PlayStation 2

Unlimited Saga

Square was very up front with just how difficult Unlimited SaGa would be. Never once have they attempted to mislead gamers, and they’ve never wavered from their stance that this game is for serious RPG fans only. Thus, I’m giving Square a little leeway in the overall score. And as strange as it may sound, I somehow found myself enjoying the game after getting used to the bizarre gameplay, because it started to feel like a good old-fashioned tabletop RPG. If you’re a dedicated RPG fan, I’d suggest renting Unlimited SaGa. If you’re a casual RPGer, do yourself a favor and pass on this one.

All in all, Unlimited Saga does a pretty good job of what it sets out to accomplish. If you have never played an RPG before, this will not be a good game to start out on. Even for a long time dedicated RPG player, things can get quite confusing. Personally, I don't like the monopoly-style world map, but it's original, so I deal with it. The storyline of this game is something great, it took me a little while to beat it. I recommend renting this game before buying, or at least playing some other RPGs to get the hang of them.

Square Enix's departure from its usual Final Fantasy and Dragon Quest fare isn't for everybody. It's not easily accessible and its shortcomings may overshadow some of its stronger qualities (like the excellent soundtrack, character development bits, and innovative battle features). In fact, nobody should be surprised when it fails to sell well in the domestic market, and should be even less shocked when it pops up on eBay in a couple of years for twice its original price (gotta love those quirky niche collectors!).

Interaction within the environment and the board game movement and structure are tedious and archaic. In the end, only the most persistent players will appreciate this game; but even those gamers will probably be hard up to find enough rewards to justify the effort.

All in all, Unlimited Saga does a very good job of what it sets out to, but what it sets out to do is decidedly not for everyone. The typical RPGamer should avoid the whole series like the plague, but if you're looking for a challenge and you have a bit of a masochistic streak, Unlimited Saga will keep you busy for quite some time.

Unlimited Saga isn’t for everyone. The gameplay is very different from what everyone is used to. Same could be said for the visuals and pretty much the whole game. While the game isn’t for everyone, fans of previous Saga games should check it out. Anyone else should rent it to make sure they like it before purchasing it. It’s difficulty isn’t something that everyone can get used to.

Never before have I encountered a design that detaches the player from the world and story so quickly. Tack on the fact the tale is divided between seven characters, which produces a confusing, garbled mess of a plot, and you’re looking at one of the least attractive RPGs in quite some time. I do like the timed slot reel attacks, but it’s a rare glimmer of light in an otherwise dark game.

Developed by none other than RPG game designing wunder-kind Square, Unlimited SaGa is the newest entry into the oft-overlooked (and often for good reason) SaGa series that managed to gather a moderate following in its earlier PSX iterations. Fans of those games will be glad to know that the newest SaGa continues their tradition of unique artistic style and off-beat gameplay dynamics. However, no one will appreciate the fact that Unlimited SaGa just isn’t that fun to play thanks to the aforementioned gameplay dynamics (which take RPG obscurity to a whole new level) and brutal learning curve that, even once mastered, rarely affords the player any amount of satisfaction. Square may be the cock of the walk in the RPG realm, but Unlimited SaGa is the runt of the pack.

The most disappointing part of the adventure was, without question, the gameplay. Had Square Enix taken a much more traditional route, then UNLIMITED Saga would have been one of the more enjoyable console RPGs this summer. Despite that fatal flaw, which ultimately ruined UNLIMITED Saga, I have to commend Square Enix for trying something new with the aging genre. Let’s hope next time they put a little more forethought into the experience and try to remember that a good game is much more than the sum of its parts.

Precis som med Viewtiful Joe är det här ett spel som jag verkligen vill tycka om. Jag vill kunna älska det, hylla det och spela det dagarna i ända. Prisa det för att det inte är som alla andra spel. Skratta åt alla som inte förstår sig på det. Men det kan jag inte. För i ärlighetens namn tycker jag inte att det är tillräckligt roligt, och det är faktiskt allt som räknas i min bok. Unlimited SaGa är en studie i outnyttjad potential och sådant är alltid ledsamt att se.

Unlimited SaGa is a game that is not like any other. Whether that is a good thing or not it is probably going to be up to your personal tastes, but I just didn’t find this game to be very entertaining. The only real reason I could even recommend a rental for the game is for the Final Fantasy X-2 exclusive preview that wasn’t even that great. This is a game made for people with a lot of patience and a lot of time on there hands, if your one of those people then you may enjoy this one. But for the rest of us, there are just better options elsewhere.

The bottom line is Unlimited Saga is a mildly amusing title, with loads of potential that just wasn't executed quite correctly. Just based on the amount of character customization, Unlimited Saga has so many good ideas that were ruined by poor interface, poor presentation, a below average story, and truly horrendous voice-acting. All in all, if you are a fan of the previous SaGa titles or a fan of the old Commodore 64 semi-text based RPGs then there is a good chance that you will get some enjoyment out of Unlimited Saga. If not, then perhaps it would be better for you to wait for Final Fantasy X-2, or Disgaea, or Star Ocean 3, or...

