You’ll also have to find a vehicle to transport you from place to place. You begin with a simple dune buggy and, as you earn more funds, you’ll eventually be able to purchase a tank. Vehicles can be equipped with a variety of weapons and parts, allowing you to customize your ride however you’d like. Vehicles can be equipped with three weapons: a main gun, a sub gun and an SE weapon. Your sub gun is your primary attack weapon. Though it isn’t the most powerful weapon in your arsenal, it makes up for it with its unlimited ammo supply. The main gun is a little more powerful, but it uses ammo to fire. The SE weapon is similar to the main gun in that it uses limited ammo, though its use is specialized for special situations, such as taking out particular enemy types. What weapons and parts you can equip is determined by your vehicle’s chassis.
Battles are turn-based and take place either on-foot or inside your vehicle. As vehicles take damage, they lose armor plates. Once a vehicle loses all of its armor, it will begin to take damage to its parts. Parts will eventually take enough damage that they will break, forcing you to fight on foot. Armor cannot be repaired in the field, though mechanics are able to do quick field repairs, so it pays to recruit one as soon as you can.
The concept behind the system is great, though it does become a bit of a game breaker. It is nearly impossible to escape a battle without taking too much damage, so you’ll have to run to a repair shop often. The problem is that your winnings from battle usually aren’t enough to cover all of the expenses, especially if you’re forced to go on foot since special attacks cost money.
If you’re tired of typical RPGs, Metal Saga will certainly give you something new and different. At the same time, the noticeable lack of polish and cohesiveness can, at times, cause the game to feel more like work than it should.
