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I'm gonna play the first 2 Panzer Dragoon games, but I really would love to check out PDS.

If anything its relatively short length and heavy emphasis on action intrigues me. It seems like a truly unique experience, and one that doesn't drag out.

MulishaSoldier929 wrote:"Wise From Yo Gwave!"

FTFY

Violent By Design wrote:I'm gonna play the first 2 Panzer Dragoon games, but I really would love to check out PDS.

If anything its relatively short length and heavy emphasis on action intrigues me. It seems like a truly unique experience, and one that doesn't drag out.

I played through my copy not too long ago. I loved every minute of it. The graphics are dated, and it is not very long (which is actually a plus for me). The setting and atmosphere are fantastic, however, and the combat is really engaging.

nightrnr wrote:

Post by doubled64 on Jul 5, 2011, 12:15am

The search is finally over.

I picked around and found a code that will boot the game

Master:

F6000914 C305
B6002800 0000

Code:

06002ED0 0009

Don't let the Code fool you, it may look similar to the one that works on the US & PAL versions but their code is:

06002EB0 0009

And here's a link for that:
http://segasaturngroup.proboards.com/in ... 969&page=1

I can't confirm whether it actually works or not, as I have a US/English copy. But if anyone else can try it, I'm sure others would appreciate it.

For future reference, there is indeed a code for the Action Replay that allows the JP version of PDS to be played on a non JP system. I originally played through the Japanese version on my US model 2, with the Action Replay, and while I can't be sure without checking that that's the same code I used, it probably is. I can at the very least confirm that it is playable with the AR cart, and a code that's floating out there in the internets.

It is playable. I have played the Japanese game on my American system with an Action Replay. I even posted a pic of it in another thread a couple years back.

Posted a thread few minutes ago but just noticed this thread, so I guess I'll post my thread here instead

Almost all JRPGs go up in price over time, and if it happens to be both a Saturn game and extremely rare, high prices are guaran-damn-teed. But I've got to wonder, why is this game so mystified? I like desolate games where you're alone in a weird world, and the fact that it's unlike any other RPG made it that much more intresting to me. And I can appreciate short length. So I should've liked this game, but I didn't.
I really appreciate the more mature tone and lack of tasteless anime style&characters, but still it was a very mediocre game in my opinion. The story was nothing special, the music was kinda cool, the combat system was fun at first but got tiring after you faced the same enemies over and over again. And not that it's (sadly) anything special in the genre, but all you needed to use in fights was heal, shoot and laser. Shield and maybe a spell attack on the bosses. The gun part system is a good idea, but all I did is switch between +dmg and +dmg to weak spot, untill I got the better +dmg to weakspot, after which I didn't need to switch between gun parts anymore. There were only 4 different kinds of gun parts in the game anyways, and I could've beaten the game by using just one.
There really wasn't all that much of any kind of cool architecture (the main reason why I bought the game, weird&otherwordly visual style) and this game is FUGLY. I see so many posts of people complaining how they can't go back to early 3D games because they are so ugly. Well if you can't handle the classics that every gamer should play, then forget about ever even trying Panzer Dragoon Saga. This game is ugly and pixelated beyond belief. There are absolutely no redeeming qualities to this games aesthetics or environments what so ever, apart from the fact that the characters are semi-realistic. The environments lack detail and my God the second village (the one with liberal and holy district) is awful looking.
The fact that this game is only about 12-14 hours long does not bother me at all, despite the high price. But the fact that despite it's shortness, this game still managed to bored me to the point of having to struggle to find motivation to power up the Saturn and continue playing the game, that I do mind. And not just once, 2 or 3 times. It took me like 9-11 days to finish this game, when it should be 1-2 days, 3 at max. Those sewer levels. Lazy, bad game design at it's finest.

Why are Sega fanboys so crazy about this game? Sure it's pointless to compare a WRPG to a JRPG and a late 90s PC game (much more power for making a non 2D game) to a Saturn game, but I can't fathom how any one could say that this is one of the best RPGs of all time when just a year later Planescape: Torment and System Shock 2 were released. Those are unfair comparisons, but there are many RPGs that are better than PDS that were released during the same year or during previous years of the same generation (1997/1996), both on consoles and on PC.

BoneSnapDeez wrote:Just how good is this game? Is it as good as, say, Earthbound, Chrono Trigger, Final Fantasy VI, Skies of Arcadia, or Tales of Symphonia?

When you consider that technically Earthbound is really just Dragon Quest with a bunch of weirdness thrown in to the mix, I could say it's worth a go for the uniqueness factor. Not hating on EarthBound btw, really love how unique it is. Not worth 350+ USd though, and this

Reprise wrote:The battle system is phenomenally good, too.

is wrong

Well, PDS is more famous for its combat more than anything, plus it is already part of an established franchise in the Panzer Dragoon games which means more people are willing to seek it out as opposed to a stand alone RPG.

