-
Hey Guest. Check out your NeoGAF Wrapped 2025 results here!
Panzer Dragoon Saga: Masterpiece or Crap?
- Thread starter PolyGone
- Start date
â Narayan
Member
I think it has something to do with one of the members in Team Andromeda dying - while the game was in development.Odrion said:Oh god why can't they remake or port this title.
Panzer Dragoon Saga is a true masterpiece of the RPG genre.
It was the first real, true game to earn the title "cinematic RPG" -- the whole atmosphere of it was incredibly immersive in anyway, the narrative was amazingly well presented, the characters and locales were great, and the world felt so real and alive. And the fact that all of the spoken dialogue was in this beautiful, exotic language added so much to the overall presentation. Truly amazing cinematic experience, and absolutely groundbreaking in that regard. PDS set the stage for an entire slew of RPGs that would later come and build off the foundation it established.
It certainly didn't hurt that the explorational style -- traversing a 3D world on dragonback -- was also such a well done and original concept, nor did it hurt that the battle system was both fun and innovative.
It's hard to heap too much praise upon PDS.
It was the first real, true game to earn the title "cinematic RPG" -- the whole atmosphere of it was incredibly immersive in anyway, the narrative was amazingly well presented, the characters and locales were great, and the world felt so real and alive. And the fact that all of the spoken dialogue was in this beautiful, exotic language added so much to the overall presentation. Truly amazing cinematic experience, and absolutely groundbreaking in that regard. PDS set the stage for an entire slew of RPGs that would later come and build off the foundation it established.
It certainly didn't hurt that the explorational style -- traversing a 3D world on dragonback -- was also such a well done and original concept, nor did it hurt that the battle system was both fun and innovative.
It's hard to heap too much praise upon PDS.
I'm just sorry so many folks who enjoy console RPGs have never played this game.
I'm pretty sure that Panzer Dragoon Saga is THE japanese RPG that would get me back into the genre. I played it back when I had a domestic US Saturn. Sold it, along with a 90% complete US Saturn collection.
No regrets.
The game was good, but I rarely ever go back to replay RPGs - PDS is the only one EVER that I played twice - and after realizing that the only older game console I go back to play regularly is the Neo Geo, I let it go.
I'm still one to say like most 3D games on the PSX and Saturn, it aged poorly. The FMV that was shown was from the beginning of the game, which is SIGNIFICANTLY more detailed than the rest of the game's FMV cutscenes. The water that was touted by the original poster, was far more impressive in Panzer Dragoon Zwei than it was in Saga, and well...
Eh, nevermind. I'm nitpicking a game that I enjoyed back then. I just think that if you didn't play it back then, you'll have lost alot of the experience that you would have felt, had you played it when it was released. Its like playing Final Fantasy VII for the very first time NOW, instead of back in '96.
I'm pretty sure that Panzer Dragoon Saga is THE japanese RPG that would get me back into the genre. I played it back when I had a domestic US Saturn. Sold it, along with a 90% complete US Saturn collection.
No regrets.
The game was good, but I rarely ever go back to replay RPGs - PDS is the only one EVER that I played twice - and after realizing that the only older game console I go back to play regularly is the Neo Geo, I let it go.
I'm still one to say like most 3D games on the PSX and Saturn, it aged poorly. The FMV that was shown was from the beginning of the game, which is SIGNIFICANTLY more detailed than the rest of the game's FMV cutscenes. The water that was touted by the original poster, was far more impressive in Panzer Dragoon Zwei than it was in Saga, and well...
Eh, nevermind. I'm nitpicking a game that I enjoyed back then. I just think that if you didn't play it back then, you'll have lost alot of the experience that you would have felt, had you played it when it was released. Its like playing Final Fantasy VII for the very first time NOW, instead of back in '96.
Beer Monkey
Member
I don't even like traditional west or east RPG and I think this game rocks.
Red Blaster
Member
Y2Kevbug11 said:
I read somewhere that a lot of the staff from Team Andromeda are now at Polyphony.
drohne said:
The intro FMV was in that wierd Germanese that was part of the Panzer Dragoon world. The rest of the game was in Japanese with english subtitles.
Edit: Team Andromeda was a eastern studio. The team was disbanded by Sega for "restructuring reasons" after Saga. The development team that produced Panzer Dragoon Orta is NOT the same team.
Just make sure that you put some slightly tinted nostalgia goggles on when you play it. The gameplay is still fun, but the graphics.....*sigh*
Oh, and if you haven't done it yet, play with the Saturn 3D controller. Makes navigating around the game world MUCH more enjoyable.
