My Dragoon Saga

[xDerekRx]

Ok figured Id post about Panzer Dragoon Saga so far just to stir up some conversation.

Ive been playing it for a few days. Im on disc 2.

A few thoughts so far

-Im trying hard to just enjoy the game and not think it should be the BEST game ever just because it cost alot. Im finding its a very nice game but its not like a 10/10, (of course I still have 3 discs left).

-Overall its a bit linear but thats good for an RPG novice like myself. I like the battle system with the beserk firing modes. Im enjoying this overall.

-The characters havent been incredibly deep so far but the storyline is probably just getting started.

-The Graphics are the weirdest part to me. Im usually a huge fan of Saturn graphics and 32 bit polygons. But for some reason PDZ looks messy. And I know Saturn is messy cause its old but this is a bit too messy. Res Evil and Quake looked much smoother doing polys. Its hard to make out some of the enemies or characters. In fact I thought Panzer 1 and 2 looked better.

-I think the part about the graphics that irks me is how shallow they are. There really isnt a lot of depth in the villages or outdoor scenes. Not a lot of colors in the villages so far. They are also somewhat poorly constructed (the villages). Im at the village of Zoah or whatever and its kinda messy looking. The games colors are also a bit odd. When the sky and lighting change, it looks quite odd. The effect around the fireplace is nice but overall not as good as Quake looked.

-Overall though the game is enjoyable. Ive also only played 1-2 RPGs in my life so adjusting to this format is part of it. But Im slowly getting into the set piece battles and power up system. Its a good paced game with what looks like a big story. I guess the key is you cant think just because its a 200$ game its the best ever. Its shaping up to be a very nice game but the fact only 30,000 were made bumps the $ value up.

-Well I have 2.5 discs still to play so my opinion of this game is far from final.


ALSO for anyone that played this, did you find this quote in the game? Very funny and random. Some translator punk probably put it in the game. Its not part of the story but for the sake of spoilers I wrote it in a light color. Just highlight it

Quote: When you click on a pot in the bar in the village of Zoah (?) it simply says "They killed Kenny" (south park)

[xDerekRx]

Ok wow, how 2 more hours can completely change your perspective on things:

-Im starting to realize I looked at the graphics all wrong. The textures arent great in some of the environments but overall the battles look amazing. The beserk attack are colorful and fantastic to watch. And all of the enemies are big and overwhelming. I guess maybe I was nitpicking because of the games price. Now that I got over that, Im starting to really see the games beauty.

-I think the battle system is really the games draw. Its fantastic. The RPG elements blend so well with the action. So many cool attacks that Ive yet to learn.

-Also the story has really picked up and the best character so far as entered the game which is awesome!

-I figured the more I played the more this game would show itself. My graphics gripes from before were really 1 dimensional. The more you play the more impressive the scale of the game environments really are. Some minor texture messyness here and there isnt a big deal. In fact House of the Deads graphics were rushed but the game was awesome...

Ok back to playing, 2 discs left.

[Warp2063]

I guess the key is you cant think just because its a 200$ game its the best ever. Its shaping up to be a very nice game but the fact only 30,000 were made bumps the $ value up.

It's some kind of twist of fate that even a horrible game (I'm not talking about PDS) can be very rare because it was so bad and no one bought it, and now is worth a lot of money because of its rarity.

[xDerekRx]

What game are you referring to Warp.

I think PDZ case the game is very good and everyone wants to play it but so few copies.

I guess 32x Spiderman I heard sucked but of course everyone wants.

[Warp2063]

What game are you referring to Warp.

I remember reading about a few that fit those criteria, but I can't remember now.

[JerryTerrifying]

I'm still super jealous. I wish I had a copy of this game.

[Manji]

me too. i am enjoying the read though since im not ready to buy it yet.

to be honest, i havent played any of the Panzer dragoon games. they look great and it's mostly a shooter series so i already know i'd find it fun. i especially like when developers do cross overs into other genres such as the case here with PDS. reminds me of how when you think of Samurai shodown series, you think of the fighting games but SNK made an enjoyable turn-based RPG out of it (which can also be found on the Saturn).

