Working Designs delays Lunar 2, Arc the Lad Collection; announces PS2 launch title

[08.03.00] » A time to delay, a time to announce.

   Working Designs today confirmed that their long-awaited Lunar sequel has met with yet another delay. Currently, Working Designs does not foresee a release happening until November 2000 at the earliest. Originally scheduled for release in Winter '99, Lunar 2: Eternal Blue Complete is being held back in order to correct and bug-test occasional screen tearing (now reduced to the screen's top 4-8 pixels) and music slowdown. The company's compilation of four Arc the Lad titles has also met with unelaborated setbacks -- Arc the Lad Collection is now scheduled for release sometime in the first quarter of 2001.

   The company offically announced a number of additions made to Lunar 2 during the lenghty localization process. "The game now supports 30 saves on a single memory card, the game now color-codes all enemies for spell and weapon effectiveness in battle instead of just the Xs and Os, audio events not in the Japanese remix have been put back in, [and] movie compression has been further optimized." Also announced were plans to send samples of Lucia's pendant (one of many items being included in the Lunar 2 package) to retailers Electronics Boutique and Babbage's / Software Etc. Fans unable to wait to cosplay as Lucia can now fulfill their costume jewelry fantasies a few months earlier. Working Designs also announced that the Borgan suit would tour to retail outlets with the highest number of Lunar 2 pre-orders.

   Finally, a surprise now greets viewers of the company's Release Date schedule on the company's homepage -- a mystery PlayStation 2 launch title. While no title or genre is specified, the game is being published under the Working Designs moniker rather than the company's shooter / platformer "Spaz" label, suggesting that the mystery title is an RPG of some sort. Or maybe it's Street Mahjong Trance 2, with its sassy, fresh, and in-your-face box art! Given the importance of hitting the PlayStation 2 launch, Working Designs will likely be loath to miss the October 26th release date.