Oh, and if you haven't done it yet, play with the Saturn 3D controller. Makes navigating around the game world MUCH more enjoyable.
civilstrife
Member
Polygone, you know how much I love you.
But I'd love you even more if you covered some old school Nintendo games
But I'd love you even more if you covered some old school Nintendo games
CurseoftheGods
Banned
Somethingblah Cock said:
Most of the members of Team Andromeda joined Overworks.
Katana_Strikes
Member
Great game but far too short.
I really hope they make a sequel though. That would be something special.
I really hope they make a sequel though. That would be something special.
mattiewheels
And then the LORD David Bowie saith to his Son, Jonny Depp: 'Go, and spread my image amongst the cosmos. For every living thing is in anguish and only the LIGHT shall give them reprieve.'
entertaining the idea of actually playing this game, i went on ebay and looked at the current prices. i just don't think that $200 (or $400 for a sealed copy) is a justifiable price, no matter how perfect the game is. sometimes i really hate people.
As a young teen I was a dirty pirate and modded my Saturn.
Boy am I glad I did because I made backups of this game (thanks to GameFan or whoever saying it was super rare) because a few months later, my little cousin ran into my room and stomped on the cd case by mistake, cracking 2 of the cd's in the process. My Saturn and backups still work to this day.
Boy am I glad I did because I made backups of this game (thanks to GameFan or whoever saying it was super rare) because a few months later, my little cousin ran into my room and stomped on the cd case by mistake, cracking 2 of the cd's in the process. My Saturn and backups still work to this day.
Best game ever, hence Masterpiece.
Two days after buying a Saturn from a friend for 20 bucks, I didn't know how lucky I was to find the last copy of it at a Toys R Us when they were closing out the Saturn stuff.
Influenced some of my game designs when I was in the industry too.
I'm going to go fire up the soundtrack now
.
Two days after buying a Saturn from a friend for 20 bucks, I didn't know how lucky I was to find the last copy of it at a Toys R Us when they were closing out the Saturn stuff.
Influenced some of my game designs when I was in the industry too.
I'm going to go fire up the soundtrack now
.A couple of Panzer Dragoon website's...enjoy.
http://www.panzer-dragoon.com/
http://panzerdragoon.net/
http://www.panzer-dragoon.com/
http://panzerdragoon.net/
Tsubaki said:
Actually a majority of the original UGA members were from Team Andromeda. Katsumi Yokota, who did all those paintings from PDS, was the lead artist from Rez. A majority of the Space Channel 5 team was also either directly from Team Andromeda or from the division that housed it.
I think only one person went on to Polyphony. A bunch of others left to form that studio that made PenPen Tricelon. Go figure.
I worked at UGA for 4+ years so I do actually have a clue what I'm talking about.
Has this honestly aged well? A friend of mine just gave me a Saturn, and I have no clue where to start, but I know this and Nights are at the top of the list. I've been kind of getting used to the whole next-gen thing, so if I were to pick this up, would the story and presentation still grab me and make me overlook how old it is?
I was a total Playstation whore, so I kind of missed out on the whole Saturn thing. I made up for it with the Dreamcast though, I swear.
I was a total Playstation whore, so I kind of missed out on the whole Saturn thing. I made up for it with the Dreamcast though, I swear.
Visually, the game doesn't hold up too well. From an artistic standpoint it's beautiful, but it has some WICKED draw-in; it even did back in the day. And, of course, being on Saturn, the textures are a mess, and the polygon count is really low. But the way it plays, that definitely meets the test of time.
I remember being suprised that the first disk only lasts about 2.5 - 3 hours, then your already onto the second. I know it confused some of my FF7 fanboy friends. One of them even gave the game back to me (I let him borrow it), and didn't want to play it anymore. Sucks for him, what an idiot :lol I guess the intro fmv plus the one before the title screen took up most of the disk space.
It was a masterpiece at the time, but it is a bit dated now with the multiple discs and load times and Saturnish weak 3D. I played it through 3 full times, and some of parts of it I played through even more, just for fun.
PDS, like all the PD games, was extremely well done. The story was fascinating to me without ripping off popular other sci-fi franchises. The level-up and way you could morph your dragon, and the 4-points of surrounding enemies was a great way to handle an RPG, in my opinion.
There was at least one part in the game -- a cinema in the town of (Zoah?) -- that made me jump off the couch! And another part where I realized somebody I knew had died -- it doesn't really come out and tell you either, you just come to realize it at some point, if you explore. Very sad.
And the excitement of meeing and fighting Azel!
Ahh, great memories.
(_)3
PDS, like all the PD games, was extremely well done. The story was fascinating to me without ripping off popular other sci-fi franchises. The level-up and way you could morph your dragon, and the 4-points of surrounding enemies was a great way to handle an RPG, in my opinion.
