Here's my thing: I'm the Rick Astley of JRPGs. I never give them up no matter how much they may be letting me down. My 'played' page has its share of RPGs that I absolutely detested but soldiered through anyway, through a mix of Fear Of Missing Out and feeling like I need to have experienced the entirety of an experience to judge it properly, with a bit of Plain Old Fashioned Stubbornness thrown in.
I started playing Vagrant Story on the back of my fifth playthrough of Final Fantasy Tactics (gotta set it up with the Ivalice connection), and was immediately awestruck by the gorgeous graphics that pushed the PSX to its absolute limits, the stellar translation that was sorely lacking from FFT, and the near-perfect cinematic quality that seemed to be the platonic ideal that earlier Square titles like FF6 were striving for. Never would I have imagined that this was the game that would break me!
This game has mechanics on top of systems on top of subsystems; I've played games with obtuse mechanics before, but Vagrant Story is particularly bad at teaching you how to play it. I'm aware that there is an in-game manual, but it's way too much information and the game's early stages don't push you to learn the mechanics in an organic way. The idea of a pure dungeon-crawler with no shops and the only tools at your disposal being what you find and what you craft is sound, but again the crafting mechanics are so obtuse and so irreversible that you can so easily hose yourself at any point with poor crafting decisions and end up in a situation where none of your tools work. And equipment is so influential to the point that it stifles strategy - you either have the right equipment and steamroll the enemy or don't have the right equipment and get stuck poking at a mook for ten minutes.
But the aspect of this game that really made me bounce off it was how soul-crushingly tedious it was. Yes, the load times and spell animations are inexcusably long, and yes, there is endless menu-hopping to be done to change your setup every time you meet a new enemy. But it goes a lot deeper than that: the totally-unnecessary limited inventory necessitated an storage box system which is of course extremely tedious to navigate and which you also inexplicably have to save every time you use. Even something as simple as getting your bearings takes way too much time to do because you need to enter the map menu in order to see the compass directions! This tedium bled over into the bread and butter of the combat as well, with the Risk Bar increasing whenever you attacked, forcing you to either use consumable items to bring it down (which remember, you can't buy because there are no shops), or.... to wait until it goes down on its own.
I really wanted to love this game, but in the space of a week I dropped it three times, talked myself into giving it another chance three times, and realized on my fourth attempt that I was at 20% map completion and completely burnt out, and I just brought out the white flag.
There is absolutely plenty to love in here. Depending on what you value in your RPG experience and your level of tolerance for specific types of bullshit, this game could very well be one of the best games you play, and justifiably so. As such, this is probably the only 1.5-rated game on my list that I would recommend every RPG fan at least give a fair shot!
I started playing Vagrant Story on the back of my fifth playthrough of Final Fantasy Tactics (gotta set it up with the Ivalice connection), and was immediately awestruck by the gorgeous graphics that pushed the PSX to its absolute limits, the stellar translation that was sorely lacking from FFT, and the near-perfect cinematic quality that seemed to be the platonic ideal that earlier Square titles like FF6 were striving for. Never would I have imagined that this was the game that would break me!
This game has mechanics on top of systems on top of subsystems; I've played games with obtuse mechanics before, but Vagrant Story is particularly bad at teaching you how to play it. I'm aware that there is an in-game manual, but it's way too much information and the game's early stages don't push you to learn the mechanics in an organic way. The idea of a pure dungeon-crawler with no shops and the only tools at your disposal being what you find and what you craft is sound, but again the crafting mechanics are so obtuse and so irreversible that you can so easily hose yourself at any point with poor crafting decisions and end up in a situation where none of your tools work. And equipment is so influential to the point that it stifles strategy - you either have the right equipment and steamroll the enemy or don't have the right equipment and get stuck poking at a mook for ten minutes.
But the aspect of this game that really made me bounce off it was how soul-crushingly tedious it was. Yes, the load times and spell animations are inexcusably long, and yes, there is endless menu-hopping to be done to change your setup every time you meet a new enemy. But it goes a lot deeper than that: the totally-unnecessary limited inventory necessitated an storage box system which is of course extremely tedious to navigate and which you also inexplicably have to save every time you use. Even something as simple as getting your bearings takes way too much time to do because you need to enter the map menu in order to see the compass directions! This tedium bled over into the bread and butter of the combat as well, with the Risk Bar increasing whenever you attacked, forcing you to either use consumable items to bring it down (which remember, you can't buy because there are no shops), or.... to wait until it goes down on its own.
I really wanted to love this game, but in the space of a week I dropped it three times, talked myself into giving it another chance three times, and realized on my fourth attempt that I was at 20% map completion and completely burnt out, and I just brought out the white flag.
There is absolutely plenty to love in here. Depending on what you value in your RPG experience and your level of tolerance for specific types of bullshit, this game could very well be one of the best games you play, and justifiably so. As such, this is probably the only 1.5-rated game on my list that I would recommend every RPG fan at least give a fair shot!
A true work of art that is full of passion, ambition, professionalism, and creativity
Vagrant Story is the miracle of Yasumi Matsuno, his final game and magnum opus. While not without its flaws, Vagrant Story is a true testament to what video games could be when designed with mature audiences in mind. Its storytelling techniques are the absolute best I've ever encountered in the medium. It's beautifully written in an artistic,literary language that was unseen in videogames at the time,intertwined with masterful subtext, never babysitting the audience with meaningless plot expositions. It is a tale full of intricate characters; every piece of dialogue is quotable with an exquisite use of Shakespearean English,thanks to the brilliant translation by Alexender O. Smith,but also masterfully packed and well balanced with just the right amount of characterization and plot significance. Implicit storytelling places it farther than it's counterparts and closer to modernist novels,with how the player is expected to piece together the plot points they're given rather than explaining every single thing. This type of implicated storytelling still hasn't been fully replicated in the videogame landscape,a fact that is enough to represent Matsuno as a gifted writer and a unique auteur in the industry.
It is impossible to talk about Vagrant Story without mentioning it's technical aspects.Matsuno and his team pushes the PS1 hardware to it's absolute limits,without bogging down the experience with low framerate and slowdown issues.Diving into the development history reveals how team struggled to make the game run on a stable framerate with such detailed visuals,and spend 3 whole years to optimize the game with unconventinal techniques for the time, without limiting it's vision.And the result is a game that looks incredible for the hardware, both from a technical and stylistic standpoint.Immense attention to detail in every room,lighting effects,smooth animations,detailed facial expressions and striking designs of every character,monster and location gives the game a unique art direction that uses it's hardware limitations to it's advantage,and still holds up tremendously well.
With how Vagrant Story focuses on it's technical aspects and storytelling,it is easy to assume that gameplay was a second thought of the team,most of the modern games that are considered "cutting edge" doesn't usually offers deep mechanics and solely focuses on their high quality presentation.This is absolutely not true for Vagrant Story.With a mixture of traditional dungeon crawling and action RPG systems,combining menu selections with real-time combat and free movement, it is easy to classify it as an action RPG, however,the menu navigation part is more involved than most turn-based RPGs. With combat requiring the player to take advantage of several weaknesses of the enemies,whether that be the weapon type,body part,elemantal or class weaknesses, every combat encounter requires the player to analyze the enemies extensively before engaging them to decide which tool in their in their varied arsenal they should use, and more importantly, how should they use. Once you adjust your equipment accordingly, engaging the enemy has a whole other set of factors to consider when designing your strategy. The most prominent of these are chain attacks, which are timed button presses you need to do in order to deal damage, not unlike games such as Super Mario RPG. However, like everything about the combat system,these attacks can be deeply customized to have all kinds of different effects other than simply inflicting damage. These can be draining the opponent's MP or HP,inflicting status ailments such as silence or poison, renewing your weapon's damage point by small amounts, etc. These abilities mean that every encounter is like a puzzle with multiple solutions you can choose from. However, the player can't just rely on their reflexes to beat even the most powerful bosses, because the more you use these chain attacks, the more your "risk" bar rises. Risk bar is similar to a stamina bar, your limititation to attack endlessly; however,it is arguably a far more creative use of this concept. As your risk bar increases, the more you get hit and the lower your hit rate gets. This adds another important factor, in a game already dominated by numerous complicated systems, you have to figure out the most optimal way to play in order to conquer the game's challenges. There are a lot more to talk about,such as a crafting system,your weapon's damage point and phantom point,different types of enemies,box puzzles and actual dungeon crawling, etc. But for now, I'll keep it there.
