Recognized as one of the most outstanding RPGs released on PlayStation, Vagrant Story abandons the assumptions typical of the Japanese genre. In terms of assumptions and presentation of the action, the title resembles a third-person action game.
Prepared by Squaresoft, the specialists in RPG genre, Vagrant Story was the pinnacle of technological achievements of the PS1 era. The action of the game tells the story of an officer of a lawkeeping organization in the kingdom of Valendia, who sets out in pursuit of the kidnapper responsible for the abduction of the heir to the throne. The title is an extensive RPG with a complex combat system and a heavy story.
Story
The world of Ivalice. Kingdom of Valendia is engulfed in civil war. The leader of the Müllenkamp sect, Sydney Losstarot, kidnaps Prince Bardorba's son and takes him to the city of Leá Monde, destroyed by the earthquake many years ago. A member of Valendia Knights of the Peace, Ashley Riot, follows the kidnapper. On site, his plans quickly become much more complicated when Callo Merlose, who accompanied him, is abducted and other people eager to get their hands on Sydney, including Romeo Guildenstern, member of the Crimson Blades, and Rosencrantz, another of Ashley's colleagues, appear on site. With time, new secrets concerning Riot's past, as well as the intentions of the parties participating in the civil war, come to light.
Mechanics
Vagrant Story is an RPG title, in which the action is presented from TPP. While exploring successive segments of the city and surrounding areas, the player's character has to overcome arcade and logic challenges, as well as duel with the opponents they encounter. Squaresoft has developed an original combat system, in which players move in real time, and the passage of time stops only during the selection of one of several actions. When we press the Attack button, a sphere appears around Ashley symbolizing his range, which varies depending on the weapon we currently wield. The hero can use ordinary attacks as well as special abilities and spells gained during the game. The attacks can be chained into combos to finish the battle faster and not expose oneself to counter-attacks. With each attack, however, the Risk indicator increases, which lowers the hero's accuracy and defensive. We can reduce its level by drinking special potions and stopping our assault for a certain period of time.
The developers have prepared an extensive module for crafting weapons and armor. Playerscan choose from a dozen or so materials and weapon types to create the perfect weapon for a variety of situations, e.g. ona that is effective against undead or poisons the enemy on hit.
Vagrant Story enables us to continue playing in "New Game+" mode after the adventure has been completed. Players keep their inventory items and can go to previously inaccessible places and face more difficult enemies.
Technical aspects
The game is distinguished by a specific visuals, a perfectly tension-building soundtrack, as well as a difficult and touching plot. Many people previously involved in the creation of Final Fantasy Tactics, such as scriptwriter Jun Akiyama, composer Hitoshi Sakimoto or director and producer Yasumi Matsuno, took part in the development of the game. The authors were partly inspired by Leá Monde in the French city of Saint-Émilion.
Last updated on March 15, 2020
Vagrant Story Summary
Platforms:
PlayStation 1
Developer: Square Enix
Publisher: Square Enix
Age restrictions: 16+
