Chrono Trigger is rightly considered one of the absolute best RPGs to ever grace a videogame console. Unfortunately, despite all of the good it has brought into the world (I’m talking about Frog), it did set a standard that is followed by RPGs to this very day: supporting characters get three acts, and that’s it. The pattern is continual: supporting character is introduced with one big dungeon themed around them, then we get some middle act where we are reminded why this character is important, and finally there is a capper for their story that leads to an emotional catharsis/ultimate weapon. It is a tried-and-true pattern of character development, and likely the easiest route to take with writing when you must manage multiple characters with wildly disparate goals (Robo is fighting for… their own nonexistence?). And what do these supporting characters do in the meanwhile? Offer random comments about the situation that could be said by literally anybody. In fact, it was Chrono Cross that took this kind of writing to its natural end. Chrono Cross sees the Greek chorus of extra characters in your party as completely interchangeable, and the only difference between any of them is one of forty available accents. When one commentator can be an expert scientist that may be seamlessly replaced with a skeleton clown… Well, that is a tweak inauthentic.
But Lunar: Silver Star Story Complete is much kinder to its cast (and not just because OG Lunar predates Chrono Trigger). You are traveling in a party of five, and you are continually reminded this is not a matter of one hero and four ciphers waiting for their turn to be real boys. Just this week, we get each of our supporting characters reacting differently to their home towns being invaded (Nash is willing to fight even though his magic does nothing; Kyle decides to try crossdressing), a cute vignette where the party is separated and has to navigate a backwater town (where Mia is considered the cutest girl around), and then an entire tower where the team competes in riddles and sculpture skills. None of this is important to the whole story of Lunar (well, maybe Mel getting stoned is kind of important), but it does so much to shade in the personalities of your supporting cast. Mia likes monsters! Kyle is willing to fight rock illusions for his girlfriend! Jessica is going to knock everyone in this stupid town off the pier with her mace! No one could mistake Mia for Jessica, or Nash for Kyle, and distinctive scenes like what we see this week are the reason why.
In fact, so much happens with the supporting cast, we barely even notice that “Magic Emperor” guy running around…
Let’s Play Lunar: Silver Star Story Complete
Night 3
June 10, 2025
Random Notes:
- We are back on the moon with BEAT, Chromes, Morning Song, Cassandralyn, fanboymaster, and check cashing crimes. Wait. Forget I said that last one.
It has been empirically proven by fanboymaster that Ghaleon is a powerful ally, but our own party will be stronger at level 100. We are not going to test that on stream, though, so just take his word for it.- BEAT is very nearly emotionally devasted as we visit the White Dragon Cave where Ghaleon makes his plans known. To be clear, BEAT does not care about Ghaleon. It’s other stuff.
- Through dramatic readings, I have promoted community theatre. Or made the world worse. It has to be one of those.
- Jessica and Alex hook up (not like that) as Calicrub arrives.
- Final Fantasy 10 is confusing for not defining its protagonist. There is also a protagonist that is confused.
- Caithness joins just after Hell Mel goes to Hell.
- Kyle joins the party! We release the weasel, bu-ddy!
- As we initially visit the Thieves Guild, fanboymaster gives us his seven secret facts about .hack. Actual number of facts may vary.
- Hey, Meryod no longer involves incest! Hooray for a complete lack of Working Designs.
- While venturing through Meryod Forest, we discuss the portrayal of police on television. ACAB, but you are allowed to have a soft spot for Brooklyn Nine-Nine.
- What is totally not an ad for Mattress Hut does lead to a discussion of Waffle House and the Waffle House Index
- “I wish I could be a Spirit Halloween.”
And as we climb Damon’s Spire, we have an advanced theological discussion about politics, the afterlife, and interpretations of the Bible. We gettin’ intellectual up in here.- As the stream closes, we accidentally wind up inspecting books we read in high school/junior high while our party is in a library. Neat!
Next phase on Lunar: Things are heating up.