Dark Savior almost amazes me with its difficulty.
Dark Savior, for the Sega Saturn is an interesting game. Released in 1996, this game has an interesting graphical style. All the characters are 2D sprites, but in a 3D polygon environment. For the Saturn, the game looks good. The game also has a great soundtrack that sets the mood and fits the stages nicely.
The story is actually pretty interesting. You explore various parallel realitys which change based on actions done in the opening level. In all the different parallels, you learn more of Garian's past, prison island, among other things.
The gameplay is something unique. Most of the time the game is set in a isometric viewpoint which works fine most of the time, although it can make it annoying to judge jump distance. There is a lot of platforming in this game, and some of it can get frustrating, as every time you fall in a bottomless pit, you are saved by your assistent bird Jack, who charges 20 experence point for every time you fall. This, at times makes increasing your level extremely hard.
At several points, the main character Garian gets into fights with various other characters. Here, your are forced onto a 2D plane and fight with traditional fighting game elements. These sections, while good for variety, are very simple. Most can be won by blocking and mashing the attack button. With each enemy defeated, experience points are gained based on the way you fought.
Though the game is very challenging, many times it seemed as if either the controls or the camera was to blame. The actual platforming puzzles are well designed, but the gameplay surrounding them is somewhat problematic, and the game overall is a little too punishing.
Although this had elements to become a great game, the controls and structure, as well as some under developed RPG elements bring the experience down. However, if you can overlook all that, what remains is a fun old school platformer.
