Dive back into timeless RPGs with updated visuals and gameplay
By Paul Hunter
Love. Magic. Talking flying cats. If you grew up with JRPGs in the ‘90s, there’s a good chance Lunar: Silver Star Story and Eternal Blue meant something to you. These games weren’t just about saving the world—they were about falling in love with the characters. Thanks to GungHo’s Lunar Remastered Collection, you can revisit both adventures on modern consoles and PC, all with a fresh coat of paint and a few new tricks under the hood.
This collection packages the PlayStation versions of Silver Star Story Complete and Eternal Blue Complete together, giving long-time fans and first-timers another reason to journey across the Silver Star. Originally developed by Game Arts and Studio Alex, these two titles have been remastered with new visual options, voice acting, and some very welcome tweaks to how battles and inventory work. While these aren’t full remakes, they do more than enough to feel modern without losing what made the originals so charming.
Whether you’re curious with nostalgia or looking to try these games for the first time, there’s a lot to appreciate in this remastered bundle. You’ll laugh, probably groan at a few old jokes, and maybe even get a little misty-eyed by the end. Let's take a look at what the Lunar Remastered Collection has to offer!
At their core, Lunar: Silver Star Story and Eternal Blue are timeless tales of love, destiny, and personal growth. Both games wear their hearts on their sleeves, mixing emotional storytelling with plenty of humour and that unmistakable ‘90s anime charm. While their plots are straightforward by today’s standards, they still manage to feel earnest and heartfelt.
In Silver Star Story, you follow Alex, a wide-eyed teen from a quiet village who dreams of becoming a Dragonmaster like his childhood hero, Dyne. When he sets out with his friends—Nall the flying “cat,” Ramus the merchant-in-training, and Luna, his musically gifted companion—the group quickly finds themselves tangled in a growing crisis that threatens the world. Along the way, you meet future party members like the flirtatious Kyle, no-nonsense Jessica, and snarky mage Nash. The story balances light-hearted banter with moments of real emotional weight, especially when Alex and Luna’s relationship deepens. It’s a simple tale told with genuine warmth.
Eternal Blue takes place a thousand years later and follows Hiro, a young adventurer who stumbles upon a mysterious girl named Lucia. She’s come from the Blue Star to stop a rising evil, but she’s unfamiliar with the world and relies on Hiro’s help. Their journey introduces a new cast, including Ruby, Ronfar, Lemina, Jean, and Leo, each with charming personalities and their own personal motivations. While the stakes feel higher, the story never loses its charm, leaning into character-driven humour and plenty of heartfelt moments.
Both narratives embrace their fantasy focus but use them to explore themes of trust, love, sacrifice, and personal responsibility. There are plenty of silly and melodramatic moments, but that’s part of the charm. If you’ve got a soft spot for romance, jokes about drinking, or characters shouting each other’s names dramatically, you’ll feel right at home.
What makes these stories stand out isn’t complexity—it’s sincerity. The writing leans heavily on character building, so you grow attached to each party member not because they’re groundbreaking, but because they’re just plain fun to be around. Even if you can guess where the plot is heading, the joy comes from watching how the characters react along the way.
Despite their age, both stories still have tremendous heart.
The gameplay in Lunar: Silver Star Story and Eternal Blue sticks to the basics of turn-based RPGs, but that simplicity works in their favour. The systems are approachable, the pacing feels just right, and combat never overstays its welcome. These games don’t pile on layers of complexity—they focus on keeping things fun and snappy.
Each battle takes place on a grid-like battlefield, where positioning can make a big difference. Characters move based on their speed and range, so it’s not just about picking “attack” over and over. You’ll often need to think about spacing and timing, especially when enemies cluster together or use area attacks. Boss fights can catch you off guard if you’re not careful, but grinding is rarely required unless you rush ahead too quickly.
Silver Star Story leans more heavily on traditional combat, while Eternal Blue spices things up with more magic options and varied enemy types. That said, the remastered version introduces some welcome tweaks. You can now fast-forward through battles, skip cutscenes, and take advantage of improved save options. For example, in Eternal Blue, the original version required you to spend magic experience points to save—now you can save freely without penalty. Those small changes go a long way in smoothing out the pacing and respecting your time.
Both Lunar games really excel at eye-catching special attacks, with your most powerful moves filling the screen with flashy animations that still dazzle today. Each character brings something different to the party, whether it’s Ronfar’s chance-based dice attacks or Jean’s martial arts skills. It’s the kind of system that encourages you to learn what works best for your group instead of just sticking to a single strategy.
