It doesn’t take much to get me into an RPG. I remember marathon sessions of Final Fantasy on the Super Nintendo, having my cousin growl at me for keeping his copy of Phantasy Star for the Genesis, getting the guide to X-2 just so I could get the ‘perfect ending.’ So when I tossed Metal Saga into the PS2, I made sure the husband would be occupied for a few hours, the phone was unhooked and the IMs were on away.

Metal Saga takes place in a future time after the cataclysmic destruction of technology. Rogue factions roam the world looking to destroy humanity. All that stands between them and the survivors are Hunters. Hunters destroy the rogues as humankind attempts to start over. And as you probably figured out, you are a Hunter. And your first mission…you need to find a car. How else are you supposed to roam the landscape and hunt down those pesky minions of Noah? So off to the junk yard you go!

Gameplay is really easy. If you’ve ever played a RPG, this one isn’t all that different. You have world maps and (when you get close enough) city maps. You interact with inhabitants by going up and talking to them (pressing the X button). There are plenty of shops around where you buy gear, armor, weapons, potions—I mean healing capsules, just about everything. Save points are all over, you go to the church to be resurrected when you die, and there’s even a graveyard. When on the map, if you’re about to enter a battle, the screen pixilates, then boom you’re in the scene.

Battles are turn-based, with the player toggling through action choices. There is the obligatory melee, flee and item. But there is also an action called skill, which allows you to use—you guessed it—a skill. Unfortunately skills cost you currency, so you’re better to use them sparingly. Interestingly enough, you’re able to skip the attack animations by pressing L2, speeding up your battles (who didn’t want to do that in FF7 with all of the Summons, especially Knights of the Round). As a hunter, you’ll go out looking for trouble by picking targets from the bounty posters or going after the bounty of the week. As you travel and level up, you’ll meet people who’ll join your party. And when you’re bored with beating people up, you can always play one of the twelve mini-games incorporated into the story, which include drinking contests, vogueing/posing, and tank battles.

Graphics remind me of 3D anime drawing. It’s cartoony, but in a cute way. Nothing too dramatic or overwhelming, but it pretty much suits the game. I will say the character design is definitely unique. In the very first battle, I was attacked by what looked like a kitchen knife on a bicycle. And let me tell you, that Ginsu-mobile dealt out some damage. There are cannons on legs, weapon-wielding bunny-girls, rapid-fire sunflowers, snails with rocket launchers… There are even rumors of a dog with a bazooka on its back, though I haven’t come across one so far. The designers must have been on controlled substances when making up baddies.

Sound was rather pleasing. I expected something really industrial, given the title and the setting, but it reminded me of Chrono-Trigger. I expected to turn the corner and see a giant dancing robot, or a cat-girl. What I liked most was that, when booting up the system, you’re taken to an options menu that lets you set how loud you want the music and the effects to be while you’re playing.

One thing that most people will take for granted is the humor. If the enemies weren’t your first clue this wasn’t your standard RPG, the character names, such as ‘Optimus Swine’ or the cult of body builders called Gluteus Maximus are a dead giveaway. This game doesn’t take itself too seriously. For instance, instead of a fairy or a priest reviving your dead character, you go to a mad scientist who’s built his own Frankenstein monster.

Players will get some serious gameplay from this cart. It boasts over 800 individual events and quests, allows the player to customize vehicles, weapons, and even has dogs carrying heavy artillery. Every game should have that! I really enjoyed playing this one, enough that I was still playing when the husband came home and plugged in the phone, and I realized I still had to write this review.

Metal Saga is a solid little RPG for both the casual and the hardcore. Plot wise it’s not the most engaging thing out there, but it does have its moments. Graphically speaking, it rivals FF5, but as a unique new game, I’ll say give it a shot.

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