Lunar 2: Eternal Blue Remastered Review
A Beautiful Blue Star
Lunar: The Silver Star Story is one of my most replayed RPGs, as it was a childhood favourite. However, when it comes to the game’s sequel, Lunar 2: Eternal Blue, I can say up until recently that I had only played it once. I want to stress that it had nothing to do with the quality of the game; it’s more that I didn’t connect with it the same way as Lunar: Silver Star Story. It seems fitting that with last year’s release of the Lunar Remastered Collection, it was time to revisit Lunar 2: Eternal Blue and rediscover this classic.
Taking place a thousand years after Lunar: The Silver Star, Eternal Blue introduces players to a young explorer named Hiro, his loud-mouthed red dragon companion, Ruby, and a visitor from the Blue Star named Lucia, who has come to meet with the Goddess Althena in hopes of stopping the resurrection of the villain Zophar from engulfing the world in darkness. While on this quest, Hiro is joined by Ronfar, a priest and gambler; Jean, a dancer with a mysterious past; and Lemia, the shrewd and money-hungry future leader of the Magic School of Vane. Along with Lucia, Hiro and his companions must face their individual fears, save the world, and find hope in the darkness.
We are visiting a caravan!
The narrative of Eternal Blue is wonderfully crafted, chock-full of comedic moments and emotional beats. Hiro’s love for Lucia and her quest to find Althena take the forefront, offering a journey that is never dull, and the game’s cast of characters does a phenomenal job of supporting our romantic couple, as well as sharing their stories. From Jean’s traumatic past before becoming a traveling dancer to Ronfar’s exit from the priesthood because he failed to save the woman he loved, everyone’s growth throughout the game’s runtime is exceptional. Eternal Blue‘s story is wonderfully constructed until the game’s end, where it falters at the finish line due to the game’s bare-bones epilogue, which will net the player the game’s True Ending, but there’s very little story that makes pursuing this ending worthwhile.
Combat is a standard turn-based affair, wherein the player will input commands for each character. It’s a simple and intuitive system, but doesn’t offer much in the way of uniqueness. Characters can attack, defend, use items and skills, or have the AI take over. New to the Remastered Collection, players can now speed up the battles if they prefer to. While the combat system is serviceable, Lunar 2: Eternal Blue is an older game with a very high difficulty, meaning grinding is a must, especially late game. Characters often feel quite squishy, and without proper gear, can be one-shot even in regular battles. The difficulty spikes can be absolutely frustrating, and the final boss in particular has some nasty tricks up his sleeve that even the most prepared player will need to keep their guard up and ration healing items accordingly. The game can be punishingly hard, but beating a difficult battle is very rewarding.
Can’t sleep; toy will eat me.
Since this is a remaster, it’s important to discuss the features added to the experience, which are very few in Lunar 2. Unlike The Silver Star, which had multiple features and adjustments, Eternal Blue got the short end of the stick, with the only features being the ability to speed up battles and characters sharing a joint inventory. There are some graphical enhancements in Remastered Mode, mainly that the game has been updated to a widescreen layout, enhanced sound and graphics, and updated character portrait sprites, and while these are nice to have, the graphics still look very dated. There is also a Classic Mode where players can experience the game as though it were on a CRT television set, complete with its original cutscenes and graphics.
Eternal Blue shines its brightest in the sound department. The new voice cast breathes new life into the characters, with many of the characters, especially Hiro, offering fantastic performances. The game’s soundtrack, composed by Noriyuki Iwadare, has also received an upgrade, with many of the songs remastered for this release. Eternal Blue‘s music is a beautiful mix of idyllic and upbeat, with songs never outstaying their welcome. The only element missing from Eternal Blue is more vocal tracks, but the few that are there are decent, though they don’t reach the level of The Silver Star.
The Lunar Remastered Collection is a great way to experience these two classic games. However, there isn’t enough to really call them Remastered, as the efforts of GungHo are fairly minimal. That being said, Lunar 2: Eternal Blue is classic in its own right, even if it never matches the love and nostalgia its predecessor constantly receives. The music and voice work do a fantastic job of complementing the game’s already fantastic story and characters, but the game always feels as though it’s in the shadow of Lunar: The Silver Star.
