Metal Saga
Encyclopedia
Metal Saga, known in Japan as , is a post-apocalyptic role-playing game developed by Crea-Tech and published by Atlus Software
and Success.
Metal Saga is the fourth game in the Metal Max series
, and the first to reach the United States. Like previous games in the series, it follows an open
, non-linear style of gameplay. The game received a mixed reception for its unconventional gameplay and dated graphics.
A sequel titled Metal Saga: Hagane no Kisetsu was released in Japan in 2006 for the Nintendo DS
, there are currently no plans for the sequel to get a western release. A mobile phone incarnation of Metal Saga was also release in Japan in 2007. A web game called Metal Saga: NewFrontier was release in 2010.
Combat is individually turn-based, utilizing a staggered initiative system (e.g., characters on foot are faster than those in tanks). Any canine member of the party acts on his or her own, automatically attacking foes at random. For the remaining characters, players choose among a limited number of actions. While characters do have some skills which can be used during combat, these cost money to use (rather than using a separate mana/skill point pool) and often cannot be used when within a tank. As a result, skills are not necessarily as attractive as in other such games. Although certain weapons are clearly intended to be used against certain foes, characters cannot change arms or armor during combat.
There are a total of 15 tanks in the game. While the game uses the term "tank" to refer to all such vehicles, several of them are not actually tanks. These include a fire truck (complete with ladder) and a bus
. Nonetheless, most of the tanks are more traditional, such as a German Panzer
, or two anti-aircraft tanks. While the different tank models are generally similar in practice, they each have slightly different innate characteristics.
The tanks can not only be equipped, but also customized on a very sophisticated level. Players select and purchase primary guns, (Referred as MAIN—limited in ammunition) secondary guns, (Referred as SUB or Sub Gun—unlimited ammunition) and special-purpose weaponry (Referred as SE or Special Equipment—very limited in ammunition). Each item includes a weight value, with the tank's engine only able to drive a certain total amount of weight. As such, a balance must be struck, since every unit of weight not used for weaponry can be used to add additional armor tiles. Furthermore, money can be spent to modify each part of the tank, e.g., to increase the amount of ammunition which a given weapon carries (again at the cost of a further weight increase).
Vehicle parts are categorized into several different categories;
Chassis: The vehicle chassis. This is the outer casing that holds everything together. Different chassis offer different levels of protection and speed. (FAVs will offer less protection but the highest speed, whereas main battle tanks will offer the highest degree of defense at a lower mobility.)
Engine: The engine determines the maximum loadout for the vehicle. The lower the rating, the less tonnage that the engine can handle. Engines do not affect the mobility of the vehicle.
C Unit: The computer unit enables vehicles to be handled by a single crew member. Without it, the vehicle cannot function, as it combines various aspects of vehicle controls, such as weapons systems, so that a single crew can operate the vehicle. It is mentioned by one of the NPCs in the game that a vehicle can be operated without a C Unit although that would require three people to operate the vehicle. C Units also provide additional defenses for the vehicle, which is combined with the defensive rating of the chassis to form the total amount of defense rating of the vehicle.
Accessories: Accessories are optional components for vehicles that are not required for the vehicles to operate. They range from Teleporters, which allow the players to travel between towns and get them out of hostile area (such as tunnels and dungeons crawling with enemies) to decorative decals to special add-ons which, when combined with special ability of the player, can damage the enemy. (For example, dozer blades.)
Weapons: Although vehicles can function without any weapons mounted, the vehicles will not be able to attack the enemy effectively, if at all. Many of the weapons have distinct capabilities. For example, anti-tank main guns offer the most balanced attributes in terms of firepower, range and accuracy, while anti-aircraft main guns allow for very accurate and reliable engagement of low-altitude airborne opponents. Others include MLRS mounts that can reach out and hit enemies that are out of range for other weapons, CIWS for devastating counter against enemies that are flying at high-altitude, huge rockets that can damage enemies even through the toughest defenses, beam weapons for hitting cloaked enemies, and other various weapons that allow for the vehicles to become tremendous force-multipliers to the player.
