Squaresoft was absolutely dominating the RPG genre at the turn of the millennium; Final Fantasy, Chrono Cross, and Legend of Mana are just a few examples of the types of games which were experiencing their heyday in the late 5th generation. They dabbled in the action RPG subgenre before, but with the release of Vagrant Story in 2000, the "action" aspect was amplified, and the RPG aspect was significantly toned down. Players expecting a similar experience to previously mentioned games would be in for a big surprise, as this title lacked all the tropes you would expect in a typical RPG; no levels, no parties, no item shops, no grinding. Vagrant Story's main appeal, at the time and currently, is its diversion from the norm of what RPGs were expected to be. It's no doubt that VS offers quite the unique experience; whether that's a good thing or not, though, is up for debate.
Being a late-generation PS1 game, Square had plenty of time to master the hardware and learn how to get the most out of it, and Vagrant Story makes that clear. This is a pretty impressive looking game for the time-cutscenes transition to gameplay smoothly, and character models and backgrounds are pretty detailed with minimal frame rate dips. And detail isn't just found in the aesthetics; the combat system will at first seem a bit plain, but after an hour or two, it becomes spectacularly involved, and you'll find yourself crafting new weapons and changing weapon types regularly in order to best defeat different enemies. For those players longing for a game that doesn't hold your hand, Vagrant Story is a dream. This game encourages a huge amount of exploration, and is extremely light on any tutorial. In truth, it's thrilling to find out what will work in each scenario-it truly feels like each boss battle is a significant and earned accomplishment. It can definitely feel a bit frustrating when it feels like nothing you do is working, but finding a strategy and carving your own path in Vagrant Story is probably it's biggest appeal, and it's no doubt that many players will be able to greatly appreciate this title for its combat and strategy alone.
That appeal comes at a price though. For every great "Aha!" moment Vagrant Story provides you with, there's moments of frustration or monotony. The game rewards a skilled and carefully considered playthrough, sure, but it doesn't really give you the tools to get to that point. A mistake in the early game before you know any better can set you back quite a bit. And since there are no levels in this game, a difficult boss isn't something you can grind your way out of. Combat revolves around timed button presses to chain attacks together, and while that helps make combat feel a little more interactive, it loses some of its appeal when you have to chain a dozen hits together just to do even a bit of damage. There's quite a steep learning curve here, and too much of learning depends on the player reading through pages and pages of manuals. It also takes quite a while to do anything in the menu, so for a game that is supposed to rely on switching to optimal weapons and armor for each enemy, it's really discouraging that it takes so long to set up. After a while, you're likely to find yourself just plugging along with an inefficient setup, as setting up properly becomes really tedious. Pacing as a whole is a big detriment to enjoyment in this title, and sometimes it might feel like you're spending more time in menus than you are in the actual game.
Even with its flaws, though, the combat system of Vagrant Story is quite well designed. The game also features some environmental puzzles, mostly involving moving boxes around, but these mostly just feel like filler. It's also a bit of a shame that the game doesn't fully utilize the graphical quality present here; most rooms you enter are akin to generic dungeons or basements. The story is decent if you can follow it, but it's been speculated that up to 50% of story content had been cut from VS prior to release, and that won't be hard to argue with after a full playthrough of this game. Just like the gameplay, it heavily features an intentional vagueness which you can enjoy if you're willing to put the time in, but otherwise might feel a bit disjointed.
It's not a surprise that Vagrant Story is considered a divisive game in the modern day; for those who love to get fully immersed in a combat system and figure everything out themselves (while making plenty of mistakes along the way), it's probably as good as a PS1 game as could exist. For players who prefer more of a structured game with a clear learning path, it's likely to feel derivative and tiresome quite quickly-and that's a shame. While it's easy to appreciate Vagrant Story for what it is, it's also easy to see where the game could have been improved; it truly is the definition of a mixed bag. While its roots are strong, its fruit is weak.
Being a late-generation PS1 game, Square had plenty of time to master the hardware and learn how to get the most out of it, and Vagrant Story makes that clear. This is a pretty impressive looking game for the time-cutscenes transition to gameplay smoothly, and character models and backgrounds are pretty detailed with minimal frame rate dips. And detail isn't just found in the aesthetics; the combat system will at first seem a bit plain, but after an hour or two, it becomes spectacularly involved, and you'll find yourself crafting new weapons and changing weapon types regularly in order to best defeat different enemies. For those players longing for a game that doesn't hold your hand, Vagrant Story is a dream. This game encourages a huge amount of exploration, and is extremely light on any tutorial. In truth, it's thrilling to find out what will work in each scenario-it truly feels like each boss battle is a significant and earned accomplishment. It can definitely feel a bit frustrating when it feels like nothing you do is working, but finding a strategy and carving your own path in Vagrant Story is probably it's biggest appeal, and it's no doubt that many players will be able to greatly appreciate this title for its combat and strategy alone.
That appeal comes at a price though. For every great "Aha!" moment Vagrant Story provides you with, there's moments of frustration or monotony. The game rewards a skilled and carefully considered playthrough, sure, but it doesn't really give you the tools to get to that point. A mistake in the early game before you know any better can set you back quite a bit. And since there are no levels in this game, a difficult boss isn't something you can grind your way out of. Combat revolves around timed button presses to chain attacks together, and while that helps make combat feel a little more interactive, it loses some of its appeal when you have to chain a dozen hits together just to do even a bit of damage. There's quite a steep learning curve here, and too much of learning depends on the player reading through pages and pages of manuals. It also takes quite a while to do anything in the menu, so for a game that is supposed to rely on switching to optimal weapons and armor for each enemy, it's really discouraging that it takes so long to set up. After a while, you're likely to find yourself just plugging along with an inefficient setup, as setting up properly becomes really tedious. Pacing as a whole is a big detriment to enjoyment in this title, and sometimes it might feel like you're spending more time in menus than you are in the actual game.
Even with its flaws, though, the combat system of Vagrant Story is quite well designed. The game also features some environmental puzzles, mostly involving moving boxes around, but these mostly just feel like filler. It's also a bit of a shame that the game doesn't fully utilize the graphical quality present here; most rooms you enter are akin to generic dungeons or basements. The story is decent if you can follow it, but it's been speculated that up to 50% of story content had been cut from VS prior to release, and that won't be hard to argue with after a full playthrough of this game. Just like the gameplay, it heavily features an intentional vagueness which you can enjoy if you're willing to put the time in, but otherwise might feel a bit disjointed.
It's not a surprise that Vagrant Story is considered a divisive game in the modern day; for those who love to get fully immersed in a combat system and figure everything out themselves (while making plenty of mistakes along the way), it's probably as good as a PS1 game as could exist. For players who prefer more of a structured game with a clear learning path, it's likely to feel derivative and tiresome quite quickly-and that's a shame. While it's easy to appreciate Vagrant Story for what it is, it's also easy to see where the game could have been improved; it truly is the definition of a mixed bag. While its roots are strong, its fruit is weak.