Fantastic soundtrack
Wonderful cast of characters & story
Solid battle system
Visuals are dated
Difficultly spikes galore
Less Remastered features compared to Lunar: The Silver Star
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Village in the Shade Releasing in October
NIS America announced that it will be releasing adventure farming sim Village in the Shade in the west on October 29, 2026. The game — which recently released in Japan — will be available on PC, PlayStation 5, Nintendo Switch, and Nintendo Switch 2. A $89.99 Limited Edition is available to pre-order now from NIS America’s online store that includes:
- Physical copy of Village in the Shade for PlayStation 5, Nintendo Switch, or Nintendo Switch 2 (Switch 2 version is a Game-Key Card)
- Collector’s box
- Artbook
- Digipak soundtrack CD
- Acrylic stand
- Set of five enamel pins
- Sticker sheet
Village in the Shade is set in the Japanese mountain village of Kagatsu. Players look to settle down in the village, planting crops, customising their homestead, and befriending various characters. However, the village is home to various secrets, and inhabitants are expected to follow the rules: don’t talk to strangers, don’t leave the village, and don’t go out at night. Players may seek to learn the secrets of the village by flouting the rules at their own risk. The game also includes a Sunshine Mode, where players needn’t worry about breaking the rules, and the consequences that come with it.
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Covenant of Gears: The 3 Musketeers Announced
Developer SUPER AC has announced tactical cRPG Covenant of Gears: The 3 Musketeers. The game, set in a steampunk reinvention of 17th-century France, is in development for PC and available to wishlist on Steam. A Kickstarter crowdfunding campaign is planned.
Set in a reimagined version of Alexandre Dumas’s novel, Covenant of Gears: The 3 Musketeers follows D’Artagnan, Athos, Porthos, and Aramis in a world where an energy source called Bleu de France powers war machines and mechanical armour. The game features real-time combat with tactical pause, with the musketeers having their own combat styles. It will also include a modular Campaign Editor, letting players create their own stories and challenges, and share them with other players.
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RPGamer Round-Up: August 2 – August 9
Welcome to the latest edition of RPGamer’s round-up column, where we look back at some of the articles that we have posted over the intervening period. This article is designed to give reminders of some interesting content and stories that our readers might have missed.
Editorial Content
Beast of Reincarnation’s greatest strength is its sense of exploration, with excellent traversal and a beautifully atmospheric world. Imani Jones reports that although its story and technical issues prevent it from reaching greater heights, Game Freak delivers a solid action RPG with plenty of potential.
RedSaw Games and Logoi Games put a spin on farming sim RPGs with side-scrolling exploration and vertical farm-building. Alex Fuller finds that a strong amount of depth and charming presentation help make Doloc Town another strong entry in the budding genre.
Cygames’ Granblue Fantasy: Relink has returned with a major expansion, Endless Ragnarok. Ryan Costa sees how well it expands the multiplayer combat of the original and increases the challenge for experienced players.
Kingdom of Night is a quintessential demonic invasion story set in a typical small American town. Pascal Tekaia follows the adventure of one high school nobody becoming a hero just like in his favorite tabletop RPGs.
Montabi is a new creature-collector roguelite on the Nintendo Switch, offering players the chance to have intense card battles and addictive gameplay loops. Sam Wachter also finds a washing machine named Washette, which swiftly becomes her favourite.
Final Fantasy XIV makes its long-awaited debut on a Nintendo platform with a native Nintendo Switch 2 version. Imani Jones notes that despite some technical and subscription-related concerns, players can still experience the complete journey through Eorzea.
Jotunnslayer: Hordes of Hel has a lot of intricate builds to craft in its horde survivor gameplay and a development team always looking to add more. Grindstone Publishing’s Matej Hudák took some time to discuss the game and its reception.
More RPGamer articles are available in video form. Our latest batch includes reviews for Atelier Lydie & Suelle: The Alchemists and the Mysterious Paintings and Thysiastery, Retroviews of Ultima VII: The Black Gate and Glory of Heracles III, and a Mewgenics Deep Look.