Armor tiles: Armor tiles are the first line of protective layer for the vehicle. Armor tiles will absorb a limited amount of damage before being worn out and prevent other internal components mentioned above from being damaged by enemy attacks. Although effective against most attacks, it will not protect the components against specialized attacks that are designed to either bypass or penetrate the armor, such as enemy armor-piercing warheads or intense freezing temperature. Armor tiles can be replenished on the field by using armor tile kits, or in repair shops.
Some vehicles can mount special designated weapons while others cannot; for example, Flakpanzers Wirbelwind and Gepard can mount anti-aircraft main guns, but cannot mount anti-tank main guns, while main battle tanks and other AFVs can mount anti-tank main guns while being unable to mount anti-air main guns.
Tanks can also be equipped with teleportation
devices, which allow the entire party to instantly exit an indoor area or travel to a previously visited town.
The list of the vehicles that can be "owned" by the player is as follows;
Furthermore, there are other vehicles of same designs but fixed specifications that can be "rented" from various rental shops inside the towns.
A miscellaneous vehicle includes the Cargo Ship which lets players roam across the huge lake in middle of the map.
world, though presenting a less serious take on the genre, compared to the harsher representations seen in role-playing games such as Final Fantasy VI
or Fallout, or movies such as Mad Max
or Nausicaa. The environment of Metal Saga seems to be relatively unscathed, with a generally healthy ecosystem and no apparent areas of radioactive contamination
. Rather than focusing extensively on mutants and ruffians, many of the enemies encountered are merely machines gone haywire. As a result, scavenging such machines and using scavenged parts to build equipment appear to be common activities.
Additionally, the game includes a good dose of militaristic qualities, with most of the game's battles being fought from within tank
s, or other tank-like armored vehicles. In essence, the game is an amalgam of traits often associated with computer RPGs and console RPGs, with very little storyline and mostly non-linear gameplay. Like its predecessors, one may choose to take on whichever informal quests
one wants, or none at all, but cannot choose to slaughter the entire population of a town on a whim. The title features more than half a dozen possible endings, several of which can be obtained less than an hour into the game. One ending can even be obtained minutes into the game, making it the shortest possible RPG.
, a Soldier and a mechanized dog. Players are free to choose their own party from the available characters and to switch between them during the game. There are two mechanics in the game, three fighters (one of these is hidden, and can only join during the later parts of the game) and four dogs. Most of the characters in the game have some unique dialogue and further story development during certain side quests.
During the game, players frequently have the option to purchase home furnishings and gifts which can be sent to both playable and non-playable (female) characters. These generally have no effect on gameplay.
Here is the list of the playable characters;
Syu (His name is not mentioned in the English version): The Hunter of the group, and also the main character.
Misha (Known as Mika in the Japanese version): One of the Mechanics in the game. Can repair vehicles. She is Kiriya's little sister, although not blood-related.
Kiriya: The second Mechanic in the game. Can repair vehicles. He is Misha/Mika's big brother, although not blood-related. Kiriya's real father is the Disassembler, one of the bounties you fight during the game. If you defeat him with Kiriya in your party, a chain of events will occur, with Kiriya finding a picture of him as a young boy with the Disassembler, Kiriya leaving the party and going back to his home, and rejoining your party upon visiting him in his room.
Charlene (Known as Shirley in the Japanese version): One of the Soldiers in the game. Specializes in firearms and can wield guns that other characters cannot use.
Rashid: The second Soldier in the game. Specializes in melee weapons and can wield swords and other cutting weapons that other characters cannot use.
Alpha: The third and hidden Soldier in the game. She is a cyborg
. Cannot wield any weapons, but can use its internal weapons system to devastate almost any opponents encountered. If she dies in battle a certain number of times, she can be brought to Dr. Palm to be manufactured into a very powerful tank part.
Furthermore, there are four different breeds of dogs, each with their unique combat and non-combat abilities, such as beam weaponry and medical kits. The breeds are Shiba Inu
, (nicknamed as Shiba) St. Bernard
, (nicknamed as Bernie) Boston Terrier
(nicknamed as Terry) and Tosa
.
