You're wondering what all the fuss is about. You're wondering why this game goes for triple figure sums on Ebay. I know this because I did likewise. I just didn't understand - I'd bought the first two Panzer Dragoon games and thought them to be decent enough shooters, but if reviews were to be believed this game was something else. So, since I was earning good money at the time (ah, those were the days) I took a risk and bid on a zero feedback auction on Ebay for it, meaning I got it cheap.

It arrived in good condition and shortly afterward went into my Saturn. From the minute it starts to the moment it finishes, this game is... wondrously intriguing. I tend not to like Japanese, or indeed most, RPGs at all because they simply bore me senseless. So many of the sidequests and random battles seem like pointless repetitive padding. That's not to say Panzer Dragoon Saga isn't guilty of these things too, but they pale as minor faults in a sea of excellence.

I won't spoil the story too much, largely because I'd probably get some of the details wrong. The gist of it is that you're Edge, a young man working on an archaeological dig site. The workers discover a mysterious looking woman within the site just as it is attacked. During the attack Edge falls to his certain doom only to be saved by a Dragon. From here the story of the conflict between two empires, the unraveling mystery of who the woman is and more is slowly revealed. The cutscenes look very dated - you could run them in real time, but like the rest of the game they're beautifully voiced in Japanese (you get english subtitles of course) and all slowly add to the engrossing and, at times, even moving story.

The gamplay is split up between exploring and dragon battles. Exploring has you on foot talking to people in different towns and villages, completing a few simple puzzles (none seem out of place or pointless), finding items that reveal more of the story such as journals and more besides.

Aside from exploring towns there are numerous "dungeons" to play through, though they're far more interesting than that might suggest. You'll fly over massive forests, an ocean that has swallowed an ancient city, through ancient technological constructions (the game is set in a post apocalyptic era), deserts... the list goes on. See, you can go anywhere when you've got a dragon! The game is spread over what seems to be a small continent with lots of places to visit that you slowly unlock as you progress. The sense of immersion this game offers is furthered by the fact that you can return to any area you've previously visited whenever you want.

This game looks amazing. You can rant all day about the graphical superiority of the PSOne but this game, overall, has everything on the PSOne beat. I'm sure PSOne fans are coughing in disgust right now, screaming "FF9", but bear with me. For one, the art direction is fantastic. The aesthetic of the Panzer Dragoon world is so alien yet gorgeous, consistent and unique. The developers also squeezed every last drop of performance out of the Saturn. The game is almost entirely 3D - the only noticeable use of the Saturn's powerful 2D hardware is in the free-fly areas where it draws the ground as a far stretching 2D plane which you barely notice. The gorgeously smooth animation of the dragon, the surprisingly detailed areas you can walk around... it's all quite a sight to behold coming from the supposedly inferior Saturn. The music is also perfect for the game, though it isn't quite as good as the cinematic excellence that was the Panzer Dragoon soundtrack.

I'll admit the game has one or two weak points but it's so very easy to overlook them in the face of everything else it offers. One or two of the "technological-dungeons" can be a little maze like and lengthy and toward the end you can over rely on the Shield item. However overall the combat system is fantastic, easily the best turn-based combat system. In fact, it's the only one I can stand. You have two basic attacks - your Dragon's Lasers and Edge's pistol, a powerful ancient relic. Enemies tend to be flyers and you can position yourself to their fore, read, left or right. This simple mechanic adds a surprising amount to the game - you can move to the side of an enemy to avoid their most powerful attack if it is to the front. There is a little pie cart at the bottom of the game which helpfully displays the same and dangerous quadrants too. In a nice tactical twist, you can snipe vulnerable spots on an enemy, though they're often in the danger quadrants. Decisions decisions...

You've also got Beserks, which are the obligatory stupidly large "magic" attacks. Some of these use the Saturn 2D hardware incredibly well, filling the screen with streaks of light, massive explosions and hundreds of particles.

The last shortcoming I have to mention is that, to traditional RPG fans, this game may seem short at 10-20 hours. But that's because compared to so many others it's fairly tight. The story moves along at a nice pace, there's a huge amount of variety to the locations and combat, and the story is utterly wonderful. Just as Shenmue 2 proved a superb swan-song for the Dreamcast, so was this for the Saturn. If you're at all an RPG fan this is worth every penny of the triple figure sums it usually goes for. Even if you aren't normally an RPG fan but simply like great stories and games this is worth a look. This and Shenmue 1 and 2 are the only RPG games that I've completed - that has to say something about how good Panzer Dragoon Saga is.