Major News
Nintendo held a dedicated Direct presentation for Fire Emblem: Fortune’s Weave. The twenty-minute video provided new story and gameplay details ahead of the game’s release next month.
Digital Sun Games and 11 bit studios announced that Moonlighter 2: The Endless Vault will fully release digitally on PC and consoles in early September. In addition, Silver Lining Interactive will follow it up with a physical release in November.
Angelicore Game Studios has announced Angelic: Dark Symphony. The game is billed as a cinematic dark science-fiction RPG with hero-driven turn-based combat.
Trailmark Games and the Coolabi Group have announced Warrior Cats: Clans of the Forest. The turn-based RPG, based on the Warrior Cats novel series, will release on PC and consoles this fall.
Lemonpepper Games announced Kitchen Sync: The Flying Tavern, the second title in its fantasy cooking RPG series. The game is available to wishlist now on Steam.
- Super Robot Wars Z II: Ruination Remastered in Development
- Super Robot Wars Y Anniversary Expansion Pack, Free Update Releasing This Week
Bandai Namco announced that it is working on a remaster of the first game in the Super Robot Wars Z II PSP duology. It also released the Anniversary Expansion Pack DLC and a free version 1.4.0 update for Super Robot Wars Y.
Winter Crew and CMD Studios revealed that Fallen Tear: The Ascension will fully release on PC in September. The Metroidvania has been in Early Access since March.
Other News and Media
- Dungeon Nox Exotica in Development for PC
- Crimson Moon Set for September 1
- Sagas of Lumin Fully Releasing in February
- Fractured Worlds Releasing This Month
- Ex Sanguis Gets New Early Access Date
- AereA Getting New Console Release
- Suikoden Star Leap Releasing in Japan This Week
- 2D Space Exploration RPG A Sector Darkly Announced
- Beaten Path Releasing Next Year
- Hibera, Requiem for the Forgotten Demo Available Now
- Rainbow Billy: The Book of Fears Prologue Released
- Aether & Iron Update Adds New Sidequests
- Wartales Receiving New Community Update in September
- Pale Coins Receives New Update
- Monster Hunter Wilds Demo, New Bundles Released
- Trails in the Sky 2nd Chapter Receives New Trailer
- Onimusha: Way of the Sword Gets New Severing Fates Trailer
- Persona 4 Revival Reveals Yukiko’s Sizzle Reel
- Guild Wars 3 Behind-the-Scenes Video Discusses Music
- Expeditions: Samurai Discusses Early Access Plans
- New Release Round-Up (August 6, 2026)
Podcasts
The Yakuza series has officially changed its name to Like a Dragon, and we have another installment with Ichiban Kasuga. We also have a side game to talk about and… wait, Kiryu is back? Wasn’t he retired?
This week in Q&A Quest, we discuss how physical games face a more complicated future than similar media for movies and music. We also discuss the shortsightedness of Sony and other big companies.
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Hollow Home Kickstarter Campaign Underway
Ukrainian studio Twigames is currently running a Kickstarter crowdfunding campaign for its isometric narrative RPG Hollow Home. The game is inspired by titles such as Disco Elysium and the spring 2022 assault on the city of Mariupol, and is currently planned to release for PC via Steam later this year with publishing support from Crunchy Leaf Games. The campaign is looking for $15,000 in funding and is set to run until August 24, 2026. Those who pledge at least $20 will receive a digital copy of the game as part of their backer rewards.
Players control 14-year-old resident Maksym, with the game beginning on the eve of the invasion. As Maksym wakes up to the sound of falling bombs and artillery, he looks to stay alive in the crumbling city he calls home. The game is driven by dialogue and branching questlines as players explore three districts that change as locations are destroyed or cut off. Choices will play a large impact on how events play out, with players having a limited number of action points each day, while survival skills can be learned by interacting with others and completing quests.
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Gothic 1 Remake Planned Updates Revealed
THQ Nordic revealed some of it and Alkimia Interactive’s update plans for Gothic 1 Remake. In the coming months, the companies plan to reveal free updates that include a photo mode; Marvin mode, a freestyle “developer” mode where players can use cheats and spawn creatures and NPCs into the simulated world; a mod kit; and alternative progression mechanics.
