Sega Saturn: Dark Savior, yay or nay?

[djshok]

So I'm debating buying Dark Savior for the Saturn. I remember owning it back in the 90's and have mixed emotions about it. I recall it having a cool battle system where you could capture the enemies and use them in battle later on. Though I also remember this system being inherently flawed and disappointing because the game had a finite number of stuff to fight, ie: you couldn't go out to a dungeon and just fight random enemies. Also, there was a group of cool bosses that you get to fight at the end of the game (bounty hunters or smth like that), and you could capture them all, except they're basically the last thing you fight so, you never even got to use them in battle after capturing them, which I thought was a massive design flaw in the game. Also, IIRC this game was disappointingly short.

That being said, I think the game had some good points to it too, I just can't really remember anything that stands out now. Though it's been over a decade since I played it, so maybe I'm suffering from reverse nostalgia and this game is a lot better than I remember it.

What do you guys think of it? Worth it or not?

[Darkman2K5]

So I'm debating buying Dark Savior for the Saturn. I remember owning it back in the 90's and have mixed emotions about it. I recall it having a cool battle system where you could capture the enemies and use them in battle later on. Though I also remember this system being inherently flawed and disappointing because the game had a finite number of stuff to fight, ie: you couldn't go out to a dungeon and just fight random enemies. Also, there was a group of cool bosses that you get to fight at the end of the game (bounty hunters or smth like that), and you could capture them all, except they're basically the last thing you fight so, you never even got to use them in battle after capturing them, which I thought was a massive design flaw in the game. Also, IIRC this game was disappointingly short.

That being said, I think the game had some good points to it too, I just can't really remember anything that stands out now. Though it's been over a decade since I played it, so maybe I'm suffering from reverse nostalgia and this game is a lot better than I remember it.

What do you guys think of it? Worth it or not?

I would definitely go for it. I own this game and I think its a pretty good action/rpg for the system. The game is short, but it also has multiple endings and storylines to go through, and they are pretty significantly different.

[djshok]

It has multiple endings? Man I totally missed that back in the day. It's reasons like that, why I made this thread. How many endings are there?

[Graham Mitchell]

This is one of the best Saturn games. I don't care what anybody says, I think it's awesome. In my opinion, it's a must-own, and it can be had pretty cheaply.

It's a lot easier if you have an analogue controller because you can Chang camera angles quickly, and that's pretty important for lining up jumps.

Oh, and I think there are 4 endings. I think I've found 3 of them.
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[wiggyx]

My .02

I never got into it. It seemed like a cool game, but something about it just put me off enough to not play it through. I can't say exactly why, since it's been about 15 years or so since I last played it, but something was just "off" about it. Maybe I should give it a 2nd go...

[Wraith Storm]

Dark Savior is a great game. It's certainly one of a kind.

It has the unique fighting/capture battle system which I never completely came to grips with. I had a very difficult time capturing enemies, but on the occasion that I did it was awesome!

Then there are the 5 different Parallels. Depending on what you do on the ship at the beginning it changes the rest of the game drastically. Sure, some locations are revisited, but then there are some amazing new locations as well and it really fleshes out different parts of the story.

Using the Saturn 3d Pad makes the game much more playable. It allows you to control Garian with the D-pad and the camera with the analog at the same time. No toggling of the switch on the pad is necessary. One of the few Saturn games that used both simultaneously.

[Mobius]

This game gets a HUGE "YAY" from me! It's one of my favorites! And as for the multiple endings? Well, they're not just different endings. They're completely different storylines branching from the first section. If you only played one parallel, then you only played a fraction of the game.

[Tron 2.0]

Yay i'd say sure it has it's faults but i like it.Still i don't get why dark saivor get's so much hate.I remember listening to a retronauts podcast years ago about the saturn and they made it sound like that,dark savior was a terrible game.

[djshok]

Well I'm convinced. Time to pick up a copy. Though I'll have to look at some walkthroughs to see about how to access these different parallels because I swear the first time I played it I never found anything other than the one storyline and I found it pretty linear. So now I'm curious as to what exactly these different choices that you get to make are.

[Koa Zo]

Dark Savior gives me mixed feelings too, but overall I certainly feel it is a must own game.
Mainly the battle system seemed primitive for one on one fighting.

As Wraith Storm mentions, the are 5 different "Parallels" not just different ending, these are entirely different "paths" through the game. You see certain events from a different perspective, and you engage enemies differently, and visit different areas. Very unique and progressive design for that era.

a side note: the director of the game, I believe Kan Naito, stated in an interview during development that his team had maxed out the 3D modelling potential of the Saturn. Somehow I think Gamearts one-uped them with Grandia.

[Kirbz]

YAY Just YAY
:D :) LOL

[gameofyou]

Great game! I played through a couple of the parallels recently, & it is still a fun game.