The amount of complexity and density of the systems can be overwhelming for many, but for those who prioritize micromanagement, customization, and experimentation in RPG gameplay systems,it is very rewarding and satisfying to master the intricate gameplay,with subsystems upon subsystems to learn. Every single system complements each other to create an incredibly deep gameplay loop with tons of things to consider. It is easy to say, both in terms of story and gameplay, that Vagrant Story is not the kind of game you can fully comprehend and appreciate in a single playthrough. It is a short yet polished experience, to the point where it shines as one of the brightest gems in videogame history. It is a technical marvel,a work of art with experiential storytelling and direction techniques; a passion project; it is dramatic and theatrical,but not awkward or unnatural; it is mechanically rich and unique; sometimes cumbersome,yet always engaging. It takes a lot from a lot of different genres,while not truly belonging to any of them,and creates its own unique and memorable identity. It is a kind of masterpiece we'll never see anything similar to it ever again
Vagrant Story is the miracle of Yasumi Matsuno, his final game and magnum opus. While not without its flaws, Vagrant Story is a true testament to what video games could be when designed with mature audiences in mind. Its storytelling techniques are the absolute best I've ever encountered in the medium. It's beautifully written in an artistic,literary language that was unseen in videogames at the time,intertwined with masterful subtext, never babysitting the audience with meaningless plot expositions. It is a tale full of intricate characters; every piece of dialogue is quotable with an exquisite use of Shakespearean English,thanks to the brilliant translation by Alexender O. Smith,but also masterfully packed and well balanced with just the right amount of characterization and plot significance. Implicit storytelling places it farther than it's counterparts and closer to modernist novels,with how the player is expected to piece together the plot points they're given rather than explaining every single thing. This type of implicated storytelling still hasn't been fully replicated in the videogame landscape,a fact that is enough to represent Matsuno as a gifted writer and a unique auteur in the industry.
It is impossible to talk about Vagrant Story without mentioning it's technical aspects.Matsuno and his team pushes the PS1 hardware to it's absolute limits,without bogging down the experience with low framerate and slowdown issues.Diving into the development history reveals how team struggled to make the game run on a stable framerate with such detailed visuals,and spend 3 whole years to optimize the game with unconventinal techniques for the time, without limiting it's vision.And the result is a game that looks incredible for the hardware, both from a technical and stylistic standpoint.Immense attention to detail in every room,lighting effects,smooth animations,detailed facial expressions and striking designs of every character,monster and location gives the game a unique art direction that uses it's hardware limitations to it's advantage,and still holds up tremendously well.
With how Vagrant Story focuses on it's technical aspects and storytelling,it is easy to assume that gameplay was a second thought of the team,most of the modern games that are considered "cutting edge" doesn't usually offers deep mechanics and solely focuses on their high quality presentation.This is absolutely not true for Vagrant Story.With a mixture of traditional dungeon crawling and action RPG systems,combining menu selections with real-time combat and free movement, it is easy to classify it as an action RPG, however,the menu navigation part is more involved than most turn-based RPGs. With combat requiring the player to take advantage of several weaknesses of the enemies,whether that be the weapon type,body part,elemantal or class weaknesses, every combat encounter requires the player to analyze the enemies extensively before engaging them to decide which tool in their in their varied arsenal they should use, and more importantly, how should they use. Once you adjust your equipment accordingly, engaging the enemy has a whole other set of factors to consider when designing your strategy. The most prominent of these are chain attacks, which are timed button presses you need to do in order to deal damage, not unlike games such as Super Mario RPG. However, like everything about the combat system,these attacks can be deeply customized to have all kinds of different effects other than simply inflicting damage. These can be draining the opponent's MP or HP,inflicting status ailments such as silence or poison, renewing your weapon's damage point by small amounts, etc. These abilities mean that every encounter is like a puzzle with multiple solutions you can choose from. However, the player can't just rely on their reflexes to beat even the most powerful bosses, because the more you use these chain attacks, the more your "risk" bar rises. Risk bar is similar to a stamina bar, your limititation to attack endlessly; however,it is arguably a far more creative use of this concept. As your risk bar increases, the more you get hit and the lower your hit rate gets. This adds another important factor, in a game already dominated by numerous complicated systems, you have to figure out the most optimal way to play in order to conquer the game's challenges. There are a lot more to talk about,such as a crafting system,your weapon's damage point and phantom point,different types of enemies,box puzzles and actual dungeon crawling, etc. But for now, I'll keep it there.
The amount of complexity and density of the systems can be overwhelming for many, but for those who prioritize micromanagement, customization, and experimentation in RPG gameplay systems,it is very rewarding and satisfying to master the intricate gameplay,with subsystems upon subsystems to learn. Every single system complements each other to create an incredibly deep gameplay loop with tons of things to consider. It is easy to say, both in terms of story and gameplay, that Vagrant Story is not the kind of game you can fully comprehend and appreciate in a single playthrough. It is a short yet polished experience, to the point where it shines as one of the brightest gems in videogame history. It is a technical marvel,a work of art with experiential storytelling and direction techniques; a passion project; it is dramatic and theatrical,but not awkward or unnatural; it is mechanically rich and unique; sometimes cumbersome,yet always engaging. It takes a lot from a lot of different genres,while not truly belonging to any of them,and creates its own unique and memorable identity. It is a kind of masterpiece we'll never see anything similar to it ever again
Vagrant Story was a huge breath of fresh air and one of the best games I've ever played. The combat is on-field and you can stop time to go into your menu and pick your action. The combat also rewards equipment preparation and allows you to change equipment during battles in order to adapt and counter the enemies you are facing. This game offers so much utility in combat and continues to get better as you gain more abilities and magic. The soundtrack is beautiful, and the story along with the characters are very interesting. The character designs themselves look very inspired.
This game opts out of using a tutorial and throws you in with absolutely no explanation of any of its complex mechanics. Most of it is explained in the in-game manual, which I thought I would point out. I prefer this method of explanation instead of the game treating you like a baby whenever a new mechanic is introduced. If I ever had questions, I could cite the manual whenever I needed.
I can't recommend this game enough. Anyone should try this if they're looking for a non-traditional JRPG, or just a good game in general.
This game opts out of using a tutorial and throws you in with absolutely no explanation of any of its complex mechanics. Most of it is explained in the in-game manual, which I thought I would point out. I prefer this method of explanation instead of the game treating you like a baby whenever a new mechanic is introduced. If I ever had questions, I could cite the manual whenever I needed.
I can't recommend this game enough. Anyone should try this if they're looking for a non-traditional JRPG, or just a good game in general.
This may look like a frustrating game but when you do the right things (like choosing proper affinity for enemies, this'll do for most of the game) it'll become the most enjoyable and impressive game ever made.
vagrant story is a lot like xenogears but less extreme, where it's really good if you can deal with the not-so-great gameplay and it's worth it to look past that aspect. it's an excellent character drama with a light amount of a political drama as well, and despite being one of the shortest square games i've played the characters are all really compelling. i also love how vague and unclear a lot of the game is, reminds me of that weird feeling of unfulfilled satisfaction you'd get after watching a good movie that leaves a lot of questions unanswered.
between the story, characters, and the absolute gorgeous visuals (seriously, it's probably one of the best looking games i've ever played) i can safely say that the only thing holding back vagrant story is the lackluster and sometimes frustrating gameplay, but even then it's absolutely worth at least checking out.
between the story, characters, and the absolute gorgeous visuals (seriously, it's probably one of the best looking games i've ever played) i can safely say that the only thing holding back vagrant story is the lackluster and sometimes frustrating gameplay, but even then it's absolutely worth at least checking out.
Right from the beginning of the game, Vagrant Story grips you with what is one of the most captivating openings to a game I've experienced with its refreshingly serious tone, its mysterious, almost menacing music and its presentation which is unlike anything else on the PS1 with how detailed the 3D models are.
Though the presentation certainly helps the cutscenes be enjoyable to watch, the story manages to stand on its own two feet and understanding more about the setting of Lea Monde as well as seeing Ashley's journey of self-acceptance regarding his past was extremely fascinating to me. The story is also helped by having a fantastic translation that feels so authentic it's as if it's ripped straight from the time period the game is set in as well as having jaw-dropping cinematography. So much can be inferred from simply the camera angles and lighting that it adds another layer to the already great narrative the game has.
When it comes to the gameplay, the game is much rougher around the edges. Starting with the positives, I do think Vagrant Story avoids a lot of issues that I have with RPGs. For starters, there's a level of skill involved in Vagrant Story that's absent from other RPGs with how the game has a rhythm aspect to its attacks and pressing the action button at the appropriate time leads to a follow-up hit. This means being good at Vagrant Story is more about getting to grips with the game's mechanics rather than being a question of how much time you want to put in mindlessly grinding, grinding is basically non-existent in this game. Also, the skill aspect makes beating enemies in this game feel more rewarding than in any other RPG I've played especially when you pull off a 10+ hit combo. I also like how buffs and debuffs play a key role here and aren't completely negligible.