Gothic 1 Remake is a full remake of the first game in the action RPG series and is available on PC, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X|S. The game is set in the medieval fantasy Kingdom of Myrtana. Following an Orcish invasion, anyone found breaking the law is sent to the giant penal colony of Khorinis to mine the much-needed ore for the war effort. However, the erection of a magical barrier to prevent escape goes wrong, trapping everyone inside as the prisoners rebel, turning the colony into a lawless territory as players control a newly-arrived prisoner. The original game spawned two official follow-ups, as well as the Arcania spin-off that was originally titled Arcania: Gothic 4.
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Final Fantasy XIV Switch 2 Deep Look
While the Nintendo Switch 2 version comes with some compromises, the core experience remains fully intact, allowing players to experience the incredible journey through Eorzea wherever they go.
Final Fantasy XIV is my favorite MMORPG of all time. For years, fans, including myself, have hoped that Eorzea would eventually make its way to a Nintendo platform in a form that could properly handle the game. Now, thanks to the Switch 2, that hope has finally become a reality. While the Steam Deck has already made it possible to take the PC version on the go, the Switch 2 marks Final Fantasy XIV’s first official native handheld release. Of course, the real question is how well the game holds up on Nintendo’s hardware and what, if anything, players are giving up to make that possible. After spending time with the Switch 2 version, the overall experience is an impressive technical achievement with some notable caveats.
First of all, the Nintendo Switch 2 version targets approximately 30 fps in both docked and handheld modes. While this is understandable given the hardware limitations, it does make docked mode compare unfavorably to other platforms when played on a larger screen. The lower frame rate is noticeable, especially during combat, where animations and performance can feel choppy. That said, the performance is at least consistent. Outside of heavily populated hubs where the frame rate can dip under heavier load, gameplay remains stable throughout most zones. However, larger encounters, such as battles in the Occult Crescent, can result in noticeable frame drops due to the sheer number of characters on screen.
The power to defeat Kefka in the palm of your hands!
The handheld mode, on the other hand, is a much better experience. The smaller display does an excellent job of masking the lower resolution and frame rate, making the overall presentation feel much nicer than on a large monitor or television. It is an especially enjoyable way to tackle more relaxed activities such as crafting, gathering, or knocking out daily tasks, while still feeling perfectly capable during dungeons and story content. Players looking for a way to experience Eorzea on the go will find that the Switch 2 version successfully delivers on that promise, making portable play its greatest strength.
The elephant in the room is the loading times. Whenever the screen fades to black, the Nintendo Switch 2 version takes noticeably longer to load than other versions on modern platforms. While this is typically only a minor inconvenience during questing or casual activities, it becomes a significant liability in high-end content. Combined with the 30 fps target, the Switch 2 version is not recommended for Savage and Ultimate raids. Even less demanding activities can be affected; Critical Engagements in the Occult Crescent, for example, often take so long to load that bosses have already begun executing mechanics before the player even enters the battlefield.
Players coming from the PlayStation or PC versions will have little trouble adjusting, as the controller layout transfers over almost identically, especially if transferring settings from other platforms. Existing controller settings can be carried across, allowing the familiar PlayStation-style layout to remain intact, with B serving as the confirm button and A as cancel rather than adopting Nintendo’s traditional button arrangement, and the controls can be remapped to suit individual preferences. The standard Nintendo Switch 2 Joy-Con controllers, however, have noticeably more sensitive analog sticks than a typical PlayStation controller. While this is easy enough to adapt to over time, those looking for a controller that more closely resembles the feel of PlayStation’s analog sticks will likely prefer usijng a Nintendo Switch 2 Pro Controller.
Overworld content is a great fit for handheld play.
The subscription prices are a bitter pill to swallow. Players who begin playing during the Nintendo Switch 2 launch period receive the first month of service at no additional cost, followed by a complimentary month of play time. After that, however, those who already subscribe on another platform must purchase a separate Nintendo Switch 2 subscription to continue playing. Although Square Enix offers a 50% discount for existing subscribers, it still results in an additional monthly expense simply to take Final Fantasy XIV on the go, without offering any other worthwhile benefits in return. Adding perks such as additional retainers or expanded veteran rewards would go a long way toward making the separate subscription feel like a stronger value proposition.
