I was told to play Panzer Dragoon and Panzer Dragoon II Zwei (Panzer Dragoon 2 2? Okay then) before Saga and so I started with those. The first two games are fun rail shooters where you ride a dragon. The second game in particular is now my favourite rail shooter. Having played Saga as well I agree with playing the two before it, the stories are in the same world after all and may even intersect.
Coming up on Panzer Dragoon Saga I knew it would be beautiful for a Saturn game (how could you go wrong with that art style anyway?), just like the first two games, and I knew it would have a great soundtrack, also like the first two games, but I didn't know much about how it would play. It wasn't long before I realized PDS might have one of my favourite RPG battle systems ever.
The battle system is an innovative take on ATB where positioning matters. At any given time during a battle you can position yourself to one of the four quadrants (west, north, east, south) surrounding the enemy. They in turn can move around you. Each of quadrants can be coloured either green, clear or red. Green regions are safe and the enemy cannot attack in those regions, clear regions are where the enemy does their weaker attacks, and finally red regions are where the most powerful enemy attacks come out to play. You have to move about the enemy to prevent being attacked, but keep in mind that the weak points of the enemy are often in unsafe zones! The enemy weak points sometimes require specific tactics to open as well.
For actions you have three ATB gauges that fill up one after the other. The ATB does not charge while you are moving, so you have to stay still to build up actions. Certain actions (your Berserks which are like spells used by your dragon) can take up two or three gauges to be used. Your rider and your dragon each have a different default attack: the dragon shoots lasers that hit multiple enemies or points on an enemy, but the targets cannot be chosen, the rider has a gun that shoots one target of your choice. Both of these actions take a single gauge to use. Your actions can also be 'chained' together. If you hold down the menu/attack button during an attack and have enough gauge to use another action it will happen instantly after your attack ends, preventing an enemy action between your own.
Status effects fit the battle system well. For example there is a status effect that makes it so only a max of one atb gauge will fill, another that makes it so you can't move but can attack, and a complimentary one that makes it so you can move but not attack.
The game encourages you to do well in battles by assigning you a grade for the battle and awarding you with more EXP, money and items the higher your grade.
You can also change the balance of stats on your dragon on the fly, increasing one will decrease another, change the stats enough and the class and appearance of the dragon will change. The berserks your dragon learns are influenced by the class the dragon is in upon levelling up and grants you the use of a special super move that consumes three gauges.
There are three different progression systems: 1. Your dragon levels up from gathering EXP, 2. at certain story points your dragon morphs which gives bigger bonuses than a level up and increases the power of their laser (this increased laser power also allows you to access things on the field maps that you couldn't before), 3. The rider can equip different guns.
If someone had explained this battle system to me before I likely would have done anything to play this game as soon as possible, so I hope that encourages some of you to do so!
Outside of battles there are three possible types of map: the world map is a simple map where you select your next location, field maps come in two types, those where you rider your dragon, fight enemies and break objects to gain items and progress, and those where you walk around as a rider, talking to characters and buying items. At camp, where you can save your game and talk to any character currently tagging along on your adventure, you can also interact with your dragon, building your bond with the majestic creature. This eventually unlocks a special Berserk for your dragons, so be sure to treat them right!
The characters in this game are great! They all have their own motivations and tales to tell. Dialogue with NPCs often changes after important story events. You come to know the people, their world and care about it all. It's difficult to discuss the characters or the story without spoiling too much. It's a wonderful ride with incredible pacing (the game takes about 15 hours to complete and it is always moving forward) and a lot of surprises along the way. I suppose I can give the basic premise: You play as Edge, a mercenary who stumbles upon something he shouldn't have that leads to tragedy and a quest for revenge, as well as a dragon for a new best friend. Supporting character include the mysterious, Azel who has some kind of connection to the dragons, Gash, the seeker of ancient technology who seems to know more than he says, Paet, the eccentric and helpful mechanic, and Craymen, a rebel against the Empire and your greatest enemy.
The soundtrack is all killer, no filler and if you want to support someone who actually helped develop the game you can buy the rearranged OST (by the original composer, Saori Kobayashi).
My time with this game and the two before it went far beyond my expectations, if I had played them when they first came out I strongly believe they would have shaped me in the same way that my other favourites from that generation did. PDS is an experience I will never forget and I will likely be replaying for years to come. I look forward to playing Panzer Dragoon Orta in the near future!
