's reasons for reincarnating, and the concept of the "power of humanity" are never clearly explained) it more than makes up for it in characterization and in the dramatic resolution of the events. Many fans of the game hope that more Lunar-related material - new games, comics, etc. - eventually become available again. |