Was the game any good, though? That's what I set out to discover. After plunking down some considerable change for the game, I waited impatiently for the four-disc epic to arrive. Immediately upon its arrival, I eagerly popped Disc 1 into my Saturn and prepared myself to be amazed. Boy was I ever, too. Panzer Dragoon Saga is one of those rare games that actually lives up to its considerable hype.
Two things jumped out at me during the first two hours of play. First, the game was intensely cinematic in nature. Nearly every event is described through a cutscene. Nearly every line of dialogue was spoken (I assume in Japanese) and subtitled in English. The story definitely had an interactive movie feel to it -- even more so than Final Fantasy VII. The story itself, which follows a boy named Edge as he begins a quest for revenge and soon finds himself in over his head, is solid, but it is the way the story is told that makes it seem outstanding.
The other aspect of the game that made me instantly sit up and take notice was the combat engine, which is hands down the best I've ever seen in a role-playing game (only Legend of Dragoon is even in the same league). During battles, you ride atop a dragon. It is incredibly deep. It requires great strategy. And most important, it is intense, interactive, and fun. You'll definitely be on the edge of your seat for more than a few battles.
What makes it so good? Movement is part of it. You can have your dragon circle around enemies. In fact, quite often you have to. You see, not only do some enemies have weak spots, but each opponent can hit you harder depending on your position (behind it, to the side, etc.). Weak spots, which are sometimes the only place you can damage your foes, are marked with a red plus-sign. Defense zones are marked on your radar screen. A green-colored zone means you have the defensive advantage in that area, a red-colored zone means your opponent has the edge, and a color-less area is a wash.