It’s hard to deny Squaresoft’s track record for good games throughout the years. Ranging from racing games, shooters and fighting titles, many of Square’s ‘experimental’ titles have brought innovative spins to their respective genres, and have usually been quite successful. Obviously, they are most well known for their role-playing games with the indelible Final Fantasy series, a sequence of titles that sets gaming benchmarks with each story in the franchise. However, unbeknownst to most gamers, another well-made set of games from Square toils in the Final Fantasy shadow. Often as deep and involved, with numerous characters, multiple storylines and tons of replay, the SaGa series has always given a different RPG experience to gamers (however niche a group they may be). With Final Fantasy XI still in beta testing, and FFX-2 still multiple months away from shelves, Square Enix’s first title, as a newly formed company, is Unlimited SaGa, the latest in the franchise.

Some people complain that RPGs are too easy these days. They claim that developers have tried to make RPGs popular by removing all vestiges of challenge from them. Unlimited: SaGa, to put it very politely, does not suffer from this issue. With this game, in fact, not only do you need a strategy guide to beat bosses, but you also need one to move your character at all.

SaGa titles are anything but conventional, and that's just the way fans like them. In the past, the offbeat character relationships and gameplay have proved to be interesting, and occasionally quite innovative. Unfortunately, the next generation Unlimited SaGa isn't the compelling experience we've come to expect from Square-Enix – its slack production values and unnecessarily complicated combat make for a game that's a real effort to play through.

Square is definitely a sequel-driven company. The RPG magnate has flourished for years primarily on the strength of its longest running and most popular series, Final Fantasy. Of course, Square's stable of big names also includes hits like the Chrono and Mana games, all of which have proven to be quite popular. And then there's SaGa. The offbeat RPG series has always been a bit of an enigma in Square's lineup--while most of the company's other big games adhere to tried-and-true formulas, the typical SaGa game is in fact anything but typical. Series fans will be glad to hear this trend of unusual design and production continues with the newest installment, Unlimited SaGa. They won't be so glad, though, when they find out how poorly the game's elements actually work together as a whole.

While there are parts of UNLIMITED SAGA that sound good on paper, the game is just not executed well. While there are parts of the game that are enjoyable, UNLIMITED SAGA can be confusing and only a few of the hardcore RPG fans will probably look into this game.

For extremely patient, dedicated and/or hardcore card-carrying RPG fanboys (and girls!) with fifty bucks and A LOT of free time on their hands. Me? I’d rather have root canal without anesthesia than to ever put myself through the pain that is playing this game any more than I had to already!

Despite some innovative and promising aspects, especially the different yet pretty graphics, this is not a great title and holds no appeal for the mainstream. Only those who really love manipulating abilities and setting up character skills will find real pleasure in this title. Unlimited? UNLIMTED? SaGa? Saga? To colon or not to colon? By any name, this is a subpar game.

I could go on about the flat graphics and the lack of good leveling up system but I can’t continue. A truly abysmal gaming experience that doesn’t do the Square moniker justice, we know they are capable of better.

Unlimited Saga will only be enticing to the fringe RPG fan base of the series. With the game being as hard and overly complicated as it is, the standard RPG player will skip this one without a second thought. It's a shame that Square didn't try to refine some of the better elements of the game as there are some nice features in the game. Too bad you'll have a hell of a time figuring out how to best use them.

Kawazu proves once again that, while his latest endeavor may have failed, he at least took a chance with some design decisions that most developers would not have had the guts to do. Hopefully the next installment in the SaGa series will find the middle ground between innovation and playability. In the end, Unlimited SaGa ends up being an odd title in Square Enix' otherwise diverse and mostly successful line-up.

Unlimited SaGa isn’t a game I would suggest to anyone, not even to those who were fans of the previous games in the series. The game lacks interactivity and isn’t too appealing. Perhaps if you’re looking to waste some time, Unlimited SaGa would be worth looking in to, but it would be wise to search elsewhere.

Square's best known for Final Fantasy. For years they've had another series that can trace its roots almost as far back -- the SaGa games. They've always been overshadowed by FF, but all of the games in the series had their own unique appeal, and offered a different sort of experience than Square's mainstay series. Well, the latest in the series, UNLIMITED: SaGa, certainly offers a different experience than just about everything out there. But as far as appeal goes, it's anything but unlimited.

Minimalism is a school of thought founded upon a simplifying of form. So, for instance, I could write a minimalist review of Unlimited Saga (after all, an unlimited review of Unlimited Saga would destroy our servers): "Unlimited Saga is occasionally pretty on the eyes and ears, but a weak battle system, cluttered menus and boring gameplay lead to a crummy RPG." Later y'all! Well, if you're still here, I'll at least give you your money's worth. Wait, you're not paying for this. Okay, I'll give you more than your money's worth.

This random mishmash of substance-free nothingness left me detached and disinterested from start to finish, and I can't believe that Squaresoft let the game make it past the beta stage, much less see full retail release. Unlimited Saga is without a doubt one of the worst games I've played in over twenty years of console gaming, and that's saying something. It looks like the Super NES version of Wizardry finally has some company underneath the bottom of the barrel.

It's not that there's anything fundamentally wrong with Square's latest offering, it's just that there isn't anything fundamentally right about it either. It's a game that takes chances but in the end, those chances surmount to nothing more than an excuse for you to wade through another set of menus. If you value your sanity avoid this one at all costs.