Sigma Star Saga is an unusual mixture of space combat side-scrolling shooting and RPG action. Unfortunately, you are stuck doing whatever the plot says you must at any given moment.

I generally enjoy side scrolling space games - I can think of several that I would play for hours and hours. I also *love* RPG games and can play those for months on end. However, they are two completely different types of games, and it depends on what sort of a mood I'm in. If I have 1/2 hr to kill before it's time to go somewhere, then sitting down to a space blaster is perfect. You aren't bored and you have some fun. If I have all night long to play, then an RPG is more my game, where I get lost in the in depth character development.

With this game, you start out in a side scroller. You don't even get any sense that an RPG is waiting for you in there somewhere. Eventually after blasting your way through combinations of completely invincible enemies and others that die with a single bullet, you get to the RPG part. Back and forth you go.

You could be really interested in a long, relaxing RPG exploration - but get stuck in a mindless shooting battle that drives you completely insane. There are times I feel awake and ready for that. There are other times I'm feeling laid back, relaxed, and don't feel like having to worry about split-second shooting timing.

I really do appreciate the thought behind this - to mix genres and have some fun. I appreciate that it was an interesting concept. However, I think if they'd done more testing, they would have found that people needed to be able to choose when to do which. If they'd just set things up differently, it could have been a pairing that worked really well - level up your spaceships, work on your RPGs, all based on what you felt like doing. They just didn't do that.

For now, I'll personally stick with two different sets of games.

Rating: 3/5

Buy Sigma Star Saga from Amazon.com