I think a lot of people also appreciated the switch up in style from pure railshooter as well.

I've never heard the game be praised for its story (at least no more than any other RPG), which is what System Shock 2 and Planescape Torment are famous for, certainly not for their gameplay.

As for the computer thing, many people who played console games at the time do not play computer games, so it's not like people were directly comparing it to computer RPGs. I mean people overrate Goldeneye a lot more, and there are plenty of FPS on computer that blow Goldeneye out the water that were made at the same time.

The only special thing in PDS combat is the fact that you move between the 4 sectors (and change your dragons stats mid combat, I guess). It's cool at first, but looses the novelty factor quite quickly. Makes the battles more interesting and cinematic for certain, but there's not a whole lot of challenge or depth to them usually. You just mostly move to the green zone, charge up energy, move to the red zone and shoot the weak spot.

I got to say that I do appreciate how there's very little grinding in the game, though some times random battles occur infuriatingly often.

Now if you instead flew all over the place, 360 degrees, that would've been cool and would've allowed for more interesting battles. It's just that the Saturn couldn't have handled it. And the saturn pad would've probably needed more buttons and an analog stick or something. I wish the would've done a Panzer Dragoon RPG sequel like that for the Xbox after they did Orta.

Btw there's nothing wrong with PST or SS2 combat, they're competent. PST uses the same system as BG and ID, two game series that can have some great combat, with the same system effectively. It just has less interesting encounters. SS2 does suffer from guns that don't feel quite right as it's real time, but the strategizing is there, thanks to the mix of survival horror resource management and RPG character building.

In response to a couple things:

Visual:
The graphics weren't that bad. When you play a game from '98 on a Saturn no less, you have to give it some slack. Some spots were worse than others(the town of Zoah like you mentioned) but overall some bland spots here and there didn't ruin the experience for me. I thought the water level(can't remember the name) with the ruins was gorgeous. Its not the graphics tho that really enhance the game, its the art design. I'm not just talking about just Saga either. I think the entire Panzer Dragoon series in general has one of the coolest art directions in a video game.

Art of War:
What I liked about the battle system is that it kept you engaged. No more choose an option off a pop up menu then wait for an attack. Being on the move just made battle more fun. At least for me. I'm kinda ADD so always doing something is the best way for me not to get bored lol.

That one level:
Although I never had an issue with the "sewer" level. I remember hearing about an interview with one of the creators of Saga saying that if he could of changed anything about the game he would have shortened that stage.

Final Thoughts:
Is the game overrated? In some aspects I would agree, but it has reached legendary status because in the end its an awesome rpg that almost no one has ever played.

MulishaSoldier929 wrote:Its not the graphics tho that really enhance the game, its the art design. I'm not just talking about just Saga either. I think the entire Panzer Dragoon series in general has one of the coolest art directions in a video game.

I agree completely. I love the series art direction.

Also, here is a great article on the game's fantastic ending:

http://gameological.com/2013/08/to-the-bitter-end-panzer-dragoon-saga/

MulishaSoldier929 wrote:The graphics weren't that bad. When you play a game from '98 on a Saturn no less, you have to give it some slack. Some spots were worse than others(the town of Zoah like you mentioned) but overall some bland spots here and there didn't ruin the experience for me. I thought the water level(can't remember the name) with the ruins was gorgeous. Its not the graphics tho that really enhance the game, its the art design. I'm not just talking about just Saga either. I think the entire Panzer Dragoon series in general has one of the coolest art directions in a video game.

I know it's a technical feat for the Saturn, but I'll rather take hand painted gorgeous looking 2D game over an ugly polygon mess that's 3D.

Every one praises the art direction and I mentioned that's why I got so excited about this game. I was basically expecting to play a game that feels like Shadow of the Colossus, but is a RPG and set in a world designed by Moebius (I know his influence on the series). But like I said, there really wasn't much cool and weird architecture in the game. And what there was, was ruined by short drawing distance and low res textures. Ruined might be a strong word though. There were some decent looking areas, but nothing that would've amazed me by now surreal and unique it was. I can think of better and weirder looking areas from Final Fantasy 7 and 9 (though naturally they have an unfair advantage, as they use prerendering instead of real 3D like PDS). If you want to talk aobout striking art direction in JRPGs, Shin Megami Tensei Nocturne is a lot better in this regard in my opinion (it also features a post apocalyptc world where the player feels alone, so the comparison isn't unfair).

The sewer levels isn't the only ugly, not very well designed area in the game. The forest that was on fire was such an eyesore and bore too. The tower, while somewhat cool looking in the middle part, was made up of plain looking tunnels, and featured a lot of thinly veiled fetch quests to eat up time.