Customer Reviews

Vagrant Story

5 star:		(64)
4 star:		(16)
3 star:		(13)
2 star:		(7)
1 star:		(8)

 

 

I've been a console RPG fan for many years now. From Dragon Warrior to Final Fantasy I have played most all of the popular games that have long been the catalysts for mass obsession. Vagrant Story is no exception to this rule. I purchased this game right as it hit the shelves, not knowing what to expect...but knowing that I was not to be disappointed by the divine power of Squaresoft. This is perhaps a game that could be referred to as "video gaming's first successful gene splicing experiment." Combine a pinch of the dungeon roaming found in the old Zelda or Diablo games with a dash of Tomb Raider and you have the beginnings of a great game. Now, mix in one part Final Fantasy and set in a rich, dark, gothic environment...and voila!...you have quite possibly the world's perfect video game.

The battle system in Vagrant Story is like none that I have seen before...it is possible to target your opponents body parts separately in order to perhaps find a weakness. There are also real time functions that you learn called battle abilities which allow you to make your attacks more effective. You don't necessarily find complete weapons in this game either, you make your own...and then name them!

Let's not forget the monsters...there are more than I can count. Dragons, zombies, lizard-men...all of these and more haunt the complex dungeons you will explore on your quest. In fact, as an added point of challenge for the game, the weapons you use will eventually developing a liking to the flesh of the creature you most often attack and will become more effective against others of its kind...but beware!...your weapons may become ineffective against those monsters of an opposite persuasion.

In closing...get this game...period...no questions asked. If you can look in a mirror and say with a straight face that you are a serious console RPG fan, you have absolutely no choice...no...you owe it to yourself to give this game a try!

This is my favorite video game of all time. That said, it's not for everyone. The graphics/ animation are top notch, but you can certanly do better in this age of PS2, Xbox, etc... The control system and interface are great but definately take some getting used to. The game uses a strange hybrid of menu driven combat, combined w/ "chain attacks" and "reaction abilities" that involve split-second timing.
The plot is top-notch, absolutely the most engaging story-line from any game I've ever played. It's a shame that this game never took off to reach the popularity of Squaresoft's flag ship Final Fantasy series, because it would have probably made for a much better movie.
All that aside, what secured this game as my #1 favorite of all time is the totally unique character progression system. No "gaining levels" here, to increase your stats you simply need to locate various potions that will each give you a permanent boost of a few points to one stat.
But that's just the begining, the real meat of the character progression system resides in the weapon system. There is a huge assortment of weapons in this game, from war mauls, to katanas, to cross bows and beyond, and each comes with a huge number of statistics. Each weapon can have any number of elemental strengths and weakness, as well as relative powers vs. diferent enemy types. And weapons evolve with use, so if you bust out the same trusty sword each time you come across an undead enemy, you'll soon find that blade has increased its power against that enemy class and has grown weaker vs. others. Add to this the ability to combine blades and armour and reassemble weapons at blacksmith shops throughout the game, and you've got everything you need for hours and hours of character-tweeking dorking-out time. Did i mention that if you beat the game you can start over with all of your weapons intact? This, along with some areas only accessible on second play, give this game a lot of re-play value.

OK, so like i said, it's not for everyone... but if you appiciate a fine plot, original game play, or an infinately tweakable progress sytem, this game won't dissapoint.

This is one of the best games I have ever played, and one of Squaresoft's best titles. This blows all other Action/RPGs out of the water. First off, the graphics are THE best the Playstation has ever seen, without a doubt. Second, the story. It is better than half of the movies at the Academy awards, (definately better Titanic or Shakespere in Love!) and is cinematic all the way through. The battle system is like none before, and perfect for this game. It encourages you to play it over and over trying to beat records of time, chest percentage, etc. Zelda? What Zelda? Vagrant Story is THE game, and with this, Legend of Mana, Threads of Fate, and Chrono Cross ( I MUST HAVE THAT GAME! ) this will be the best summer in Squaresoft, no Video Game History!

