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"An RPG for 'anoraks'"

Role playing games like Final Fantasy are all about being swept along in a powerful story with characters that you can get involved with as you explore fantastic new worlds and fight strange creatures, Vagrant Story is all about being stuck in a workshop tinkering with your equipment.

I really tried to enjoy playing this game, I read all the rave reviews, I bought the strategy guide (a beautiful piece of work) I spent 2 weeks playing the game and put in over 20 hours of saved gameplay time (plus as much again of unrecorded hours from dying.) It was always a chore, at the end is was just a bore.

The storyline is really all explained in the excellent 5 minute intro (gang of terrorists kidnap nobleman's son need to be pursued) and is just there to provide our hero with a reason for embarking on his 'quest.'

The small cast of characters are just there to spout lines of 'period' dialogue 'You wear naivety like a crest' to explain things along the way. There is little or no interaction between the hero and the supporting cast (apart from the fact that he kills most of them.) In fact that is all our hero is, a killing machine. Trying to empathise with him is a little like trying to make friends with Conan the Barbarian or the Terminator (in fact he reminded me a lot of Arnie.)

The action takes place in an endless series of claustrophobic chambers (now and then the game goes outdoors but there is never any world map or visits to new towns that typifies other role playing games.) We are in dungeons and dragons territory here and after a while one gloomy room looks very much like another.

There is a wide assortment of enemies to encounter and dispose of. At regular intervals impressively animated boss sprites need to be defeated. However they are simply there to provide the keys and other items necessary to advance in the game and to test the hero's fighting skills.

So what are we left with - ah yes - the battle system and inventory management! Perhaps because the other aspects of the game are somewhat thin, the developers have decided to go overboard here. You want turn based fighting - you got it. You can open up an attack globe and see exactly how much chance you have of inflicting how much damage on all the various body parts of your opponent. You want active fighting - you got it. All the while you are jumping around the room trying to get within range of your opponents and trying to avoid their attacks. You want spells - you got them. There are dozens of offensive and defensive spells. You want special attacks - you got them. There is an equally entensive list of power attacks that you can learn. You want 'combos' - you got them. Defensive and offensive actions can be assigned to buttons and then combined (providing you get the timing right) into a series of moves. You want items - you got them. Dozens of different roots, bulbs, elixirs are dropped by your opponents as you defeat them.

Finally - WEAPONS! Boy do you get weapons. Brass weapons, iron weapons, hagane weapons, silver weapons, damascus weapons, piercing, blunt, edged, one handed, two handed, weapons with affinities to light, water, fire,earth, weapons good against beasts, humans, the undead. I lost count but it looks as if there are nearly a hundred. Armour! Shields! Headgear! Footwear! Gloves! Accessories in the form of numerous amulets. Gems to attach to weapons and shields. The list seems endless (and if you checkout the strategy guide it covers pages and pages.)

You get to take these weapons apart in workshops scattered throughout the game, you can combine the blades to make new blades and fit them to assorted grips to assemble new weapons. You can attach gems to them. You can repair them. You can enhance their affinities.

Now maybe all this sounds really attractive to you if you are the sort of games player who is fascinated by what happens if you combine your hagane dagger with a high light affinity and strength against the undead with your iron trident with high earth affinity and strength against dragons and fit it with a knuckle guard grip to which you attach the salamander ruby and demon opal, but to me it was all just a bit too complicated. In trying to give 'hard core' gamers every feature known to man the developers have turned the game into a tedious exercise in blacksmithing.

Towards the end of my time with the game I was begging them not to give me any more stuff as I opened yet another chest packed with items. Yet despite the vast range of weaponry you can still end up (as I did) at an advanced stage of the game unable to defeat a run of the mill opponent because I did not have the right weapon with the right affinities at the right strength and with no possibiity of doing anything else but start again to get it. This is the most boring part of the game. You encounter a new opponent, you try to defeat it, if you don't have the right equipment and strategy, you die, you try again, you die again. Or you have the right equipment and strategy and you kill it pretty damn quick.. Or you have nearly the right equipment and strategy and you spend forever hacking away at it to take off small increments of health until you eventually put it down. All the time keeping an eye on your 'risk meter' - don't get me started on the risk meter but just to say it adds yet another frustration to your encounters as high risk means more damage to you and less chance of damaging your opponent.

