System: PlayStation

Publisher: Working Designs

Developer: GameArts

US Release: 14-Dec-2000

Cost: US$59.95

Click on a character for more info

What can be said? Working Designs have released on PlayStation in the US a special edition that includes far too much cool stuff (see pic below). Eternal Blue also features some of the loveliest animation I've seen in a videogame - and there's about an hour of it!. Also, there's the music. Don't get me started on the music :)

ABOVE: The extras in the US box set

All this gloss comes on top of a wonderfully old-school RPG, with all the usual SD goodness you'd expect. After all, the game did debut on the Sega CD. Speaking of gloss, the game has rather decent voice-acting too, far classier than, say, Sony's Grandia voicing.

ABOVE: Hiro, attempting to look butch

Even after all the delays it faced (Working Designs were originally talking about late 1999!), the wait has been well worth it. Fanboys will _require_ it in their collections, and everyone else that appreciates a good, classic RPG ought to make a bee-line for this one too.

Centering around the story of a boy, a girl, and a world in crisis (Hey, does that sound familiar? Thought not...), Lunar 2 has you guide Hiro and his band of misifts through the world of Lunar on an adventure to find the power to challenge Zophar, who is building is dark power by drawing on the evil thoughts of the populace at large.

I _absolutely_ refuse to spoil the story for anyone (Anyone who doesn't already know it, natch) so that's as much as I'll say about that. The battle system is your standard turn-based affair, with the nice addition that characters are forced to move to attack enemies, and they you. This adds some additional strategy to the fights.

I already have far too much artwork from Lunar, but I still require more. I guess there's some sort of mathematical formulae to calculate this? At any rate, the artwork is just beautiful. If there ever is a Lunar 3 (and it seems there will), I certainly hope the artwork is just as inspired.

ABOVE: Like a deer caught in headlights...

Gorgeous Artwork, fantastic cut-scenes, cute in-game characters. What more could you ask for?

Excellent; great voice acting for the most part, sound effects are very good. Music is very nice, indeed

Positively Compelling. Put aside the rest of your game collection until this one is finished.

I think at least one more play through is required, some may go for more. There's a lot of optional bits that are worth completing as well.

Great characters, wonderful artwork, compelling story, beautiful animated cut-scenes, the optional sub-quests.

Combat can become repetetive, but that can be said for just about any RPG.

ABOVE: How do I look?

At least the wait was worth it. One thing that can be said about Working Designs translations: they sure build up the anticipation!

ABOVE: The Saturn cover