Published by: Working Designs
Reviewed by: Kelesis
System: Sega Saturn
Genre: Strategy/RPG
Dragon Force is truly one of the best games I've ever seen. It combines Strategy with RPG, in a way which makes the game neither too complicated (as some strategy games tend to be) nor too lengthy and "heavy" (as some RPGs tend to be). It's very easy to understand, especially if you've played Strategy games and RPGs before.
The plot:
You play a monarch of one of Legendra's eight kingdoms, and your main goal is to unite Legendra, and lead it in the battle against Madruk, an evil god who wishes to take over Legendra. Some kingdoms will willingly join you, but most won't, so you'll have to conquer them.
"OK - this sounds like pure strategy. Where's the RPG part?"
Although some RPG elements are present already in the begining, everything is 'startegy' until you've conquered the whole continent. Once you've done that, you would have to actually lead all eight kings and queens to victory over Madruk and his generals.
The control method:
The game is divided into three main parts:
In all three parts the control is very easy, and requires just a few turns of playing in order to fully understand. The only part which takes a little more studying, is the battles part. In each battle you'll have to choose a strategy to use, and which spell to cast in what timing. For detailed description of each strategy and of each spell, just read the manual, and play for a while. It's the best way to learn the game.
The graphics:
The graphics in the game aren't anything unusual, but are certainly good. The animation is smooth, the sprites are cool (especially in battles), and the backgrounds are beatiful too.
The only thing I missed on this game is anime FMV. Except for the intro and the ending, there's hardly anime FMV.
Rating: 8/10
The music and sound effects:
The music is good. It both fits the scenes well, and doesn't repeat itself too much (although they could have added some more of it). The Sound Effects are pretty usual.
Rating: 8/10
Gameplay:
The gameplay, as in most games, is the heart of the game, and in this game, it's indeed the shining jewel of the game. As described above, the game begins as a pure strategy game, with the original add on of a unique personality for each of your generals. There's really a large variety of armies, considering the length of the strategy part in the game. The RPG part and the storyline are really a refreshing change.
Rating: 9.5/10
Screenshots:
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