Ok, I usually just read the forums rather than post. But I just read another review on Lunar Dragon Song and had to get something off my chest.
They said that the battle system was the major downpart of the game. But the characters were likeable and story was warm.
Um... what? Okay, I have many problems with Dragon Song. The battle system is indeed horrendous but I found myself enjoying myself. In fact, I had so much fun actually playing LUNAR for the first time in years that I didn't realize I wasn't targetting the enemies until I had played it a few days. I was really excited about the split screen, touch sensative capability Dragon Song offered.
But after a while, I realized I was playing The Silver Star all over again. Althena was the girl who gets captured by the Ghaleon lookalike of the Vile Tribe. The only way to save the day is to become a Dragonmaster. Don't get me wrong, I loved playing the Silver Star. When I finally get another Playstation System and buy Lunar off eBay, I'll be playing it over and over again. But why do I enjoy playing it so much? Certainly isn't the graphics or the simple battle system.
It was the characters and the story! I discovered Lunar: Complete in a magazine at a time when Final Fantasy 7 was the center of my Universe. Once I bought and played it, I said "Final Fantasy Who??" In this game, the music was so... so... enjoyable I felt right at home. The characters were alive and many times I actually FELT like I was on a quest with them! When someone died in combat I yelled "KYLE! NOOOOO!"
But Dragon Song introduces characters into your party before you have a chance to even care. As far as appearances go, Rufus makes a cameo: pops into your party for an hour and never comes back. WHY IS HE ON THE COVER?!?! HE'S AN EXTRA FOR PETE'S SAKE!!!! And Flora... oh man. At least I was happy to have Rufus for that hour. Why? Because his character had been introduced earlier and built tension between him and you. Flora comes out of nowhere and suddenly you depend on her the rest of your life!
Just a side note... I was also offended that they named everyone after people in the Old Testament. Just 'cuz it's called "Lunar Genesis" doesn't mean you can grab any name and trash their reputation. I mean GIDEON as a huge monstrous beast with 3 forms??? Come on, my Jewish brothers, this ain't ripping on you too?? I know Japan wouldn't ever make a hideous monster who destroys everything in his path and name him "Buddha"!
At some point, I just didn't care what happened next. You can watch a terrible movie but one great moment can make it a classic. I kept playing Dragon Song waiting for that moment. It never came, while the others had them in droves.
I'm sure a lot of this has to do with it not being done my Working Designs. They would have at least given it awesome packaging and funnier NPC's. Dragon Song still had a fundamental dependency on NPC's, but in a way that makes you poke your eye with a staple to have more amusement.
And I was about a week into the game when I realized no matter how much I leveled up, the monsters wouldn't die faster. Why oh why do programmers make the monsters level up with you? Why oh why spend all that extra programming effort? Why oh why level up at all if you're gonna do that? And why oh why hasn't anyone ELSE complained about that?! Is mine just broken or something??
I really did enjoy the Gad's Express system, the separated Virtue and Combat Modes and even part of the battle system. (Pretend you're Jian when you punch guys, it makes things a lot more enjoyable.) The music was okay too. If I didn't know that Iwadare had no part in this, I probably could've enjoyed it more. (There are some tunes that make you do a funky dance.)
But the dull characters and rehacked storyline are the true problems of the game. I think the game has potential, but should be remade completely on a console with anime cutscenes. Lucia should be named something besides "Lucia", and she shouldn't be a Goddess incarnation. Rufus should be played more, and there should be some anticipation to recruiting Flora. Ditch Ignatius, the Ghaleon clone who can't compare. Rename the biblically name characters. Don't let the monsters level up with you. Scratch the Vile Tribe threat. And as the for battle system, I can easily come up with something far better, as can thousand of Lunar fans.
So Game Arts! You said future Lunar titles rely in part in the support of Dragon Song. Well, so far so bad. But don't let that be an excuse to kill the Lunar fanchise! Enlist some diehard FANS to make the games! Or read some Fan Fictions online! Many Fan Fics are miles higher than the Dragon Song plot.
Last but not least... hire me to design the battle system and level up system!
![Laughing :lol:](./images/smilies/icon_lol.gif)