How good is Boktai, if Lunar Knights is the least good?

[Razorrin]

*art by Elsavilla on Deviantart*

I've been playing a copy of Lunar Knights, the DS Sequel to the Boktai Series, that I picked up at a used game store recently, since I've always been interested in checking it out, but never did when I was younger.

I've gotten relatively far, and the game is fantastic! it's an Action RPG where the core mechanic concerns a duo of protagonists, Lucian (Sabata), a driven Vampire Hunter who wields a dark blade against the Vampires, and has dark power coursing through him, recharged through absorbing the power of the night sky, and Aaron (Django), an apprentice Solar Gunslinger, newly awakened to his destiny to defeat the vampires, who wields a gun that slays monsters with the power of the sun, recharged by said sun.

it's a fun time, mixing elemental attacks, a robust weather system, an inventory where you can melt chocolate onto other things to make new items in what I like to call Chocolate Alchemy, and a Snitchin' Soundtrack!



however, from impressions found around online, most fans of the Boktai Series conclude that this rad game is the Least Good Boktai game, and I'm of the opinion that it's for good reason!

So, Give it to me straight; What do the other Boktai games do for you that you love, and where do you find Lunar Knights lacking comparably?


I'm hopeful I'll be able to play the original games sometime in the future, but I'd like to hear what you guys think of the series!

By the way, yeah, It's a Kojima Productions game, there were even Metal Gear Ac!d 2 cards! I want something like this out of the new studio too...

 

[Death Stranding]

I still haven't played it so I can't say, but just to comment on that last point, I would expect a wide range of games from the new studio. He seems to enjoy the Switch and his history with Nintendo is solid, so I suspect that's where he'll look to after DS is out. The way ZOE got games, portable releases, an anime, etc., I think he wants to create universes like that, so even if he's not the director, his studio's gonna be putting in work.

 

[Rhiwion]

I was trying to come up with an elaborate post, but I never revisited Lunar Knights compared to Boktai 1 and 2.

I can't really say if did the things I liked about those better or worse, but for me it was the dungeon design, the overall flow of the game and *especially* the copious amounts of replay value and post-game that present in both games, to a larger degree in Boktai 1.

But now you really make me wanna try Lunar Knights again, maybe I find more in it nowadays than I did back then.

Also I really need to play Boktai 3 one of these days, lol.

 

[Razorrin]

I still haven't played it so I can't say, but just to comment on that last point, I would expect a wide range of games from the new studio. He seems to enjoy the Switch and his history with Nintendo is solid, so I suspect that's where he'll look to after DS is out. The way ZOE got games, portable releases, an anime, etc., I think he wants to create universes like that, so even if he's not the director, his studio's gonna be putting in work.

Click to shrink...

That's great! him and his studio frankly deserve a fresh start on the industry, and I'm looking forward to seeing what kind of creative stuf they'll come up with!

 

[Razorrin]

I was trying to come up with an elaborate post, but I never revisited Lunar Knights compared to Boktai 1 and 2.

I can't really say if did the things I liked about those better or worse, but for me it was the dungeon design, the overall flow of the game and *especially* the copious amounts of replay value and post-game that present in both games, to a larger degree in Boktai 1.

But now you really make me wanna try Lunar Knights again, maybe I find more in it nowadays than I did back then.

Also I really need to play Boktai 3 one of these days, lol.

Click to shrink...

don't feel pressured to replay Lunar Knights, I'm down to hear what people enjoyed about the series!

 

[Canyon]

I really enjoyed LK. It was one of my first DS titles. I can only imagine it's very pricy to find even a used copy these days.

 

[Deleted member 5621]

Hated LK in my first playthrough, loved in the second. It has two big problems:
uninspired character designs (specially when you're coming from the amazing art direction of Boktai)
it's clearly rushed as hell, the weather system is barely there, there is almost no development, you go from beginning to end fast as hell

The low level of challenge outside of the post game also doesn't help. Neither do the weird localized names. Why not keep Django and Sabata, wtf?

On the other hand, it was clearly trying to do something different, ARPG wise, but it just didn't had enough time to iterate and design nice levels and challenges for it. (I mean, the uniqueness of each the melee weapons are basically irrelevant outside the the post game dungeon)

Boktai 2 is downright one of the GOATs. Never finished 3, still need to do that!

 

[Lukar]

Just gonna respond to your post from the other thread over here. :P

maybe self thread pimping is a bit rude, so forgive me if it is, but I've got a perfect thread to have this kind of discussion if you're interested!

https://www.resetera.com/threads/how-good-is-boktai-if-lunar-knights-is-the-least-good.32355

more to the point, Lunar Knights tried to work a bit of the old magic in, like being able to whistle to catch enemy attention, and patrolling enemies that are Way tougher, but if I had my fun in lunar knights, I can be guaranteed I'll absolutely love the trilogy!

also, fair is fair, at least they knocked the soundtrack out of the park!



also, you're damn right they tried to sever ties! the game has Aaron, solar boy, literally say about otenko's name in it; "Toasty? what kind of name is Toasty!?"

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I do agree that Lunar Knights is a pretty solid ARPG with some of the Boktai wrappings, and it definitely has a killer soundtrack (Side note: I was super happy to see some of the songs make their way into Metal Gear Survive). And while the whole "vampires in space!" thing was kind of weird... I also kind of dug it lol.

I guess my issues with it are more that, even though it looks like a Boktai game, it really doesn't feel like one, at least not to me. Part of that is because, as others have said, they took out or made redundant many of the Metal Gear-esque aspects of it— which again, it did leave a fine ARPG in its place, but the stealth aspects of the series were part of its identity for me. And in doing that, they also changed the overall vibe of the game (heck, the soundtrack alone shows that— it's mostly flashy and dramatic as opposed to the music of the original games).

It's just a very different game from the rest of the series all-around, and while I do enjoy it, I personally hardly consider it part of the same series. As its own game it's fine, but as a Boktai game it's not great, if that makes sense. It's almost like the "Resident Evil 4/5/6 are good games, but not good Resident Evil games" argument.

I will say this though: seeing these threads have made me want to play this series again lol. It's been like ten years since I last played any of them. Might even give LK another go sometime and see how my opinion on it changes (if it changes at all).

 

[Razorrin]

I was super happy to see some of the songs make their way into Metal Gear Survive).

Click to shrink...

*0*

anyway, thanks for the reply! I totally get how Lunar Knights went much heavier into Action then the originals, and that gets me super excited to check out the original trilogy, seeing how unique those games sound!