Lunar Remastered Collection Review

The Lunar games from the 90s are beloved for a reason, and some who have played these titles would probably say that they are some of the best experiences from that era. From the spectacular music to the classic turn-based combat system and even to a charming and heartwarming story, the Lunar series was considered a favorite by many.

The Lunar Remastered Collection is a welcome sight, then. After its surprise announcement late last year, fans rejoiced, and the moment that the series would finally make its way to modern consoles was close at hand. Being free from the shackles of the past, it’s safe to say that the Lunar Remastered Collection still charms its way to our hearts years later, albeit aided by some nostalgia-tinted glasses.

Blast From the Past

The Lunar Remastered Collection combines The Silver Star Story and Eternal Blue into one complete package, sprinkled with some welcome yet lacking quality-of-life improvements. This release beautifully preserves everything you remember from past games, and launching the game even allows you to choose between playing both titles’ classic and remastered versions, which is a nice touch that emphasizes this release being a complete package that fans will appreciate.

The narratives in both games are relatively straightforward and predictable; experiencing one often mirrors the other. However, this isn’t necessarily a flaw. Both titles retain their signature charm and lighthearted nature, relying on familiar storytelling elements such as the “chosen one” trope and the quest to save the world from evil. The series’ enduring appeal is evident in its characters, including memorable figures like Alex, Luna, Nash, and Ronfar, who enrich the experience with their distinct personalities.

Playing the classic version of these titles will place side panels to maintain the aspect ratio from the past, but the remastered version goes on to play on a full screen with enhanced visuals, making for a more modern experience. The enhancements aren’t drastic enough to change the overall look and feel of the original, and it is nice to see the events of the game play out on a big screen, especially the superb animated cutscenes.

Apart from the improved visual quality when in full screen, the Lunar Remastered Collection also has a new English dub, which is solid and well-performed. Hearing these voices again brings a smile to our faces, and unless you place them side by side with the original, it is quite hard to tell the difference.

Most notably, the Lunar Remastered Collection also adds fast forward to battles, where players will have a choice to increase the speed up to 3x the normal with a flick of the L2 or R2 buttons. This is certainly a welcome feature, especially considering the grinding you’ll go through later in both titles. Paired with an auto-battle option, you’ll be breezing through most battles in no time, as the game does stray away from random battles in favor of a more straightforward “get close to the enemies on-screen to attack them” approach.

That said, the Lunar Remastered Collection isn’t without its shortcomings. For such a beloved series, it’s quite sad to see that the improvements made to both titles are a bit lacking. While the improvements mentioned above are certainly welcome, it would have been nice to see some other features, like a music player to listen to the soothing soundtracks of both titles, or even a feature to increase the experience gain from battles to ease the grind a tiny bit.

When tested on a Steam Deck, an issue arose when the FPS counter was set below 60fps. This caused a mismatch between character movements and the background, resulting in a disorienting experience. Fortunately, capping the frame rate to 60fps resolved the problem seamlessly, ensuring this title remains an ideal choice for portable play.

Verdict: Buy it!

The Lunar Remastered Collection combines two of the most beloved titles of the 90s into one package that should be part of your library, especially if you are a fan of RPGs. While straightforward and predictable, both storylines are worth seeing, with a memorable cast of characters and a superb soundtrack to bring things together.

Sadly, we would have liked to see more quality-of-life improvements in this release. Apart from the visual enhancements and the battle speed modifier, this collection is a bit light on features that would have made a big difference. Nevertheless, the Lunar Remastered Collection is a great time, especially when taken on the go, like the Steam Deck or the Nintendo Switch.

*Lunar Remastered Collection was reviewed on a PC and Steam Deck with a review code provided by the publisher.