The writing is more subdued, though it still tries to be funny -- you'll read the occasional anachronistic line about a character using a phone or something else ridiculous to try and get a laugh. But the team at XSeed excised most of the pop-culture references for a more straightforward translation.
WorthPlaying writes: "Created by Game Arts and released stateside by publisher Working Designs, Lunar: The Silver Star on the Sega CD was a role-playing game that made a small splash with budding RPG fans, enough so that the sequel, Eternal Blue, also made an appearance. While the Sega CD versions definitely have their own set of fans, I think most people became aware of the series once the PlayStation ports were made in the late 1990s, with Lunar: Silver Star Story Complete being a remake of the original Sega CD title, and a port from the Sega Saturn version that was only released in Japan. Silver Star Story Complete was a huge step up from the limitations on Sega CD, this time featuring an expanded use of animated cut scenes (50 minutes compared to the 10 minutes from the previous version), a fleshed-out story, combat, and other features that just didn't make the cut in the original. Game Arts was once again behind the production of this title, with publisher Working Designs, headed by Victor Ireland, in charge of translation and bringing the game to the U.S."
PSi writes: "Lunar: Silver Star Harmony is the PSP remake of one of the 32-bit era's most beloved role-playing games. Lunar: The Silver Star originally appeared on Sega's red-headed stepchild (the CD, not the Saturn), but also saw enhanced releases on the PlayStation and Game Boy Advance. I'm a longtime (and admittedly jaded) fan of Japanese RPGs, but for reasons that are neither understandable nor acceptable, I never got my hands on Lunar: Silver Star Story Complete. Of course, this isn't the part where I explain why I haven't played it until now; rather, it's the part where I advise any fans of classic turn-based role-playing games to go pick up a copy of Silver Star Harmony."
As the final score says, Lunar: Silver Star Harmony is a good game, as were its predecessors, though whether or not you ultimately feel that way will depend on your personal tastes in RPG's and whether or not you've played the prior games or not. The story is as enjoyable and well written as ever, and manages to hold up very well almost two decades after the fact. The game has received a great visual improvement all around, and while the audio may not impress fans of the prior releases, it's well done all in all.
Yeah I bought this on day one. Loving it so far. It brings back so much memories of when I first played it on the PS1.(Never had a Sega CD)
Very good remake of a remarkable RPG.