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Panzer Dragoon Saga is one awesome game, and a monumental achievement by the Andromeda Team. I can't wait to see what they'll do on the Dreamcast (aren't we all anticipating that release date). Now, on to the review. I will be rating this game on a fairly standard 0 through 10 rating on each category, 0 being worst, 10 being best.

Graphics: 10.0

Featuring some of the best graphics I have seen on any console, this game looks great, and not in-your-face with the special effects. All the graphical effects are used subtly to get the job done (which I think is the best way to do things). The detail in everything around you is astounding; from houses filled with personal belongings to wormholes (not the ones in space) with sand falling through tiny cracks in the ceiling. These are some examples of the lengths to which the Andromeda Team went to for detail, and overall, it creates a believable world to explore. That is what I think graphics are supposed to do.

Sound/Music: 10.0

Once again, the detail is incredible even when it comes to sound, from the crackling of fire to the rushing of nearby water, the sound in PDS is as immersing as the graphics. The music is high quality, and always fits the mood. The vocals used in the game where not changed for the US version, just subtitled. I think that keeping the language the same stayed with the style in Zwei. I heard some people complain about the lack of a translation to English, but I think it is better this way. It actually think that this furthers the mood of the game, and I don't find it distracting in the least. Everything in this game comes together to create a fantastic world to explore, fight, and converse in. The realism is absolutely wonderful. When you camp at night, you can just imagine sitting by the fire, hearing the final resting call of your dragon before it goes to sleep. I think that music and sound are the most helpful to a game's atmosphere (and something that is neglected in a lot of games). I'm glad that Andromeda recognized this and kept up with the excellent music and sound that are in all of the Panzer Dragoon series. As a fan of classical music, I really appreciate the orchestrated music present in the series. Once again, PDS uses these areas of a game exactly the way they are meant to, to further the realism and interaction of the world you are in.

Gameplay: 10.0

This game captures a perfect balance of shooter and RPG and even works it in a way that is totally unique. Using the shooter crosshair as a "sight" to pick out things of interest to examine just increases the atmosphere of a game. The style that the fights are carried out in is innovative and the best I have seen so far. Instead of standing in place, waiting your turn (or waiting for your bar to fill all the way), you can fly around your enemies, finding weak spots, safe spots, and avoiding your enemies' fire. I especially love the enemies that charge some type of "special attack" where you have a few seconds to find a safe spot or take huge amounts of damage (Ex. Atolm, Guardian Dragon, some of the giant ships, to name a few). These are my personal favorite fights in the game, in which the key is to dodge, charge, then counter-attack when you are in the clear. Overall, you will be totally immersed in an incredible world from start to finish.

Replay Value: 7.5

This game is so incredible, you'll wish it could go on forever. Unfortunately, PDS doesn't even match the hours of play most RPGs have. However, no other RPG is this fun to play! It's too bad that such a great game has to be so short (compared to other RPGs and how long you wish it could be). Granted, it is much longer than most other games, but most other games don't need 4 CDs. Truthfully, I would have traded most of the incredible FMV sequences for a few more hours of play. Particularly the ones that probably could have been done "in the style of the game." The conversation with Gash by the campfire, for example, could have been done entirely with the game's polygon graphics and I wouldn't have missed it. Sadly, the only real reason to play this game more than once is to find all the secrets (Something which I am trying to do). However, I am playing this game again more or less because it was a blast the first time around, and it is still loads of fun to play again...and again... Overall, as much as I liked the FMV sequences done in this game, I would have rather had a few more hours added to the playing time.

Overall: 9.35

To anyone that owns a Saturn, this game is a must buy, even if you only vaguely like RPGs. This game is too much fun to pass up.