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I needed an RPG! :)

I hadn't played a good RPG since my days with my Genesis (no computer game comes close to mathcing ANYTHING in the Phantasy Star series) and I thought I'd go pick one up.

I went down to my local Toys R Us (which BTW has about 2/3 less Saturn games than they do PSX games), and looked at what they had to offer.....it appeared that Sega still hadn't over-come their RPG draught from about 3 years ago.

Sitting there was Blazing Heros and Dark Savior. I took at chance and grabbed Blazing Heros...and I'm glad I did.

Just let me start off by saying that I have not played the game much, so these are my early reactions....but I've found that typically what you believe at the beginning of an RPG is what you will feel at the end.

The Story
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Pretty standard RPG storyline here. Some big, bad and REALLY mean guy has come to take over your land. You (naturally) are the price and must fight against impossible odds to make sure his evil plans do not come a reality.

Graphics (9/10) - WOW! What a difference a CD and 32-bit processors make! The graphics in the battle scenes are amazing. Shown at a 3/4 view (which can be changed by the player). Your party is able to move around during battle so you can take up defensive or offensive positions against you enemy. This battle movement was a huge change from what I've seen playing Phantasy Star. The land even has some "feel" to it as you can see rises and falls in the landscape.

My only complaint is that the graphics are a little fuzzy. Not too fuzzy, but enough that I found myself staring at an enemy trying to figure out what it was :)

Sound (9/10) - Again, like the graphics, the music is wonderful. It is crisp, clear and very appropriate for the genre. The opening sequence music is the best music I've heard in an RPG for a long time. Very good.

Gameplay (7/10) - Well, this IS an RPG so lightning quick moves are required. But one thing I do complain about is the menu system. I found it hard to get used to. It's hard to explain without having the game handy, but it's not as well laid out as I hoped.

Replay Value (?/10) - This depends on the person really. I enjoy playing RPG's again, but others do not. This is up to the individual.

Overall (9/10) - This is a wonderful game that will fill your need for the RPG genre in your game library. If you've never played an RPG before, rent this first.