Rainbow Moon

Eastasiasoft has a knack for publishing games that I hold very near and dear to my heart. Söldner-X and Söldner-X: Himmelsstürmer are both titles that I have loved. Their difficulty was great, and mastering both titles made me feel quite accomplished. Now it is time to add another title to the list of great published Eastasiasoft games. Rainbow Moon is a swan song to gamers that have been clamoring for a great traditional RPG experience.  The turn-based gameplay, difficulty, and presentation is only hindered by the repetitive level grinding that keeps Rainbow Moon from being one of the best RPG games on the PSN.

You play the game as Balden, who is unexpectedly warped to Rainbow Moon by his long time arch nemesis. Balden is pretty much your average RPG hero. He wants to save the world, but he is caught up in a predicament that takes him on the interesting quest. Rainbow Moon used to be a quiet peaceful place, until Balden showed up, and now, monsters have followed you through the gate and have begun attacking the city. Your main objective of Rainbow Moon is defeating your long time archrival and restoring peace to Rainbow Moon. The game is not severely heavy on plot. You pretty much take whatever comes your way. Story quests such as defeating a certain enemy or finding a specific item are most likely the type of quests you will encounter. There are side quests you will receive from NPCs that require you to find a specific number of a certain item. Like most RPGs, there is a party, as you will come across them later in the game, however early on, Balden journeys solo. However, he will meet many other characters along the way.

The setting of the town is very reminiscent of retro RPGs. You have towns where you can buy all your equipment, items, heal, etc. After you are done with your preparations, you can journey and talk to NPCs to gain additional quests and objectives. You will travel around a different assortment of environments, ranging from caves to forest landscapes.

At first glance, the game might seem like your typical run-of-the-mill RPG, but it is far from that. For one thing, it is a traditional turn-based RPG. (It has been awhile since I have been able to say those very words, as there are not many turn based RPG’s in this current day and age.) Turn-based RPGs are self-explanatory: You encounter an enemy, and during the battle, a chart detailing when your turn will arrive is shown. This chart allows you to be strategic and plan your future attacks accordingly. It adds more depth to the game because it actually requires you to think things out before you act. In essence, your actions have reactions in this system, which is great for an RPG like this. Even though other RPGs have done this already, what makes Rainbow Moon special are how the visuals and sound are presented. It looks like a very fruity cartoon/anime.

There is also a plethora of skills to unlock, and their usage ranges from their type. Some skills will require you to use them only in battle, and some, like healing, can be used outside of battle or during the battle.

This game is a grind fest mainly due to the strength of the enemies. If you are fighting an enemy in a one-on-one battle, and you are both at the same level, than you should have no problem defeating them. However, when you have multiple enemies you will soon realize that no amount of armor of weaponry will prepare you for the threat. As you progress, you will also note that enemies begin to rise in power level. However, due to the rather small amount of experience points that you receive in certain battles, reaching their level will take much time. Multiple and consecutive battles of the same level enemies will help in boosting your level, but it is a painful after a while.