Originally released on Playstation 3 in late 2012, Rainbow Moon by eastasiasoft is a turn-based role-playing game that places you in the role of a warrior named Baldren. After losing an annual duel with his arch-nemesis, our hapless hero is pushed through a magical gate that leads to an unknown world. Baldren’s arrival in this ‘new’ world causes an imbalance that allows legions of demons to infest the land. Your mission is to defeat the demonic prescience and find your way back home
Before embarking on your quest, you must choose from one of the four available game modes that best apply to your skills as a gamer. Like its PS3 predecessor, Rainbow Moon includes a ‘casual’ mode called ‘Careful and Secured’ that equips your character with start up gear to increase your chance of survival. Well Supported is the second best game mode for casual gamers since it supplies the player with Rainbow Coins to purchase start up gear and items. The only drawback to selecting this mode is surviving long enough to reach town.
Forward Looking is for seasoned RPG veterans as it only provides your character with a small survival kit that contains potions, torches, and other useful items. However, you still need to battle monsters to earn enough Rainbow Coins to purchase the armor and weapons needed to survive (and it’s not as easy as it sounds). Lastly is Adventuresome, which doesn’t offer any assistance to the player. This mode is designed for hardcore gamers looking for a challenge. Plus, the in-game difficulty is increased to make combat more challenging. Despite which game mode you choose, Rainbow Moon will challenge you every step of the way.
Rainbow Moon’s world is massive and takes a considerable amount of time to explore. There are countless dungeons to crawl through, wooded areas to explore and towns to visit. The game world also contains a large number of NPCs that will aid you in your quest. Local towns offer a diverse selection of NPCS that range from quest givers to merchants, among others. Some merchants, like the priest, can heal your health and mana when your stock of health items have depleted.
A Network Shop NPC allows you to connect to PSN and upload several character statics from a previously saved game. This allows the player to compare their progress with other players via the Rainbow Moon server. The Savant NPC increases your character’s attributes by using the Rainbow Pearls acquired during combat. When you visit this NPC, he will convert the pearls to be used in the following skill areas: Strength, Speed, Defense, HP and MP. Like in most role-playing games, your character’s attributes have a level cap. Once your character’s skills reach their capacity, they cannot be increased again until you level.
Exploring the game world is less frustrating since the creatures are visible and easy to avoid. They also don’t attack unless you deliberately come in contact with them. Even after clearing an area, the game will use a window system to alert you when more monsters are present. You can choose to engage the monsters or move on without incident.
The combat system is turn-based and occurs on an isolated, grid-sized map, where movement is restricted to a small area. A command window located at the bottom left of the screen allows you to attack, defend, move and use items like healing potions. It’s important to note that using any commands from the menu will consume a turn, even if it’s something as simple as using a health potion.
Combat can be a bit slow in the beginning, but it does improve as you progress through the game. Once you select ‘Move’ from the action menu, a flashing indicator appears around your party member indicating the direction(s) you can move in. Since Baldren starts off fairly weak, his ability to walk during combat is limited to one ‘square’ per turn. This movement restriction is only temporary and will improve once the appropriate skill is found.
When battling a foe, a flashing indicator will appear under any creatures that are within ‘striking’ distance. Pressing the left analog stick in the creature’s direction will make Baldren attack. Once your turn has ended, your enemies will either retaliate or move in closer. Some critics have argued that Rainbow Moon’s combat system is cookie-cutter in design, but in actuality, eastasiasoft somehow made it non-intrusive for casuals without alienating the hardcore gamer.
Rainbow Moon’s skill system is rather unique in that you find your character’s skills throughout the game world as items. Essentially a form of magic, these skills can be learned by selecting them from your inventory system. Once learned, a party member will permanently gain that new ability for use in combat. Each skill is unique and has its own attributes.
While not as robust as some RPGs, Rainbow Moon’s crafting system allows the player to upgrade their armor and weapons. While difficult to find at first, weaponsmiths can upgrade your current equipment. By using items that are recovered from both combat and treasure chests, you can strengthen your equipment with additional stats like strength, defense, etc. You are limited to how many times you can upgrade your equipment, though.
Something that hasn’t been explored enough in RPGs is Rainbow Moon’s day and night cycle. Traveling at night is far more difficult than it sounds and it’s also easier to come in contact with creatures if you’re not careful. If you’re too far away from town to purchase a torch, or if you would rather travel during the day, there are camping grounds where you can rest until morning. Plus, camping is a great way to replenish your stats after a long day of adventuring.
Like its PS3 counterpart, Rainbow Moon serves up a solid role-playing experience that even the most jaded of gamers will enjoy. You can spend countless hours completing side quests and exploring dungeons without even touching the main story. What this boils down to is a role-playing game that is not only worth your time, but a must-have purchase for any serious PS Vita gamer.
Mike Pittaro
Platform: PS Vita
Developer: SideQuest
Publisher: eastasiasoft
ESRB: E 10+ (Everyone 10+)
Price: $14.99
Rainbow Moon’s Official Website
| Review Score | |
|---|---|
| Graphics |   |
| Beautiful 3D graphics that contain a high-level of detail. | |
| Sound | |
| A memorable soundtrack that enhances the experience. | |
| Gameplay | |
| The various game modes make Rainbow Moon accessible to gamers of all skill levels. | |
| Overall | |
|---|---|
| What are you waiting for? Buy it already. | |