Atlus
is a Japanese computer and video game developer, publisher, and distributor based in Tokyo, Japan, best known for developing the console role-playing game franchise Megami Tensei. The first Megami Tensei was a Nintendo Entertainment System video game published by Namco based on a trilogy of...
and Success.
Metal Saga is the fourth game in the Metal Max series
Metal Max (series)
is a series of post-apocalyptic, vehicle combat, role-playing video games dating back to 1991. They have been developed by Crea-Tech and released for the NES, Super NES, PlayStation 2 and Nintendo DS platforms. As the trademark dispute, series use to release games until get trademark rights...
, and the first to reach the United States. Like previous games in the series, it follows an open
Open world
An open world is a type of video game level design where a player can roam freely through a virtual world and is given considerable freedom in choosing how to approach objectives...
, non-linear style of gameplay. The game received a mixed reception for its unconventional gameplay and dated graphics.
A sequel titled Metal Saga: Hagane no Kisetsu was released in Japan in 2006 for the Nintendo DS
Nintendo DS
The is a portable game console produced by Nintendo, first released on November 21, 2004. A distinctive feature of the system is the presence of two separate LCD screens, the lower of which is a touchscreen, encompassed within a clamshell design, similar to the Game Boy Advance SP...
, there are currently no plans for the sequel to get a western release. A mobile phone incarnation of Metal Saga was also release in Japan in 2007. A web game called Metal Saga: NewFrontier was release in 2010.
Gameplay
The game mechanics are similar to that of most console role-playing games. Players travel between points of interest on an overworld map, during which point in time they can be attacked by randomly encountered foes. Within towns, players can rest, repair vehicles, sell items, and other typical activities. The "dungeons" in the title are usually caves or abandoned buildings. Such hostile locations are relatively small, with much of their complexity being due to their maze-like nature (and the lack of an auto-mapping feature).Combat is individually turn-based, utilizing a staggered initiative system (e.g., characters on foot are faster than those in tanks). Any canine member of the party acts on his or her own, automatically attacking foes at random. For the remaining characters, players choose among a limited number of actions. While characters do have some skills which can be used during combat, these cost money to use (rather than using a separate mana/skill point pool) and often cannot be used when within a tank. As a result, skills are not necessarily as attractive as in other such games. Although certain weapons are clearly intended to be used against certain foes, characters cannot change arms or armor during combat.
Tanks
All of the characters, with the exception of the dogs, can be placed within tanks to further improve their combat performance. While fighting from within a tank, characters use the on-board weapons instead of their hand weapons, and suffer damage to the tank, rather than to their person. This provides an additional layer of defense, in that characters can exit the tank and continue to fight if the tank becomes inoperable. When not in combat, one additional tank can be towed and used to store spare parts or used as a spare vehicle.There are a total of 15 tanks in the game. While the game uses the term "tank" to refer to all such vehicles, several of them are not actually tanks. These include a fire truck (complete with ladder) and a bus
Bus
A bus is a road vehicle designed to carry passengers. Buses can have a capacity as high as 300 passengers. The most common type of bus is the single-decker bus, with larger loads carried by double-decker buses and articulated buses, and smaller loads carried by midibuses and minibuses; coaches are...
. Nonetheless, most of the tanks are more traditional, such as a German Panzer
Panzer
A Panzer is a German language word that, when used as a noun, means "tank". When it is used as an adjective, it means either tank or "armoured" .- Etymology :...
, or two anti-aircraft tanks. While the different tank models are generally similar in practice, they each have slightly different innate characteristics.
The tanks can not only be equipped, but also customized on a very sophisticated level. Players select and purchase primary guns, (Referred as MAIN—limited in ammunition) secondary guns, (Referred as SUB or Sub Gun—unlimited ammunition) and special-purpose weaponry (Referred as SE or Special Equipment—very limited in ammunition). Each item includes a weight value, with the tank's engine only able to drive a certain total amount of weight. As such, a balance must be struck, since every unit of weight not used for weaponry can be used to add additional armor tiles. Furthermore, money can be spent to modify each part of the tank, e.g., to increase the amount of ammunition which a given weapon carries (again at the cost of a further weight increase).
