Rainbow Moon

 PlayStation 3
Metascore
70

Mixed or average reviews - based on 50 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 27 out of 50
  2. Mixed: 21 out of 50
  3. Negative: 2 out of 50
  1. Impulsegamer
    Jul 25, 2012
    92
    Overall, I was very surprised with how much fun Rainbow Moon was and would highly recommend any fans of RPGs to buy the game. If you have fifteen dollars you will find there is no better way to spend your money, if you don't I'd recommend saving up to buy this game.
  2. Push Square
    Jul 11, 2012
    90
    With more features than we can fit in a review and an epic quest that can last up to 100 hours, Rainbow Moon is completely worthy of a boxed retail release. Instead, Rainbow Moon launched itself on PSN in the hopes to break our social lives, rather than our wallets. RPG fans, this one is not to be missed.
  3. PSX Extreme
    Jul 13, 2012
    87
    The bottom line is that Rainbow Moon is put together fantastically well. It really is a very solid and complete package from top to bottom. There's enough depth to satisfy even the most hardcore, the blending of strategy and traditional elements is both innovative and extraordinary, the feel and style is just beautiful, and yeah, the hours can really melt away.
  5. NZGamer
    Jul 18, 2012
    83
    Even though Rainbow Moon does push the retro adventuring vibe, it is an absolute joy to play. If you played RPGs in the 1990s, developers SideQuest Studios have made a game for you. If you've never played an isometric strategic RPG before, it's still a game for you. In fact, everyone should play Rainbow Moon.
  6. 4P.de
    Jul 13, 2012
    83
    Rainbow Moon bedazzles with its classic turn based tactics in front of scenic backdrops. Story and characters could be better, but exploring the huge world, fighting countless battles and nurturing your heroes will keep you busy for weeks and months.
  7. RPG Fan
    Oct 1, 2012
    80
    Rainbow Moon is a game that I couldn't help but come away from with pleasant feelings. It's not revolutionary, but it's well-executed and knows exactly what it wants to be. There is a certain type of player out there who is going to absolutely love this game, and get hours upon hours of enjoyment out of it. The only question you have to ask yourself is if you are that kind of player. If not, at least try it out for the sweet music!
  8. Hyper Magazine
    Sep 18, 2012
    80
    An addictive, time-consuming take on grinding and grid-based battles. It lacks innovation, but it's very enjoyable and extremely lengthy. [Oct 2012, p.59]
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  9. Playstation: The Official Magazine (US)
    Aug 28, 2012
    80
    Does Rainbow Moon pack enough gameplay to pass 15 dollars worth of time? Absolutely, and then some. [Oct 2012, p.84]
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  10. Gamestyle
    Aug 1, 2012
    80
    In conclusion, Rainbow Moon is a very good effort. Although the story isn't quite as gripping as it could have been, the substance is spot on. Rainbow Moon has a perfect learning curve, with a great balance of gradually easing in new abilities, and giving the player a chance to get the hang of them.
  11. GameOver.gr
    Jul 30, 2012
    80
    If you're looking for an old school JRPG that is demanding and will keep you in front of your TV screen for hours upon hours, Rainbow Moon is ideal for you.
  12. Eurogamer Italy
    Jul 25, 2012
    80
    For a fistful of bucks you will receive a surprisingly good-old-fashioned-tactic-RPG that deserves all of your attention.
  13. Eurogamer Sweden
    Jul 20, 2012
    80
    It's hard to ask for more from such a complete product. This is a must have for everyone hungering for a new strategic role playing game.
  14. GameWatcher
    Jul 17, 2012
    80
    Through a combination of streamlining what is a genuinely complicated game and using a simple but effective presentation, the developers have one of the best downloadable games PS3 has ever seen.
  15. PlayStation LifeStyle
    Jul 17, 2012
    80
    The game is a huge time sink in terms of exploration and leveling, making it a perfect way to while away the summer doldrums.
  16. PlaySense
    Jul 16, 2012
    80
    A great tactical RPG that more or less mixes the turn-based combat of the early Final Fantasy games with the strategic joy that was Vandal Hearts. It's not the best game ever – among others, the story is lacking – but we definitely recommend it to fans of the genre.
  17. Meristation
    Jul 5, 2012
    80
    A top-tier Strategic RPG no doubt, packed with tons of different quests. It'll take fans of the genre to the long forgotten old-school gameplay style. It's not as deep as other comrades on its field, but it's the best choice to enjoy ourselves in a dusty role playing game for the summer break.
  18. Vandal
    Jul 5, 2012
    80
    This is not an unoriginal game. SideQuest Studios was looking just for this, an old-school RPG, but with updated graphics. It has mixed influences and this causes some weird results, but it works despite the classic genre flaws: repetitiveness. If you like classic RPG, this game is worth every cent.
  19. IGN
    Jun 30, 2012
    80
    The rub with Rainbow Moon is that it's a time investment, and it's not a time investment those of you who don't like grinding RPGs will want to make. But for those of you that do enjoy a solid, old-school grind, spending time with Rainbow Moon is time well spent, especially considering Rainbow Moon costs a meager $15. Put bluntly, that's a hell of a value.
  20. GamingXP
    Aug 6, 2012
    79
    It's a great tactical RPG that ticks all the boxes: Nice graphics, very retro-like sounds and ambient as well as a very thorough battle system. For only 12,99 it's a steal!
  21. Game Informer
    Jul 22, 2012
    78
    There's a lot for old-school RPG fans to love in Rainbow Moon, and the price of admission is a bargain. I just wish the story were better.
  22. Multiplayer.it
    Jul 17, 2012
    78
    With six playable main characters with upgradeable weapons, armor and accessories, more than 20 challenging dungeons and a fascinating story that lasts over 40 hours, Rainbow Moon is the perfect game for all grind-based RPG fan.
  23. Everyeye.it
    Jul 5, 2012
    78
    The only real drawback of Rainbow Moon is its lack of novelty. For everything else, the game proves to be well developed and able to entertain beginners and experts of the genre.
  24. 3DJuegos
    Jul 5, 2012
    78
    Rainbow Moon it´s a classic RPG with tons of missions to complete, good graphics and a very engaging battle system.
  25. Official PlayStation Magazine Benelux
    Sep 13, 2012
    77
    Rainbow Moon looks like an old school Japanese RPG, but it is actually made by Germans. It is a decent homage to JRPG's, but also made us long for the real classics. The combat system is great, but the excessive grinding sort of spoils the fun. [September 2012, p.87]
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  26. Console Monster
    Sep 24, 2012
    75
    Despite its flaws, Rainbow Moon has a lot going for it. With an amazing levelling/combat system and solid visuals and story, there are many worse games in this genre. It is also worth mentioning the value for money here. If Rainbow Moon hooks you, it's around 200 hours of game play for the 100% and all for only £9.99 (£7.99 for Playstation Plus members). However its lack of balance and time required for completion is sure to put off some players who will not find what they are looking for on this expedition.
  27. SpazioGames
    Jul 18, 2012
    75
    Rainbow Moon has some weaknesses, but its great tactical combat system, deep character growth and amazing length (for a downloadable title), make it a great buy for any rpg fan out there.
  28. XGN
    Jul 6, 2012
    75
    Rainbow Moon offers a lot of content for a small price. It contains great retro-graphics and a pleasant soundtrack. Unfortunately, a lot of your time will be spend on grinding and that, combined with dull fights, makes for an average game.

