Vagrant Story

Almost everything about Vagrant Story is par excel-lance. The story, the script, the characters, the graphics, the soundtrack... The English translation is especially spectacular, due to its masterful coloring with "Olde English" which adds so much to the tone and atmosphere. This is one of the ultra rare cases where the English translation is arguable far superior to the original Japanese script. Unfortunately, all of these shining examples of fine craft and "video game design as true art" is all for naught because of one single fatal flaw: The game simply isn't fun to play.

Where the game ultimately fails is in the game play. The battle system in and of itself is fine. It's an interesting hybrid cross between standard real time action combat and traditional RPG turn based combat. The problem is, at the very heart of the battle system is an abysmally UN-fun weapon and armor system. There are several (eight?) classes of enemies in the game- Beast, Human, Dragon, Undead, Phantom, etc. The enemy classes are paired off into diametric oppositions. e.g. Using your weapon against a human enemy will make it stronger against humans, but weaker against phantoms. (sic) On top of that, there are specific weakness ratings. An enemy might be weak against blunt weapons, but almost totally impervious to edged weapons or piercing weapons. And then there are the usual elementals as well- fire, ice, earth and so on. Finally, each of your weapons has its own "wear" rating. The lower the rating, the more worn out the weapon, the less damage it does. You must repair your weapons in workshops, which are few and far between in the game. Another thing you can do in workshops is disassemble your weapons and reassemble the parts to make new weapons. Whether the new weapon will be better or worse than the weapons you sacrificed to make them involves much trial and error. The end effect of all of this is that as you play the game, you are literally constantly changing weapons. Yet the creators of the game didn't bother to implement any sort of quick menu for weapon switching, a la Secret of Mana. You have no choice but to spend 45% of your game time opening the main menu, opening the weapon menu, finding the right weapon, opening the accessory menu, changing the elemental jewels on the weapon, etc. etc. etc. All they had to do was come up with some sort of quick menu for changing weapons, as Seiken Densetsu 2 did seven years earlier. As it stands, Vagrant Story is a micro-management nightmare. To call the game tedious is an understatement of epic proportions.

As is always the case, no matter how flawed something, there will be a small niche group of vocal supporters who will insist that the thing in question is the greatest creation in history, and that people who don't like it just don't "get it." Beware of misguided fanatics.

Please note that the preceding includes some ridiculous things like 'excel-lance' and 'UN-fun' because of IMDb's incredibly retarded "error checking" system. IMDb: Please get rid of that broken piece of garbage.

Vagrant Story is a true work of art in the gaming industry. Visually, it sports the most impressive graphics on the PS1. The environments, inspired largely by French medieval towns, are beautiful, as are the character designs. Everything looks fantastic, and it holds up in this day and age of huge polygon counts and shader effects galore.

The music is also fantastic. Hitoshi Sakimoto has always wowed me with his scores for the Ogre Battle Saga games and Final Fantasy Tactics, and this is one of his best.

Of course, the highlight of games is always the gameplay, and here it shines magnificently, unless you are impatient and/or simply stupid. This is where the game gets the most criticism, as many find the juggling of weapons and the management of risk and weapon affinities to be a chore. It's not, and the gameplay is very rewarding, especially when you become good enough to kill bosses in a single chain. Yes, it's possible.

The plot of Vagrant Story is also another high point in gaming history. The story revolves around Ashley Riot, a member of the VKP (Valendia Knights of the Peace) elite unit, the Riskbreakers. When a cult known as the Mullenkamp sect lays siege on Duke Bordorba's manor, Ashley is called into action to lift the siege, along with the Crimson Blades, a brigade of knights working for the church. Ashley meets Sydney Losstarot, the cult's prophet and a mysterious man of great power. Ashley shoots him in the heart with a crossbow bolt, and yet he lives. He flees the scene with a hostage, and leaves a Wyvern behind for Ashley to deal with. Ashley slays it, and then decides to head to the long dead city of Lea Monde, where Sydney let slip he was fleeing to. Accompanied by Inquisitor Callo Merlose, he sets upon the city, where he will battle Sydney's monsters and his own inner demons.

That is only a snippet of the plot, shown in the first 15 minutes or so of the prologue. The plot is extremely complex and fun to watch unfold, with betrayals and intrigue around every corner. The writing is also top notch, thanks to Alexander O. Smith's wonderful translation, which was written to utilize an "Old English" style of dialogue that fits the setting perfectly. Few games have ever completely enthralled me with their plots, and this is one of them.

All in all, I'd recommend it to any RPG fan who would enjoy a new, different battle engine. Getting a hold of the finer mechanics of it can be difficult, as the other reviewer has mentioned. However, once you come to grips with the limitless weapon options and the intricacies of the chain/risk system, you will be taking down everything in one or two chains. The combat itself rewards skill, as bigger chains result in more damage dealt, and racking up 15-20 hit chains is rewarding in its own way. It may be difficult at the onset, but don't give up! The battle system is never broken or oriented against the player; it's much like Ninja Gaiden, in that player skill and knowledge of the player's capabilities are required to overcome some of the more difficult foes. If you can't time your chains properly, or if you do not explore the wealth of options in your chain and defensive abilities and your weapons, you will fail. A successful player will nail the timing and fully utilize what the game gives him. All too often I hear complaints by other players about how hard the game is, when they've never even looked at the finer points of blade types, enemy and elemental affinities, risk management, and chain and defensive abilities.

To any gamer who wants a well written story, fantastic visuals and art direction, wonderful music, and a deep and challenging battle system need look no further; Vagrant Story is your game.