Vehicle parts are categorized into several different categories;
Chassis: The vehicle chassis. This is the outer casing that holds everything together. Different chassis offer different levels of protection and speed. (FAVs will offer less protection but the highest speed, whereas main battle tanks will offer the highest degree of defense at a lower mobility.)
Engine: The engine determines the maximum loadout for the vehicle. The lower the rating, the less tonnage that the engine can handle. Engines do not affect the mobility of the vehicle.
C Unit: The computer unit enables vehicles to be handled by a single crew member. Without it, the vehicle cannot function, as it combines various aspects of vehicle controls, such as weapons systems, so that a single crew can operate the vehicle. It is mentioned by one of the NPCs in the game that a vehicle can be operated without a C Unit although that would require three people to operate the vehicle. C Units also provide additional defenses for the vehicle, which is combined with the defensive rating of the chassis to form the total amount of defense rating of the vehicle.
Accessories: Accessories are optional components for vehicles that are not required for the vehicles to operate. They range from Teleporters, which allow the players to travel between towns and get them out of hostile area (such as tunnels and dungeons crawling with enemies) to decorative decals to special add-ons which, when combined with special ability of the player, can damage the enemy. (For example, dozer blades.)
Weapons: Although vehicles can function without any weapons mounted, the vehicles will not be able to attack the enemy effectively, if at all. Many of the weapons have distinct capabilities. For example, anti-tank main guns offer the most balanced attributes in terms of firepower, range and accuracy, while anti-aircraft main guns allow for very accurate and reliable engagement of low-altitude airborne opponents. Others include MLRS mounts that can reach out and hit enemies that are out of range for other weapons, CIWS for devastating counter against enemies that are flying at high-altitude, huge rockets that can damage enemies even through the toughest defenses, beam weapons for hitting cloaked enemies, and other various weapons that allow for the vehicles to become tremendous force-multipliers to the player.
Armor tiles: Armor tiles are the first line of protective layer for the vehicle. Armor tiles will absorb a limited amount of damage before being worn out and prevent other internal components mentioned above from being damaged by enemy attacks. Although effective against most attacks, it will not protect the components against specialized attacks that are designed to either bypass or penetrate the armor, such as enemy armor-piercing warheads or intense freezing temperature. Armor tiles can be replenished on the field by using armor tile kits, or in repair shops.
Some vehicles can mount special designated weapons while others cannot; for example, Flakpanzers Wirbelwind and Gepard can mount anti-aircraft main guns, but cannot mount anti-tank main guns, while main battle tanks and other AFVs can mount anti-tank main guns while being unable to mount anti-air main guns.
Tanks can also be equipped with teleportation
Teleportation
Teleportation is the fictional or imagined process by which matter is instantaneously transferred from one place to another.Teleportation may also refer to:*Quantum teleportation, a method of transmitting quantum data...
devices, which allow the entire party to instantly exit an indoor area or travel to a previously visited town.
The list of the vehicles that can be "owned" by the player is as follows;
- Buggy (Dune buggyDune buggyA dune buggy is a recreational vehicle with large wheels, and wide tires, designed for use on sand dunes or beaches. The design is usually a modified vehicle and engine mounted on an open chassis. The modifications usually attempt to increase the power-to-weight ratio by either lightening the...
) - Demag (Sonderkraftfahrzeug 251 HanomagSdKfz 251The Sd.Kfz. 251 half-track was an armored fighting vehicle designed and first built by Hanomag company during World War II. The largest and best armored of the wartime half-tracks, the Sd.Kfz. 251 was designed to transport the panzergrenadiers of the German mechanized infantry corps into battle....
) - Mosquito (Wiesel 1Wiesel 1The Wiesel Armoured Weapons Carrier is a German light air-transportable armoured fighting vehicle, more specifically a lightly armoured weapons carrier...
