/vr/ - Retro Games

I always appreciated how Lufia 2 presented its main cast. A lot of SNES RPGs feel very "game-y" (for lack of a better word) with how they present their characters - They are all very matter of factly and characters don't really interact with each other outside of setpieces of the main character or big setpieces.

Lufia 2 doesn't really do that - The game gives the characters a lot of small moments together to butt heads or share their worries and fears with each other. Stuff like Dekar and Guy hitting the town to go drinking, Tia flat out telling Selan she's still gunning for Maxim when she realizes Selan is developing feelings for him, Guy wrestling with leaving his entire life behind to join Maxim and Tias quest, or the intro cutscene where Tia shows genuine concern over Maxim going on a routine monster raid; None of its really significant for the overall plot, but these insignificant little things makes the characters feel more real and alive.

Of course, in retrospect some of the dialouge is a little stilted due to the SNES-era translation, and probably a little quaint today in an era where RPGs give lavish and verbose dialouge to every minor character, but at the time, I thought it made Lufia 2 stick out from other SNES RPGs. When I first played Lufia 2, it was the first time I felt characters in a game actually acted like human beings and not just video game characters.