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Vagrant Story

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 85 / 90
Date: May 25, 2000
Author: Amazon User

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

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

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

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

Better 'n Final Fantasy

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 28 / 38
Date: June 24, 2000
Author: Amazon User

I've been an FF fan for years, and never thought I'd see a better game come out, but this is it! Good story line that doesn't get in the way of game play, well though out abilities and tricks, lots of skills to learn. Things don't pick up until you enter the city of Lea Monde, but once things get going, you'll love it! Different from most RPG's, there is no experience point system; rather, you pick up some combat skills from practicing other skills. You're stats grow by baby steps from finding potions or fighting bosses. The real method of growth lies in weapon development, which is done by creating or finding unique weapons, then fighting specific enemies with them. Your weapon will develop an affinity to fighting a specific type of monster, and as it grows, will be able to wipe out monsters of that type easily with enough practice. Add in a few Square Soft break arts and other tricks, your character can be very powerful (or weak) with the right development. One point - make your 'evil' weapon a two-handed type, or your in big trouble in the final battle... Enjoy!

The best Action/RPG on the planet!

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 18 / 20
Date: May 30, 2000
Author: Amazon User

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

One of the greatest RPGs ever made.

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 16 / 25
Date: May 22, 2000
Author: Amazon User

"Vagrant Story" is one of those games you keep coming back to, no matter how ticked at it you get. I suspect VS may get overlooked in the summer RPG rush, but I certainly hope it gets the attention it deserves.

Part Tomb Raider, part Parasite Eve and part Metal Gear Solid, VS is brought to you from the team that brought you Final Fantasy Tactics and it shows. The storyline is complex and engaging, the combat system has depth that has to be seen to be believed and the amount of time the game will suck up is incredible.

Even more than Parasite Eve, VS is a completely cinematic experience, from the opening shots to the last crash.

If you haven't found yourself enjoying the heavy combat-based games Squaresoft has released over the last year (FFT and Front Mission 3) then you may want to gloss over VS, or at least rent it first.

Any true RPG fan, though, this is one game you need to pick up.

The Perfect Game from the Perfect Company

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 13 / 15
Date: June 03, 2000
Author: Amazon User

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

An Unknown Classic

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 10 / 10
Date: April 26, 2002
Author: Amazon User

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

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

Finally, finally, finally...

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 9 / 9
Date: June 14, 2000
Author: Amazon User

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

Enter "Vagrant Story."

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

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

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

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

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

Flawless

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 9 / 14
Date: May 03, 2000
Author: Amazon User

This game teaches us how great Squaresoft is. With the delay of PArasite Eve 2 I'm glad they found such a good Spring/Summertitle. Think FF8+Parasite Eve+Chrono Triger

Great Story Line

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 8 / 12
Date: July 06, 2000
Author: Amazon User

I purchased this game on a whim. I knew nothing about it, but I was looking for an RPG that wasn't 4 discs long with a completely linear story (Final Fantasy VIII). I was blown away. This game has a great story, that is easy to follow, is involving, and makes the game worth playing. I am only halfway through and I am dying to find out what the deal with Sydney is! Is he good? Is he bad? Why is he so interested in Ashley. To me, the story makes the whole RPG (final Fantasy VII is a great example). The battle system is like a cross between Parasite Eve and Final Fantasy. While I am not that thrilled with the whole RISK factor, it does create a challenge to make it through a battle with multiple opponents or one of the bosses. I like the different weaponry you can use and how each one has different timings, making combos difficult using different weapons. I agree with one of the other reviewers that being in a dungeon so much is rather depressing, but after being outside in the Forest, I would rather be in one of the dungeons just so I can see everything without trees obstructing the view. All in all, a fantastic game to own. And if you don't want to own it, it's small enough to rent and spend the weekend playing.