What is the point of all this planning and battling? To move on into yet another dungeon containing yet another set of enemies requiring yet another exercise in battle and magic strategy. Frankly my dear, I don't give a damn!

So in summary we have a game that in attempting to give you a plethora of fighting features (to compensate for the lack of a storyline, characters or exploration) overwhelms you with too many choices and details. This is not to say that it is a boad game. Obviously a lot of work has gone into the gaphics (superb apart from the never ending dungeons) the sound (great effects and music) the cut scenes, the battle system etc. etc. But what you end up with is like so many of the Hollywood blockbusters nowadays, masses of special effects but no strong story or believable characters underneath.

The game has replay value in that new areas of the dungeon open up after you have completed the game first time through and you get to keep ALL your stuff from the first game. It will take many, many hours to complete (I gave up after 20 hours and that was with a strategy guide and I was only half way through.) The control system is awkward with far too many button presses to remember and whoever put the heavy clunk sound effect each time a button is pressed needs imprisoning in their own dungeon. But I am afraid it is just not any FUN! You don't enjoy playing the game. It is just one dark room after another, one creature after another, and all the time you are struggling to get a grip on the fighting system and what to do with the vast range of options available to you. This is too much like hard work for me! So I am sure it will appeal greatly to some gamers who revel in this sort of thing. For this gamer it is back to cute characters, fun storylines and maybe just one sword to hit things with.

Score: 0/10 or 10/10 depending on which type of palyer you are.

Reviewer's Score: 3/10, Originally Posted: 07/12/00, Updated 07/12/00

"A True Masterpiece"

Imagine being submersed into a world filled with darkness and magic; a world filled with evil and the unknown lurking around every corner; a world where a hellish plot twists and turns at every possible opportunity. This is the world of Vagrant Story, a fantastic game that is ground breaking in every way possible. Vagrant Story combines incredible gameplay, a cryptic plot, beautiful graphics, and phenomenal music to create an experience that no gamer should miss.
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Ashley Riot, Vagrant Story's protagonist, is a Riskbreaker. Riskbreakers are assigned by the VKP (Valendian Knights of Peace) to apprehend major felons in the world of Vagrant Story. Riskbreaker is a dangerous occupation, with little people surviving through the missions. Ashley is different though. He is always cool, always calm, and never questions his assignments from the VKP. Ashley successfully completes all of his missions, and he is known as the greatest of all Riskbreakers. As the greatest Riskbreaker, Ashley is ordered to apprehend Sydney Losstarot, a dangerous felon and the leader of the Mullenkamp Cult. However, after meeting Sydney, everything changes for Ashley.

Ashley is informed that Mullenkamp Cult is an anti-government organization that has been involved in some shady business, including attempted regicide. After meeting the Mullenkamp leader, Sydney, Ashley learns of the Dark. Sydney escapes his first encounter with Ashley by entering the dangerous city of Lea Monde. Ashley follows because of his mission assignment and his yearning to learn more about Sydney.

The plot of Vagrant Story unfolds in the dark city of Lea Monde. Lea Monde, a city abandoned because of a huge earthquake, is forbidden access because of the Dark contained inside. It is in Lea Monde that Ashley learns of magic and begins to question his own existence and the VKP itself.

The story unfolds with Ashley following the videogame's antagonist, Sydney, throughout Lea Monde. However, there are other enemies all around Ashley. Romeo Guildenstern, a leader of the Cardinal's military, is also following Sydney for an unknown reason. The Duke Bardorba, an important political figure, is also supposedly conspiring with Sydney. In addition, there are monsters everywhere in Lea Monde.