Awards & Rankings

72
#72 Most Discussed PS3 Game of 2012
79
#79 Most Shared PS3 Game of 2012

User Reviews

All reviews »
User Score
6.9

Mixed or average reviews- based on 70 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 42 out of 70
  2. Mixed: 13 out of 70
  3. Negative: 15 out of 70
  1. PasghettiHead
    Jul 11, 2012
    9
    This game has really struck a chord with me. I set the game to hard and kicked off with as little supplies as possible. I wanted to grind myThis game has really struck a chord with me. I set the game to hard and kicked off with as little supplies as possible. I wanted to grind my way to glory! I certainly have not been disappointed. The developers have done a great job at guiding the player into the experience they have crafted without overwhelming hand holding. I love a game that makes me feel like i'm discovering something. As an example, I attempted my first battle without a sword. I quickly realized that I was ill-prepared. A short jaunt down the trail, some dialog with the locals, and I found myself prepared for basic battle. The game provided me tutorials on what I discovered. The game did not tell me when, where, and what I needed to do the whole way. It was a fine blend of discovery and tutorial.

    The strategic battle is my favorite part of the game so far. The move scheme, sub-turns, skills, and the unconditional escape make the battles very satisfying and scales very nicely. As you character evolves you are able to strategically handle more and more enemies. In recent years I've become more of an action-RPG fan. But, this game has captivated me. The combat is very satisfying.

