video game: Vagrant Story (PS1)

[Jamshyd]

I cannot even begin to describe how much I absolutely love this game. I finished it 3 times over, uncovered 100% of the map, and yet I still play it every now and then, many years later.

Sound: Beautiful orchestral soundtrack which fits perfectly with the mood of the story and the locale. The sound effects were very believable and well-implemented for surround-sound. 10/10

Graphics: Not only were they one of the best for the PS1, but they were in fact "forwards compatible" with the PS2's graphics softener option. The art is very original, and mature enough to fit the story. The character and monster design were fantastic... one of the most awesome monsters I've ever seen in any game is the Darkness Elemental - I'd pause the game to get into first-person mode just to stare at it 10/10

Story: Perhaps one of the best of any video game. A wonderful departure from the save-the-world (usually by an adolescent boy) typical story. Very deep and well-written, with dialect differences between different characters, all of whom are intriguing in their own way. Great mystery too, kept me engaged up until the very final boss. 10/10

Gameplay: One of the most ambitious games ever. Many people found the over-customisation of the weapons/armour to be too overwhelming - I found it just right. The only thing that would have been nice to have would be a similar system of magic customisation. The only negative about this game, though, is that it was too short! 9/10

Excellent, highly underrated masterpiece!

 

[Transcendence]

This is one of the only Square RPGs I've never played. The drab, depressing art direction always turned me off from buying the game, and I can't stand dungeon crawlers. I really should play it though.

 

[Jamshyd]

^ I hate dungeon-crawling as well, but VS is definitely an exception since the dungeons are simply there as a framework for all the tweaking, fine-tuning, and puzzle solving that you'll be doing throughout. Mind you, almost a third of the game is underground, which can get very slightly repetitive after a while. I am pretty sure it is that way though due to the PS1's graphics limitations, since the game truly pushes the boundary with fine-details and animation, and nothing in it is pre-rendered.

As for the depressing art, you'll understand why it is so once you get into the story. It really could not have been represented in any other way. Had the art been more "cheerful", I probably would not have liked the game as much.

Btw, what did you think of Parasite Eve's battle system? (with a range-sphere around you and picking which part of the monster you want to attack). VS' is basically a highly evolved form of that.

That said, I have seen your taste in FF games in the other thread, and suspect you might not enjoy VS too much .

 

[Jamshyd]

*cough* Where's my poll, biatch?

 

[L2R]

my pleasure, your charmlessness

 

[Wayne Gale]

I here you man, I was so dissapointed when I found out there would never be another one and that square disbanded the entire team. So much better than the Final Fantasy games that have been coming out recently IMO

 

[StagnantReaction]

This game pretty much blew me away in terms of its innovation, and it definitely seemed ahead of its time. While it can be a bit tedious in the actual gameplay and what to expect, it's gorgeously artistic in the setting and story.

I can't choose between 4 or 5 stars. But holy shit, this game looks sexy on a PSP screen.

 

[Jamshyd]

Bumpity.

Still my favourite.

 

[HorseyP]

Oh man i forgot about this game. Gonna emulate it methinks.

 

[HorseyP]

Playing this shit on my laptop now. Still got a few thinks to figure out config wise to get it running optimally, but fuck, its an even better game than i remember it to be.

 

[Jamshyd]

^ It gets EXPONENTIALLY better after you defeat the first two (or three) bosses, as you'll have MUCH more to choose from in terms of building weapons.

 

[HorseyP]

^ It gets EXPONENTIALLY better after you defeat the first two (or three) bosses, as you'll have MUCH more to choose from in terms of building weapons.

I'm really enjoying it, getting proper rpg excitment of old.