However, it's not all good, for starters, the game explains absolutely Nothing about any of its systems and the game is pretty complex for RPGs of this era which only makes the issue worse. Explanations are in the manual but It makes the game show its age regardless. Additionally, the menus are terrible, they feel counter-intuitive and everything just feels really cluttered which is made worse by the fact that you'll spend more time in the menus than actually fighting as you change blade types, weapon affinities, gems and other equipment prior to most fights in the game. If there's one word to describe it, it's clunky and the same can be said about other aspects of the game like the platforming, the completely unnecessary block puzzles and the random traps in the rooms that do nothing more than cheapshot and annoy the player. Another weird design decision is teleportation, the game's fast-travel mechanic. It costs mana, and a ton of it at that, sometimes more mana than you're capped at. This means that often, if you want to backtrack, you'll have to teleport to an area that's closer to your destination, wait for all your mana to refill, then finally teleport to your destination. It feels slow and I don't understand why they couldn't make it cost less MP.
An aspect of the game I'm split on is the Risk system, the more attacks you do and the more attacks you endure, the higher the risk meter goes up, the higher the risk meter goes, the less accuracy your moves have but you also do increased damage and the same goes for the enemies. I do like how it's not an entirely black and white system and I also enjoy the layer of decision-making it adds with having to pick between taking the risk and potentially doing more damage or playing it safe and lowering the risk meter with items. What I don't like about it, is that if you pull off a long combo, it'll usually max out the risk meter and your next action is almost guaranteed to miss. In that regard, the risk meter essentially punishes you for playing well.
For all my grievances about the game feeling slow and its questionable design decisions, It's still a game I'm glad I played and I'd recommend it to anyone who is a fan of RPGs. It does some things wrong, but what it does well, it does so masterfully that it overshadows any issues I had.
Though the presentation certainly helps the cutscenes be enjoyable to watch, the story manages to stand on its own two feet and understanding more about the setting of Lea Monde as well as seeing Ashley's journey of self-acceptance regarding his past was extremely fascinating to me. The story is also helped by having a fantastic translation that feels so authentic it's as if it's ripped straight from the time period the game is set in as well as having jaw-dropping cinematography. So much can be inferred from simply the camera angles and lighting that it adds another layer to the already great narrative the game has.
When it comes to the gameplay, the game is much rougher around the edges. Starting with the positives, I do think Vagrant Story avoids a lot of issues that I have with RPGs. For starters, there's a level of skill involved in Vagrant Story that's absent from other RPGs with how the game has a rhythm aspect to its attacks and pressing the action button at the appropriate time leads to a follow-up hit. This means being good at Vagrant Story is more about getting to grips with the game's mechanics rather than being a question of how much time you want to put in mindlessly grinding, grinding is basically non-existent in this game. Also, the skill aspect makes beating enemies in this game feel more rewarding than in any other RPG I've played especially when you pull off a 10+ hit combo. I also like how buffs and debuffs play a key role here and aren't completely negligible.
However, it's not all good, for starters, the game explains absolutely Nothing about any of its systems and the game is pretty complex for RPGs of this era which only makes the issue worse. Explanations are in the manual but It makes the game show its age regardless. Additionally, the menus are terrible, they feel counter-intuitive and everything just feels really cluttered which is made worse by the fact that you'll spend more time in the menus than actually fighting as you change blade types, weapon affinities, gems and other equipment prior to most fights in the game. If there's one word to describe it, it's clunky and the same can be said about other aspects of the game like the platforming, the completely unnecessary block puzzles and the random traps in the rooms that do nothing more than cheapshot and annoy the player. Another weird design decision is teleportation, the game's fast-travel mechanic. It costs mana, and a ton of it at that, sometimes more mana than you're capped at. This means that often, if you want to backtrack, you'll have to teleport to an area that's closer to your destination, wait for all your mana to refill, then finally teleport to your destination. It feels slow and I don't understand why they couldn't make it cost less MP.
An aspect of the game I'm split on is the Risk system, the more attacks you do and the more attacks you endure, the higher the risk meter goes up, the higher the risk meter goes, the less accuracy your moves have but you also do increased damage and the same goes for the enemies. I do like how it's not an entirely black and white system and I also enjoy the layer of decision-making it adds with having to pick between taking the risk and potentially doing more damage or playing it safe and lowering the risk meter with items. What I don't like about it, is that if you pull off a long combo, it'll usually max out the risk meter and your next action is almost guaranteed to miss. In that regard, the risk meter essentially punishes you for playing well.
For all my grievances about the game feeling slow and its questionable design decisions, It's still a game I'm glad I played and I'd recommend it to anyone who is a fan of RPGs. It does some things wrong, but what it does well, it does so masterfully that it overshadows any issues I had.
This is probably one of the best looking games on the PS1 on a technical level, and aesthetically one of the best looking I've ever played. Akihiko Yoshida's art is already great, but the way his designs were adapted into the game's character models is seriously impressive. They used every trick they could think of to make the characters as expressive as possible, while using half the polygon count that FF7 and 8 did, and it's especially impressive considering the team had never worked with 3D graphics before this.
I hyped this game up for myself for a long time just based on the art style, but I had no idea how it actually played until I started. Surprisingly, the combat was also pretty great. Most of the "hard" part of the game is just being prepared, and having the right weapons for any given situation. The attribute system is cool in that it allows you to specialize and customize your weapons for use against specific enemies. I didn't mess with the crafting very much, but I imagine there's even more depth and weapon customization to be found there. The actual combat is engaging on its own, but if you're doing things right, boss fights and encounters shouldn't take very long, especially if you make use of everything you have available to you.
The story is interesting, fairly straightforward but there's a lot of things that aren't explained outright, or that are left for you to think about. Still, I wouldn't say it was hard to follow despite that, and the cutscene direction and aesthetics were strong enough that it didn't bother me.
Overall, really great game. It has a lot of unique aspects that I think it pulls off really well, and the total package isn't quite like anything I've played before.
TLDR: Sydney Losstarot is literally me 10/10
I hyped this game up for myself for a long time just based on the art style, but I had no idea how it actually played until I started. Surprisingly, the combat was also pretty great. Most of the "hard" part of the game is just being prepared, and having the right weapons for any given situation. The attribute system is cool in that it allows you to specialize and customize your weapons for use against specific enemies. I didn't mess with the crafting very much, but I imagine there's even more depth and weapon customization to be found there. The actual combat is engaging on its own, but if you're doing things right, boss fights and encounters shouldn't take very long, especially if you make use of everything you have available to you.
The story is interesting, fairly straightforward but there's a lot of things that aren't explained outright, or that are left for you to think about. Still, I wouldn't say it was hard to follow despite that, and the cutscene direction and aesthetics were strong enough that it didn't bother me.
Overall, really great game. It has a lot of unique aspects that I think it pulls off really well, and the total package isn't quite like anything I've played before.
TLDR: Sydney Losstarot is literally me 10/10
Squaresoft and Yasumi Matsuno's second collaboration spawned the painstakingly crafted Vagrant Story, a hyper-intricate and hyper-mystifying gem, perhaps the culmination of the former's acrobatic presentation and the latter's disquieting writing. Alongside the visuals, what immediately stands out are the main cutscenes: A minimal and reckless form of storytelling, packed with refined - almost cryptic language and portrait-worthy shots in which characters enter, ponder and exit with (seemingly) little to no regard for identity nor coherence, only to slowly decode a tragic plot and cast as it proceeds. The best moments - in particular, emit an immersive yet disorienting atmosphere that reminds one of the more abstract, ghostly experiences of Xenogears' second disc, while others are boss fight intros rendered in creative and dramatic ways. Its structure, both narratively and functionally, had little in common with JRPGs; largely indifferent to the hero's journey and to the village-to-dungeon format (basically a gradually-unraveling dungeon-crawler that disposed of the hub, shops, friendly NPCs, currency, etc.), which becomes an attraction in itself.
