A cult classic is among us once again. LUNAR Remastered collection is here. Those who missed the games the first time around have a new chance to see why this is a very beloved game. Does it hold up? Let’s take a look at our review of the game!
LUNAR Remastered Collection
PLATFORM: PlayStation®4 (Compatible with PlayStation 5) Digital and Physical format (PS4 only) / Nintendo Switch (Reviewed) Digital and Physical formats/ Steam / Xbox One (Compatible with Xbox Series X|S) (Digital and Physical)
Developers: GungHo Online, Game Arts, ASHIBI Co., Ltd., GungHo Gamania Co., Ltd., Studio Alex, Ltd.
Publisher: GungHo Online Entertainment America, Inc.
Release date: April 18, 2025
Intro/Story
From the official website:
LUNAR Remastered Collection brings together LUNAR: Silver Star Story Complete and LUNAR 2: Eternal Blue Complete with enhanced graphics, audio, and quality-of-life improvements. Available for the first time on modern consoles, this remastered edition honors the beloved series that has remained in the heart of gamers since its initial release in 1992.
In LUNAR: Silver Star Story, join Alex as he overcomes the White Dragon’s trial and takes his first step towards becoming a Dragonmaster. With the sudden emergence of the Magic Emperor threatening to take over the world, it’s up to him and his friends to fight the rising evil and save the world from peril.
In LUNAR 2: Eternal Blue, follow the story of Hiro and his friends as they set out on a journey to find the Goddess Althena for a mysterious girl named Lucia. Travel the world and fend off enemies like Borgan and White Knight Leo, who hunt the group down to get rid of what they claim to be the Destroyer of Lunar.
Lunar’s narrative remains a straightforward, feel-good fantasy tale driven by a cast of endearing characters. Silver Star Story’s poetic heroism and Eternal Blue’s introspective themes complement each other, providing over 40 hours of JRPG storytelling. While some dialogue tweaks were made to modernize cultural references, the core character arcs, such as Alex’s coming-of-age journey and Lucia’s emotional growth, are intact and impactful. Secondary characters like Nall and Luna offer comic relief and heart, though their simplistic side interactions may feel dated to players accustomed to deeper supporting casts.
The story holds up well in this current day and age. How about the gameplay? Was it updated for a newer time, or does the classic hold up? Let’s take a look.
Gameplay
Battle System and Pacing
The turn-based combat in LUNAR remains largely faithful to the original PS1 versions, offering a steady pace that emphasizes strategy over spectacle. The addition of a battle-speed toggle lets seasoned players zip through random encounters at up to twice the normal pace, making grinding sessions less tedious. However, the core encounter design, while nostalgically engaging, can feel repetitive by modern JRPG standards, with limited enemy variety and straightforward boss mechanics.
Exploration and Quality of Life
World exploration benefits from widescreen support, allowing a broader view of each detailed 2D environment. Fast-travel options between visited towns and dungeons streamline backtracking, though the lack of an in-game map legend can lead to occasional confusion about key objectives. Overall, the remaster strikes a balance between authenticity and convenience, but players seeking deep modern systems may find it lacking.
Technical Performance
On Switch hardware, load times are minimal, and frame rates stay solid even in graphically intense cutscenes. The touchscreen interface in handheld mode allows quick menu navigation, though button prompts occasionally overlap UI elements at lower resolutions. A few minor bugs, such as rare audio desyncs and text clipping, were experienced in my playthrough, but none significantly impede progression.
From what I gathered and read, the other platforms do better here in terms of load times, which again is very minimal. However, for the most part, LUNAR Remastered Collection is more or less consistent across all platforms.
Feature Set
Despite its polished presentation, the collection is criticized for its bare-bones nature: no art gallery, music player, or behind-the-scenes extras are included. This minimalism underscores a restorative approach focused on faithfully updating core gameplay rather than adding new meta-content.
Graphics and Sound
Visual Presentation
The remastered pixel art retains the vibrancy of the originals while applying subtle HD enhancements to character sprites and backgrounds. Upscaled anime cutscenes look especially crisp on the Switch’s OLED display, capturing the series’ signature aesthetic with greater clarity than ever before.
Music and Voice Acting
Noriyuki Iwadare’s timeless soundtrack has been faithfully preserved and slightly remastered, ensuring that themes in LUNAR like “Eternal Blue” and “Shining Dragon” continue to resonate. The newly recorded English voice work generally matches the spirit of the originals, though certain performances divide opinion—some players applaud the enhanced emotional delivery, while purists miss the quirks of the 1990s Working Designs dub. Japanese voiceovers sound polished and authentic, offering fans the choice to experience the narrative in either language.
Conclusion
Lunar Remastered Collection is a lovingly crafted homage to two of the 1990s’ most charming JRPGs, offering crisp visuals, nostalgic audio, and meaningful quality-of-life additions. While the absence of bonus material and occasional design antiquities may frustrate some, fans of classic role-playing games will find much to appreciate in this faithful remaster. Whether you’re revisiting these worlds or experiencing them for the first time, Lunar Remastered Collection remains a classic brought to a new era that is enjoyable.
- Until next time, Mgs2master2 out!
*Special thanks to GungHo Online Entertainment once again for the Switch review key*
Score – 8/10: Lunar Remastered Collection brings the classic Lunar: Silver Star Story Complete (1996) and Lunar 2: Eternal Blue Complete (1998) to the Nintendo Switch with fully enhanced graphics and audio. It offers both original and remastered modes, allowing players to switch between nostalgic pixel art and updated HD visuals upon loading each game from the main menu. Quality-of-life features such as fast-forwarding battles and widescreen support modernize the gameplay, though some legacy design elements, like simplistic dungeon layouts, remain unchanged.