For Most, 'Saga' Will Sag Midway

By AARON CURTISS

Aug. 3, 1998 12 AM PT

TIMES STAFF WRITER

A saga is any long story of adventure or heroic deeds. Although THQ’s “The Granstream Saga” certainly contains plenty of adventure and a few deeds that might qualify as heroic, it earns its name primarily from its length.

By their very nature, role-playing games (RPGs) are long. They demand lots of attention over hundreds of hours as players forge their way through often fantastic worlds. But in the end, the game has to be worth all that time. What’s the point of sitting through interminable dialogue sequences or muddling through complicated mazes or assembling the pieces of a puzzle if the game isn’t compelling?

“The Granstream Saga” premise has considerable potential and the game has done quite well in Japan, where it was developed. But the game suffers from load times that are way, way, way too long and animated sequences that do little to advance the story. Stripped to its core, “The Granstream Saga” could have been a tight adventure. But with all the so-called enhancements, it’s a sluggish chore.

The story follows the history of the planet Granstream, which war virtually wiped out a century earlier. The final blow came when one of the antagonists detonated a device that knocked the planet off its axis and melted its polar ice caps, submerging continents. All life would have perished had it not been for the action of four Wise Men who used magic to split a handful of land forms and make them float in the air. As Wise Men die off, however, their magic is lost and the continents drift downward once more.

Into this scenario steps the hero, Eon, and players guide him through temples, villages and into the air as he searches for the magic necessary to save his people from the oppression of the Imperial Wizardry.

As video game stories go, it’s pretty good. But not good enough to compensate for the ridiculous amount of waiting players must endure as the story unfolds. Regular RPG players know that part of the drill is to sift through dialogue. Most of it is inane, but some of it is critical to the adventure. With “Granstream,” the ratio is too low.

But those delays are nothing compared to the graphic slowdowns. Just because designers can create beautiful animated sequences to take advantage of PlayStation’s graphic power is not by itself a reason they should. Sweet graphics are nice when they enhance the story and blend in seamlessly. But when they lard up action and become a drag on play, they should go.

In all other respects, “The Granstream Saga” is executed competently. Inventory and combat menus are easy to use. Combat sequences move quickly. The music is beautiful. And even when just walking around, the control and graphics are above-par.

Pare “The Granstream Saga” down to those elements--the only ones that really matter--and the game works. In the spirit of so-called director’s cuts, in which games or movies are re-released with original sequences restored, it would be nice to see a “player’s cut” of “The Granstream Saga.” Only this time, the editing would be a little sharper.

Most three-dimensional games--whether on PlayStation, PC or Nintendo 64--suffer from the same duality: They look great but can be frustrating to play.

Very few games get it right. But “Jersey Devil” does. PlayStation is known for hosting titles that appeal to the teenage and twentysomething crowd, so it’s doubly nice to see a great game for younger players.

Parents should have no qualms about letting their kids loose on “Jersey Devil”--unless Mom and Pop have a thing against violence toward mutant vegetables. The Jersey Devil is a weird-looking bat-like creature who’s out to save the world from the sinister Dr. Knarf, whose plans for world domination revolve around his army of mutated pumpkins and eggplants.

Most of the action involves collecting pumpkins and punching out the aforementioned veggie villains. With PlayStation’s analog controller, even the trickiest moves are easy to master. And the ability to rotate the camera 360 degrees provides the kind of flexible perspective so often missing in 3-D games.

The designers of “N2O Nitrous Oxide” created a series of environments unlike anything I’ve seen in more than 20 years of playing games.

“N2O,” a cross between “Tempest” and “Nanotek Warrior,” takes players on a viciously fast trip through psychedelic tunnels crawling with all sorts of overgrown insects.

The goal is simple: Shoot the bugs.

With great light-sourcing and tracks that snap into view, “N2O” is the kind of game video speed freaks dream about. A snappy techno soundtrack compounds the experience.

High speeds may kill, but when channeled into something like “N2O,” the ride is pretty sweet.

Times staff writer Aaron Curtiss reviews video games in The Cutting Edge. To comment on a column or to suggest games for review, send e-mail to [email protected].

(BEGIN TEXT OF INFOBOX / INFOGRAPHIC)

Essentials

The Granstream Saga

Platform: Sony PlayStation

Publisher: THQ Inc.

ESRB* rating: Teen

Price: $39.99

Bottom line: Painfully slow

Jersey Devil

Platform: Sony PlayStation

Publisher: Sony Computer Entertainment

ESRB rating: Everyone