Dragon Force

aka Sega AGES 2500 Series Vol. 18 Dragon Force.

 

Purchase at Play-Asia

 

Purchase at Lik-Sang

 

Back on the Sega Saturn is a true classic that goes for upwards of a hundred smackers on eBay. Not Panzer Dragoon Saga, but one of the first RPGs for the system Dragon Force. Published by Working Designs in the US, Dragon Force was a big title for a small system base. Maybe the game will garner the attention it deserves after being re-released as part of Sega’s Ages collection.

 

If you never played Dragon Force before it’s one part Dynasty Warriors, one part Sim City 2000 and one part Fire Emblem. Sounds like an odd mix for a strategy RPG, but it works in a big way. You start out by selecting one of eight leaders who lives on the warring continent Legendra. Want to be a master wizard then Reinhart of Tradnor is your man? Or is being a war hungry Viking and select Goldark of Fandaria. Along with different officers and troops, each monarch has a different amount of starting land. The cold leader Junon is well protected in the top right corner of the map protected by water and a long walk to her castle. Poor Leon gets the short straw, he’s smack in the middle open to attack from all sides. Each ruler is a slightly different experience, which gives Dragon Force a fair amount of replay value.

 

Why all the fighting? Well there’s a plot about a dark god called Marduk who’s going to take over all the land. There are some shrines to seek out and the unification of the rulers in one group. It’s fair for a fantasy story, but not going to win any awards. The gameplay is what makes this title shine. Most strategy games require a commitment to play through. You’re going to wade through menus. Sit through pages of story text. Plus there are those hour long battles to fight. Dragon Force really does away with a lot of these mechanics and softens up the genre. First let’s look at the battles. Each battle lasts for a maximum of 99 seconds. You have a general with your troops on one side and your opponent with their troops on the other. As the battle begins you select a formation for your massive army, which can reach up to a hundred warriors. Once the formation is set you can’t directly control each troop. Instead you shout commands like move forward, retreat or pincer attack. If you want to be active you can shout more commands or utilize your general’s special attacks. Or you can sit back and watch your army slash through fifty dragon sprites. Either way there’s something satisfying in watching two sprite armies duel to the death.

 

There is depth to the system. A complex rock-paper-scissors system is set up with each troop type to make sure no single troop is invincible. Your run of the mill soldier is exceptional against archers and mages, but when he’s against harpies forget about it. In return harpies can’t stand a hail of fire from archers. It goes beyond just this small set of troops. Dragon Force adds a bunch of other fantasy fighters like horsemen, monks, samurai, zombies and dragons.

 

Outside of combat there’s a continent to rule. By setting out units with up to five generals you can aggressively attack other fortresses. However, the computer isn’t sleeping. Each individual continent is off to the same goal, battling each other in the process. The world comes alive as you watch computer controlled victories occur. In between each seized castle requires players to refill their soldier stock. Since the game has a set time for soldiers to become available there is a fair amount of downtime. As you progress further in the game you’ll be waiting even longer to fill up a hundred troops for each general. This is where the game can get a little frustrating, since there is no way to speed up time. Time passes and weeks go by. Each week you’re given a chance to maintain your kingdom. You can give audience to captured generals, in hopes that they will join your cause. Or spend time searching the castle grounds looking for new items. The simulation aspect of Dragon Force works well between the midst of battle.

 

Since this is a Sega Ages series we’d expect to see some improvements over the original Saturn release. Some of the graphics have been cleaned up. Sprites look less pixelated and there is no slowdown during battles. Otherwise it still appears to be the same Saturn title. What Sega did add was voice acting. It’s a nice touch, but Dragon Force doesn’t need voice acting to be fun. What could have been added were new troops that were in Dragon Force II. Or for that matter just throw in Dragon Force II.

 

What you’re really buying when you get Dragon Force is a classic game that blends fast action and the strategy RPG genre. If you haven’t played this game before go out and get it. If you have played it, I’m sure your copy is on order.

 

Import Friendly? Literacy Level: 5

The story is in Japanese, with Japanese voice actors. Although what makes the game so difficult for importers is that it’s entirely in kanji with no helpful furigana. Kanji based menus make Dragon Force really difficult to even play unless you have a working understanding of Japanese.

 

US Bound?

Sega of America has yet to announce any plans to bring this over and that’s a real shame.

 

+ Pros: Dragon Force is still the best title to initiate those in strategy/simulation RPGs.

 

– Cons: The game demands patience while you wait for battles to end, troops to move and soldiers to train.

 

Overall: Dragon Force remains a classic to this day. No game has ever managed to blend strategy and the thrill of watching your line of harpies shred through a group of soldiers.

 

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