The cutscenes during Vagrant Story are a cinematic experience. The shot angles make the game's story feel more intense and exciting. The scenes are implemented very effectively, and they are all fantastic. Some of the story's scenes can be terribly intense or very somber and sad. The final dungeon in the game had me on the edge of my seat with excitement, while some of the cutscenes about Ashley's past had my eyes on the verge of tears. The cutscenes are all fantastic because of the amazing graphics, interesting shot angles, fantastic dialogue, and beautiful music.

Matsuno does a fantastic job bringing the plot of Vagrant Story to life. With fantastic dialogue, near perfect translation, and an interesting premise, Vagrant Story contains one of the greatest storylines on any videogame.
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The gameplay in Vagrant Story is phenomenal. Vagrant Story features a real time battle system, unlike the turn-based combat in the Final Fantasies. Ashley has two modes throughout the game: Normal Mode and Battle Mode.

Normal Mode allows Ashley to regain lost Health Points (HP), Magic Points (MP), and lower his Risk Points. Risk Points are points gained by fighting excessively. The higher Ashley's Risk Points, the more damage Ashley takes, and Ashley has a lower chance of hitting an enemy during battle. Most puzzles and just running around will be done in Ashley's normal mode. Pressing the “X” button during Normal Mode will change Ashley to Battle Mode.

During Battle Mode, Ashley combats his enemies. The battles take place during real time, and Ashley can attack an enemy when the gamer presses the “O” button. Initializing an attack with Ashley brings up a giant sphere signifying the weapon's range; the larger the sphere the greater the weapon's range. Any enemy in the sphere can be attacked. However, the gamer must choose which body part to target and attack on an enemy. Certain body parts yield a higher damage, while others yield a higher miss rate, so it is important to choose carefully. Pressing the “X” button while in Battle Mode will change Ashley's mode to normal.

Ashley must create his weapons through workshops scattered throughout the game. Ashley has nine weapon types (daggers, short swords, axes and maces, great swords, great axes, heavy maces, crossbows, polearms, and bare fists) at his disposal throughout the game. In a workshop, the gamer must combine these weapons to make stronger weapons for Ashley to employ in battle. The gamer is also given the ability to create and combine stronger armors and shields inside a workshop. This addition allows for more involvement in the gameplay and the battles.

The weapons, armors, and shields at Ashley's disposal are given many statistics of their own. Each equipment piece has an affinity with the monster types (beasts, humans, dragons, undead, evils, and phantoms) presented throughout the game. All of Ashley's equipment also has affinity with the elements (physical, fire, water, air, earth, light, and dark) in the game. Lastly, the equipment also has an affinity with the three attacking types (edged, blunt, and piercing). These affinities can be gained by attacking or guarding against certain monster types, elemental types, or attacking types. Each equipment piece also has statistical values in Strength, Intelligence, and Agility. Weapons also have stats for their range, which affects the size of the attacking sphere. The equipment pieces themselves have an immense amount of depth involved in their statistics.

Unlike most Role Playing Games, Ashley does not gain statistics by obtaining experience and leveling up. Instead, Ashley must find items scattered throughout Lea Monde and use them on himself to grow in statistics. Ashley also learns magic through items known as Grimoires. Grimoires contain magic, and using a Grimoire during battle will enable Ashley to learn the magic, and use it without the help of the item. There are four types of magic. Shaman magic heals Ashley's status effects and HP. Warlock magic attacks enemies through the elements. Sorcerer magic changes the statistics of Ashley and his enemies. Enchanter magic either protects Ashley from certain elemental attacks, or allows Ashley to align his weapons with a certain element. Magical attacks expend Ashley's MP in order for usage.