There are many good games. "Resident Evil," "Siphon Filter," "Metal Gear," "Tomb Raider," "Tekken," "Parasite Eve" all come to mind instantly for most of us. As good as they are, they all have blemishes. The machinegun you're holding mysteriously changes to a glock when FMVs play between rooms in "Resident Evil." The backrounds are stunning in "Tomb Raider" but many of the characters are animated so poorly it's distracting. The combat system in "Parasite Eve" is great, as far as RPGs go, but hardly involves the excitement that live combat controls bring. The grammar, acting, and backstories in most videogames... well, they're awful.

Enter "Vagrant Story."

The animation (mosters, humans, animals, elementals, water, magick) is better than any Playstation game yet; from the twitching ears on the Ogre to the slack jaws of the goblin kings. The combat system is perfect. Not being able to customize the key set is somewhat annoying, but it's so well designed you forget quickly and learn to lean on the O for combat instead of the X. The system is a perfect blend of RPG style (think of the "Parasite Eve" ranging system) with live buttons for defense and special attacks (there are about a dozen special attacks and defenses which you gain with experience and assign to 3 keys for live combat). The score and sound are fantastic as well. It's one of the few games you can play with headphones and not notice glitches or poor mixing in the sound and music.

Load times are good and always smooth. Bosses are extremely tough (and there are many of them) but not impossible to beat on the first try if you're in the swing of the game and know how to use all your resources.

All that and a story that's interesting *and* sensical. How often does that happen?

You know you've bought the right game when watching the initial FMV. Ashley Riot (the hero) is told, "...we need to wait for reinforcements." He replies, "Reinforcements? I am the reinforcements."

Buy this game. PS2 games will look better but it will be awhile before they play better. They finally, finally, finally got it all right.

Wow!. At long last my hat is off to Square. I have seen the future of Rpgs, and it is a third person view from behind. (A cross between Tomb Raider and Final Fantasy. I was impressed by this game. If you know any of my reviews, you know I don't enjoy some of this company's other, more popular series of games. I am happy to say That Vagrant Story makes up for the inadequacies of the FF series. When you pop this game in the consol, you will discover; a new combat system, that makes it easy to take on a very difficult set of dungeons, a system for equipping and using items that is a dream to use, lots more fun than filling materia slots. The Art, music and plot of this game are all worthy of a great Rpg. The only detractor in my mind is this: The designers of this game thought it would be neat if the charactor spoke in voice bubbles like comic book charactors. They were wrong. The baloons cover up some of the best video game art ever while the charactors are speaking. As good as this game is, I think Square could have invested in real voice, for at least part of the game. Enough for the detractors! This game has it all, good plot, good action, frequent saves, and no bad guy, whether it's a run of the mill zombie, or a boss is too hard to kill. Hard enough, but not impossible. Hats off to whoever it was that said, " Hey, if the story is good, they'll play it over and over, instead of trying to kill the same boss again and again and getting disgusted." The cobat system is different than anything you've played before, but once you're used to it, it's a dream. Keep using those healing items, there's plenty of them. This game is about paying attention and thinking as much as it is fighting. You'll get hung up on the map and the puzzles more than you will tough enemies.

...and you need it for this game. I absolutely loved it, but I know many people do not have the interest or patience for a long, difficult game. The story revolves around a Riskbreaker named Ashley Riot, send to the abandoned city of Lea Monde to track down a cultist, Sydney Losstarot. Most of the game takes place in Lea Monde, so make yourself at home there.

