Turn On The Chip In Your Head.
Written: Jun 08 '00
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Incredible depth of game play.
Cons: You might forget to eat.
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| Elasto's Full Review: Vagrant Story for PlayStation 1 |
Never before have I thanked Square Soft. Even with Final Fantasy VII and VIII I was glad I had played them, but I couldn't thank them for stealing two weeks and my concentration at work. They were great games, but they don't qualify as "fun". Vagrant Story has done so, and I can't help but smile say thanks.
When I started playing Vagrant Story I had a deep fear that it was Square's interpretation of the Tomb Raider series. Sure, Tomb Raider may have upped the ante for everyone else, but I got tired of staring at Lara Croft's pixels after a while. Then I remembered why I love Square Soft. The game is complex. Usual methods of character development remain; as you go through the game you do get more powerful. But Square has continued their trend from the Final Fantasy series in that your weapons and armor grow as you do. The attributes of your items may then be altered with attached Gems, different grips, or even by combining them with another weapon or piece of armor to create a new item. You are only as strong as you are patient.
As you grow to understand Ashley Riot, your wild haired hero, you start to learn how this world works. Magic is not uncommon, but is certainly not popular. Vagrant Story uses a basic magic system - learn a spell, cast a spell. Spells will cost you magic points, but with a little scavenging recovery items are not hard to find. The spell animations are simple and effective, and often accompanied by wonderfully composed sound effects. Load times are cunningly disguised so that magic flows seamlessly within a battle.
The battle system itself can be a little overwhelming at first, but once the cause and effect relationship is realized it becomes a simple matter. If your weapon has been prepared to fight a certain enemy, you will do well. If you are unprepared the fight will take days. Square also included a targeting system relying on body location that becomes an essential tool in defeating your foes. As Ashley progresses through the plot you learn how to exploit your foes' weaknesses and, with work, how to use the system to your advantage.
The most frustrating and rewarding part of the game are the cube puzzles. At the start of the game they may be as simple as moving a block across a room for use as a step stool, but by the end of the game you are solving puzzles with fifteen to twenty operations before the solution. Square Soft shows us yet again that, in the end, you are not as smart as you thought you were. Keep it simple, break it down, and the puzzles are a lot more fun.
Game play aside, Square is famous for the sheer brilliance of their games. The graphics in Vagrant Story are simple, relying on well designed maps and beautiful backgrounds to help Ashley stand out. The music is soft and ethereal, as with most Square titles, and serves as a great counterpoint to the crashes and grunts of a battle. Keeping the music soft and pleasant was a good idea - so far I've logged almost 29 hours of game play and, unlike FF7 and FF8, the music hasn't become annoying yet.
Overall I recommend Vagrant Story to anyone looking for a project instead of just a game. If you like to think things through, build yourself up, and take no prisoners, this is the game for you. Turn on the chip in your head, take a week off work, and thank Square Soft for doing their job.
Recommended:
Yes
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Epinions.com ID:
Elasto
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Member: Adam Wilkins
Location: Albuquerque, NM
Reviews written: 3
Trusted by: 2 members
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