Lunar 2: Eternal Blue Complete

Lunar 2: Eternal Blue Complete is a reworked version of the RPG that first appeared on Sega CD, arriving on PlayStation in 1999 thanks to a localization and expansion by Working Designs. The player takes on the role of Hiro, a young monster hunter whose quiet life is upended by an encounter with a mysterious girl named Lucia, who quite literally falls from the sky. A small incident quickly turns into a journey across a world where dragons, an ancient prophecy, and a threat to destroy the moon humanity lives on all come into play. Along the way Hiro is joined by a party of companions with their own motivations and pasts, so what starts as a simple adventure gradually becomes a much more personal story about sacrifice and friendship.

Mechanically it's a classic Japanese RPG with turn-based combat, but what earned the title its reputation are the animated cutscenes and voice acting – unusually extensive and well-produced for its time. Working Designs also added bonus content to the PlayStation version, new dungeons, and a so-called Working Designs Museum with documentary material, so the "Complete" in the title wasn't just a marketing gesture. The story places emphasis on relationships between characters and their development, which was years ahead of when that became standard in the genre, and the localization team wasn't afraid to give the dialogue its own playfulness and humor, which is how the English version earned its distinctive reputation.

For fans of '90s JRPGs, it's a title that shows how high genre output could climb even outside major studios like Square or Enix. Lunar 2 is longer, harder, and more emotional than its predecessor, and even years later remains a favorite among collectors of PS1 classics – not least because it was one of Working Designs' last major releases for the console.

Why play it: For a well-crafted story and above-average audiovisual production that ranked among the best JRPGs had to offer on PlayStation.