Every review you've read has been laughably incorrect. Either the reviewers didn't take the time to learn the game systems (which, as I say, are all explained very well
in-game) or they simply couldn't handle the idea of an RPG that doesn't have a forced path and that gives you enough rope with which to hang yourself if you do something incredibly stupid. Romancing SaGa is a game to be explored and enjoyed - maybe reviewers looking to jog through a linear RPG are dismayed at that?
This is correct.
I think a lot of RPG players (reviewers, especially?) lose all hope and sanity when they're not forced along a story path in a console RPG. Romancing SaGa lets you do what you like, but since there's a sense of 'time' in the game that's moved along by how many battles you fight and which determines when story events occur for your character, you're never left completely lost in the wild. It helps to have a good sense of adventure and a nose for trouble, but there's plenty of fun to be had in the game, as well as a unique experience with every character you play. It gives you freedom to find what fun there is to be had in the game-world without dumping you off a cliff.
The keyword with RSaGa is
adventure. It has tons of it, and the sense of it is very strong. If you've been missing that in RPGs (I know I have), give it a shot. It's the game that Unlimited SaGa should have been.
And if you folks think my credibility or my perspective are suspect,
here's what I had to say about USaGa.