The Nintendo Switch 2 version also comes with a few platform-specific considerations. Players transferring their settings from another platform will likely need to rescale the HUD for the smaller display, though the process is simple thanks to Final Fantasy XIV’s extensive interface customization. Just like any other version, cross-progression works seamlessly, allowing characters, settings, and progress to carry over without issue. Nintendo Switch 2’s haptic feedback is another welcome addition, adding subtle immersion throughout the game. Flying across Mare Lamentorum during a storm, for example, feels more satisfying thanks to the subtle haptic feedback from the controller.
The cutscenes still look quite good on Switch 2.
At the end of the day, this is still Final Fantasy XIV, one of the greatest MMORPGs ever created. While the Nintendo Switch 2 version comes with some compromises, the core experience remains fully intact, allowing players to experience the incredible journey through Eorzea wherever they go. It may not be the recommended way to play for those with access to more powerful platforms, especially for players focused on high-end content, but it is still an excellent secondary option for anyone who wants the freedom to take the game on the go. The arrival of Final Fantasy XIV on a Nintendo platform is exciting in itself, and this version finally delivers something many fans have wanted for years, even with some limitations along the way.
Disclosure: This article is based on a free copy of the game provided by the publisher.
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Kitchen Sync: The Flying Tavern Announced
Developer Lemonpepper Games has announced fantasy cooking RPG Kitchen Sync: The Flying Tavern. The game is the second title in the series, following last year’s Kitchen Sync: Aloha!, and is available to wishlist on Steam. A release date has not yet been announced.
Kitchen Sync: The Flying Tavern is said to blend story, kitchen management, and tactical RPG elements. Players control a chef who is summoned to the realm of Rosolare and given command of a Flying Tavern. They will need to assemble a party of other chefs and create menus, while helping reunite the world through food. Players can build bonds between party members as well as customise their kitchen layouts. Gameplay additions to the previous game include drink service, new heroic abilities, ingredient collection, and tavern hall decoration.
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Trails in the Sky 2nd Chapter Receives New Trailer
GungHo Online Entertainment and Nihon Falcom have released an official trailer for Trails in the Sky 2nd Chapter. The three-minute video teases many of the story elements for the upcoming full 3D remake of The Legend of Heroes: Trails in the Sky SC ahead of its worldwide release on September 17, 2026, for PC, PlayStation 5, Nintendo Switch, and Nintendo Switch 2.
Following on immediately after the events of Trails in the Sky 1st Chapter, 2nd Chapter sees now Senior Bracer Estelle Bright set out in search of her adoptive brother Joshua across the kingdom of Liberl. During the journey, she runs into the machinations of the secret society known as Ouroboros, while coming across allies new and returning. The game includes additional elements from its predecessor, such as mini-games and additional combat abilities, while those with clear data from the previous game will obtain bonus in-game items. Those looking to read more about The Legend of Heroes series can check out RPGamer’s Where to Start? feature.
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Persona 4 Revival Reveals Yukiko’s Sizzle Reel
Atlus released its latest character trailer for Persona 4 Revival. The newest video introduces Yukiko Amagi, voiced in the remake by Brianna Knickerbocker. A school friend of Chie, Yukiko’s family runs the famous local hot spring inn, and she becomes involved in the protagonist’s investigations into the mysterious Midnight Channel.
Persona 4 launched for PlayStation 2 in 2008, later receiving an enhanced remaster titled Persona 4 Golden that released for PlayStation Vita in 2012 before subsequently getting PC, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and Nintendo Switch versions. The game follows a transfer student to the small rural town of Inaba who gets caught up in events surrounding a series of murders and disappearances. They uncover that the events are associated with the mysterious Midnight Channel and a supernatural Shadow World that they are able to enter alongside their friends. Persona 4 Revival will release on February 19, 2027, for PC, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X|S.
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