) - Gepard (Flugabwehrkanonenpanzer GepardFlugabwehrkanonenpanzer GepardThe Flugabwehrkanonenpanzer Gepard is an autonomous, all-weather-capable German self-propelled anti-aircraft gun . It was developed in the 1960s and fielded in the 1970s, and has been upgraded several times with the latest electronics...
) - Wild Bus (armored passenger busBusA bus is a road vehicle designed to carry passengers. Buses can have a capacity as high as 300 passengers. The most common type of bus is the single-decker bus, with larger loads carried by double-decker buses and articulated buses, and smaller loads carried by midibuses and minibuses; coaches are...
) - Panzer (Sturmgeschütz IVSturmgeschütz IVThe Sturmgeschütz IV , was a German assault gun of the Second World War.-Development:The Sturmgeschütz IV resulted from Krupp's effort to supply an assault gun...
) - Barbarossa (Panzerkampfwagen IV Ausf. HPanzer IVThe Panzerkampfwagen IV , commonly known as the Panzer IV, was a medium tank developed in Nazi Germany in the late 1930s and used extensively during the Second World War. Its ordnance inventory designation was Sd.Kfz...
) - Tiger (Panzerkampfwagen V Ausf. E Tiger ITiger ITiger I is the common name of a German heavy tank developed in 1942 and used in World War II. The final official German designation was Panzerkampfwagen Tiger Ausf. E, often shortened to Tiger. It was an answer to the unexpectedly formidable Soviet armour encountered in the initial months of...
) - Wirbelwind (Flugabwehrkanonenpanzer IV WirbelwindWirbelwindThe Flakpanzer IV "Wirbelwind" was a self-propelled anti-aircraft gun based on the Panzer IV tank. It was developed in 1944 as a successor to the earlier self-propelled anti-aircraft gun Möbelwagen....
) - Rodina (T-34/76)
- Abrams (M1 AbramsM1 AbramsThe M1 Abrams is a third-generation main battle tank produced in the United States. It is named after General Creighton Abrams, former Army Chief of Staff and Commander of US military forces in Vietnam from 1968 to 1972. The M1 is a well armed, heavily armored, and highly mobile tank designed for...
) - Leopold (Leopard 2A5/6Leopard 2The Leopard 2 is a main battle tank developed by Krauss-Maffei in the early 1970s for the West German Army. The tank first entered service in 1979 and succeeded the earlier Leopard 1 as the main battle tank of the German Army. Various versions have served in the armed forces of Germany and twelve...
) - Type Zero (Type 90)
- Lulubel (M3 LeeM3 LeeThe Medium Tank M3 was an American tank used during World War II. In Britain the tank was called "General Lee", named after Confederate General Robert E. Lee, and the modified version built with a new turret was called the "General Grant", named after U.S. General Ulysses S. Grant.Design commenced...
) - Rommel (JagdpantherJagdpantherThe Jagdpanther was a tank destroyer built by Nazi Germany during World War II based on the chassis of the Panther tank. It entered service late in the war and saw service on the Eastern and Western fronts...
) - Fire Truck (Fire TruckFire apparatusA fire apparatus, fire engine, fire truck, or fire appliance is a vehicle designed to assist in fighting fires by transporting firefighters to the scene and providing them with access to the fire, along with water or other equipment...
) - S Tank (Stridsvagn 103Stridsvagn 103The Stridsvagn 103 , or S-Tank , was a Swedish post-war main battle tank. It was known for its unconventional turret-less design, with a fixed gun traversed by engaging the tracks and elevated by adjusting the hull suspension...
) - Merkava (Merkava Mk. IVMerkavaThe Merkava is a main battle tank used by the Israel Defense Forces. The tank began development in 1974 and was first introduced in 1978. Four main versions of the tank have been deployed. It was first used extensively in the 1982 Lebanon War...
) - Maus (Panzerkampfwagen VIII Maus)
Furthermore, there are other vehicles of same designs but fixed specifications that can be "rented" from various rental shops inside the towns.
