Rainbow Moon Review
An often ignored truism of the world is that you can never lose money appealing to someone’s sense of nostalgia. Sidequest Studios took that statement to heart when they designed Rainbow Moon. A fair assessment of the game is to call it an HD remake of classic SNES era games such as Robotrek, Legend of the Seven Stars, and Ogre Battle. It is also about as complex as those games. Deliberate pandering aside, Rainbow Moon offers enough depth to appease even the youngest of players.
it it’s possible to call graphics retro and modern at the same time, Rainbow Moon would be it. The graphics feel 16 bit with an HD polish. Every place you travel to, from deserts, to snow capped mountains, even caves offer plenty of eye pleasing variety that it keeps you playing . How they managed to keep this quality of level design is beyond me but they did it. The soundtrack, although damn good, does spoil the illusion a bit. It sounds a bit too modern for a game like this. But, it’s highly memorable, so that can be forgiven. Like most good soundtracks, it sets the mood and quickly disappears into the background. If it is ever offered, it is worth the price, whatever it is.
This image provides more information about the setting than what’s offered in the game.
It is in the storyline elements where the illusion breaks down a little. Although stories from the era are not known for being deep and complex, they are still way deeper than what is given here. Everything you need to know about the game is summed up in the opening cinematic. Baldren is tricked into a portal then trapped on Rainbow moon. He must find a way to get off the planet; this is the only bit of narration you get. Whenever you advance the story, it is recorded as a journal.
Although it tried to copy the simplistic combat of the era, it still doesn’t feel right. Combat back then was not very deep and it consisted of “keep hitting things until they die or have a turn”. There are too many modern touches that keeps it from feeling correct. Games back then did not have a turn progression to allow you to see the order of attack. But the changes would be in line with a HD remake of a game from back then, so it might be forgiven.
The world exploration aspect feels accurate, but hindsight also tells me how frustrating it was back then. Open world is a bit of a misnomer when describing it. You are only able to advance to a certain point, then you are forced to stop until you find the “unlock item”. While it controls the pacing of the game, it also pads out the length. Without the padding, the game is only about 25 hours of content. With it, easily 30.
If you have any sense of nostalgia, Rainbow Moon might be the perfect game for you. It is retro enough to remind you of the time when things were much simpler. Despite that, the game is still fun and interesting for old and new gamers alike. At 15 dollars (12 with Playstation Plus), it does not feel like a waste of money. Like most things, it is better to download the demo first and see if you like it before committing.
Summary: Rainbow Moon is not a perfect game. It might be too simplistic for modern gamers. It might also grate on you if you have no sense of nostalgia. However, the price for the content is appropriate and interesting enough to keep people playing it.
4.5
About the Author
Joseph Furguson+ I am an avid gamer and one that's been on the console side of the equation since the NES era. Being an older gamer, I want something more than his head done exploded good. To me, the casual/core game distinction is a meaningless one. I can play a game that I'm interested in until conclusion no matter what. I am a professional writer. I've spent 10 years of schooling learning how to do nothing else. I used to be a substitute teacher and spent some time studying to be a teacher. One day, I realized that it was not a good fit for me, although I still have interest in education..
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