"Left Again, Wanting More Than What was Given..."

Legend of Legaia, the official starter of the series was very interesting. Rarely have I seen an RPG take more focus on the battle scene as did the first Legaia. The combat system was a rare find, with a rare magic system in play, totally unique attacking system, etc., which is ironic seeing as it was this that was supposed to make it a smash hit was ultimately a major factor in its lack of popularity. However, many of those whom have played the first Legaia were left wanting more: wanting more depth, wanting more flare... Many would agree that its story line was very linear and with a lack of depth that was present in many of the RPGs that were present at its release, and many would agree that even with its battle system being so original, it still wasn't enough to placate their thirst for improvement. Legaia: Duel Saga was a glimmer of hope for the people...however, it still fails to address the main issues that ultimately caused its predecessor its unpopularity.

In discussing the Legaia series, it comes to the invariable conclusion that one must talk about its battle system. No hack and slash, single command tactics in here: this game host the TAS, the tactical arts system, in which you have to input commands that correspond to maneuvers called 'Arts' that you learn. Arts are abilities that are learned solely through the commands of the user. No level-up/gain abilities here: to advance in this game, one must input the correct sequence of commands to produce these arts, and these become the basis for which you attack. You can combine these arts to create powerful chains of attacks to decimate your opponent. There are many different types of arts within the game, such as Normal Arts, Super Arts which are higher forms of Normal Arts, Hyper Arts which are one of the ultimate forms of arts learned only through certain events within the game. Then there are the final arts: Variable and Mystic Arts. Variable arts are an entirely new concept to the series, in which two team members combine their powers to annihilate their opponent. And finally, Mystic Arts, which are the ultimate forms of Arts that boast awesome power at extreme costs. In addition to the complex battle sequences, there exist in the world of Duel Saga Origins, which your party members befriend and command at their disposal whom host their own powerful attacks.

To begin, let me first start by saying that the Legaia: Duel Saga is a fighter's paradise. It introduces similar elements into the system that made its predecessor into the icon that it is, including fluid gameplay and action sequences,and more maneuverability with its combat system to allow for more action-packed play. Yet where it deviates from the first is the introduction of team-up maneuvers, and a revised combat system that completely enhances the game. In addition to the revisions in its battle system, Duel Saga also boast a much approved ability to customize, more in-depth side-quests, improved graphics, voice acting and an improved sound track. It is, and will always be more dominant than its predecessor in those areas.

However...it still continues the trend of its forefather. It still focalizes more so on the battle and is set on equipping an below-average, low depth story line that uses an archetype that many veteran RPG players are sure to be familiar with. The main characters are plain and one-dimensional, and none of them truly show any real personal development. Not only that, but rather than developing a story line that would want to enhance their overall growth, all it seems to be doing is providing you characters just for some variety to its repetitive and overly time-consuming battle scenery. Even worse, the story fails to provide a remote background to almost all of the characters: to set an example, the most background that you are going to get from a character is that you find out that the main character is an orphan.

The music, while improved from the first, is still very much repetitive and now, even more so, does it lack a true sense of belonging in the course of Duel Saga's events. I found myself muting through over half of the game simply because the music that accompanied the scenes wasn't flowing. This, of course, is in reference to its obvious favoritism of the battle theme. Normally, it would be expected that in an RPG that you have to fight literally hundreds of battles in would have some variety with the music that accompanies. Nothing; I have yet to see one battle scene that has at least one different theme of music side for the boss battles. Even more so is the gripping voice acting that accompanies it. The voice effects are bland, reducing themselves from the ordinary grunts, battle taunts and screams from when they are attacking. You will find yourself getting very annoyed with the continuous stream of over-confident bravado emanated from your various party members as they parade from one battle to the next.

Legaia: Duel Saga is a fun play that host an intriguing battle system and hosts a number of new features that advance it above its predecessor. Yet in spite of this, it still hosts the same problems as did the first as well as a new host of problems due to its various improvements. If you are a fan of the series, then you will surely enjoy the next installment. However, if you are new to the series, I would caution you in purchasing this game, as it derives much of what it has to offer from its predecessor. And although it does a great job in specializing what its former specialized in, the lack of depth towards the story-line and the overall repetitiveness of the game leave much to be desired for newcomers to the series.

Reviewer's Score: 6/10, Originally Posted: 10/14/02, Updated 10/14/02