A miscellaneous vehicle includes the Cargo Ship which lets players roam across the huge lake in middle of the map.
Setting
The title takes place in a post-apocalypticApocalyptic and post-apocalyptic fiction
Apocalyptic fiction is a sub-genre of science fiction that is concerned with the end of civilization due to a potentially existential catastrophe such as nuclear warfare, pandemic, extraterrestrial attack, impact event, cybernetic revolt, technological singularity, dysgenics, supernatural...
world, though presenting a less serious take on the genre, compared to the harsher representations seen in role-playing games such as Final Fantasy VI
Final Fantasy VI
is a role-playing video game developed and published by Square , released in 1994 for the Super Nintendo Entertainment System as a part of the Final Fantasy series. Set in a fantasy world with a technology level equivalent to that of the Second Industrial Revolution, the game's story focuses on a...
or Fallout, or movies such as Mad Max
Mad Max
Mad Max is a 1979 Australian dystopian action film directed by George Miller and revised by Miller and Byron Kennedy over the original script by James McCausland. The film stars Mel Gibson, who was unknown at the time. Its narrative based around the traditional western genre, Mad Max tells a story...
or Nausicaa. The environment of Metal Saga seems to be relatively unscathed, with a generally healthy ecosystem and no apparent areas of radioactive contamination
Radioactive contamination
Radioactive contamination, also called radiological contamination, is radioactive substances on surfaces, or within solids, liquids or gases , where their presence is unintended or undesirable, or the process giving rise to their presence in such places...
. Rather than focusing extensively on mutants and ruffians, many of the enemies encountered are merely machines gone haywire. As a result, scavenging such machines and using scavenged parts to build equipment appear to be common activities.
Additionally, the game includes a good dose of militaristic qualities, with most of the game's battles being fought from within tank
Tank
A tank is a tracked, armoured fighting vehicle designed for front-line combat which combines operational mobility, tactical offensive, and defensive capabilities...
s, or other tank-like armored vehicles. In essence, the game is an amalgam of traits often associated with computer RPGs and console RPGs, with very little storyline and mostly non-linear gameplay. Like its predecessors, one may choose to take on whichever informal quests
Quest (gaming)
A quest in role-playing video games — including massively multiplayer online role-playing games and their predecessors, MUDs — is a task that a player-controlled character or group of characters may complete in order to gain a reward...
one wants, or none at all, but cannot choose to slaughter the entire population of a town on a whim. The title features more than half a dozen possible endings, several of which can be obtained less than an hour into the game. One ending can even be obtained minutes into the game, making it the shortest possible RPG.
Characters
Players can organize a team of up to four characters: the main hero (the "Hunter"), a MechanicMechanic
A mechanic is a craftsman or technician who uses tools to build or repair machinery.Many mechanics are specialized in a particular field such as auto mechanics, bicycle mechanics, motorcycle mechanics, boiler mechanics, general mechanics, industrial maintenance mechanics , air conditioning and...
, a Soldier and a mechanized dog. Players are free to choose their own party from the available characters and to switch between them during the game. There are two mechanics in the game, three fighters (one of these is hidden, and can only join during the later parts of the game) and four dogs. Most of the characters in the game have some unique dialogue and further story development during certain side quests.
During the game, players frequently have the option to purchase home furnishings and gifts which can be sent to both playable and non-playable (female) characters. These generally have no effect on gameplay.
Here is the list of the playable characters;
Syu (His name is not mentioned in the English version): The Hunter of the group, and also the main character.
Misha (Known as Mika in the Japanese version): One of the Mechanics in the game. Can repair vehicles. She is Kiriya's little sister, although not blood-related.
Kiriya: The second Mechanic in the game. Can repair vehicles. He is Misha/Mika's big brother, although not blood-related. Kiriya's real father is the Disassembler, one of the bounties you fight during the game. If you defeat him with Kiriya in your party, a chain of events will occur, with Kiriya finding a picture of him as a young boy with the Disassembler, Kiriya leaving the party and going back to his home, and rejoining your party upon visiting him in his room.
