Unlimited Saga

 PlayStation 2
Metascore
45

Generally unfavorable reviews - based on 26 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 0 out of 26
  2. Mixed: 12 out of 26
  3. Negative: 14 out of 26
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  1. Play Magazine
    70
    I just couldn't sink my teeth into the game, mostly because of the seven-character-based non-linear play, which left me a bit disinterested. I guess I like my games more straighforward. [June 2003, p.57]
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  2. IGN
    66
    Whether it's the clunky navigational setup, a bothersome interface, or the overly complicated battle system, UNLIMITED SaGa may still be a bit too hardcore for its own good.
  3. Game Informer
    65
    Interaction within the environment and the board game movement and structure are tedious and archaic. [June 2003, p.102]
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  5. Edge Magazine
    60
    New skills are simply triggered randomly during battles, resulting in the confusing hit and miss levelling up that so infuriates attention deficient westerners... Indeed, the manner of the execution makes for tough gaming but, paradoxically, it's the exclusivity of the gameplay that will attract a few. [Nov 2003, p.108]
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  6. eToychest
    60
    While I applaud the developers for shedding the trappings of contemporary role-playing games that opt for style over substance, that does not excuse the fact that the actual gameplay is many times awkward and cumbersome.
  7. Adrenaline Vault
    60
    If you take the time to fully understand its mechanics and enjoy the menu-based format, then SaGa will prove to be a unique, rewarding experience. As the alt text for this section says, only hardcore fans need apply.
  8. GameShark
    60
    There's a lot of game to be had if you can get past the game's quirks.
  9. G4 TV
    60
    Hard-core hobbyists may appreciate the title's extreme challenge level, esoteric presentation, and pioneering play mechanics. On the other hand, confusing campaigns and a mind-boggling mission structure guarantee casual enthusiasts just won't get the picture.
  10. GameZone
    56
    I could do without fancy-schmancy visuals and professional voice-acting, all I require in my RPG is good solid gameplay and satisfying plot progression. Neither of which are present in this game.
  11. GamePro
    50
    Even basic navigation is difficult in this game—it will take you an hour or two before you have any idea how to get anywhere.
  12. Game Over Online
    50
    With its ill-defined gameplay, sloppy graphical execution and unclear combat mechanics, Unlimited SaGa is proof that even experienced developers can slip every now and then.
  13. Gaming Age
    50
    Just based on the amount of character customization, Unlimited Saga has so many good ideas that were ruined by poor interface, poor presentation, a below average story, and truly horrendous voice-acting.
  14. Game Power Australia
    45
    The game fails to tell an interesting (or even a cohesive) story and you'll often wonder why you're doing what you're doing.
  15. GameSpot
    43
    Every aspect of the game, from the combat mechanics to the movement to the technical execution of the graphics, is lacking in some regard, and when you add these elements together, you get a game that's simply unpleasant to play.
  16. Cinescape
    42
    Another complaint I have with the game is the map. No longer do you have much control of where your character goes.
  17. Gamezilla!
    42
    A truly abysmal gaming experience that doesn’t do the Square moniker justice, we know they are capable of better.
  18. PSX Nation
    40
    I’d rather have root canal without anesthesia than to ever put myself through the pain that is playing this game any more than I had to already!
  19. Cheat Code Central
    40
    Don't expect much help from the interface. It's a confusing mess that after some 20-hours of gameplay still makes little sense as to its existence - I thought these things were meant to be helpful.
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  20. Official U.S. Playstation Magazine
    40
    It also suffers some stultifying strikes: excruciating difficulty, obtuse mechanics, a stifling lack of freedom, and a brutal mission structure that punishes you as often as it rewards you. [July 2003, p.94]
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  21. Into Liquid Sky
    33
    Let's not kid ourselves - Unlimited Saga is overly deep and complicated to a fault. It's as if Square was trying to make a complex game but failed to add some serious polish or just cut out the excess.
  22. Electronic Gaming Monthly
    33
    This game sucks. Unlimited Saga exemplfies everything that's wrong with RPGs today and throws it all together in one deluxe package for all to avoid like the plague. [July 2003, p.108]
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  23. GMR Magazine
    30
    Having every move consume HP is somewhat unbalancing when enemies already do so much damage, and the reworked HP/LP setup can be bafflingly random. [July 2003, p.72]
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  24. GameSpy
    28
    Everything you never wanted in an RPG -- an awkward and tedious mess.
  25. Game Revolution
    25
    Boring. I mean, the battles could have fallen back on the classic turn-based formula, or at the very least opted for a passable framerate. And even if the minimal road had to be taken, it could have been done in a much easier and welcoming manner instead of obtuse for the sake of being obtuse.
  26. GameCritics
    10
    Graphics aside, battling with the Unlimited Saga system is clunky and completely unintuitive. The battle engine features an insane potluck of disparate elements, almost as if Square-Enix took all of the purged leftovers from ten or fifteen other games and smashed the scraps together to create the unholy videogame sausage that it is.
  27. GameNow
    0
    The gameplay experience never becomes even remotely fun... An excruciating bore. I've never had less fun playing a videogame. [July 2003, p.55]
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Awards & Rankings

