Panzer Dragoon Saga - possible spoiler allert

[Arrrhalomynn]

After having owned the game for a year I started playing it only last week. Last night I finished it and I must say I'm a bit dissapointed.
Of course it's hard for a game that has been hyped as much as this one to live up to his expectations, but even if I try to look at it like an 'ordinary' game it's not that great.
First of all, it's really short. I finished it in less than 12 hours.
Secondly, it's too easy! I didn't even die ONCE in the game!
Third bad point, it's very very lineair. It's nearly impossible to do something wrong or go in the wrong direction. There are also no subquests or anything. Just 1 story, 1 quest, 1 direction.
Fourth bad point, the rpg part is poorly worked out. You get experience points and gain levels, but there's very little choice on how to adapt your character after you've gained a lever.
Fifth bad point, RANDOM ENCOUNTERS! They aren't as frequent and 'random' as in final fantasy, but there still are too many. If I don't see an enemy, I don't want fight!
sixth bad point, the lame story. Why doesn't Edge immediatly kill Azel when he gets the chance? She told him herself that she would try to kill him if he got closer again. But he just lets her go and saves her and crap. It doesn't make sense at all. It's like a b-movie in a videogame, but worse.

Despite these bad points, I still think it's a good game. If you consider it an action game and not an rpg. Also don't let yourself be influenced too much by the hype. People who say it's the 'best rpg ever' are trying to sell the game, or justifying buying it for for $150,-. And people who call it the best game on the saturn might be right, but that says more about the saturn's game library than the quality of the game.

conclusion: use that $150 to buy 30 common games like Sega Rally, Virtua Cop, nights or virtua fighter 2 and get panzer dragoon saga when you can get it for less than $50,-

[Raedon]

you probably should put a spoiler warning on your title

[Arrrhalomynn]

hmmm... I don't think so, but sure. It's worth the effort.

[Cafeman]

You waited too long to play it. I loved it but it was several years ago, the Saturn 3D didn't look quite as bad as it does nowadays, and it was hot on the heels of Panzer 1 and Zwei. I liked the battles (I didn't die much if at all myself, it is indeed too easy though).

Personally I wouldn't pay over $100 for any home game, not even Radiant Silvergun (which I got for $50, same as Panzer Saga). After playing my fill, I sold saga for more than I paid for it and I don't regret it. Who replays RPG's anyway? I don't.

[Raedon]

I've played through Phantasy Star 3 times... O_O

[Kid Fenris]

Fifth bad point, RANDOM ENCOUNTERS! They aren't as frequent and 'random' as in final fantasy, but there still are too many. If I don't see an enemy, I don't want fight!

I'd didn't mind the random encounters myself, considering how much fun the battle system was. The game's dungeons are also relatively linear, so there are fewer cases of pointless exploration, and thus fewer pointless fights. If you object to the mere inclusion of random combat, you won't care for Panzer Saga, but if that's the case, you'll also dislike the majority of classic RPGs.


sixth bad point, the lame story. Why doesn't Edge immediatly kill Azel when he gets the chance? She told him herself that she would try to kill him if he got closer again. But he just lets her go and saves her and crap. It doesn't make sense at all. It's like a b-movie in a videogame, but worse.

I had the impression that it simply wasn't in Edge's nature to kill someone who seemed so much like a lost and ignorant child, even if she was trying to destroy him. If Edge had done Azel in, he'd have become a ridiculously unappealing character, and the story would have retrogressed to the kill-'em-all drivel that too many games already opt for.


Despite these bad points, I still think it's a good game. If you consider it an action game and not an rpg. Also don't let yourself be influenced too much by the hype. People who say it's the 'best rpg ever' are trying to sell the game, or justifying buying it for for $150,-. And people who call it the best game on the saturn might be right, but that says more about the saturn's game library than the quality of the game. conclusion: use that $150 to buy 30 common games like Sega Rally, Virtua Cop, nights or virtua fighter 2 and get panzer dragoon saga when you can get it for less than $50,

I disagree. I can't say that Panzer Saga is worth $150 to everyone, but I'd rather own it than a collection of common Saturn software. It's among my favorite games, and though the graphics are clearly dated, I'm still impressed by Panzer's inventive combat, its unique atmosphere, and yes, even its storyline.

If I ever have to sell my game collection, Panzer Dragoon Saga will be one of the last things to go. Replaying an RPG is like re-reading a book. You'll only revisit your favorites, and you won't do it very often, but you'll still want to have them around for those rare moments.

[Arrrhalomynn]

I do object to the mere inclusion of random combat. I want to see my enemies coming so I can prepare for them or try to evade them. I don't like the enormous lack of freedom it gives you. I want to set my own path and do my own thing.

It WAS in Edge's nature to kill hundreds of other people. Of course it's a bit different from killing Azel, but killing is killing. She tried to kill him, then she later told him she would kill him and later she tried to kill him again. And all that edge thought was: 'I musn't kill her'. WHY NOT!?! she's a vicious killing machine.

I agree with you that it's pretty much a unique game. The atmopshere is great and the battle system is, despite being ridiculously easy, pretty fun.

I wouldn't want to call this an rpg though. The Role playing aspects are so meager that it's more like an action game with some role playing elements.

I also agree with you it's a fun game to own. It's a collectors piece and a fun game, but if I were stranded on an island and I had to spend 150 bucks on games I wouldn't buy this one. I would have bought a lot of commons.

[digitalpress]

It WAS in Edge's nature to kill hundreds of other people. Of course it's a bit different from killing Azel, but killing is killing.

Ahem.

As a self-proclaimed GEEK, I have logged in literally years of Advanced Dungeons & Dragons. As such, this topic has been repeatedly discussed among various groups of players I've had the pleasure to role-play with.

Killing is not - as you say "killing".

What CRPG's rarely venture into is the matter of "alignment". You are forced to make certain assumptions about the characters based on their behavior. In most video games, it really doesn't matter, everyone is a neutrally aligned character, and you just kill everything that comes along. But in paper & dice RPG's, alignment is so very important.

Briefly: you can be good, evil, or neutral, but you'll be forced to kill regardless of this. And you can be chaotic or lawful. Again, you'll be forced to kill. But WHO OR WHAT you kill is entirely a different matter. LAWFUL characters will kill almost any other characters, but it has to be with "purpose". CHAOTIC characters will kill anything, anytime, anywhere... usually. Good and evil are expectedly always opposed, but the race and class of your character also play into who you kill.

I suspect that Edge is a LAWFUL GOOD character. As such, his killing of hundreds of random enemies is with "purpose". He can't avoid them, they're not going to listen to reason, and he's protecting his life and his mission by eliminating them. Whereas in the case of Azel, he may not have felt that "purpose", relying instead on reason and presumably righteousness instead. Oops.

You may now resume your original discussion. Sorry to go OT on this topic but I've had this conversation so many times over the years I thought I'd share it with you.

*rolls dice*

"A one! I'm fucked!"

[Anonymous]

I only played PDS for about an hour before regrettably letting my buddy sell it, but the battle system is far and away the best battle system I have used in an RPG to date. I would love to finish this game. <dream mode> Maybe Sega has it hidden on the PD: Orta disc</dream mode>