In the first few minutes of gameplay, Minelvaton Saga plays and looks like Dragon Quest: an open-world role-playing game with top-down perspective. As soon as a battle starts, though, the fundamental difference becomes apparent: Minelvaton Saga is an action-based RPG, while Dragon Quest is a turn-based RPG. However, the two sequels Silva Saga I and II feature turn-based combat.
The player is given control of a single character and can explore a number of towns, dungeons, and the world surface itself. Once the player receives the ship for sailing, the game world becomes truly open, as the player can explore almost anywhere that can be reached.
Like a typical role-playing game, there are random battles, but actual combat is action-based. In battle, the player starts at the bottom of the screen facing the enemies that are at the top. In order to defeat enemies, the player must run into one in order to exchange blows. This system was already used in other early series of Japanese role-playing games, e.g. Xanadu: Dragon Slayer II and the Ys series.
Beyond that, the basic plot and some of the battle system concept seems to have been co-opted by Sega's Sword of Vermilion.