The Granstream Saga

1997, developed by Shade

The Granstream Saga is an action game with strong RPG elements, and a spiritual successor to Gaia games. The player controls Eon as he explores overworld and dungeon locations, which are presented in overhead-viewed 3D. Battles are one-on-one; whenever an enemy is encountered, the view is zoomed on the combat participants who must fight each other until one of them emerges victorious. Eon can use swords, daggers, or axes against his enemies. He has a variety of attack moves at his disposal, including combos, shield-breaking abilities, etc.; he can also actively guard and cast magic spells. Leveling up, which increases Eon's attributes, occurs at set intervals throughout the game rather than from accumulating experience points.