Vagrant Story will probably take around 30 to 50 hours to beat on the first play, depending on how long you spend looking for weapon componants and spell scrolls. No, not gaining levels, this game is not level-based. You can only increase your stats, health, and magic with oh-so-rare potions and beating bosses. (I started the game with 250 health and finished with 280.) Most of the 30-50 hours is spend dungeon crawling and fighting with the occasional pause for plot scenes. Be warned, the battles in this game are HARD. Normal enemies can take a lot of effort to kill, especially if they gang up on you. And you WILL die at bosses until (and probably even after) you get the hang of the battle system. It's not complicated, just heavily based on timing your attacks. There is some emphasis on problem solving and puzzles, mostly block puzzles, but not as many as other games (ie, Soul Reaver). The graphics are a little bit blurry close up, but in general they are very fluid and well-done. The characters are given facial expressions and moving mouths when they speak, and the cut scenes (while not CG) are impressive.

The best part of this game is definately the plot. Months after playing it, I'm still discussing the plot and characters. There are heavy religious and political themes (another thing some people have no interest or patience for), and some very good plot twists even for the minor characters. If you enjoy a good, dark story and an ending that's not ridden with sappy cliches, you will probably like Vagrant Story. On the more solid end of things, the battle system is a nice change from battle-screen combat (Final Fantasy games, for example). It's a bit like Secret of Mana in that you just run up and attack enemies. There is a variety of weapons and armour, so you can customize Ashley however you like.

The bad points of this game would have to be how linear it is. There's basically only one major thing to do that's not required (beat the Iron Maiden), but you can't get there until you beat it at least once. It's pretty much a straight path from beginning to end with no side quests, secrets, or prolonged breaks from dungeon crawling. There are some time trials, and the challenge of building up your weapons and armour, but in general there isn't much to distract you or many secrets to discover. The plot makes up for it, in my opinion, but a few side-quests and extra development for the minor characters (Grissom, Samantha, etc) would have been nice.

I'd give Vagrant Story about a four. Supurb plot, good battle system, nice graphics. But a major minus for the lack of extra things to do. If you like a good story and enjoy a challenge, this game is for you. If you're the kind of person who likes plow through games without much effort and has no patience for battles or appreciation for a wonderful plot, pass.

Squaresoft is widely known to stun everyone with the unique RPG genre, and with Vagrant Story, they did it again.

The game starts off with Riskbreaker Ashley Riot, a VKP (Valendia Knight of Valendia). He was assigned to solve a mystery involving Sydney, a mysterious, dark person and leader of the Mullenkamp cult who starts causing havoc in the Valendia Kingdom. At the same time, the Duke of Valendia was murdered. Ashley was framed and escaped to the deserted city of Lea Monde to clear his name and find out what Sydney is up to.

Like Parasite Eve, Vagrant Story concentrates on action and has the similar battle system, except with the addition of the Chain Abilities. This addition allows you to hit a target more than one time with just a simple carfully timed push of a button. Unaccurately pushing the button ends the streak. The action in this game is probably the best feature in this game.

Preventing this game from being perfect is the balance of the bosses. It's like when you reach a boss, it can take one or two hits just to kill you rendering you to constantly heal over and over. And to add to that, some players may have a difficult time with the Chain Abilites; not everyone has a good hand-to-eye coordination.

Overall, this game is great, but hard at times. So I would recommend this game to people who have had experience playing Parasite Eve. The story is easy to get into, and a lot of practice is necessary if you ever want to see the conclusion of this Squaresoft near-perfect game.

Square outdid itself again. A few months ago they released Front Mission 3, which I thought was great, if somewhat of a niche-game. Though not as popular as some of the more mainstream games like Final Fantasy, it had great gameplay and was loads of fun. I thought, "Man, how is someone going to top this?" Well who better to do it than Square themselves. Vagrant Story is the single greatest and most complete game I have ever played, saved for one. That one game could be its brother; Metal Gear Solid. The comparisons are extreme; both have a very cinematic, polished feel. A great story (better than any movie in the theater)with unbelievable gameplay and graphics. Each gave me this feeling that it wasn't someone's plan to get rich but like an artist, painting with his soul. Just completely unbelievable. Anyone who knows a Playstation, or even knows someone who does or did, should get this game anyway possible. If not, then what in the world are you doing with a PSX?