[xDerekRx]

Manji I didnt play the PD series until just months ago. It was one of the series I missed back when I had my Saturn in 1997. But its great. Easy to play and very well crafted. The first two are very fun albiet short games. But the bosses and the dramatic buildup of the battles is epic. Im only 3 discs into the RPG but its a perfect off shoot for the series. Its all action at the heart with great battles but has a nice unfolding story.

[JerryTerrifying]

me too. i am enjoying the read though since im not ready to buy it yet.

to be honest, i havent played any of the Panzer dragoon games. they look great and it's mostly a shooter series so i already know i'd find it fun. i especially like when developers do cross overs into other genres such as the case here with PDS. reminds me of how when you think of Samurai shodown series, you think of the fighting games but SNK made an enjoyable turn-based RPG out of it (which can also be found on the Saturn).

Well thanks to this website I now love Bomberman and have been checking out all the other millions of Bomberman games out there....there's a bomberman RPGish game for Gameboy Color that I really want to get ahold of lol.

[Warp2063]

My three favorite Bomberman games were Bomberman 64 for the N64, Bomberman Generation for the GameCube, and Bomberman Tournament for the Game Boy Advance. I think I've played a few other handheld Bomberman games, but I can't remember if I liked them or not.

[grolt]

Glad you came around in regards to the game's graphics. I've always found them beautiful, especially around the campfire in that little village at night, and then that blue water level with all the ruins. I used to just fly around that area endlessly, alternating between day, night and sunset. I love how al the landscapes take on an entirely different visual quality as the game changes from day to night. It would have been awesome if they did it in real-time the Zelda 64 way, but hey, considering the game was in danger of not coming out, I'll take what I can get.

[xDerekRx]

I agree Grolt. The game looks like the other two PD games and thats not a bad thing. So far my favorite environment is the camp on the third disc where you set up near the forest. Nicest looking background same with the camp fire. The only graphics that arent, lets say "stand out" are the Zoah village textures. Other than that everything looks good, even the Holy District looked quite nice. But the games really about vast environments more than the villages.

[Scooter]

I'm glad you kept going. The storyline takes a good long time to really develop to the point of seriously drawing you in. I found a few points in the game in which I hunted around seemingly endlessly for a "what to do next" moment but those at least allowed me to explore the environments even more.

Later in the game the battles with an absolute multitude of enemies required much more planning and strategy than needed earlier on. I'm fairly methodical when it comes to clearing a map but when you get your dragon boosted up and set him up for your style of play, it's great fun to kick the living snot out of anything you meet. You really do have to pick your shots carefully depending on what you are fighting which makes it that much more immersive.

Check back in when you've finished it and let us know how it ranks in your opinion as far as one of the best games ever or not.

[xDerekRx]

Scooter i was kinda pissed today.

IVe really been enjoying the game but I read a spoiler on a walkthru that made me upset that I read it. It wasnt the ending but something I should have avoided. I wrote it in white below just highlight as not to spoil for those who havent played yet

Here: The only time I looked at a walkthru in the entire game and I didnt even need to I found out. I wanted to know how to beat Atolm after taking down Mel Kava ship before the tower stages. So I decided to look. But I scrolled to far on the walkthru and my eye caught "destruction of zoah" before quickly scrolling back up. After I defeted Atolm and saved Azel, the Empire destroyed Zoah. So I spoiled that part. I was kinda depressed the rest of the day ha since I spoiled that part. But I guess I should realize I have an entire game left to play so I shouldnt be too upset.

[Scooter]

There's lots of good storyline to go. Avoid the walkthroughs altogether! I never needed one. Save as often as you get the opportunity since you never know when a huge battle will pop up. Some you can see coming, some not so much.