Panzer Dragoon Saga really living up to the hype
Well, be they long or short, the sign of a great game is that you are left wanting more. I felt the same way about Tomb Raider, Out of This World, Flashback and Heart of the Alien. I guess a grindingly long RPG isn't my thing anyway since I gave up on Shining in the Darkness and FFVII after huge investments of time in both. Of course like you said, the battle system in PDS is such that even if it were a great deal longer it would never feeling like grinding. I felt the same way about the Parasite Eve games which were fairly long but the story and the battle systems were done well enough the games just shine as a great gaming memory.
lordofduct,
I've recently discovered that I have trouble enjoying fantasy and science fiction novels the way I used to. What has replaced it is a love of short stories. Science fiction short stories aren't necessarily less ambitious than novels. Sometimes they attempt to take on the same story scope, but because of the shorter length the author generally provides a more intense ride to the finish. Also, many authors take more risks and throw out more interesting ideas in short stories, in part because they don't have to sustain an entire book.
I feel this way about PDS. In the world of RPGs it is indeed short, but I don't fault it for that. Heck, look at Ikaruga. It has lots of replay value if you are a perfectionist or a score junkie, but you can get through the entire game in a couple of hours. Yet people were willing to pay for it. It's just a very different kind of experience.
I've started finding I really enjoy shorter games, as long as there's a good game there. The shorter games don't need filler: billions of impossible to avoid random battles (Skies of Arcadia), silly extended character interludes with moping boy-toys and breasty babes (Final Fantasy, most RPGs).
I can certainly appreciate that you think the game is too short. I respect that. But it's not too short for me. It's not too long, either. It's just right. And I wish more developers had the balls and creativity to offer up original, compelling stories and play mechanics without feeling like they have to drag the experience out 50 hours.
I've recently discovered that I have trouble enjoying fantasy and science fiction novels the way I used to. What has replaced it is a love of short stories. Science fiction short stories aren't necessarily less ambitious than novels. Sometimes they attempt to take on the same story scope, but because of the shorter length the author generally provides a more intense ride to the finish. Also, many authors take more risks and throw out more interesting ideas in short stories, in part because they don't have to sustain an entire book.
I feel this way about PDS. In the world of RPGs it is indeed short, but I don't fault it for that. Heck, look at Ikaruga. It has lots of replay value if you are a perfectionist or a score junkie, but you can get through the entire game in a couple of hours. Yet people were willing to pay for it. It's just a very different kind of experience.
I've started finding I really enjoy shorter games, as long as there's a good game there. The shorter games don't need filler: billions of impossible to avoid random battles (Skies of Arcadia), silly extended character interludes with moping boy-toys and breasty babes (Final Fantasy, most RPGs).
I can certainly appreciate that you think the game is too short. I respect that. But it's not too short for me. It's not too long, either. It's just right. And I wish more developers had the balls and creativity to offer up original, compelling stories and play mechanics without feeling like they have to drag the experience out 50 hours.
Definetly a must own on the saturn, best sega RPG best saturn RPG ever imo. Best panzer dragoon game also. Shame they can't bring it to other consoles without completely remaking it (wish they would!!!) I paid 180 or so (maybe 130? somewhere in there) for mine sold it (with a custom PDS clock I bought for 10$) for over 300 