    Standard functions like healers and stores are available for staying healthy and buying new junk. The side quests provide that additional challenge to pick up some additional experience, pearls, gold, and equipment. I did find the idea of a "savant" who is used to upgrade attributes in exchange for pearls to be a new one for me. I like the idea. But, it does provide for a bit of a sigh when i have to travel back to a town to find one. The nice part about it though is that you don't have to wait to "level up" in order to update your attributes or spend your attribute points when you level up. You can hoard pearls and wait around to see how your character needs to develop in response to the baddies that are blocking your path to fame and fortune. The storyline is pretty standard so far. But, I have not had a chance to fully experience it. However, I am not entirely focused on the the story since the battles and building up my character are my focus right now. I have yet to experience utilizing material slots, equipment comparison, picking up additional members of my group of my character.

    My only criticism is that due to the orientation of the screen during battle it is often easy to move in the wrong direction.    … Full Review »
  2. blognorg
    Jul 14, 2012
    6
    I'm still a little up in the air about this game, seeing as I'm not super-far in it yet. However, there are a few things that I wanted to talkI'm still a little up in the air about this game, seeing as I'm not super-far in it yet. However, there are a few things that I wanted to talk about. First off, it's not really a strategy game. It's more of your typical turn-based RPG. Though you do move around a tiled arena, not much actual strategy comes into play, besides just positional tactics. The rest is pretty standard RPG stuff, like when to use which skills and when to block; that sort of stuff. I began on hard/adventurous and I ended up restarting the game on normal, because the grind is a horrendous. The way it works is that you'll encounter a new monster in which you cannot sustain several consecutive battles with, forcing you to go back to the weaker monsters until you are strong enough. This process repeated itself several times, until I decided to restart.

    Another thing is the other characters. It's a frustrating double-edged sword. On one hand, it's nice to have the extra damage, but on the other hand only characters that land the finishing blow get rainbow pearls (sort of a currency for buying stats when you level). I can't describe what a horrible mechanic this is. It really cripples the strategy element, because I'm constantly having to worry about which characters land the killing blow so that they can get stat points. It doesn't really add any depth, because most of the time it just contradicts whatever established strategy you may have. Kind of like in Oblivion, where you had to carefully plan what skills you were leveing in order to get decent stats bonuses each level. It's poor design, frustrating and not fun. I'm forced to use characters in situations that I don't want because I need them to finish enemies off. Likewise, in Oblivion, I had to use skills that I didn't want to in order to stay ahead of the curve. Ugh.

    Lastly, I don't really like the way they handled the darkness and food systems. Darkness (like when you're in a cave or when it's dark out) requires that you have torches lit. You can find them or buy them almost anywhere, they don't have terribly long lifespans, and they take up room in your inventory. I don't feel that it was implemented well because it's annoying when you don't have them, but they're not all that hard to acquire; it doesn't really add to the immersion. It's just something else to keep track of, and it doesn't affect any other aspects of the game so far. Food is kind of the same situation; it's not hard to get, but you still need to carry it for when your characters get hungry. Again, it just doesn't really add anything to the game, and it just feels like it was thrown in for the hell of it.

    A few positives are the music and the colorful visuals. Those kind of things really vary from person to person, though. One thing the game does that I really, really like are the random battles. The way it works is that when you are walking around, you'll get prompted with a battle. It tells you how many of what monsters, and you can choose to engage. I've grown a little tired of randomized battles over the years, and this totally fixes my qualms with them. It's simple, but genius in my opinion. My only issue is that sometimes the prompt doesn't last very long (like less than a second), so I've missed a few battles that way. But it's fine most of the time. Not all of the combat is randomized, though. There are several persistent enemies on the map in which you have to bump into to initiate combat. Much of the time those mobs block paths, so it's mandatory.

    I also wanted to mention the questing system, not necessarily as a negative or a positive. It has the whole yellow exclamation point thing (which MMOs have made me hate) for the main quest, but all of the side quests are tucked within the dialogue of the NPCs. They don't tell you exactly where or how to complete them (i.e. it doesn't put a marker on your map). However, they're pretty simple at this point (like get this rare drop from this monster). Overall, I think it's a nice mix of giving the player direction, but leaving some to be discovered.

    There's a crafting system of sorts. Weapons and armor have slots in which you can place in certain drops from monsters that give you extra stats. I'm not sure how deep the system gets, but it's pretty simplistic, early on anyway.

    I'm taking a little break from it for now. I may go back to it, but it feels I'd just be forcing myself to at this point.    … Full Review »
  3. Darthmoo
    Jul 12, 2012
    5
    This review contains spoilers, click full review link to view. Buyers Remorse
    I purchased this game after hearing "It's a throwback to Final Fantasy Tactics!" Far from it. If you want your FFT fix try out Disgaea or try the demo out and decide for yourself.    … Full Review »
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