One of the Greatest Games Ever Made for Fantasy Fans

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 9 / 11
Date: January 15, 2005
Author: Amazon User

Recently on G4 Tech TV I was watching "Filter", and they were counting down the top 10 underrated games of all time, and to my amazement and joy, Vagrant Story was rated the #1 most underrated game ever. There could be no title more worthy, and it saddens me that it has a 4 star average here on Amazon, though it's not really suprising.

Vagrant Story was one of the final Square games to come out for the PS1, and went by almost unnoticed. I didn't actually play it until it was a couple of years old. The graphics are without doubt some of the best ever seen on the PS1. I wish we could have had voice overs in this game, but such things were still pretty uncommon on the PS1. The sound is very good, light on music and heavy on creepy, atmospheric sound effects that really enhance the feeling of being lost in the huge mazes of buildings, tunnels, and dungeons.

As it is, the dialogue is absolutely exceptional, and the story is complex, twisting, and really makes you think. Good and evil end up not being quite what you think they are. The story has a heavy emphasis on a religious, crusader/inquisition type group of characters, as well as incorporating sorcery and magic. I could never explain how great the story and characters of this game are...it's just magical. The world just sucks you in.

The entire game takes place in an old abandoned ghost town on an island called Lea Monde. It is one of the most phenomenal environments ever created for a game. Much of the game takes place underground in old tunnels, vaults, caves, storage areas, and a huge variety of buried rooms, but there are also many areas where you emerge and have to explore the city aboveground. The feeling of the game is very lonely, and the old abandoned town of Lea Monde is amazing to explore.

The amount of detail that was put into this game is just incredible, and it is evident at every moment just what a labor of love it was for those who made it. Not only is the game itself exceptional, but the plethora of details they incorporated makes it an all time classic. For example, on the map screen, every single room in the game (and there are a lot) has it's own unique name. There is one dungeon where every room (and there are at least 30) is named after an implement of torture! It's just great.

There is a huge variety of enemies, and an in game encyclopedia that fills up as you encounter them. Combat is very difficult, and it seemed to me at first even too difficult, but once you get the hang of it, this game has one of the most fun, and definitely most unique, combat systems ever devised. With each swing you take, you can choose where to aim on the enemy (left or right arm, legs, body, or head!), and depending on the enemy, armor, and what type of weapon you are using, you will have a different %chance of hit and damage. There are about 6 or 7 types of weapons (blunt, piercing, slashing, etc.) and a HUGE variety of different weapons within these categories. Within this there are different gems that can be attached to your weapons to make them more efficient against certain types of enemies, give them elemental attributes, etc.
Truly, this game has an almost intimidating amount of detail, but that's what makes it so great. You can armor all parts of your body, and every single weapon and every single piece of armor is customizable by combining lesser weapons and armor in workshops that can be found among Lea Monde. Materials range from course materials like wood and iron early in the game to silver and platinum materials later. Weapons have to be created and specialized in for different creature types. For example, I usually had a spear I used against dragons, a holy mace and a holy dagger for undead and zombies, and an axe that was most effiecent against humanoid creatures. Plus, you can actually name every weapon you create, which adds an awesome finishing touch to your arsenal.

There is so much about this game that is great that I could go on for another hour and hardly scratch the surface. This game is thought provoking, its deep, and it is CHALLENGING. Not for wimps! There is so much to explore, so many hidden features, such endless customization, this game just never gets old. And, it has a new game plus feature, so you can replay it with all the skills, equipment, and magic you've acquired. Damn, I didn't even touch on the magic...there is a huge variety of magic spells you can learn as well!
I've played through it probably 3 times over the past few years, and it remains fun every time I play, and I still haven't maxed out Ashley Riots potential.

This game may not be for everyone. It is hard, confusing, and very deep. But for those of you that love fantasy games, a good story, great characters and dialogue, tons of character/equipment customization, and a big challenge, give this game a try. You can get it for cheap now, and even though it's a little dated, it may be one of your best game purchases in quite awhile.

On a final note, I'm thrilled to know that the people who are responsible for this game and for Final Fantasy Tactics are the main creative force working on Final Fantasy XII right now. It should be phenomenal! I can't wait.

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