Equally original is the gameplay, ostensibly a mix of action-adventure, platforming and ARPG whose combat combines free movement with menu-selection pauses (reminiscent of Parasite Eve minus the ATB gauge) and damage-able limbs a la Front Mission. But in reality, it's the systems that tower over the rest; dense and overwhelming in a vein similar to Ogre Battle (another Matsuno-led project). The most striking aspect is probably how one's equipment factors into hit/damage calculations, utilizing not one but three sets of resistances + weaknesses (affinity, class and type, i.e. elements, species and weapon blades, respectively), and partly governed by mutating stat levels (e.g. Fire, Undead, Piercing) tied to both gear and enemies. At the same time, mechanics such as Break Arts (weapon-exclusive supers unlocked via use-based mastery), Chain Abilities (that evolves SMRPG via quasi-unlimited, unlockable offensive/defensive follow-ups), and especially the aptly-named RISK (a secondary meter that trades accuracy and defense for crit-rate and healing power as chains accumulate) add even more rules and layers to this peculiar brand of strategic-action. This game's most trivial system would be a main feature on other RPGs.
Other - but no less vital mechanics complement the more distinguished ones, ranging from crafting, weapon mods, equipment tiers, durability, proficiency, etc. Altogether, these ideas form a convoluted web of interactions that turns each encounter into a flexible customization challenge, where bosses can either last for 20 minutes or fall to a single chain combo. Not even its many drawbacks (the overdemanding and sometimes hopeless early-game situations, the constant menu setup and the input-bloat) could spoil this multifaceted type-matching approach. By the end, the player has gathered and honed a virtual toolbox of equipment, magic and augments to construct specialized builds for any battle scenario.
A veritable alien JRPG encyclopedia, elegant and puzzling, theatrical but never awkward nor melodramatic, complicated yet intriguing, Vagrant Story absorbs and weaves together concepts from all sorts of past games without belonging to any of them.
Equally original is the gameplay, ostensibly a mix of action-adventure, platforming and ARPG whose combat combines free movement with menu-selection pauses (reminiscent of Parasite Eve minus the ATB gauge) and damage-able limbs a la Front Mission. But in reality, it's the systems that tower over the rest; dense and overwhelming in a vein similar to Ogre Battle (another Matsuno-led project). The most striking aspect is probably how one's equipment factors into hit/damage calculations, utilizing not one but three sets of resistances + weaknesses (affinity, class and type, i.e. elements, species and weapon blades, respectively), and partly governed by mutating stat levels (e.g. Fire, Undead, Piercing) tied to both gear and enemies. At the same time, mechanics such as Break Arts (weapon-exclusive supers unlocked via use-based mastery), Chain Abilities (that evolves SMRPG via quasi-unlimited, unlockable offensive/defensive follow-ups), and especially the aptly-named RISK (a secondary meter that trades accuracy and defense for crit-rate and healing power as chains accumulate) add even more rules and layers to this peculiar brand of strategic-action. This game's most trivial system would be a main feature on other RPGs.
Other - but no less vital mechanics complement the more distinguished ones, ranging from crafting, weapon mods, equipment tiers, durability, proficiency, etc. Altogether, these ideas form a convoluted web of interactions that turns each encounter into a flexible customization challenge, where bosses can either last for 20 minutes or fall to a single chain combo. Not even its many drawbacks (the overdemanding and sometimes hopeless early-game situations, the constant menu setup and the input-bloat) could spoil this multifaceted type-matching approach. By the end, the player has gathered and honed a virtual toolbox of equipment, magic and augments to construct specialized builds for any battle scenario.
A veritable alien JRPG encyclopedia, elegant and puzzling, theatrical but never awkward nor melodramatic, complicated yet intriguing, Vagrant Story absorbs and weaves together concepts from all sorts of past games without belonging to any of them.
I thought Ashley was a rabbit.
Oh what a unique game.
I never beat this game as a kid and now i see why, this game is hard and there's no holding hand here, the game expect you to learn and explore by your own. That's just so good and rare compared to today's industry.
The story is mature, cryptic, convoluted and is presented with a strangely good camera work for PS1 generation.
Only two things I would have liked to be better: first, I would have liked the armor changes to be reflected in Ashley appearance, just like weapons do. And more important, this game NEEDS a quick weapon swap! The game demands you to have the right weapon for the right enemy, you need at least 3 different affinity weapons at all time and it's a pain to be changing weapons on the normal menu, this game needs a d-pad quick weapon swap.
I can't believe Square just forgot about this gem, it totally deserve to have a sequel. I think i'm even going to do NG+
I never beat this game as a kid and now i see why, this game is hard and there's no holding hand here, the game expect you to learn and explore by your own. That's just so good and rare compared to today's industry.
The story is mature, cryptic, convoluted and is presented with a strangely good camera work for PS1 generation.
Only two things I would have liked to be better: first, I would have liked the armor changes to be reflected in Ashley appearance, just like weapons do. And more important, this game NEEDS a quick weapon swap! The game demands you to have the right weapon for the right enemy, you need at least 3 different affinity weapons at all time and it's a pain to be changing weapons on the normal menu, this game needs a d-pad quick weapon swap.
I can't believe Square just forgot about this gem, it totally deserve to have a sequel. I think i'm even going to do NG+
https://driftinginterests.neocities.org/posts/2021-02-08-Vagrant-Story-and-Video-Game-Auteurs.html
in short, dope ass game with dope ass atmosphere
in short, dope ass game with dope ass atmosphere
Some of the most impressive art and cutscene direction in a PlayStation title. Still need to beat it. The equipment system in this game was invented by a crazy person.
I would commit heinous crimes for a remaster of this game. Firmly in my holy trinity of all-time favorites. Unsure how this game would play for a first-timer but I still play this every year or so and love it like the first time. I'm also a massive FFXII shill and I love the Ivalice connection - I have no way to prove this but I swear the soundtracks share motifs. Anyway, that's not relevant, this game fucking slaps and should be mandatory
You can tell that this game is a keeper when the protagonist moons the front cover.
Woke atmosphere, woke story, woke writing (and especially woke translation). And the gameplay is fun as hell. Stick to Fortnite, moogy. Fuck the endgame box puzzles though.
Enter Ashley Riot, Riskbreaker
Basic premise/Story
From developer studio Square, and directed by Yasumi Matsuno. You play as Ashley Riot, a Riskbreaker who travels to Leá Monde to investigate the connection between a cult leader and duke Bardorba. A simple investigation right? Oh, I wish. There is more at work here in the dark and a story worth uncovering.
Battle Mode Please
Unique Gameplay
Vagrant Story's gameplay is one of the most innovative or convoluted systems of systems I have ever had the pleasure of playing. But, I feel the game has some of the weirdest design decisions regarding those systems in place. So I sympathize with the sentiments of those, who feel the combat/crafting is clunky and cumbersome. I certainly felt them. However, I feel these two systems along with the progression of how to increase stats and gain affinities to be more effective against enemies is a neat twist against the traditional level-up by grinding enemies endlessly.
Here, you have to be smart since enemies feel deadlier. Encounter an undead enemy and you may find yourself having a tough time without a silver weapon or a certain type of weapon like blunt, edged, or pierce. Each monster is weak to a certain type or more. So you have to figure out their weaknesses by analyzing enemies or through trial and error. You cannot simply bash every enemy you see with your strongest weapon. The game simply doesn’t work that way.
Nonetheless, not only do you have to figure out what weapon the enemies are weak to, but their base characteristics give a hint or sign of what else they could be weak to. Such as phantoms. Weak to weapons with a high affinity to phantoms or any other element. Humans and other creatures you face become increasingly more susceptible to their nature. As long as you use the same weapon continuously to create a high affinity with the weapon. You can become more effective in dishing out more damage to the creature/humanoid/or other abominable nightmares you face.
And this is where the game truly starts to shine. As you use the same weapon since the beginning. You become more in tune and more effective at using it. Making it deadlier against say 'dragons' if you continue to kill more dragons or combat them. You gain affinity incrementally as you fight each type of enemy. And thus your weapon can become stronger. If you’re worried that the main weapon you have been using will fall behind in damage you can combine that equipment with another blade to create a more powerful blade. The catch is you need to be in a workshop with the right type as well as make sure the resulting weapon is stronger and not an inferior weapon.
As long as players pay attention to stat values in the bottom right corner and make sure your affinities are intact. Because combined weapons combined each blade's affinities. So using a piece of old equipment with a piece of new equipment and the resulting equipment will maintain the gained values and negative values the item has. So in theory and practice, you can use an old weapon you have been using since the beginning and use that weapon by endgame. Well… It’s going to be combined with other weapons, so the merged weapon would contain all the affinities you built up since the beginning. Weapons don’t degrade after continuous use either.
