Ultimate SaGa E3 2003 Preshow Report

The offbeat SaGa series will receive its newest iteration in June with Unlimited SaGa, and Square Enix will have the game on display at E3 just a few weeks prior to its release. The series is known for diverging from standard RPG conventions in new and interesting ways, and it seems that Unlimited SaGa will certainly adhere to this tradition.

Like previous SaGa games, Unlimited SaGa lets you assume the role of one of many different characters--in this case, seven will be available. Among them are Judy, a 10-year-old witch; Ventus, a plucky youth who is investigating his brother's death; Laura, a former pirate; Armic, a tribesman seeking materials for a rain ceremony; Mythe, an inventor who's a hit with the ladies; Ruby, the teenage sister of a famous fortune teller; and Kurt Burgundy, a renowned, slightly older adventurer. The game's storyline focuses on each character's quest to find the "seven wonders," ancient structures that are said to house the lost gods themselves. Of course, each character will experience the events of the storyline from his or her own perspective.

Interestingly, Unlimited SaGa will deemphasize graphics in its presentation--the game is largely two-dimensional, and the character dialogue sequences tend to look somewhat like a comic book, with static character portraits and hovering talk balloons. The game will also introduce the "reel" system for battles, which oddly enough resembles a slot machine in its functionality.

With its release so near, Unlimited SaGa will surely be in a pretty complete form at E3. We'll bring you more information on the game as it becomes available.