Dragon Force (Sega Saturn, 1996)

Dragon Force was a late 96 release for the Saturn. A huge translation project to bring the game over for Working Designs, it proved in time to be a quality title that many Saturn owners praised. A little on the expensive side now, is it worth it for the casual Saturn owner to pick up? Here's how my ratings go:

GRAPHICS: 7/10
Well, this may one department where it doesn't score off the charts. The characters, battles etc. are all 2D. Fortunately that doesn't hinder the game all that much, because the battles are very good and you don't really notice the 2D after a while. There is a load of different characters featured in the game, and most of them are unique. The world map is a little grainy but it is pretty diverse and very large. There are also some videos in the game that are good and come at good times, and the photo stills featured in the game add a little bit as well. This is one of the games where graphics aren't a huge concern and you can live with what they give you.
GAMEPLAY: 9/10
This is almost perfect. The idea in Dragon Force is you control one of the eight rulers and must consolidate the kingdom into one to fight the evil god Madruk. You start with a few castles and must capture all the other castles and other rulers to make them join you. Simple concept, but it plays out really well. When you storm a castle, attack or get attacked you enter a battle. Battles work with each general having a max of 100 soldiers on his or her side and then the two sides have it. Generals have special moves that can hurt the other general as well as his troops. It is quite a sight to see a 100-on-100 battle, and there is no slowdown. If you win, you can capture an opposing general and eventually try to make him join you. You can award your generals by allowing them to have more troops at once, and you can also give them items. The computer will attack you as well as each other, so there is a lot going on on the world map. AI is usually good, sometimes the computer will make some stupid attacks, a unit may get stuck or something of that nature, but in reality the gameplay is almost flawless. You can only move your units on fixed paths, unlike Ogre Battle 64 where you can move anywhere, but it doesn't detract from the game much. Another nice addition is that battles between specific generals trigger different dialogue than normal, so those can be a welcome sight.
WORTH BUYING: YES
No doubt here. I know that the game goes for 50+ dollars. However, I got mine for 15 bucks (CD only) and I'm sure there are places to get it for a reasonable price. I know it's expensive, but I really suggest you add this one to your library. It has plenty to do, a strong story and was very innovative for its time. I'm not sure if I've played anything like it, other than maybe Ogre Battle 64, which was also very good. If you're adding to your Saturn library and are thinking about getting this, do yourself a favor and pick it up. You won't be disappointed.

I remember picking this game up when it was first released in 1996 and I had lots of fun and fond memories with this game.

Dragon Force was one of the best RPG released by Working Design (which is out of business now). The English localization is done quite well in my opinion. So what makes this a Sega Saturn classic?

1) 8 different playable characters: Each with an indepth storyline and different ending.

2) Many generals to recruit and each with unique ability or magic.

3) Command your general and soldiers in each battles. You are able to control up to 100 soldiers in each battle. You can choose various formation and tactics for your troops.

4) Many hours of fun and great storylines.

The only down side (or good thing) is that it will take a long time to complete the story of one character. So it will take a quite to play through all characters.

If you are looking for a classic Sega Saturn RPG with a good combination of graphics, storyline, action and animation, look no further! Pick this game up and try it out, but it may be expensive...

Dragon Force came out back in '96. I picked a used copy up once on a whim, and loved it. My friend and I would stay up all night taking turns playing it. The game is rather simple once you get into it, but it's just so much fun you won't care. I'm a huge RPG fan, and have played all the great ones, like Final Fantasy III(VI), Chrono Trigger, and Earthbound. As great as all three of those games are, Dragon Force just got more playtime from me. Granted, Dragon Force is different in that it's a Strategy/RPG, but where it gets you is the story and replayability.
Every single game will play out differently. Granted, there is only one ending per country, but no matter how you try to play it, things will be different each playthrough. I just ordered it again on EBay for $76, and can't wait to get it. I won't be letting it go this time, I'll have it for as long as it works, then I'll buy another one.
One last thing worth mentioning, is that each country you can play as (there are 8 total, 2 of which have to be unlocked) has their own ending, and there are well over 100 characters to recruit. That's right, this game has more playable characters than Suikoden and even came out BEFORE Suikoden. The only game to have more characters than this so far is Radiata Stories, and this one each character has a personality.
Highly recommended for casual and hardcore RPG/Strategy fans, although the price of the game might not be for the casual gamer.

Dragon Force is a unique game that combines strategy and Japanese roleplaying in a colorful and memorable way. Dragon Force may very well be the best game on Sega Saturn and reason enough to keep or buy a Saturn even today. The structure of the game focuses mainly on the combat system and nation-building, it is clear that this is where most of the developers' resources were allocated. the player commands an army, which is broken down by officers, and each officer commands between 10 and 100 troops. You conquer or defend castles, capture generals, and search for items to increase your power. Every encounter with the enemy is such that you choose an officer from your detatchment (5 generals to a detatchment and up to 10 defending a castle) to skirmish an enemy officer based on his skills and the type of unit he commands, i.e. knights vs. soldiers or monks vs. zombies. The most promising element of this game is its replayability, however, it suffers from being too formulaic and the enemy A.I. is rather bad which makes the game fairly easy. This however does not stop the game from receiving an excellent rating and I highly recommend it to anyone who enjoys games like Gemfire, Suikoden, or RTS games.

One of the best Sega Saturn Games hands down. A perfect combination of strategy,
role play, and action. The battles are epic and every decision you make feels serious and vital to having ultimate success in the game. Oh yeah, and there's nothing like seeing 100+ warriors on the field at once fighting in real time.