So then what’s the main appeal to the battle system beyond fighting and defeating enemies to make our current weapons stronger? The answer is the battle system or more aptly named ‘Battle Mode.’ With one button press Ashley can unsheathe his weapon and or shield he has equipped and a sphere starts to spread from his character. Any enemy caught within the sphere can then be attacked by Ashley on any limbs the target has. The body and head are included. This simple mode is enjoyable throughout the game to choose which area of the enemy you’re facing is weakest. Kinda like the V.A.T.S. system in Fallout, the mechanic is very similar here. With each limb/part detailing the chance to hit and how much damage Ashley can inflict. The game has buffs and debuffs as well which can increase your strengths and accuracy among other values to your benefit. Although, the enemy is pretty smart in their own right and can dish out debuffs to make you weaker. You won’t see this in every fight, but it is something to watch out for.
You don’t gain stats traditionally like other Jrpgs. Instead, every time you defeat a boss you have a slot machine with various stat increases scrolling by. And when you hit a button on the controller the scrolling will stop and whatever stat is displayed will increase your base stats. So if the last section that the scrolling stopped on was MP +2 then your mana pool will increase by 2. HP, str, agi, and int, are also possible results with the number varying. You can also find stat-boosting items whenever you delve deeper into the Leá Monde. By endgame, I had a good spread of my stats and didn’t find too much trouble in the end.
Leá Monde's Secrets
Final thoughts/Ruminations
I’ve heard of Vagrant Story over the years. Usually regarded as tough and complex for the gameplay mechanics to understand and sometimes having one of the most compelling stories out there for a JRPG. And now when the end credits are rolling, I cannot help but agree with those statements.
Despite some of the combat systems being a bit of a learning curve to understand, for the most part. The game is largely self-contained to give you the information and help you understand it. Additionally, there is a quick manual within the game, you can pull up whenever you need to. I found this helpful whenever I needed a refresher on a mechanic I needed a bit more information on.
In my case, I found the combat challenging and rewarding since they give the players so many options to dispatch enemies as I see fit. I could chain attack, my enemies, to death without giving them any moment of reprieve as long as I time my attacks to the big red exclamation point. Could switch to a mage-type build and blast my enemies with devastating spells. Or switch to any of my weapons and blast them with break arts. Using only my HP as the cost if I didn’t want to chain attack them. Defend Ashley with Defensive abilities, so the damage my enemies deal to me isn’t as severe. Switch weapons during combat anytime and rebuff/debuff my enemies before they can get a single hit and more. Heck, I can even position myself so the enemy will hit his/her comrade. And the game will let it occur! So friendly fire does exist! Sucks to be them honestly. Luckily Ashley is a solo man. So you don’t need to worry about hitting party members.
I love the freedom the devs give to the players and it shows so much. If you have the options, abuse it to your heart's content. And Vagrant Story does so magnificently in its own right. While making the enemies challenging and fair to fight. You are never in an insurmountable fight, only unprepared with the wrong equipment being used. As long as you know which type of weapon and shield to use against your enemies you should be able to breeze through the game.
Since the game doesn’t have wide open fields like the team’s previous game with Final Fantasy Tactics. The game largely takes place in box-sized levels. So you don’t have lots of room to explore. I feel the devs used this to their advantage by creating lots of rooms with purpose. Some even go so far as to include no enemies with only boxes where you will have to place them in certain ways to get to the other areas of the room or activate mechanisms to unlock the door. There are even timed events where you need to run across a series of rooms to get to the other side, making combat, not the end all be all for the game. I love this type of breather room so to speak to give players a rest and just run to another room. Granted there aren't a lot of these rooms, but their inclusion of them is still appreciated throughout the game. And while I would’ve liked more interesting rooms to use a different art palette. And a bit more differentiation from some similar corridors. I think the game still has enough surprises in store to alleviate those concerns. One aspect I didn’t see was a decent spread of platforming involved to get to the other side of the room which I took as a personal challenge to do in some rooms. It’s awesome how there is a dedicated jump button so you can evade enemies at your leisure. And the game makes full use of that.
The sound is impeccably well-tuned to the cinematic graphics for the game. Where the story would transition into a cutscene moment between antagonists or with Ashley in the picture. The music is fitting here providing the right amount of tension, anxiety, momentum, and vigor to shift the player’s mood. In my case to great success. I felt intrigued by some scenes. Worried in others, anxious in other cases, and pumped in ensuing fight scenes about to occur. All in all the music and sound effects were intricately linked with the game and I found it enjoyable to listen.
Graphics also share the teamwork load by providing excellent use of cinematic direction to push the PlayStation hardware to its absolute limits of rendering everything in 3D. And while this did limit the game in some areas. I was impressed throughout my playthrough by how the devs were able to circumvent these issues with clever lighting, camera angles, and comic book-styled visual design to accentuate the narrative and keep it intriguing. I felt rooted in my seat in anticipation for the next scene to occur and wondering what will happen next. I also liked the gritter atmosphere the game conveyed of Leá Monde and the surrounding levels and enemies reflected that greatly enhancing the immersion of something more at work here.
I wish the game had some quality-of-life improvements to make the combat a bit more fresh and more modern for newcomers. Having the menu not be slow, removing hard limits on inventory, and connecting it to the storage. Crafting/combining using your whole inventory including the storage chest to eliminate backtracking and going back and forth to the chest. A detailed map of combinations to combine weapons, armor, and shields without consulting a chart online. To help newcomers on what equipment to keep based on stat values. Saving anytime instead of within save circles. And a tiny bit more differentiation between corridors
If there is one last thing to touch on for Vagrant Story. It is how the story is detailed. Through expositional dialog. So you won’t find any factual information to peruse like lorebooks or conversing with NPCs. Pretty much everything you need is through the scenes occurring in the game. And perhaps some item descriptions you find here and there for worldbuilding.
I feel the story closes all important plot points and loose ends pretty well within Leá Monde; the place where all the events take place. It can be slow in the beginning to understand the early scenes being shown, but stick around and you'll probably be engrossed as I did with intrigue and curiosity to learn more. With clever twists and turns I didn't expect and moments I was genuinely shocked to learn as the plot moved forward. There is no cliffhanger ending either and I was quite satisfied with the ending scenes. I will admit the game can make the early scenes confusing if you skip an important cutscene by lingering at the start menu screen and don’t skip any of the following scenes after starting the game. So I recommend not skipping anything.
Be that as it may, there is something quite special here I haven't quite seen, since the time I played Final Fantasy Tactics and Xenogears. To show players something entirely new and bold to the audience without any wasted dialogue. Demonstrating a clever balance of wit in writing. Striving and succeeding in holding my interest throughout by shifting the pendulum in favor of the antagonists or the hero of the story. A fun combat system reminiscent of my time playing games from the Mother series/Witcher 1. With timing my chain attacks. An intriguing story from the beginning, middle, and end. Well-rounded antagonists to boot. Impressive cinematic direction. And takes regular tropes we associate with JRPGs and flips them on its head. To great effect.
All of this is a remarkable achievement for a Playstation 1 title. And despite some criticisms, I have with the game. I think I can safely say it's one of those PlayStation 1 gems that is a must-play for anyone looking for a nuanced story outside the scope of Final Fantasy then look no further than Vagrant Story.
Here is a quote from the director Yasumi Matsuno. I feel this sums up what Vagrant Story is.
"If FF is the game industry version of a major Hollywood movie, then VAGRANT STORY is an independent movie to be watched quietly in a small movie theatre. The scale is different, but the burning enthusiasm and the dreams behind the scenes are the same as in the majors."
Score: 9/10
Basic premise/Story
From developer studio Square, and directed by Yasumi Matsuno. You play as Ashley Riot, a Riskbreaker who travels to Leá Monde to investigate the connection between a cult leader and duke Bardorba. A simple investigation right? Oh, I wish. There is more at work here in the dark and a story worth uncovering.
Battle Mode Please
Unique Gameplay
Vagrant Story's gameplay is one of the most innovative or convoluted systems of systems I have ever had the pleasure of playing. But, I feel the game has some of the weirdest design decisions regarding those systems in place. So I sympathize with the sentiments of those, who feel the combat/crafting is clunky and cumbersome. I certainly felt them. However, I feel these two systems along with the progression of how to increase stats and gain affinities to be more effective against enemies is a neat twist against the traditional level-up by grinding enemies endlessly.
Here, you have to be smart since enemies feel deadlier. Encounter an undead enemy and you may find yourself having a tough time without a silver weapon or a certain type of weapon like blunt, edged, or pierce. Each monster is weak to a certain type or more. So you have to figure out their weaknesses by analyzing enemies or through trial and error. You cannot simply bash every enemy you see with your strongest weapon. The game simply doesn’t work that way.