64
#64 Most Discussed PS2 Game of 2003
55
#55 Most Shared PS2 Game of 2003

User Reviews

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User Score
4.8

Generally unfavorable reviews- based on 44 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 15 out of 44
  2. Mixed: 8 out of 44
  3. Negative: 21 out of 44
  1. Odiema
    Feb 16, 2021
    10
    The "mystique" of a SaGa game is simultaneously its strongest and weakest point. I love all the surprises and curve-balls a SaGa game throwsThe "mystique" of a SaGa game is simultaneously its strongest and weakest point. I love all the surprises and curve-balls a SaGa game throws at you, both in terms of story and gameplay, especially if you go in blind and figure out those things yourself. Then you play the game for a couple more playthroughs, think you've figured it out, only to visit the forums and realize that you overlooked a huge chunk of the game! Time for another run! To me, it's all in good fun, but most people don't have the time or patience to go through that.

    I remember the first time my entire party in SaGa Frontier was wiped except for Red, only to realize that he can transform into a superhero when everyone is down. Or, in Unlimited Saga where the battle system is all about switching formations every single turn. To even heal at all in that game, you have to put the injured on standby, so you're constantly rotating characters in and out from your entire roster. Or, recently in Romancing SaGa 3, where there is a whole, separate battle system (Commander Mode) that actually makes your party far stronger than the normal one in many situations. A battle system that barely, if any, reviewers ever mention.

    I remember how Unlimited Saga was so incredibly opaque, even for a SaGa game, that there was a huge rift in review scores between the Japanese and the US version, just because the US version got a manual that explained nothing in the game. Imagine playing an RPG without knowing how to heal at all - how much fun would you have? I wonder how many USaga players today even know how to activate multi-art combos in USaga. You have to hit a skill on the FIRST rotation of the combo slot ring so that multiple characters can activate their abilities in a combo. People think that the minimalist board game design was its downfall, but such games have been and are still successful today. It's the extreme lack of handholding for a game that is incredibly deep mechanically and very experimental.

    Unlimited Saga is the most underrated game of the franchise. Don't let the reviews fool you - barely any of them probably even played the game correctly. Unlike other SaGa titles, it is hard to play this one blind (I'd argue that veterans of the series might be able to). If you're interested in revisiting this old, lost gem, here's a rundown of things to expect:

    1.) Dungeons & Dragons-like board game design.

    2) Complex Exploration - For example, it can take up to optional 5 steps (Fortuneteller, Sharpeye, Defuse, Locksmith, Melee) to open a trapped treasure chest safely without it blowing up in your face.

    3.) Experimental Battle System completely unlike anything you can find ever:

    4.) HP is not HP, it's an MP-like resource that also absorbs damage. The more HP you have, the less chance you have of taking LP damage. The same is true of bosses, so you would do a lot of HP damage first, then switch to LP-damaging attacks. Unlike other SaGas, you don't collapse at zero HP.

    5.) Standby Healing - You constantly rotate out characters in your party each turn from your entire roster. Those on standby (not fighting that turn) heal HP. Fights are epic, since the whole party is involved by design. Believe it or not, but the amount you heal is also affected by the weather of the environment (snowy means you heal less).

    6.) Tactical Position - Each turn, you choose who to attack first in what order. This determines aggro from enemies. Correctly rotating defenders is vital to beat bosses.

    7.) Skill Reel - Instead of skill points, you activate stronger skills by pressing attack at the right time on a spinning reel. To activate all skills in a combo attack, you need to press on the first pass of the skill, otherwise other characters' skills won't be aligned.

    8.) Weapon Weight & Attack Types - The Weight of your weapon determines what Attack Types it has, and each type has a different role, whether to attack first to split enemy combos (Quick/Throw), damage HP (Power), damage LP (Multi/Aim), or damage both (Dash). Crafting in this game is very detailed, since you can make weapons lighter or heavier to flesh out your strategy. Lighter weapons in your secondary hand are important for blocking attacks. And of course, none of this is explained.

    Sorry for the long rambling, but USaga's reputation makes me sad sometimes. USaga's brilliant, Formation-based battle system of constantly switching around characters is something too few players appreciate, even among SaGa fans to this day. And sadly, almost no reviewers understand.    … Full Review »
  2. qand_macena7
    Feb 11, 2021
    10
    what an amazing game. I feel like most people giving it really low scores have no idea what they're talking about. It's a really greatwhat an amazing game. I feel like most people giving it really low scores have no idea what they're talking about. It's a really great alternative dungeon crawler… Full Review »
  3. swoke12345
    Sep 20, 2020
    10
    I loved this game. My only problem was, the fact that, the game doesn't give you enough information on what your attacks do, what tile bonusesI loved this game. My only problem was, the fact that, the game doesn't give you enough information on what your attacks do, what tile bonuses do; how to get tile bonuses, and how to get panels. There are guides on game faqs you should read about these things before playing. The game isn't really overcomplicated at all like people might think. I also like the stories within the game as well. The graphics still hold up today, in my opinion. If you like rogulikes, old school rpg's, pen and paper like rpgs. you'll love this just read the game faq guide first.… Full Review »
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