It is a crime and heresy that this game is as underrated as it is. What's more is how a video game is perceived in this day and age, as this is hard evidence of the medium's artistic potential. It is an intense, richly-constructed masterpiece, excelling in every area they could grade a game; graphics, sound, story, game play, et cetera.

GRAPHICS: Five years after its American release, VAGRANT STORY's late-PS1's graphics still hold up (made even better if you set your PS2's PlayStation driver to "smooth") and I can say so because it wasn't until five years after its American release that I got around to playing it. VS's overall-sepia palette and stylish detail line up greatly with Alexander O. Smith's antiquated Shakespearean screenplay, and demonstrates what could be done with the console's hardware limitations better than METAL GEAR SOLID did, in the day. In fact, VS also uses the game engine alone to weave its tale, to which many gamers have piped up and denounced it as a Metal Gear Solid-"clone" in response. But in the end MGS took its style from modern cinema, as does VAGANT STORY.

Yasumi Matsuno is a better director, anyway. I cannot wait for Final Fantasy XII.

SOUND: To add even more to VS's cinematic presentation, is Hitoshi Sakimoto's epic score. Reminiscent of Final Fantasy Tactics', but with a darker tone to complement the story, it is also indicative of a great artist working within his limitations. A particularly powerful scene in the forest is made all-the-more potent by Sakimoto's music—a track that is aptly-titled "Brainwashing." From the toe-tapping jingle in the abandoned mines, to the meticulous and orchestral theme haunting the cathedral, it is a delicious soundtrack to rival real instruments (and I know how tacky it is to say that). It really is real-sounding, but more than that, it's good.

STORY: Ah, and (d'uh) here is where VS truly shines! To debunk all the marketing blurbs plastered across the game's jewel case, it is not about a murder suspect fleeing to a haunted city in order to clear his name. It is actually much more complex than, and different from, that.

Vagrant Story follows the hunt for a notorious cult leader through the literal ghost town of Leà Monde, a prosperous city that had been abruptly devastated 25 years prior, and left uninhabited since. Among the hunters are VKP (Valendia Knights of the Peace) Riskbreaker (member of a special task force of pseudo-knight/detectives with a 30% survival rate) Ashley Riot, and the bible-thumping Crimson Blade Romeo Guildenstern, captain of the Cardinal's men. What their provocatively-dressed cultist, and the game's (supposed) antagonist, Sydney Lasstarot ultimately wants from the town of Leà Monde is uncertain, but it involves Ashley and the rest of the cast, as well.

What is so compelling about the plot would spoil a game that needs to be experienced at least twice on your own, so I'll just say that there are zombies. Zombies and ghostly suits of armor. Oooohhooh! Scared, yet? YOU SHOULD BE.

game play: And so we come to what makes this game a game. A game in the sense that you participate to become more than a reader, but a player. The battle system is something that you need to fully embrace in order to enjoy. Ashley survives on fitting himself with custom-made equipment according to what he's up against. There are no "perfect" weapon + armor combinations to be found in any location, but materials are instead scattered about to build swords and shields and pole arms and leggings in any of the many functional smithies around Leà Monde. Ashley survives on what he can find, and using them in the best way he can in any given situation.

Depending on what kind (human, undead, beast, phantom) of enemy, what elemental affinity (fire, water, physical, evil) they hold, and kind of weapon (edged, blunt, piercing) they're vulnerable to, the appropriate equipment is essential. As you use that equipment in these conditions, they'll be slowly pounded on and become stronger in these areas. As such, your weapon may break after a while, and require you to repair it at the nearest smithy.

NOTES: One gripe I do have about this game, and it has absolutely nothing to with the content, is that the alarmingly important prologue is OPTIONAL. Meaning that if you start playing from "New Game" then you will miss it, so remember to wait for the music to die down after the introductory CG movie. What starts to play will continue automatically and explain everything you need to know from the start to fully enjoy this work of interactive art.

TO SUM UP: If you own a PlayStation of any kind, get this. If you're a fan of RPG's, get this. If you value story as much as anything else in a video game, get this. VAGRANT STORY is a grossly-overlooked classic, and with the latest Greatest Hits release, it should be easier to correct that. I'll just wait here and pray for a sequel.

10/10

This is an overlooked classic. Way too few people played this game, and yet it's one of the best RPGs ever! If you are reading this, and you like RPGs, and you haven't played Vagrant Story, get out and buy the game NOW!

Vagrant Story is a great game. It is one of my favorites. Squaresoft's presentation and execution is second to none. But there is something special about Vagrant Story. It uses a fully polygonal engine, instead of the pre-rendered backgrounds of Final Fantasy fame. But that's not what makes it special. It is the cinematic presentation and captivating gameplay.

The story is interesting from the first cut-scene. (Don't forget to watch them.) Thanks to Akihiko Yoshida--character design for Vagrant Story, as well as Final Fantasy Tactics--the story never runs dry. The character are entertaining from the start.

The kicker for Vagrant Story is in it's cinematic presentation. Some might call it a Metal Gear Solid clone, but MGS does not have Vagrant Story's flair or music. I belive that games like this will pop up more and more as the years go by and graphics abilities increase. As engine become more life-like, a movie-like, cinematic game world will be the next step. Just look at games like Vagrant Story, Metal Gear, the Soul Reaver Series, Half-Life and Max Payne. Games mixing a story as well written and executed as Vagrant Story's and an engine like DOOM III are the future.