Nonetheless, not only do you have to figure out what weapon the enemies are weak to, but their base characteristics give a hint or sign of what else they could be weak to. Such as phantoms. Weak to weapons with a high affinity to phantoms or any other element. Humans and other creatures you face become increasingly more susceptible to their nature. As long as you use the same weapon continuously to create a high affinity with the weapon. You can become more effective in dishing out more damage to the creature/humanoid/or other abominable nightmares you face.
And this is where the game truly starts to shine. As you use the same weapon since the beginning. You become more in tune and more effective at using it. Making it deadlier against say 'dragons' if you continue to kill more dragons or combat them. You gain affinity incrementally as you fight each type of enemy. And thus your weapon can become stronger. If you’re worried that the main weapon you have been using will fall behind in damage you can combine that equipment with another blade to create a more powerful blade. The catch is you need to be in a workshop with the right type as well as make sure the resulting weapon is stronger and not an inferior weapon.
As long as players pay attention to stat values in the bottom right corner and make sure your affinities are intact. Because combined weapons combined each blade's affinities. So using a piece of old equipment with a piece of new equipment and the resulting equipment will maintain the gained values and negative values the item has. So in theory and practice, you can use an old weapon you have been using since the beginning and use that weapon by endgame. Well… It’s going to be combined with other weapons, so the merged weapon would contain all the affinities you built up since the beginning. Weapons don’t degrade after continuous use either.
So then what’s the main appeal to the battle system beyond fighting and defeating enemies to make our current weapons stronger? The answer is the battle system or more aptly named ‘Battle Mode.’ With one button press Ashley can unsheathe his weapon and or shield he has equipped and a sphere starts to spread from his character. Any enemy caught within the sphere can then be attacked by Ashley on any limbs the target has. The body and head are included. This simple mode is enjoyable throughout the game to choose which area of the enemy you’re facing is weakest. Kinda like the V.A.T.S. system in Fallout, the mechanic is very similar here. With each limb/part detailing the chance to hit and how much damage Ashley can inflict. The game has buffs and debuffs as well which can increase your strengths and accuracy among other values to your benefit. Although, the enemy is pretty smart in their own right and can dish out debuffs to make you weaker. You won’t see this in every fight, but it is something to watch out for.
You don’t gain stats traditionally like other Jrpgs. Instead, every time you defeat a boss you have a slot machine with various stat increases scrolling by. And when you hit a button on the controller the scrolling will stop and whatever stat is displayed will increase your base stats. So if the last section that the scrolling stopped on was MP +2 then your mana pool will increase by 2. HP, str, agi, and int, are also possible results with the number varying. You can also find stat-boosting items whenever you delve deeper into the Leá Monde. By endgame, I had a good spread of my stats and didn’t find too much trouble in the end.
Leá Monde's Secrets
Final thoughts/Ruminations
I’ve heard of Vagrant Story over the years. Usually regarded as tough and complex for the gameplay mechanics to understand and sometimes having one of the most compelling stories out there for a JRPG. And now when the end credits are rolling, I cannot help but agree with those statements.
Despite some of the combat systems being a bit of a learning curve to understand, for the most part. The game is largely self-contained to give you the information and help you understand it. Additionally, there is a quick manual within the game, you can pull up whenever you need to. I found this helpful whenever I needed a refresher on a mechanic I needed a bit more information on.
In my case, I found the combat challenging and rewarding since they give the players so many options to dispatch enemies as I see fit. I could chain attack, my enemies, to death without giving them any moment of reprieve as long as I time my attacks to the big red exclamation point. Could switch to a mage-type build and blast my enemies with devastating spells. Or switch to any of my weapons and blast them with break arts. Using only my HP as the cost if I didn’t want to chain attack them. Defend Ashley with Defensive abilities, so the damage my enemies deal to me isn’t as severe. Switch weapons during combat anytime and rebuff/debuff my enemies before they can get a single hit and more. Heck, I can even position myself so the enemy will hit his/her comrade. And the game will let it occur! So friendly fire does exist! Sucks to be them honestly. Luckily Ashley is a solo man. So you don’t need to worry about hitting party members.
I love the freedom the devs give to the players and it shows so much. If you have the options, abuse it to your heart's content. And Vagrant Story does so magnificently in its own right. While making the enemies challenging and fair to fight. You are never in an insurmountable fight, only unprepared with the wrong equipment being used. As long as you know which type of weapon and shield to use against your enemies you should be able to breeze through the game.
Since the game doesn’t have wide open fields like the team’s previous game with Final Fantasy Tactics. The game largely takes place in box-sized levels. So you don’t have lots of room to explore. I feel the devs used this to their advantage by creating lots of rooms with purpose. Some even go so far as to include no enemies with only boxes where you will have to place them in certain ways to get to the other areas of the room or activate mechanisms to unlock the door. There are even timed events where you need to run across a series of rooms to get to the other side, making combat, not the end all be all for the game. I love this type of breather room so to speak to give players a rest and just run to another room. Granted there aren't a lot of these rooms, but their inclusion of them is still appreciated throughout the game. And while I would’ve liked more interesting rooms to use a different art palette. And a bit more differentiation from some similar corridors. I think the game still has enough surprises in store to alleviate those concerns. One aspect I didn’t see was a decent spread of platforming involved to get to the other side of the room which I took as a personal challenge to do in some rooms. It’s awesome how there is a dedicated jump button so you can evade enemies at your leisure. And the game makes full use of that.
The sound is impeccably well-tuned to the cinematic graphics for the game. Where the story would transition into a cutscene moment between antagonists or with Ashley in the picture. The music is fitting here providing the right amount of tension, anxiety, momentum, and vigor to shift the player’s mood. In my case to great success. I felt intrigued by some scenes. Worried in others, anxious in other cases, and pumped in ensuing fight scenes about to occur. All in all the music and sound effects were intricately linked with the game and I found it enjoyable to listen.
Graphics also share the teamwork load by providing excellent use of cinematic direction to push the PlayStation hardware to its absolute limits of rendering everything in 3D. And while this did limit the game in some areas. I was impressed throughout my playthrough by how the devs were able to circumvent these issues with clever lighting, camera angles, and comic book-styled visual design to accentuate the narrative and keep it intriguing. I felt rooted in my seat in anticipation for the next scene to occur and wondering what will happen next. I also liked the gritter atmosphere the game conveyed of Leá Monde and the surrounding levels and enemies reflected that greatly enhancing the immersion of something more at work here.
I wish the game had some quality-of-life improvements to make the combat a bit more fresh and more modern for newcomers. Having the menu not be slow, removing hard limits on inventory, and connecting it to the storage. Crafting/combining using your whole inventory including the storage chest to eliminate backtracking and going back and forth to the chest. A detailed map of combinations to combine weapons, armor, and shields without consulting a chart online. To help newcomers on what equipment to keep based on stat values. Saving anytime instead of within save circles. And a tiny bit more differentiation between corridors
If there is one last thing to touch on for Vagrant Story. It is how the story is detailed. Through expositional dialog. So you won’t find any factual information to peruse like lorebooks or conversing with NPCs. Pretty much everything you need is through the scenes occurring in the game. And perhaps some item descriptions you find here and there for worldbuilding.
I feel the story closes all important plot points and loose ends pretty well within Leá Monde; the place where all the events take place. It can be slow in the beginning to understand the early scenes being shown, but stick around and you'll probably be engrossed as I did with intrigue and curiosity to learn more. With clever twists and turns I didn't expect and moments I was genuinely shocked to learn as the plot moved forward. There is no cliffhanger ending either and I was quite satisfied with the ending scenes. I will admit the game can make the early scenes confusing if you skip an important cutscene by lingering at the start menu screen and don’t skip any of the following scenes after starting the game. So I recommend not skipping anything.
Be that as it may, there is something quite special here I haven't quite seen, since the time I played Final Fantasy Tactics and Xenogears. To show players something entirely new and bold to the audience without any wasted dialogue. Demonstrating a clever balance of wit in writing. Striving and succeeding in holding my interest throughout by shifting the pendulum in favor of the antagonists or the hero of the story. A fun combat system reminiscent of my time playing games from the Mother series/Witcher 1. With timing my chain attacks. An intriguing story from the beginning, middle, and end. Well-rounded antagonists to boot. Impressive cinematic direction. And takes regular tropes we associate with JRPGs and flips them on its head. To great effect.
All of this is a remarkable achievement for a Playstation 1 title. And despite some criticisms, I have with the game. I think I can safely say it's one of those PlayStation 1 gems that is a must-play for anyone looking for a nuanced story outside the scope of Final Fantasy then look no further than Vagrant Story.