There was at least one part in the game -- a cinema in the town of (Zoah?) -- that made me jump off the couch! And another part where I realized somebody I knew had died -- it doesn't really come out and tell you either, you just come to realize it at some point, if you explore. Very sad.
And the excitement of meeing and fighting Azel!
Ahh, great memories.
(_)3
pancakesandsex
Member
so im interested in this game, and i dont mind playing it in japanese if all the voices are in japanese (save the intro)
so i would be purchasing the JP version to avoid riddiculous US version ebay pricing.
the thing is i heard from a well informed friend that azel has some wierd region protection on it and it wont work with a bootable cart like the action replay 4m plus
can anyone confirm this? or let me in on a workaround?
i'd much rather get the 25$ import than the 200$ us version if i can find a way to play it.
so i would be purchasing the JP version to avoid riddiculous US version ebay pricing.
the thing is i heard from a well informed friend that azel has some wierd region protection on it and it wont work with a bootable cart like the action replay 4m plus
can anyone confirm this? or let me in on a workaround?
i'd much rather get the 25$ import than the 200$ us version if i can find a way to play it.
Count me in as one of the lucky few who got to play and finish this wonderful game. I played this, SHining the Holy Ark, Legend of Oasis, and Dark Savior back to back in 1999 after I left my first college. I'm sure my friend hated me for holding his saturn hostage for a few months, but I'm eternally grateful. Such an awesome game, aside from the graphics I can't complain a single other thing.
Somebody videotaped themselves playing thru the entire game and then put it on the internet calling it the "Panzer Dragoon Saga Video Project"...
http://pds.roushimsx.com/
http://pds.roushimsx.com/
pancakesandsex
Member
Kolgar said:
Dont suppose you'd let it go for cheap when you are done?
FortNinety
Member
I still don't understand why the whole world hasn't ripped off Saga's brilliant fight system. As its been mentioned before, its the only RPG I have ever actually gotten into.
Crowza
Member
Like an idiot, I didn't realize I would have needed to reserve Saga to get a copy. I remember the day it was released, I called my local Software Etc. and Babbages. Not one single copy came in and nobody in the area had even reserved it.
They told me to call some other locations around and I eventually found one single copy, forty five minutes away.
I drove and picked it up (along with a copy of the Saturn version of House of the Dead - which was terrible, IMHO).
I've never regretted it. Simply a masterpiece.
They told me to call some other locations around and I eventually found one single copy, forty five minutes away.
I drove and picked it up (along with a copy of the Saturn version of House of the Dead - which was terrible, IMHO).
I've never regretted it. Simply a masterpiece.
Wulfer
Member
"Wulf enters the thread looks around" that's right boys another defender is here watch your step with this game... I will show teeth if disrespect takes place. Polygone what an incredible thread you have put together and I am honored to enter and protect your thread. I will bookmark it when I get home from work!
tebiro boy
Member
I remember playing and really enjoying the first disc, which was given away free by the Official UK Saturn magazine. I'm not actually sure why I didn't buy the game at that point, but by the time I did try to buy it, it had disappeared.
Looking back though, it was obviously a very special game. I wish more RPGs would experiment with the kind of unique atmosphere and artstyle of PDS.
Looking back though, it was obviously a very special game. I wish more RPGs would experiment with the kind of unique atmosphere and artstyle of PDS.
Dr. Kitty Muffins
Member
I wish SEGA would do a remake for next gen systems similar to what Capcom did when remaking Resident Evil for the Gamecube.
Okay I'm actually going to go ON TOPIC based on the thread title and ask a question. Why did you choose a thread title that has nothing to do with your post? When you have a title like "Masterpiece or Crap", people will click expecting some sort of debate on the pros and cons of the game.
What you're basically done is post an overwhelmingly positive review of the game with tons screenshots to illustrate why you LOVE the game. If you wanted to create a LOVE thread for PDS, at least represent it properly with an appropriate title. There's no room for debate in this thread since it's an obvious love thread, I have hence wasted my time clicking on it.
My feedback is that you should get a mod or admin to change the title of the thread before more people like me waste their time. Thank you and have a good day.
What you're basically done is post an overwhelmingly positive review of the game with tons screenshots to illustrate why you LOVE the game. If you wanted to create a LOVE thread for PDS, at least represent it properly with an appropriate title. There's no room for debate in this thread since it's an obvious love thread, I have hence wasted my time clicking on it.
My feedback is that you should get a mod or admin to change the title of the thread before more people like me waste their time. Thank you and have a good day.