Saint Seiya: The Sanctuary

"A Soldier Dream Come True"

Controls: 6

Ok, let's start with the flaws of this game and go from there. It is definitely true that this game lacks the depth found in Tekken or Street Fighter. Those were games that were designed for players who want to master the in-depth moves to the point where the difference between those who've practiced for month and those who just begun playing would be apparent. This game does not offer anywhere near the complexity of Virtual Fighter or the diversity of moves in Tekken. Most beginners will find themselves pressing the X button over and over again just to pull off the same combos in every fight. Not until he or she has gone through the story mode twice or three times will the player even attempt at countering an enemy combo and linking moves and supers together to add depth to the game. That was exactly what happened to me before I found some meaning to the way the fighting engine was designed. In a way, the people who brought us DBZ Budokai 3 (Dimps) also used the same type philosophy when creating Saint Seiya's fighting structure. That philosophy is "Don't fight hard, fight smart." Rathering making challenging the player on how well they can remember long chains of combos, this game challenges the player on how fast their reflexes are and how creative one can be in linking moves and super moves together. Although it is true that there are only 3 punch and kick combos, 3 sepcial moves, and 2 to 3 super moves for each character, all of these require little to no effort in pulling them off. That in a nutshell allows the player to work on utilizing each move rather than struggling to pull it off. After 10 hours of play, I found myself moving the character as if it was second nature. At the same time, I know that there are higher levels of mastering to attain.

Graphics: 10

Now we come to the light of our hopes and dreams. The graphics in the cutscenes and the in-game fights are absolutely STUNNING!! I can't put my fingers on it, but there is something REAL about the chracters and their environment. The intro "Pegasus Fantasy" must have been rendered on for months (which probably explains why it comes on every chapter of the story, the developers want that intro to be truly appreciated). Each of the temples are unique and beautifully designed with some extra features like plants, grass and waterfalls. Characters can get knocked to the edge of the pillars and collapse the entire pillar (which makes for some fabulous rumbling effect). The Auras surrounding the characters are just heavenly (at maximum charge you can even hear the humming sound). All in all, the developers took the graphics in the anime and re-invented them to fit the 3D world. Any true Saint Seiya fan will appreciate it.

Sound: 9

The soundtrack for this game seems to be an arranged version of the original music from the anime. Though it might not be entirely original, the formula works in most of the fights and cutscenes. There are some new music, but none of which are very memorable. I thought that using the Pegasus Fantasy song for the last battle with Saga was fantastic. Really puts the drama and the cheers into the final showdown. The effects for the moves are pretty nice, sounds exactly like they do in the anime. The collisions in the hits has a metallic sound, which helps to make the fights more real. Overall, the music and sounds really brings about that Greek Mythology feeling.

Replay Values: 6

Though modes like the Pope's Genmaken is a nioce touch for replay, the only reason you would really play this game over and over again would be to unlock all the extra characters and master the moves. The Genmaken mode is extremely hard, especially for someone who's been just mashing the control pad throughout the game. It takes true mastering of the fight styles to conquer this mode. That in itself could make you want to practice. The gallery mode is just a database of the music, character stats and lines of toys throughout the Saint Seiya history. It's a nice touch, but not very satisfying.

Overall: 8

It took me a while to forget the fact that I am a fan and remember to judge this game based on its qualities and not because it's the first only Saint Seiya fighting game ever. I went from being impressed in the beginning to being confused in the middle, to contempt at the end knowing that Dimps did not screw up a Franchise that has been in my top favorites list of animes. Games like Yu Yu Hakusho and DBZ Budokai 1 & 2, I had to really tell myself that these are games of animes that I liked and to forget the fact that the controls are awful and depthless. But with this game, I found myself playing over and over again to a point where I wasn't even aware that it was based on Saint Seiya. That to me says alot. It says that I was actually emerged in the actual gameplay without having to constantly remind myself why I'm forking out the time to play it. So in end, I give it an 8 for its presentation and the depths that will be apparent to players once they give it a chance.

Reviewer's Score: 8/10, Originally Posted: 04/08/05