There’s also a nice balance between combat, exploration, and dialogue. Dungeons aren’t overwhelming, and there’s always a sense of forward momentum. One of my favourite moments came when I stumbled into a late-game dungeon way under-leveled but managed to survive thanks to some clever use of AoE magic and well-timed healing. The gameplay might not reinvent the wheel, but it’s satisfying, and—thanks to smart remastering choices—more accessible than ever.
The remastered visuals in Lunar: Silver Star Story and Eternal Blue stay faithful to their 90s anime style, but everything looks sharper and more colourful this time around. Character sprites are cleanly upscaled, and backgrounds have been touched up without losing their hand-drawn charm. Towns and dungeons now feel more distinct, helped along with great details and brighter colour palettes.
Cutscenes remain a standout. Both games include animated story segments that hold up surprisingly well. The remaster hasn’t changed the original art direction, but it has polished the video quality. Scenes that once looked muddy on older hardware now appear crisp on modern screens. While they aren’t widescreen, the black bars feel like a minor trade-off for preserving the original look.
Audio has also received attention. Voice lines have been cleaned up, and the music sounds clearer than ever. Noriyuki Iwadare’s soundtracks carry both games, and this version gives the compositions more presence. Whether it’s the cheerful village theme in Silver Star Story or the more mysterious tracks in Eternal Blue, each tune feels timeless. Audio levels are balanced well, and dialogue never gets drowned out by background music.
There’s a subtle filter option you can toggle if you prefer smoother pixel edges, but it’s not necessary. The original pixel art shines without it. I tested both settings and ended up turning the filter off for a more authentic look.
Performance-wise, both games run without hiccups. Load times are practically instant, and I didn’t run into any crashes or noticeable bugs. Menus are snappy, and transitions between battles, cutscenes, and exploration feel seamless. The collection includes a gallery for cutscenes and music, which is a thoughtful touch for long-time fans.
Everything looks and sounds just how you remember it—only better. It doesn’t try to modernize too much, and that restraint is part of its charm.
Final Score: 8.5/10 - Great
Developer: Ashibi Co.
Publisher: GungHo Online Entertainment
Genre: Role-Playing
Modes: Single-player
A key was provided by the publisher.
By Paul Hunter
Love. Magic. Talking flying cats. If you grew up with JRPGs in the ‘90s, there’s a good chance Lunar: Silver Star Story and Eternal Blue meant something to you. These games weren’t just about saving the world—they were about falling in love with the characters. Thanks to GungHo’s Lunar Remastered Collection, you can revisit both adventures on modern consoles and PC, all with a fresh coat of paint and a few new tricks under the hood.
This collection packages the PlayStation versions of Silver Star Story Complete and Eternal Blue Complete together, giving long-time fans and first-timers another reason to journey across the Silver Star. Originally developed by Game Arts and Studio Alex, these two titles have been remastered with new visual options, voice acting, and some very welcome tweaks to how battles and inventory work. While these aren’t full remakes, they do more than enough to feel modern without losing what made the originals so charming.
Whether you’re curious with nostalgia or looking to try these games for the first time, there’s a lot to appreciate in this remastered bundle. You’ll laugh, probably groan at a few old jokes, and maybe even get a little misty-eyed by the end. Let's take a look at what the Lunar Remastered Collection has to offer!
At their core, Lunar: Silver Star Story and Eternal Blue are timeless tales of love, destiny, and personal growth. Both games wear their hearts on their sleeves, mixing emotional storytelling with plenty of humour and that unmistakable ‘90s anime charm. While their plots are straightforward by today’s standards, they still manage to feel earnest and heartfelt.
In Silver Star Story, you follow Alex, a wide-eyed teen from a quiet village who dreams of becoming a Dragonmaster like his childhood hero, Dyne. When he sets out with his friends—Nall the flying “cat,” Ramus the merchant-in-training, and Luna, his musically gifted companion—the group quickly finds themselves tangled in a growing crisis that threatens the world. Along the way, you meet future party members like the flirtatious Kyle, no-nonsense Jessica, and snarky mage Nash. The story balances light-hearted banter with moments of real emotional weight, especially when Alex and Luna’s relationship deepens. It’s a simple tale told with genuine warmth.
Eternal Blue takes place a thousand years later and follows Hiro, a young adventurer who stumbles upon a mysterious girl named Lucia. She’s come from the Blue Star to stop a rising evil, but she’s unfamiliar with the world and relies on Hiro’s help. Their journey introduces a new cast, including Ruby, Ronfar, Lemina, Jean, and Leo, each with charming personalities and their own personal motivations. While the stakes feel higher, the story never loses its charm, leaning into character-driven humour and plenty of heartfelt moments.