Charlene (Known as Shirley in the Japanese version): One of the Soldiers in the game. Specializes in firearms and can wield guns that other characters cannot use.
Rashid: The second Soldier in the game. Specializes in melee weapons and can wield swords and other cutting weapons that other characters cannot use.
Alpha: The third and hidden Soldier in the game. She is a cyborg
Cyborg
A cyborg is a being with both biological and artificial parts. The term was coined in 1960 when Manfred Clynes and Nathan S. Kline used it in an article about the advantages of self-regulating human-machine systems in outer space. D. S...
. Cannot wield any weapons, but can use its internal weapons system to devastate almost any opponents encountered. If she dies in battle a certain number of times, she can be brought to Dr. Palm to be manufactured into a very powerful tank part.
Furthermore, there are four different breeds of dogs, each with their unique combat and non-combat abilities, such as beam weaponry and medical kits. The breeds are Shiba Inu
Shiba Inu
The is the smallest of the six original and distinct breeds of dog from Japan.A small, agile dog that copes very well with mountainous terrain, the Shiba Inu was originally bred for hunting. It is similar in appearance to the Akita, though much smaller in stature...
, (nicknamed as Shiba) St. Bernard
St. Bernard (dog)
The St. Bernard is a breed of very large working dog from the Italian and Swiss Alps, originally bred for rescue. The breed has become famous through tales of alpine rescues, as well as for its large size.-Appearance:The St. Bernard is a large dog...
, (nicknamed as Bernie) Boston Terrier
Boston Terrier
The Boston Terrier is a breed of dog originating in the United States of America. This "American Gentleman" was accepted in 1893 by the American Kennel Club as a non-sporting breed. Color and markings are important when distinguishing this breed to the AKC standard. They should be either black,...
(nicknamed as Terry) and Tosa
Tosa (dog)
The is a breed of dog of Japanese origin that is considered rare. It was originally bred in Tosa as a fighting dog and still is today.- Appearance :...
.
Reception
Although the game's sense of humor, music and solid hours of gameplay won it some positive marks, the overall impression of the title was decidedly mediocre. Reviewers scoffed at the dated graphics, lack of plot, and missing feeling of progression. As a result, a considerable amount of time was often spent by reviewers and gamers alike simply wandering around, trying to figure out what to do next. While the game had all the classic trappings for the genre, complete with its own quirky style, it seemed to lack the polish required to stand-out. GameSpot
GameSpot
GameSpot is a video gaming website that provides news, reviews, previews, downloads, and other information. The site was launched in May 1, 1996 by Pete Deemer, Vince Broady and Jon Epstein. It was purchased by ZDNet, a brand which was later purchased by CNET Networks. CBS Interactive, which...
noted "Metal Saga has the makings of a good role-playing game, but there's nothing to tie it all together."
In Japan, Metal Saga received a respectable 30 out of 40 from Famitsu
Famitsu
is a line of Japanese video game magazines published by Enterbrain, Inc. and Tokuma. Currently, there are five Famitsū magazines: Shūkan Famitsū, Famitsū PS3 + PSP, Famitsū Xbox 360, Famitsū Wii+DS, and Famitsū Wave DVD...
magazine. Media Create
Media Create
is a Japanese company that "gathers and analyzes data from the digital entertainment industry, specifically focusing on the Japanese console gaming market...
reported that it was the top selling game in Japan during its week of release at 63,219 copies. By the end of 2005, the Japanese version of the game had sold 99,374 copies in the region.
External links
- Official Atlus Metal Saga website
- Japanese official website
- Metal Saga at IGNIGNIGN is an entertainment website that focuses on video games, films, music and other media. IGN's main website comprises several specialty sites or "channels", each occupying a subdomain and covering a specific area of entertainment...
- Metal Saga at RPGamerRPGamerRPGamer is a media and news website dedicated to covering computer and video game RPGs. Its coverage includes North American game news, European game news, Asian game news, gaming industry news, game reviews, game previews, hands-on game impressions, gaming conventions, game merchandise, release...