Ashley can also use special attacks, known as Battle Abilities during combat. Ashley gains Battle Abilities throughout the game, and the gamer can assign three Battle Abilities to the “Square,” “Circle,” and “Triangle” buttons. The objective is to chain these battle abilities. When an exclamation point (!) appears above Ashley's head, the gamer must press either the "Circle," "Square," or "Triangle" button to chain one Battle Ability with another. These chains can be virtually endless, however chaining Battle Abilities for extended periods of time causes Ashley's Risk Points to rise dramatically; the gamer must chain Battle Abilities wisely in order to survive the game's battles. The Battle Abilities allow combat to be far more involving and fun, and it is a very interesting and entertaining addition to combat.

During battle, Ashley can also use Break Arts. Break Arts are basically special attacks for each weapon type. Each weapon type has four Break Arts that can attack enemies by expending Ashley's HP. Break Arts are very useful to battle, however I found myself not using these abilities very often.

The gamer is also expected to complete many puzzles throughout the game. The puzzles become progressively difficult during the game, but they are generally very entertaining and interesting.

The gameplay in Vagrant Story is fantastic and truly ground breaking. Very few Role Playing Games offer the gamer an involving gameplay experience like Vagrant Story's. From the epic battles to the fun puzzles, Vagrant Story has a phenomenal and unique gameplay system.
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Vagrant Story is an aesthetically beautiful videogame. Using some impressive graphics, Vagrant Story's character and environmental designs are very detailed and very stunning. Vagrant Story has the best-looking graphics of any Playstation game, and its graphical prowess rivals some Playstation 2 games.

The people in Vagrant Story walk very fluidly and realistically. The characters also have phenomenal facial expressions that look very natural. Every character is gorgeously detailed and looks incredible in Vagrant Story. The game implements some fantastic textures that make every character and environment look very realistic. The magical and special attacks in the game look stunning and are striking to the eye. Each area is also fully three dimensional, which allows full rotation of the camera at the gamer's discretion.

Vagrant Story's graphics are fantastic and are by far the greatest of any Playstation game.
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The sound in Vagrant Story is inspiring and beautifully done. The game does not implement voice acting, however the characters can often be heard grunting in a fairly realistic manner. The music in the game is utterly phenomenal, and it gives the game's story a more epic and fantastical feel. The musical pieces presented during the cutscenes are brilliant. The music makes the game's story feel more personal, and the music is always fitting. Some of the songs are filled with such sadness that I felt compelled to cry just by listening to them. The music also makes the game feel very intense and suspenseful at appropriate times.

The music and sound in Vagrant Story is top notch, and it makes the game feel much more epic.
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For a Role Playing Game, Vagrant Story offers an amazing amount of replay value. After completing the game, the gamer is given the option to play through a second time with all of Ashley's equipment, magic, and stats from the original game; basically a New Game +. On a second playthrough, you are offered more dungeons and bosses to fight, however Vagrant Story's fantastic plot should be enough to bring any gamer back for a second time around.

Vagrant Story offers an amazing amount of replay value. If you enjoyed the first playthrough, I can guarantee that you will play through a second time.
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Vagrant Story is ground breaking in almost every aspect. The game effectively combines fantastic gameplay, beautiful graphics, a phenomenal story, and touching music to make a videogame experience like no other. Because of Vagrant Story's immense depth, any person that plays through this game will enjoy it immensely, and any gamer should purchase Vagrant Story immediately.
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Story 10/10:
Vagrant Story contains a mysterious plot unlike any other game. It is one of the best plots in any game thus far.

Gameplay 10/10:
Vagrant Story offers a very deep and unique gameplay system that is fun and addicting to use.

Graphics 10/10:
Vagrant Story implements the best-looking graphics for any Playstation game, and its graphical prowess rivals some videogames' graphics for the Playstation 2.

Sound 10/10:
Vagrant Story consists of some of the greatest and most touching music in any videogame to date. The sounds from the weapons and characters are also fantastic and realistic.

Replay 10/10:
Vagrant Story offers some excellent multiple playthrough extras that should get any gamer coming back for more. However, the excellent story, gameplay, graphics, and music should be enough for a second playthrough.

Overall 10/10

Reviewer's Score: 10/10, Originally Posted: 12/08/04