Rainbow Moon Review

Published By: EastAsiaSoft
Developed By: SideQuest Studios
Genre: SRPG
Players: 1
Rated: E10+ (Mild Language, Alcohol Reference, Fantasy Violence)
Release Date: February 16, 2016
PSN: Buy Now!
Screenshots: Link
Written By: Matthew Prunty

March 7, 2016 – As we await the release of Rainbow Skies, EastAsiaSoft and SideQuest Studios decided to partner up one more time to re-release their epic indie strategy RPG known as Rainbow Moon; only this time for the PlayStation 4. Having already released the game on both the PS3 and the Vita, Rainbow Moon has amassed over a million copies sold worldwide and a strong dedicated following that’s eagerly awaiting their next epic journey. Having already crafted a solid experience in Rainbow Moon, developer SideQuest was looking at refining the experience in order to make the title befitting of Sony’s PS4 and help prepare themselves for the daunting task of developing and releasing Rainbow Skies; its sequel.

When looking at the PS3 and PS4 versions of Rainbow Moon, it’s hard press to tell the difference between both games. Both games have a visual resolution of 1080p, with a frame rate of 60fps. Both boast the same story, cast of characters and detail locals that you visit along your journey. The character designs are simplistic, yet fully realized and highly detailed. Whether traversing the moon or in a heated battle, the quality of the artwork is evident. The varying levels are distinct and offer up tons of variety via set pieces and an array of enemies to do battle with. While Rainbow Moon is indeed a simple port from PS3 to PS4, having invested over thirty hours in game, I can tell you that there is a refinement not seen but experienced. There is a fluid motion to the experience within the PS4 version.

Rainbow Moon is one of those RPGs that barrows elements from RPGs that have made a name for themselves in order to create a memorable experience that is unique to itself. Those familiar with level grinding, equipment and character upgrading and overwhelming opponents will feel right at home with Rainbow Moon. The story within Rainbow Moon puts you in the role of protagonist, Baldren, who finds himself stranded on a distant world known as Rainbow Moon. Being tricked and attacked from behind, Baldren was forced through a dimensional rip, which also brought with him a plethora of monsters who are wreaking havoc on the once peaceful moon. Along his epic journey, you will be join by a varying cast of characters as your rid the moon of the monster before returning home. Pretty straightforward and simple, but just enough to get you motivated for the challenge that lies ahead.

The battles within Rainbow Moon are broken down into two types – Direct and Indirect – with the latter being your decision to participate in. Whether you focus only on direct confrontation or mix it up with the random battles that you are presented with, the onscreen action remains the same. Your first several forays in battle will have you as a lone soldier against a variety of enemies. As you progress through your journey, you will meet new allies that will join you on your quest. You can have a total of three combatants participating in the battle at any time. The battles you participate can range in opponents of one to twenty, and depending on the how many combatants and who make up the group; you will have to plan out your attacks to in order to be the survivor(s) at the end.

The onscreen combat is turn-based and plays out on a grid-style battlefield. You and your opponents take turn attacking one another in order to claim victory. Because you can’t freely attack how you choose, strategy becomes a big part of your battles, especially once you past the first few hours of gameplay. Along the way you and your comrades will acquire various skills like Shield Bash, X-Ray Review and even Guard Strike to name just a few. These skills can give you the upper hand in a battle (offensive and defensive); sometimes event saving you from an imminent defeat. Also exploiting the strengths of your character(s) and the weaknesses of your opponent(s) will make for intriguing confrontations. Just like the story, the combat is simple and straightforward, however when encompass all the facets of it, you end with an enthralling experience that’s very satisfying and rewarding at the same time.

Looting chests and defeating enemies will net you two types of currency – Rainbow Coins and Rainbow Pearls – which will be used to upgrade your characters stats, buy new more powerful equipment and revive a fallen alley in battle. The Rainbow Coins are used to purchase goods like potions, weapons, armor and skill scrolls. The Rainbow Pearls allow you to upgrade you stats like Hit Points, Defense, Strength, Speed and Luck. Each one of these stats is just as important as the other. Luck lends a hand in determining whether when attacked, they land a devastating attacks; an attack at all. Higher levels of Strength allow for more devastating attacks on your part. Speed determines who attacks first and how often you can attack in between your enemy attacks. Defense determines how much damage you take on when being attacked. Lastly, but also equally important is the Hit Points, which are basically your life points. These will also increase alongside your Magic Points every time your level up.

The main quest within Rainbow Moon can easily last your 50-60 hours depending on how you approach the game. While the side quests are not mandatory, they do offering unique and interesting opportunities to level up your character(s) even more and acquire loot that you would otherwise miss out on. There is also an intuitive leaderboard system which keeps track of your performance within Rainbow Moon and how you stack up against the competition. The same cross-save feature that was present within the PS3 and Vita versions of Rainbow Moon is also available once again. If you already started your epic journey on one of those platforms, you can simply upload your save file and continue from where you left off in the PS4 version. For those new to Rainbow Moon and enjoy your experience, can pick up the Vita version to continue the action on the go.

Rainbow Moon is one of those gems that come along every once in awhile; three times in a row if you are SideQuest Studios. Even to this day, there are many AAA titles that still can’t match the breath of content that Rainbow Moon gives you for the low price of $15. You can easily sink dozens upon dozens of hours into this experience happily and be challenged throughout every bit of it. Rainbow Moon is a trip down memory lane for those familiar with the RPG genre, while offering up enough variety to satisfy those new. If you haven’t already picked up Rainbow Moon, you owe it to yourself to do so now.

9/10

Review Copy Provided By The Publisher

Rainbow Moon Review

mprunty

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