A new game-play approach is taken for the third game in the series, and the finest game of the franchise is the result
Game-play/Play-mechanics: Unlike the first two games in the series, PD Saga is a completely different kind of game-play experience, yet it captures the essence of the franchise in the same surreal manner that the first two games did. PD Saga is actually a 3D action role-playing game, complete with random battles and area exploration, as well as visiting of towns and interacting with various NPC’s. The game retains the feel of previous games in important ways however; when flying around in the environments, it controls just as it would in the other Panzer Dragoon shooter games, only the player is free to fly anywhere within the area boundaries. The random battle system is very innovative, I’ve never experienced anything like it before or since actually; after a random battle is initiated the enemy will be in front of you on-screen, the player then has the option to charge an attack-of which there are various options and levels of power-or to fly around the adversary freely in either direction in order to attack from a different angle (To expose a weak point) or to dodge an impending attack. When moving around the player/dragon attacks will not charge however, and you are rewarded with additional experience based on how quickly and efficiently you dispose of opposition. What this battle system ultimately does is to preserve the action-packed and intense feeling of the previous Panzer Dragoon games, an amazing accomplishment for a role-playing battle system; it really is a lot of fun. You can also evolve your dragon over time into different types depending upon how you customize certain dragon traits beforehand.
As for the game-content, the story is very enthralling and has many dynamics that come into play, sometimes the story is told through very well directed action-oriented cut-scenes that really can keep the player involved, more-so than what you will get with most intermissions from other RPG’s. Every now the game events are a little difficult to follow due to some vagueness, but this also adds to the trademark Panzer Dragoon mystique factor. The game-progression takes the main hero (Named Edge) through a variety of environments and locales in mostly linear fashion, though there are plenty of secrets and hidden items to discover for the detail-oriented. When an area is completed, there is an overworld map where the player can choose from available destinations to visit. The in-game action often progresses in exhilarating fashion for long durations of time, PD Saga comes across are one concentrated thrill-ride for the most part as all of the in-game events convey a sense of extreme importance and sometimes urgency; most role-playing games do not come even close to achieving this kind of no-filler game presentation. The only portions of the game that are a little slow is the town exploration, but that is a minor aspect of the adventure. PD Saga has a way of making mid-level events feel like major ones, and major events have some of the most extravagant presentation imaginable. For example the common mid-bosses are more epic encounters than major bosses in most other role-playing games, story events also unfold in highly dramatic fashion, but without dragging on for too long as to achieve optimum impact. Panzer Dragoon is comprised of four CD’s, yet is around twenty hours in duration, not long by RPG standards, that should give an idea of how much substantial quality is jammed into the game, and how little routine busy-work there is in between. PD Saga is a fair challenge, and can keep the player on his toes at times, but is nothing all that especially difficult for an experienced gamer, the game provides a stimulating challenge and is rarely if ever frustrating.
Visuals/Artwork: The visual polish is perhaps a minor step down from Panzer Dragoon Zwei, but there is much more to illustrate as the game is much larger and not on-rails, so this is understandable. The artistic value is exceptional, just like the other games in the series, and a bit more depth is present in the visual presentation for PD Saga with some of the more active backgrounds. The adversaries all look great and range from organic creatures to large warships, mid-bosses are huge and imposing, not to mention frequent, and end of area bosses are gigantic in size and scale, animations of all creatures and mechanized adversaries are outstanding across the board. There are plenty of different locales to take in, such as a calm desert area, a wild and unstable area on the water, and some areas rooted in ancient technology as well; there are no lackluster looking environments in this game.
Music/Sound: The compositions are of good quality, but they don’t have quite as much staying power as music in the other Panzer Dragoon games. Most of the musical arrangements complement their respective locales appropriately however, but taken all together the musical score could have been marginally better when considering the standard that has been established for the Panzer Dragoon franchise. Sound-effects add quite a bit to the experience, with the Japanese spoken dialogue coming across effectively, the voice-acting was handled in a very professional manner, and of course you get English subtitles to follow along with. The Panzer Dragoon universe is also brought to life by the varied nature of the common sound-effects, of which there are too many to really describe. Panzer Dragoon Saga is an essential play-through for anyone who likes action-oriented RPG’s, and of course for people who enjoy other games in the series. It is unquestionably one of the most mesmerizing videogames that I have ever played.