Here is a quote from the director Yasumi Matsuno. I feel this sums up what Vagrant Story is.
"If FF is the game industry version of a major Hollywood movie, then VAGRANT STORY is an independent movie to be watched quietly in a small movie theatre. The scale is different, but the burning enthusiasm and the dreams behind the scenes are the same as in the majors."
Score: 9/10
my "haute take" is that aside from select elements of FFT/Tactics Ogre (which largely share the same story and overt themes), Matsuno, while certainly a welcome and serious artistic voice in games, actually isn't some master craftsman of deep political intrigue/class narratives. I think his stories frequently end up feeling needlessly obfuscated, compromised, and hard to fully engage with!! It feels a bit telling how rarely I encounter any meaty explorations of FFXII or Vagrant Story's actual themes; It's way more common to come across people simply exalting the fact that "jrpgs with dark political stories instead of rainbow anime teens" exist. I would argue that something like "icky nomura rainbow animu" FFX has WAY more to say about politics and tradition and control than this does, and does it in a more sprawling and artful way! The style and delivery of the narrative in Vagrant Story is remarkable, especially for the time, but it feels too archetypal to be anything ideologically substantive and too staid and self-serious to succeed as an engaging pulp story. Like, I also enjoy the variety and surface level visual/stylistic sophistication here in a big way but A Tale of Two Cities this ain't.
This is legitimately one of the most beautiful games of all time and the cutscene direction remains pioneering and stellar, but so much about VS has kept me at arms length despite my repeated, desperate attempts to fall in love with it. The unforgiving, obscurantist battle and equipment systems require so much tedious menu navigation (which could be FINE if the game thematically referenced the menu navigation / made meticulousness a motif in some meaningful sense OR made the menus nearly as visually appealing as the rest of the world, but it doesn't) and many of the dungeons feel strangely disengaged with the story due to the way they run in parallel with flashbacks or cutaways. The fatiguing systems and stages make the game feel like you're looking in on a story through a foggy window rather than inhabiting and experiencing one. Vagrant Story is an incredibly interesting and visually arresting title that is rightfully a historic gaming curio, but I really don't think it has that much to offer beyond that. Maybe your experience will be different, but I keep searching for meaning here and ending up frustrated.
This is legitimately one of the most beautiful games of all time and the cutscene direction remains pioneering and stellar, but so much about VS has kept me at arms length despite my repeated, desperate attempts to fall in love with it. The unforgiving, obscurantist battle and equipment systems require so much tedious menu navigation (which could be FINE if the game thematically referenced the menu navigation / made meticulousness a motif in some meaningful sense OR made the menus nearly as visually appealing as the rest of the world, but it doesn't) and many of the dungeons feel strangely disengaged with the story due to the way they run in parallel with flashbacks or cutaways. The fatiguing systems and stages make the game feel like you're looking in on a story through a foggy window rather than inhabiting and experiencing one. Vagrant Story is an incredibly interesting and visually arresting title that is rightfully a historic gaming curio, but I really don't think it has that much to offer beyond that. Maybe your experience will be different, but I keep searching for meaning here and ending up frustrated.
Matsuno's PlayStation miracle
I feel conflicted about my feelings about Vagrant Story, it's a technical marvel for the first Playstation with the excellent writing and storytelling I've come to expect from Matsuno but it also comes with some of the most obtuse and tedious gameplay I've had to experience in recent times. It's a bit more complicated than that but that's not to say Vagrant Story is bad by any means, I actually overall greatly enjoyed this game despite how I feel about the gameplay but that's because the rest of what's here is so good that it made the entire journey worth it.
The story that Matsuno created manages to do it again despite only being able to work with half of the scenario being cut. The excellent writing and the way he shows only tells enough without being overbearing makes each cutscene a treat to see after enough dungeon crawling that slowly puts the pieces together for you. Ashley is up there with one of the better protagonists with how he develops during the story as well with the game ending on a strong note. Something I wanted to save for the graphics but I think really helps with the story telling is the facial expressions they managed to pull off which kept me immersed throughout the cutscenes.
Vagrant Story is a bit unorthodox with how combat is presented and acted out. The combat system is incredibly in depth but I'll try to simplify it as much as possible for my own sanity. Combat works when you enter battle phase and seeing a sphere grid that represents Ashley's range and options for attack that vary on different limbs of each monster. Damage is dictated by how specialized your weapons are and having a healthy varied arsenal of weapons is extremely important here so you don't get stuck doing little to no damage here. You really can't brute force this game, you'll have to learn the system and pick the right weapons for the right job which is sadly marred by the over abundance of how many menus this whole part of the gameplay is which is the most tedious part for me that I almost actually gave up on the game. Magic and chaining attacks is also here as well and very important as well and a crafting system which will help you make the ideal weapons but that's a whole can of worms I don't want to delve into. If you learn, the game won't be too hard for you. The dungeon crawling and the puzzles are honestly the best part of the gameplay for me. Each area is truly realized and the programming wizards that made this game put an incredible amount of detail into each area that it's kinda surreal how they managed it. The puzzles albeit a great addition got pretty annoying at the end but I still enjoyed them overall. I think they really wanted to do something different here as it's hard to really put this game into any genre and I can honestly appreciate it despite how well the execution is.
The soundtrack is excellent here coming off matching Ivalice's medieval sounds while being way more chaotic and erratic to represent the difference in tone the game is trying to go for. If there was one specific track that I'd like to highlight it would be this specific boss theme early on that manages to increase the tension at just the right moments. The emotional songs during important moments are just as wonderful too being able to instill strong emotions in me especially during that ending.
It's no surprise how good Vagrant Story looks despite the hardware that it's almost famous for how much of a technical miracle this game was. The environments and buildings are some of the best if not the best looking buildings on the consoles and the way they used face textures that actually emote is something I mentioned early but it really helps improves the experience. Blood and wounds appear naturally without a weird delay or a static texture. The fact that they managed to create a lighting system in this game without actually making one at all just goes to show how much effort they put into making this game trying to realize its full potential. I could really go on here but it's hard to deny the magic they did here to pull something off like this despite not having any experience in 3D.
Despite how much I harped on the gameplay being really tedious, I can't recommend this game enough to anyone that enjoys the Ivalice games or old Square games in general. It's a game about learning to deal with the bad stuff we've done and trying to move on from them which I think is a great message especially those hanging onto more guilt than most. A reflective adventure into the darkness within humanity.
I feel conflicted about my feelings about Vagrant Story, it's a technical marvel for the first Playstation with the excellent writing and storytelling I've come to expect from Matsuno but it also comes with some of the most obtuse and tedious gameplay I've had to experience in recent times. It's a bit more complicated than that but that's not to say Vagrant Story is bad by any means, I actually overall greatly enjoyed this game despite how I feel about the gameplay but that's because the rest of what's here is so good that it made the entire journey worth it.
The story that Matsuno created manages to do it again despite only being able to work with half of the scenario being cut. The excellent writing and the way he shows only tells enough without being overbearing makes each cutscene a treat to see after enough dungeon crawling that slowly puts the pieces together for you. Ashley is up there with one of the better protagonists with how he develops during the story as well with the game ending on a strong note. Something I wanted to save for the graphics but I think really helps with the story telling is the facial expressions they managed to pull off which kept me immersed throughout the cutscenes.
Vagrant Story is a bit unorthodox with how combat is presented and acted out. The combat system is incredibly in depth but I'll try to simplify it as much as possible for my own sanity. Combat works when you enter battle phase and seeing a sphere grid that represents Ashley's range and options for attack that vary on different limbs of each monster. Damage is dictated by how specialized your weapons are and having a healthy varied arsenal of weapons is extremely important here so you don't get stuck doing little to no damage here. You really can't brute force this game, you'll have to learn the system and pick the right weapons for the right job which is sadly marred by the over abundance of how many menus this whole part of the gameplay is which is the most tedious part for me that I almost actually gave up on the game. Magic and chaining attacks is also here as well and very important as well and a crafting system which will help you make the ideal weapons but that's a whole can of worms I don't want to delve into. If you learn, the game won't be too hard for you. The dungeon crawling and the puzzles are honestly the best part of the gameplay for me. Each area is truly realized and the programming wizards that made this game put an incredible amount of detail into each area that it's kinda surreal how they managed it. The puzzles albeit a great addition got pretty annoying at the end but I still enjoyed them overall. I think they really wanted to do something different here as it's hard to really put this game into any genre and I can honestly appreciate it despite how well the execution is.