Both narratives embrace their fantasy focus but use them to explore themes of trust, love, sacrifice, and personal responsibility. There are plenty of silly and melodramatic moments, but that’s part of the charm. If you’ve got a soft spot for romance, jokes about drinking, or characters shouting each other’s names dramatically, you’ll feel right at home.
What makes these stories stand out isn’t complexity—it’s sincerity. The writing leans heavily on character building, so you grow attached to each party member not because they’re groundbreaking, but because they’re just plain fun to be around. Even if you can guess where the plot is heading, the joy comes from watching how the characters react along the way.
Despite their age, both stories still have tremendous heart.
The gameplay in Lunar: Silver Star Story and Eternal Blue sticks to the basics of turn-based RPGs, but that simplicity works in their favour. The systems are approachable, the pacing feels just right, and combat never overstays its welcome. These games don’t pile on layers of complexity—they focus on keeping things fun and snappy.
Each battle takes place on a grid-like battlefield, where positioning can make a big difference. Characters move based on their speed and range, so it’s not just about picking “attack” over and over. You’ll often need to think about spacing and timing, especially when enemies cluster together or use area attacks. Boss fights can catch you off guard if you’re not careful, but grinding is rarely required unless you rush ahead too quickly.
Silver Star Story leans more heavily on traditional combat, while Eternal Blue spices things up with more magic options and varied enemy types. That said, the remastered version introduces some welcome tweaks. You can now fast-forward through battles, skip cutscenes, and take advantage of improved save options. For example, in Eternal Blue, the original version required you to spend magic experience points to save—now you can save freely without penalty. Those small changes go a long way in smoothing out the pacing and respecting your time.
Both Lunar games really excel at eye-catching special attacks, with your most powerful moves filling the screen with flashy animations that still dazzle today. Each character brings something different to the party, whether it’s Ronfar’s chance-based dice attacks or Jean’s martial arts skills. It’s the kind of system that encourages you to learn what works best for your group instead of just sticking to a single strategy.
There’s also a nice balance between combat, exploration, and dialogue. Dungeons aren’t overwhelming, and there’s always a sense of forward momentum. One of my favourite moments came when I stumbled into a late-game dungeon way under-leveled but managed to survive thanks to some clever use of AoE magic and well-timed healing. The gameplay might not reinvent the wheel, but it’s satisfying, and—thanks to smart remastering choices—more accessible than ever.
The remastered visuals in Lunar: Silver Star Story and Eternal Blue stay faithful to their 90s anime style, but everything looks sharper and more colourful this time around. Character sprites are cleanly upscaled, and backgrounds have been touched up without losing their hand-drawn charm. Towns and dungeons now feel more distinct, helped along with great details and brighter colour palettes.
Cutscenes remain a standout. Both games include animated story segments that hold up surprisingly well. The remaster hasn’t changed the original art direction, but it has polished the video quality. Scenes that once looked muddy on older hardware now appear crisp on modern screens. While they aren’t widescreen, the black bars feel like a minor trade-off for preserving the original look.
Audio has also received attention. Voice lines have been cleaned up, and the music sounds clearer than ever. Noriyuki Iwadare’s soundtracks carry both games, and this version gives the compositions more presence. Whether it’s the cheerful village theme in Silver Star Story or the more mysterious tracks in Eternal Blue, each tune feels timeless. Audio levels are balanced well, and dialogue never gets drowned out by background music.
There’s a subtle filter option you can toggle if you prefer smoother pixel edges, but it’s not necessary. The original pixel art shines without it. I tested both settings and ended up turning the filter off for a more authentic look.
Performance-wise, both games run without hiccups. Load times are practically instant, and I didn’t run into any crashes or noticeable bugs. Menus are snappy, and transitions between battles, cutscenes, and exploration feel seamless. The collection includes a gallery for cutscenes and music, which is a thoughtful touch for long-time fans.
Everything looks and sounds just how you remember it—only better. It doesn’t try to modernize too much, and that restraint is part of its charm.
The Verdict
Lunar Remastered Collection offers a faithful yet refined experience for fans of these classic RPGs. The updated visuals, solid performance, and convenient quality-of-life features, like fast-forward battles and quick saving, make replaying Silver Star Story and Eternal Blue easier than ever. The heartfelt stories, memorable characters, and nostalgic charm are preserved, though some aspects, like the 4:3 cutscenes, remain unchanged. While the remaster doesn’t drastically alter the originals, it’s an excellent way to relive these games for longtime fans and the definitive versions for those who have yet to experience the magic of a Lunar game.Final Score: 8.5/10 - Great
Lunar Remastered Collection details
Platform: PS4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, PCDeveloper: Ashibi Co.
Publisher: GungHo Online Entertainment
Genre: Role-Playing
Modes: Single-player
A key was provided by the publisher.