When Lunar debuted in North America in 1993, it was a standout in the emerging Western market for Japanese RPGs. Lunar featured detailed, animated cinematic cutscenes, plenty of voice acting, high-quality music, and-most importantly-an endearing story packed with engaging and memorable characters. While it wasn't the first CD-ROM-based JRPG to hit the market, it was one that left a powerful impact on everyone who played it. A sequel, two PlayStation remakes, a PSP outing and more further broadened the audience for Lunar. More than 30 years after the series' debut, Lunar and Lunar 2 are coming back to the realm of PlayStation with the Lunar Remastered Collection. To give some insight into what makes the Lunar games special—and to stir fond memories among longtime fans—we talked to Matthias Pergams, producer over at GungHo Online Entertainment America.

Silver Standard
"LUNAR was one of the first JRPGs on the CD-ROM format, with animated cutscenes, in-game voice acting, and even an opening theme song," Pergams explains. "The series gained a dedicated following both within and outside Japan, paving the way for the genre as a whole. It's a work that has a unique historical significance." The original Lunar has been remade and re-released a few times for various platforms (along with Lunar 2, to a lesser degree), so we were curious as to why the PlayStation 'Complete' versions of the two games were chosen as the base for the remasters. "Each version is different and possesses unique merits, so we actually struggled quite a bit with this question. Ultimately, the choice came down to which version we felt represented the series best. For us, it was the PlayStation version."

We're excited to share this 1st look at the English voice cast for Trails in the Sky 1st Chapter! Starting with our energetic protagonist Estelle Bright, reprised by Stephanie Sheh! Our intelligent and level-headed protagonist, Joshua Bright, will be reprised by Johnny Yong Bosch! The seasoned mentor known as "The Silver Flash", Scherazard Harvey, will be voiced again by Michelle Ruff! Give it up for the insightful yet carefree traveling bard, Olivier Lenheim, with Matthew Mercer returning to the role! Kloe Rinz, beloved for her gentle and kind nature, will be reprised by Cristina Vee!

Though he can be harsh at times, the undeniably skilled "Heavy Blade" Agate Crosner will be voiced once again by Ben Pronsky! Everyone give some love to the ever-sweet Tita Russell, with Brianna Knickerbocker reprising her role! A martial artist from the Calvard Republic, "The Immovable" Zin Vathek will be reprised by Vic Chao! Trails in the Sky 1st Chapter reimagines the first chapter of a beloved series, infusing it with enhanced visuals and refined gameplay. Join Estelle and Joshua, partners bound by fate, as they unravel dark conspiracies threatening the peace of the Liberl Kingdom.