The soundtrack is excellent here coming off matching Ivalice's medieval sounds while being way more chaotic and erratic to represent the difference in tone the game is trying to go for. If there was one specific track that I'd like to highlight it would be this specific boss theme early on that manages to increase the tension at just the right moments. The emotional songs during important moments are just as wonderful too being able to instill strong emotions in me especially during that ending.
It's no surprise how good Vagrant Story looks despite the hardware that it's almost famous for how much of a technical miracle this game was. The environments and buildings are some of the best if not the best looking buildings on the consoles and the way they used face textures that actually emote is something I mentioned early but it really helps improves the experience. Blood and wounds appear naturally without a weird delay or a static texture. The fact that they managed to create a lighting system in this game without actually making one at all just goes to show how much effort they put into making this game trying to realize its full potential. I could really go on here but it's hard to deny the magic they did here to pull something off like this despite not having any experience in 3D.
Despite how much I harped on the gameplay being really tedious, I can't recommend this game enough to anyone that enjoys the Ivalice games or old Square games in general. It's a game about learning to deal with the bad stuff we've done and trying to move on from them which I think is a great message especially those hanging onto more guilt than most. A reflective adventure into the darkness within humanity.
Vagrant Story is an outrageous show of versatility and virtuosity by the same team that brought you Final Fantasy Tactics only a few years earlier. It's a stylish piece of video game history, often looked over in the grander scheme. It's a lot of things at once. A cinematic action game a la Metal Gear Solid, a throwback to old school dungeon crawlers, a love letter to the stylings of western fantasy novels as well as comic books, and possibly video games' equivalent to Apocalypse Now's adaptation of Heart of Darkness.
It's not really a difficult game, but it is difficult to understand. You have to settle into the game's rhythm, much like the characters do in the game itself as they begin to tap into the Dark and awaken abilities they can't wrap their head around. It's a massive feeling game in its themes and systems while also feeling extremely lean in its presentation and scope. Vagrant Story is at once well-composed and difficult to handle. The latter is certainly reflected in the way that its story pacing starts to taper off in the back half, ending with a final battle so rich with drama but betrayed by its irritating and tedious design. An ultimately minor but still frustrating blemish on a beautifully complex and vital video game.
It's not really a difficult game, but it is difficult to understand. You have to settle into the game's rhythm, much like the characters do in the game itself as they begin to tap into the Dark and awaken abilities they can't wrap their head around. It's a massive feeling game in its themes and systems while also feeling extremely lean in its presentation and scope. Vagrant Story is at once well-composed and difficult to handle. The latter is certainly reflected in the way that its story pacing starts to taper off in the back half, ending with a final battle so rich with drama but betrayed by its irritating and tedious design. An ultimately minor but still frustrating blemish on a beautifully complex and vital video game.
Incredibly impressive game. What they got out of the PS1 technically is incredible - lighting, facial animations (!), sound design, this is for me the prettiest PS1 game. Add to that the absolutely superb Shakespearean writing and a super captivating but sill smale-scale plot with an undercover agent twist on top. The presentation is very cinematic and even more impressive, considering that Vagrant Story was the developer's first 3D game.
The combat system is quite slow and very tactical, just the way I like it. Fighting in this game seems quite confusing at first, since you have all kinds of stats, weapon types, enemy types etc. that determine whether or not you'll be successfull in a fight. But once you dive a little deeper into the systems of the game and figure out how everything works and interacts with each other, you'll see that this game has some of the deepest and coolest mechanics of the RPG genre.
Some time-based puzzles are a bit annoying but otherwise this game is close to perfection. Maybe this is my favorite game of all time.
The combat system is quite slow and very tactical, just the way I like it. Fighting in this game seems quite confusing at first, since you have all kinds of stats, weapon types, enemy types etc. that determine whether or not you'll be successfull in a fight. But once you dive a little deeper into the systems of the game and figure out how everything works and interacts with each other, you'll see that this game has some of the deepest and coolest mechanics of the RPG genre.
Some time-based puzzles are a bit annoying but otherwise this game is close to perfection. Maybe this is my favorite game of all time.
near-perfect game imo. went into it expecting to dislike the combat since i hate timed hit stuff (unnecessary gimmick devs shove in to give people with adhd something to do) but it's implemented in a way that's actually interesting and fun. one of the most visually beautiful games i have played, and the ambience in some areas is amazing. if they could have somehow squeezed a weapon quick-swap function into the game it would have elevated it to a 10/10 for me.
peak fiction
Vagrant story is one of my new favourite games of all time. A game teeming with ambition, fantastic execution of non traditional gameplay and deep mechanics, an incredible soundtrack, stellar atmosphere and superb writing. All of this pushes the ps1 to its limits. They seriously don't make games like they used to.
Hellraiser cube gaming
Why is Ashley cheeked the fuck up bruh
I've tried on a few occasions in the past to play through this, though each has been well after the the game's original release. This was my furthest effort so far, and I got near the halfway mark before I finally gave up.
It's a little frustrating reviewing this, because there is so much to like. The game is gorgeous; it has aged incredibly well thanks to the art style, which makes fantastic use of Yoshida's concept and character artwork. The score is another strong element, as is the story and localization. The script is frankly a wonder for a game of its time, when localizations were still often rushed and threadbare. You can tell that genuine care went into it, and the story deserves it; the characters are interesting, and the political/religious web of intrigue is compelling.
But the gameplay. I don't doubt that at a younger age, I would've had more patience to navigate the game's obtuse and granular combat system, exacerbated by the cumbersome menus you have to navigate on a constant basis. It took some effort to overcome one of the numerous walls in the game, spending several minutes sorting through a half dozen weapons one by one, looking for the one with the right array of parameters to deal more than a single point of damage against an enemy at hand. Eventually it was just exhausting, especially when little more than bad luck found me without such a weapon, and even more particularly when trying to navigate maps where said enemies respawn, hamstringing me in the throes of being hopelessly lost.
I think some of the elements of the combat design are very cool and interesting, and some amount of streamlining might've really clicked for me, but as is I just grew tired of it, and found myself trying to simply run past whatever fights I could, its own exercise in frustration. I simply wasn't having fun at a point, and I had to call it.
But I did immediately go to YouTube and find a cutscene compilation so that I could experience the rest of the story, visuals, and soundtrack. I can't give the game a bad rating in light of that, but I also just can't say I love the game like I wish that I could.
It's a little frustrating reviewing this, because there is so much to like. The game is gorgeous; it has aged incredibly well thanks to the art style, which makes fantastic use of Yoshida's concept and character artwork. The score is another strong element, as is the story and localization. The script is frankly a wonder for a game of its time, when localizations were still often rushed and threadbare. You can tell that genuine care went into it, and the story deserves it; the characters are interesting, and the political/religious web of intrigue is compelling.
But the gameplay. I don't doubt that at a younger age, I would've had more patience to navigate the game's obtuse and granular combat system, exacerbated by the cumbersome menus you have to navigate on a constant basis. It took some effort to overcome one of the numerous walls in the game, spending several minutes sorting through a half dozen weapons one by one, looking for the one with the right array of parameters to deal more than a single point of damage against an enemy at hand. Eventually it was just exhausting, especially when little more than bad luck found me without such a weapon, and even more particularly when trying to navigate maps where said enemies respawn, hamstringing me in the throes of being hopelessly lost.
I think some of the elements of the combat design are very cool and interesting, and some amount of streamlining might've really clicked for me, but as is I just grew tired of it, and found myself trying to simply run past whatever fights I could, its own exercise in frustration. I simply wasn't having fun at a point, and I had to call it.
But I did immediately go to YouTube and find a cutscene compilation so that I could experience the rest of the story, visuals, and soundtrack. I can't give the game a bad rating in light of that, but I also just can't say I love the game like I wish that I could.
This is one of my all-time favourite games. Everything about it is a marvel, from its story, to its art direction, its combat system, its music and in particular its lighting system. Getting lighting to look this good on the PS1 with the comic book inspired art style is a technical accomplishment that everyone should be aware of. Easiest 5 star rating ever
Remake it and make his hair even bigger
"I am the reinforcements."
18 hours later I'm still going at it. Aafter overcoming this game's insane stat/weapon/armor system, I cannot state enough that this game might be the most insane thing I've seen made. I don't know who this was for but it def hits it for me.
18 hours later I'm still going at it. Aafter overcoming this game's insane stat/weapon/armor system, I cannot state enough that this game might be the most insane thing I've seen made. I don't know who this was for but it def hits it for me.
unless you feel like spending 30 hours tracking through outdated menus to redo your entire build every single time a new enemy appears, i recommend watching the fantastic story in a cutscene compilation on youtube