Rating says the game is good, but it's definitely not for everyone. Those who are used to the Final Fantasy series by Square will probably be disappointed by this game because, quite simply - they are of different genres. FF is a pure, solid, RPG game without a trace element of Action, Adventure, or Puzzle. Vagrant Story, on the other hand, is a combination of all 4 above genres - and the result is not only fun and entertaining, but exciting as well.

Breakdown-

Graphics - Absolutely beautiful detail, high polygonal characters with lush backgrounds and well-designed dungeons. It's good to see that Square does really good work with graphics even without touching CGI FMV. Lots of little graphical tweaks (like accurate shadows, detailed faces) make this game beautiful to watch. Best of all, all of the cut scenes are presented using in-game graphics, with almost cinematic camera shots and techniques - it feels like you're watching a movie.

Music/Sound - Great for atmospherics, but nothing too memorable for me other than the intro music (played alongside the only FMV sequence in the entire game). This is probably the poorest section of the game, especially given Square's reputation for hiring composers such as Nobuo Uematsu to do their wonderful orchestrated music.

Storyline - Two thumbs up, the story progresses at a nice, even pace and there aren't any ridiculous twists and turns in the plotline that make it sound forced. The ending is one hell of a clincher...and definitely some of the clearer work that Square has done recently.

Characters - Well developed, etc. etc. I like the characters. We get to know them relatively well, and any information that we don't receive isn't very important to begin with.

System - This is where the game shines. The Parasite Eve style battle system, offence/defence chain abilities, and workshop ideas are all awesome. Plus, for the hardcore gamer, technicalities such as weapon vulnerability, elemental affinity, and monster type all play a role in effecting the damage you do.

It's a great game. Buy it. But only if you're not one of those narrow minded people who thinks there is no Square outside of Final Fantasy.

If you are even remotely considering buying this game, I urge you to do so. Or if it takes more convincing to turn you into a Vagrant, read on...

The graphics in Vagrant Story are superb. The cinematic cutscenes are especially well done, and the voice acting is top notch. The translation of story to English is one of the better translations in an import game. The cutscenes appear when needed and flawlessly move the engrossing story along.

The music is excellent, as you would expect from a Squaresoft title. If you havent bought many or any of Squaresoft's games, then rest assured, you're in for a treat, they almost always have unforgettable little music pieces here and there, and great mood setters for different areas, and Vagrant Story is no different. Whether its from the Abandoned Mines, or the Great Cathedral, you'll find yourself enjoying the music as well as the action.

The story is quite involving, easily one of the year's best plots so far. Basically you play through the game as Ashley Riot (dont you love guys named Ashley?) a member of an elite group of guardsmen, known collectively as the VKP. What they do, when not taking themselves too seriously, is track down doers of great evil, (or even minor evil) and give them a swift, but brutal tongue lashing, or, failing that, a nice duel to the death. Anyway a naughty (and presumably evil) man called Sydney kidnaps Duke Bardova's only young son and escapes, forcing Ashley to pursue him to a town called Lea Monde. What Ashley dosent know is that Lea Monde is one troubled city, filled with evil, and it soon becomes apparent that Sydney isnt the only evil guy around. The story runs rampant with enough conspiracies, backstabbings, plot twists and action to make even Sherlock Holmes blink.

Vagrant Story also has replayability. Why play it once you've killed the Last Boss. You feel good about yourself, having killed him, why do it again? Because you uncover more to Lea Monde the 2nd or 3rd time around. You can save after finshing it and experience the city anew, with your new weapons, armor, and most items. And you can unlock new doors that you couldnt before, find new secrets, and even uncover new areas and treasure that was never found the first trip through Lea Monde.

After reading all this, you've got to ask yourself:

Am I a Vagrant?