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16 of 16 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
The last review is wrong..., September 4, 2000
By A Customer
This review is from: Vagrant Story Official Strategy Guide (Official Guide) (Paperback)
I do agree that this book is missing a few things, namely a complete armor and weapons list. Also, the publisher put the weapons combinations tables at their website instead of in the book, which Brady has a bad habit of doing. But the last review, and several others, point out things about the guide that just aren't true. For instance, armor DOES affect the way potions and spells affect your character. It's clearly stated in the game instruction booklet and in the in-game Quick Manual (a built-in reference guide for playing the game.) So the author is not wrong in stating this. I do agree that it's more affected by the weapon's intelligence, however. Also, there is a very complete table of Break Arts, Chain Attacks and Defense Abilities, so I don't know why some of these reviews harp on that. One review stated that the best weapon in the game is not in the guide. That's not true, it's detailed in the Clear Game section on p.165 at the bottom. Only it's called the Excaliber in the american version. I also did not find that there was any problem with the Instill ability's description or use by the author. He says when to use it when appropriate. Mostly he states to use Raging Ache, and his final boss tactic works supremely well. I would advise other reviewers to actually read the guide and play the full game before passing any judgements. I can see that tremendous efforts were made on the part of the author to render a very complete guide. While there are a few non-essential elements missing, the guide does give you solid strategies for beating the game in style. I don't agree that there are plot spoilers in the book, it seems that the author went out of his way not to discuss the story at all. When a cutscene happened, I wasn't expecting it because the author hadn't indicated that it would occur (like so many other authors tell you about every single cutscene), and I appreciated it very much. I would say it is worth buying this if you are new to RPGs. But for those who want every single element of the game represented, there are more complete strategy guides available for free online.
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15 of 15 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Not to shabby by any means, July 22, 2000
This review is from: Vagrant Story Official Strategy Guide (Official Guide) (Paperback)
The Vagrant Story guide is one of the best strategy guide efforts I've seen in a long time. Virtually every facet of the game is covered in tremendous detail. It starts off with a HUGE introductory section, and quickly dispels the inevitable confusion gained from reading through the instruction booklet in regards to the characters, game controls, battle engine, and inventory management. No mode of the game is left uncovered, and each is given an appropriate amount of attention and detail. The weapons, spells, abilities, and items sections are not just comprised of mere lists; pages are taken to describe exactly what each thing does, as well as how to most effectively manage your quantities of each given the limited carrying capacity available in the game. The game walkthrough is handled with the same degree of detail. Each main area starts off with a very thorough map, which shows how each room connects to the other areas, as well as the booty and bosses contained within them. Given the VS is a game that requires a decent amount of backtracking, it is a pleasure to note that these maps are repeated throughout the guide as older areas are revisited in the walkthrough; this saves the gamer the time and effort of flipping back through 20 or so pages to find out the best way to navigate to the next destination. The room descriptions are wonderful, as they point out what nasties and obstacles are found in each and how to get around each one. Accompanying screenshots are large and clear. The game's numerous bosses each require very different strategies, and this is just another area where this guide shines. Don't expect merely a sentence or two that give you the boss' name and a list of its abilities; you get that, plus numerous (and thoroughly tested) strategies to bring each one down based on your playing style. You'll be told what types of weapons and spells work the best, as well as how to manage your RISK factor so it works to your advantage rather than a disadvantage. Also worth mentioning is the extensiveness to which particular character abilities are most suitable to dealing with each foe-quite useful. The guide doesn't leave you hanging after the final boss either. The "extra" areas of the game that are only available for play after completing the mission once are presented, in no less detail than the rest of the book, in the final section There were only a few noticeable weaknesses to be found. Solutions are abound to all of the game's block puzzles, but the screenshot-to-screenshot approach the author took did not seem the most appropriate method. These sections of the walkthrough require multiple re-reads before you can understand the perspective they were written from. And the occasional "wrong direction" instructions may leave some gamers frustrated if they're not able to pick up on the solution after a few steps. Many of the high-end weapons and other equipment were noticeably absent from the tables in the intro section. There was also the occasional area name left off of the maps, and some sections of the walkthrough began without telling the player how they got from the last location to the current one. Plot spoilers are also present in some parts, so one must be careful not to look too far ahead. But because these are exceptions rather than consistencies, it's not enough to bring the book down to a mediocre rating. Overall, this is a fantastic guide for a fantastic game. Each page is packed with game-related information only, and no wasted space is to be found. If you're in the market for VS literature, you're bound to find something in this book to give you the edge.
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5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Great Strategy Guide, February 4, 2002
This review is from: Vagrant Story Official Strategy Guide (Official Guide) (Paperback)
I play videogames for ten years now, and I have approximately 60 strategy guides (Nintendo, Prima, Versus Books, Bradygames) for various games. When it comes to strategy guides I'm very demanding about clarity of the text and organisation of different sections, the quality of maps(!), listing of items etc. This guide deserves 5 stars. The maps are clearly drawn, very detailed, include texts for the most important steps to clear a mission (complemented by the text, of course), and clearly indicate the most important locations (chests, save points, and -especially important - your STARTing point which some guides completely miss). The sections about items and enemies are also very clear and complete, and so is the text of the walkthrough (with reference points to the maps). Overall, this guide has one of the best maps I've seen in a strategy guide which are informative, clear, and a great orientation throughout the game(no fancy pantsy 3D-maps which lack listing of items, are confusing and not a big help). The guide is worth every cent.
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