Customer Rating:  
Summary: You either Love it or Hate it.
Comment: I will start off by saying this game is definitely not for everyone.
The game starts off by allowing you to choose from one of seven characters. Each one has their own story (some better than others). I will say that Square did advertise the game to be something it isn't (seven different games) which it is not.
***Graphics***
Some nice locales and some plain looking locales. While the lighting (outside of battle), special effects (in battle), and monsters (in battle) appear quite nice; however, the characters have few frames of animation and don't have much detail.
***Gameplay***
The open-ended gameplay isn't for everyone. The game is non-linear and at times, it becomes difficult to find your next destination.
In battle, you select commands to attack; however, your characters learn a series of new attacks when they use the attacks they begin with. Characters also learn team attacks when they use their attacks often. This is a pretty cool feature as battles don't become stale fast.
***Music***
Beautifully orchestrated music. This is one of the highlights of this game.
Pros:
-Music is a pleasure to listen to
-Characters learn MANY moves by use of the ones listed in their command window
-Seven different characters to choose from
Cons:
-While there are seven different characters to choose from, some of the stories are weak
-Open-ended gameplay isn't for everyone
-Graphics may be a turn off to some
-Difficult Navigation
-Squaresoft Advertised the game as something it is not.
This is a game I would have to recommend others to rent first (if you want to try it out). I personally love the game; however, I can see why many wouldn't like it. You either fall into the half the like the game or hate it.
Customer Rating:
Summary: Definately more entertaining than any Final Fantasy
Comment: Sure it might not be for everyone, but the game play is very fluid. There are no stupid random encounters. I played through as Blue and got sucked into the game like no other game has done since. I don't condsider the game to be playable with all 7 characters though. The missions are all basically the same regardless of who you play as and it will get monotonous quick.
Customer Rating:
Summary: Hate it or Love it
Comment: This seems to be one of those games that people either hate or love, and personally I'm on the "love" team.
It definitely has its downfalls; the dialogue is shoddy, and some of the plots are very lacking, but I really love the concept. Seven different storylines to choose from, seven different characters to play as, and any of their storylines can cross over at any point. I also enjoyed all the different worlds you can travel to, and monsters you can battle.
The different character types were also very cool.
You had your garden-variety humans; mechs or robots; mystics, which have the ability to learn special magics; monsters, which can absorb enemy abilities and forms; and there were a few cross-breeds and special characters as well.
There were certain places and quests that were specific to a storyline, but there were also quests that you could choose to partake in with almost every character. The rewards were gaining certain magical abilities, or special weapons, etc. to help you in the game.
There was also an interesting battle system that allows you to create combos of certain abilities, which do a greater amount of damage and can lead to certain super abilities; they're hard to predict and perfect, but so far I've found they're only essential to one storyline, which is that of the monster Riki.
To sum up, SaGa Frontier may be far from the best game ever created, but it is unique and has provided me with hours and hours of enjoyable gameplay.
Customer Rating:
Summary: Not your Average Game
Comment: I must say, when I first picked up Saga Frontier years ago I wasn't all that impressed.
It was later that this game impressed me, mayhap cause I was caught, like everyone else in the hype of Final Fantasy 7, and the game showed its real colors and style.
Yes, you get lost in some of the rich background art and landscapes, but honestly what games don't you? Ever since the PSX came out the rich graphics, the touches of detail, even the shading has foiled us old skool gamers who were used to a rich storyline while making due with little to no real graphics. Saga Frontier goes above that though. Some call the stories dumb, some call them retarded. There are a few storylines I wasn't all that fascinated with, but most of the time, this game has and still snares me in its web, where i'm willing to play it over and over again, even if i've achieved all the characters endings.
Theres always something new you can do, some way to achieve a newer, stronger combo, or even just get a skill you never knew existed before now. I never used a strategy guide for this game, though there was times I really wish I had had one, and I always found it enjoyable.
On to the technical aspects and gameplay.
1) The 2d sprited characters in a rich background. Thats a long time played thing, and always successful. The sprited characters look good overall in the game, though there could have been a few better animations for it.
2) Gameplay: I found, overall, that the gameplay of Saga Frontier was quite unique. It combined a lot of elements from various different games I enjoyed. The learning of new skills based on what weapon/moves you do reminds me of the secret of mana series. The combo system reminds me of the much beloved Chrono Trigger. You have the stylized turn-based combat system that was popular before, during and after this game's time. You also have the unique stat leveling system, where your stats were gained by what you did, like if you used magic a lot, the stats that influenced magic damage and more got higher whereas if you used specific combat skills/weapons those related stats grew.
3) Storyline: Some say that the storylines for it are pretty dumb, or downright stupid. I tend to disagree. There are some not so good spots in the story line, but you run into that all the time in many RPG's Overall, the storylines for the seven characters were all unique and if you played your game right, you could even get others in your party and see how their storylines intersected your own story.
4) Music: To be honest with you, I loved the music for this game. The songs are catchy, the paces, tones, rhythyms are all nice. I must say that I think they didn't use the full power of the soundcard in the Sony Playstation and it could have been better. The music was good enough for me to purchase the 3 disc soundtrack for Saga Frontier. I think the music is well done and the songs suit the areas for which they are made very appropriately(specifically the music that is played in Facinaturu for Asellus).
Downsides:
1) Graphics: The lush backgrounds are just too lush at times, dragging down the gameplay cause you have to spend so long finding a zone out spot you need.
2) Gameplay: The combo system and the skill learning system can be downright confusing. If you don't use the right skills you might never pull off the combo you want, making it hard to do. This adds a good dimension of challenge to the game, but can get frustrating.
3) Storyline: It does seem a bit repetitive when you have to do some things over and over again for each character and at times, the story seems a bit too childish.
4)Music: My only complaint here is that Square did NOT use the full capability of the Sony Playstation for its music. The music was wonderfully done, but Square poorly put it in game, diminishing the overall strength of the music.
Overall: 4.5 stars(can't do 4.5 in the ratings) This game was a lot of fun for me for a very very long time and still is. To this day I continue to enjoy this game and the music. I think that square could have done a few tweaks in the game to make it a 5 star game, but overall, one of the best games I ever played on Sony Playstation.
Customer Rating:
Summary: NOT for everyone. at all. no matter what.
Comment: listen, to be honest this game wasn't put together with a lot of care. I don't care if it's a cult classic now-a-days, when I got it brand new for my birthday way back when it ruined my whole day! in any one of the seven quests you can get lost in the first hour. it'll start out giving you some basic direction then abandon you like a child in the mall. determined not to waste a birthday present I purchased the strategy guide over a year later. for some reason I found myself pouring 20hours into the first quest... and at least that much in each of the six more. the charm from this game comes not from the muddy graphics, lame music, or sometimes bare bones plot, but from the thrill of improving your characters. magic quests can be lengthy but well worth it and sometimes necessary, and even in typical battles there is always that small chance an enemy will drop a very rare and powerful item. traveling all over the world to gain a measly several thousand credits... there's something so engrossing about all of if. there are a TON of weapons and armor to find in this game and a good amount of depth to the battle system. if it is possible for any of you I recommend you borrow the game or rent it first. and no matter what, your going to need a strategy guide so cruise ebay.
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