*****Lunar Is Out Of This World!!!*****
Don't let this game fool you right off. At first it seems to be just your ordinary generic little RPG, with a boy who wants to be an adventurer like his hero and his lifelong friend tagging along, who just happens to be a girl (gee, do ya think they'll fall in love?). But the further you get in to the game the more twisted the plot becomes and the more engrossed you'll become in the world of Lunar and the happenings of it's people. The character developement is incredible, largely thanks to the anime sequences. By the end you may even find yourself wanting to cry. It's one of those stories that just makes you feel good.
When I first popped the game in and sat down to watch the opening scene, I must say that I was stunned by the song. Not only was that incredible, but a few hours in to the game the Boat Song absolutely astonished me. The background music is also very good. Music plays an important part in this game and in the storyline. When you first hear that La La La song make sure you get used to it, you're gonna hear it a dozen more times.
While Lunar: SSSC may be very linear, it's needed. Lunar is a story/character driven game, and non-linearity would have made things a bit confusing. Basically what you do to advance the game is beat a dungeon, then a new spot opens up on the world map for you.
Of course beating those dungeons won't be easy, as Lunar has some tough gameplay. It can get pretty difficult at times, and the battle system will make you think a little. Unlike many rpgs where you're forced in one spot, in Lunar you have room to move around on the field. The battles always have some fun in them, thanks partly to the character voices and the strategic element to them. Sometimes even Nall will help out, reviving a unconcious party member.
To put it bluntly, Lunar is a fantastic game. Everything from the cutscenes to the music is exceptional, and the story keeps you in suspense. Plus the extras packed in with the game (soundtrack, the making of Lunar, a cloth map, AND a hardbound instruction book) are really cool ($10 extra, though). If you're an old school fan who prefers the days of 16-bit, a newcomer to the gaming world who is wondering what all the commotion about the 16-bit days was about, or just a diehard RPG fan, you owe it to yourself to pick this one up.