Review by: Justin Fletcher

Most of the other reviews on this page go through the basic story line of Lunacy so I'm going to cut to the chase.

As a RPG-gamer who absolutely ADORED "Myst" and has no problem whatsoever with FMV (I actually prefer it if it's done right), I picked up Lunacy hoping to find another special world in which I could immerse myself and challenge my intellect. Unfortunately, I only got half of my wish.

Graphics: The graphics are gorgeous and, at times, breathtaking (especially in the City of Moons). The motion is fluid and natural. Sometimes in the story sequences, the graphics get quite pixilated, but the effect is transitory and does not draw attention for long. My only criticism is that while Misty Town's dark, shadowy ambiance is perfect for the mood of the game, a little variety in light levels for different times of day might have given the town a less static look. However, if the gamer is to get the feeling that this is a place that is lost in time and space, the foreboding and pervasive rust and maroon colors convey it nicely.

Sound: One of the things that attributed to "Myst"'s excellent storytelling was the original soundtrack. The use of rich music goes far in setting a scene, especially if it changes with the tone of the story. This is one of the greatest strengths of Lunacy, as well. From the beautiful opening track in the title sequence (which I must of watched about five times before even starting the game) to the minute differences between the door creaks, the sound in the game, both music and effects, is detailed, clear, and varied. No endless Mario nightmare calliope here.

Story and Acting: The story of Lunacy is very inventive, although it does start to get confusing towards the end (maybe that's just me). The dubbing is Godzilla quality, but what do you expect? To keep up with Japanese cadences, the actors in the game already have to go a million miles an hour or speak in their best halting, James T. Kirk manner. The actors, for the most part, are convincing, although the actor playing Fred can sometimes sound as wooden as Al Gore or as melodramatic as Al Pacino ("You threw me in jail, you PUNK!"). To be fair, this might be more the translation's fault than the actor's because some of the lines are kind of awkward ("I have done it!").

Gameplay: Alas, the Achilles heel of Lunacy. In the long run, there is just not that much for Fred to do. In Misty Town, Fred primarily walks around the town waiting for people to share their insight. The worst example of this is the precious oil example that Jon Okulicz quotes in his review. Things get a little better in the City of Moons, but, in the end, this is the kind of non-interactivity that gives FMV a bad name. Which leads to the next point: the few puzzles that Fred does have to figure out are TOO EASY!!! If Fred doesn't have people basically walk up to him with big, neon signs going "HERE'S THE ANSWER!", then he himself makes some startlingly obvious observations (go to the graveyard and see what I mean). This is not to mention the map that is included with the manual or the partial walkthrough in the back of the manual. It's almost as if the game was dumbed-down in order for casual gamers or younger children to not get too frustrated with the "puzzles". And if these two things weren't bad enough: the game is WAAAAAAAAY too short! I finished the game in six and a half hours, and I probably would have shaved an hour to an hour and a half off of that if not for the stupid precious oil section (another hour and a half if I had used the map and walk-through). I've played RPG's for seven years, and this is, by far, the shortest one I have ever encountered. I know that the graphics and the music take up a lot of space, but I would have gladly forfeited some of the space for a longer, more challenging game.

Overall, this is a game that had every possibility of being a classic but fell short of the mark when its immense attention to visuals and audio overpowered its gaming aspects. I have taken great issue before with those who bemoan the FMV format and complain that games that use the point and click interface (such as "Myst"--I told you I adored it) are nothing but movies once removed. Unfortunately, in the case of Lunacy, I would have to agree with them. But the sad thing is that it didn't have to be this way.

Rent this game if you can. If you can't find it at Blockbuster (ha ha), buy it at a resale shop; although I loved aspects of this game, I really wish that I hadn't paid full price for it. I can really only recommend Lunacy for kids new to RPGs or for RPG gamers who want to take a mental break and lose themselves in a beautiful, yet ultimately superficial, environment.