Unlimited Saga

"An awesome addition to the Saga Legacy"

Romancing Saga 3, Saga Frontier, and Saga Frontier 2. Some of the greatest games that i have ever played. Despite the awful reviews received by many magazines and sites, i was not drawn away from unlimited saga. I saw screenshots and gameplay information and absolutely had to give it a try. I can honestly say that unlimited saga is not for everyone. It is very different from modern RPGs that everyone has learned to love or hate. It can at sometimes be difficult and frustrating, but with a little time and devotion, it can be one of the greatest games ever made or played. Unlimited saga provides rich and stunning graphics, stunningly well composed musical scores, an excellent battle system that drives one with adrenaline rush, and other aspects that simply calls out unlimited greatness.

MUSIC: 10
Music is one of the greatest aspects of any RPG (IMO)and unlimited saga makes no exceptions. The music is rich and invigorating, appealing very much the the senses. The main theme is so powerful and charismatic that it leaves a slight cheer to one's mind and heart. Really. What more can i say? It is beautifully written and produced, one of SQUARE's greatest works yet.

GRAPHICS: 10
I'm not to big on graphics. I'd play a 16 bit game over a 132 bit game any day. I loved the watercolor art incorporated in SAGA FRONTIER 2 and UNLIMITED saga provides a more rich and sensational image. Although character emotions are stagnant during the ever so absent ''scenes,'' its still marks the screen with zest and serene beauty. What else is there to say? It's not 3-D but hell it's great!

CONTROL/GAMEPLAY: 9
Control does take quite sometime to get use to. It took me about an hour to understand menus, dungeons, and towns, but once you get use to it, the game flows like water on a river. The game is fun, enriching, and IMO a masterpiece hands down. The difficulty of the game does not grab on to tight unless the player does not take time to understand the system and mechanics of the game. On the other hand, there are the occasional few that will still have trouble with the CONTROL aspect of the game despite the long hours taken o understand them, but like i said before, the game is no for everyone. Patience is a virtue and it definitely holds true for Unlimited Saga.

Movement: Movement is based on a board game-like stance. In the upper-left hand corner to the screen is a picture of the surroundings. The analog sticks are used to move characters from place to place. Each movement brings on traps and monster. Traps can be avoided by hitting a green orb on the trap reel and enemies can either be fought or avoided by using various skills received at the end of each mission/quest.

Battle: Unlimited saga plays on a HP and LP system where HP is used as a barrier and LP acts as the true life points. Once LP is deleted, a character is counted as WOUNDED and is unable to act until a mission is over.

Towns: Characters are unable to move about in towns. Towns are set up on a map like manner where the played uses arrows to select their choices and destinations much like that in FFT. Now, some people might find this to be refreshing and quick or absurd because of their love to be able to actually walk around.

FUN FACTOR: 9
Yes, the game is fun. As stated above, after getting use to the game's engine, unlimited saga is unlimited fun. Going on quests, trying to learn new skills, trying to make character's stronger, it's all a part of RPG character development in a fresh new form.

REPLAY VALUE: 10
In terms of playing each characters, yes, replay value is great. Once you finish one character, your left wanting to find out more about the story and more about the character's individuality. Furthermore, with system data (like that in SF1), we are left tpo wonder if there is that extra BONUS that there was in SF1.

FINAL SCORE: 10
In conclusion, unlimited saga achieve's its goal. It has it's limited possibilities, but so does everything else. Give it a try even if it is a rent. Furthermore, it is a great summer game for it provides hours (100+) of gameplay. It's definately a nice break from the norm and it gives new flavor to the world of gaming in general. Again, the game is not for everyone and many people may find the game to to difficult or annoying, but to those, whether you are hardcore, softcore, or whatever else, the game is an invigorating experience that should not be neglected.

Reviewer's Score: 10/10, Originally Posted: 07/06/03, Updated 07/06/03