Originally released on Playstation 3 in late 2012 and PSVita on December 31st, 2013, Rainbow Moon for Playstation 4 is an isometric, 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 the game can begin, the player must choose from one of four available game modes that best apply to their skills as a gamer. Like its PS3 and PSVita counterparts, Rainbow Moon includes a ‘casual’ mode 
called ‘Careful and Secured’ that equips Baldren with start up gear to increase the player’s chance of survival. Well Supported supplies the player with Rainbow Coins (i.e. in-game currency) 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 Baldren with a small survival kit that contains potions, torches, etc. However, the game requires the player 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. The in-game difficulty is increased to make combat more challenging. It’s worth mentioning that Rainbow Moon will challenge the player no matter which difficulty is selected, so be ready for a fight.
Rainbow Moon’s world is massive in size, with plenty of dungeons to crawl through, wooded areas to explore, and towns to visit. The game world also contains a large number of NPCs that can aid the player during quests. In fact, local towns offer a diverse selection of NPCS that range from quest givers to merchants, to name just a few. Some merchants (i.e. the priest) can heal Baldwin after battle, while others can restore much-needed mana for spells or help the player stock up on depleted health items.
Like its predecessors, Rainbow Moon for PS4 has a Network Shop NPC where character statics from previously saved games can be uploaded via PSN. This allows the player to compare their progress with other players via the Rainbow Moon server. The Savant NPC increases Baldren’s attributes by using ‘Rainbow Pearls’ that are rewarded during combat. When visiting this NPC, he will convert the pearls for use in the following skill areas: Strength, Speed, Defense, HP and MP. Like most role-playing games, Baldren’s attributes have a level cap and they cannot be increased again until the next level.
The game world contains a large variety of dungeons and towns to explore. Enemy encounters are not random, but rather events the player can initiate by walking into a creature. In fact, an enemy will not attack unless the player deliberately comes in contact with one. Even after clearing an area of enemies, the game will use a window system to alert the player when more monsters are present. The player can choose to either engage the monsters or move on without incident.
Combat 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 the player 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.
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 beneath any creature that is within ‘striking’ distance of Baldren. Pressing the left analog stick in the creature’s direction will make Baldren attack. Once the player’s turn has ended, any available 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 has somehow made it non-intrusive for casuals without alienating hardcore gamers.
Rainbow Moon’s skill system is rather unique. Instead of Baldren earning his skills, he actually finds them scattered throughout the game world as items. Essentially a form of magic, these skills can be learned by selecting them from the 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 uses items that are recovered from both combat and treasure chests to strengthen Baldren’s equipment. These crafting items implement additional stats that include, but are not limited to — strength, defense, mana, etc. There is a limit to how many times a piece of equipment can be upgraded.
Rainbow Moon’s day and night cycle is one feature that hasn’t been explored enough in RPGs. Like its PS3 predecessor, traveling at night can pose its own challenges, especially where enemies are concerned (they’re easier to see during the day) 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 Baldren can rest until morning. Plus, camping is a great way to replenish stats after a long day of adventuring.
Rainbow Moon for Playstation 4 serves up a solid role-playing experience that provides countless hours of dungeon exploring and XP grinding. Moreover, the graphics and sound have been vastly improved over previous iterations. The gameplay, though, has remained about the same.
With that said, gamers will appreciate Rainbow Moon’s simple combat system and intuitive leveling system. In fact, they owe it to themselves to experience Rainbow Moon, especially if they enjoy turn-based RPGs. However, the Playstation 4 version is nearly identical to its predecessors (sans graphics and sound), and gamers that have already played Rainbow Moon may be hard-pressed to experience the game a third time through. Aside from that, Rainbow Moon is still one of the best RPGs money can buy, regardless of it being a simple next gen upgrade.
Mike Pittaro
Platform: Playstation 4
Developer: Sidequest Studios
Publisher: eastasiasoft
ESRB: E 10+ (Everyone 10+)
Price: $14.99
Rainbow Moon Official Website:
http://www.rainbowmoongame.com/
| Review Score | |
|---|---|
| Graphics |  |
| Incredibly beautiful graphics that look great great in HD. | |
| Sound | |
| The classic sound track and sound effects from the PS3 version have made the tradition to next gen. | |
| Gameplay | |
| While the gameplay has remained the same, Rainbow Moon is still a compelling turn-based RPG with an intuitive combat/skill system. | |
| Overall | |
|---|---|
| Rainbow Moon is still one of the best RPGs money can buy, regardless of it being a simple next gen upgrade. | |
