Tempted by Vagrant Story

[Midgar Mist]

Please could you EoFFers who love this game tell me why I should purchase it?

I'm a bit intrigued right now.

[Fynn]

It's the outfits

[harmonixer]

I played it a long time ago. It's got a great story but is very difficult to get into gameplay-wise - I found it a struggle to enjoy at times. A couple of very nice pieces of music - I think it was the same composer as FFXII (who I thought was awesome but no replacement for Nobou).

If you can pick it up cheap and you've not got much else to play then I'd recommend it - but there are more enjoyable games out there.

[Fynn]

Yeah, it's certainly a game that requires dedication. You kind of need a guide because the game explains nothing to you, and if you don't master it quick, you're dead. You'll be dead a lot, in fact.

But it still has stunning visuals that do a great job at conveying a very intriguing plot. And the gameplay is also very satisfying once you get the hand of it. It's easily one of my favorite games of all time.

And I was only half joking about the outfits. The guys are dressed basically in bondage gear with many an ass cheek showing, but this is just so original and fits in so well with the art direction that I actually consider it a good thing rather than an off-putting one.

[Midgar Mist]

I think I will save my money for something better.

[Del Murder]

It has one of the most intricate yet simple crafting systems you will ever see. Trying to optimize your gear at any given point will take over your life if you let it. It looks like an ARPG which I guess it kind of is but the combat is also turn based and relies on knowing the weapons and playing the percentages. It's one long dungeon crawl but with plenty of puzzles and areas to explore for treasure. The villain/rival is multi-dimensional and there are some good plot twists, though the plot doesn't always make sense.

It's a very good game. You should play it.

[Fynn]

Yeah, substitute "better' for "more accessible" maybe :p It's hard to find a game that's quite so original and mesmerizing. It can be very punishing, but when you master it, it's the coolest thing ever.

[The Last Ancient]

Matsuno is as good as anyone in the business at telling a story. It sticks with you

[krissy]

vagrant story had a great story lol

[escobert]

I enjoyed the game when I played it way back when.

[Big D]

Vagrant Story is superbly written, with one of the best English translations of its era. Fascinating and varied characters, with an explorable environment which is stunningly beautiful and detailed by PS1 standards.

The combat system is a downside, but only at first. It'll make sense if you've read the instructions before playing, and the New Game Plus feature means you can build on your experience with each subsequent playthrough, while also discovering new areas and new snippets of story.

The game is nominally connected to the FF universe, Ivalice to be precise, though it stands on its own as an example of great world-building in a relatively short tale. Politics, religion, history, personal struggles - there's a lot built into the fine details, with some parts of the story told upfront, other lore hidden in the details, and some left intentionally mysterious so that you need to come to your own conclusions.

I've probably talked it up a bit much, but it's only because I really admire the game and what it meant to me. I'd personally rate it a "must-play" in the action/puzzle RPG milieu.

On an unrelated sociological note, it's significant as a rare example of what appear to be deliberately minimalist or sexualised costumes on male characters. Lots of low-cut pants with seemingly gratuitous ventilation, etc.

[Fynn]

On an unrelated sociological note, it's significant as a rare example of what appear to be deliberately minimalist or sexualised costumes on male characters. Lots of low-cut pants with seemingly gratuitous ventilation, etc.

Man, I'd go as far as calling it homoeroticism and it's amazing how people have not only accepted this design choice but widely embraced it. In a world where most developers are too afraid to stray from a grizzled action hero or bodacious babe as your main protagonist, people wanting to play a male protagonist with exposed ass cheeks and even praising the art design just makes me think that we're a lot more open as a society thank most video games would have us believe, and that's great!

[Vyk]

It's definitely on my list of retro nostalgia that I sadly missed out on, and I will definitely partake of it one day, even if I have to get it digitally on my PS3 or Vita or something. But more than likely I'll eventually hunt down a physical copy if/when I can find a good deal on a full copy of it

And seeing people talk about it over the years I can tell it's fandom isn't just blind hype and rose colored glasses. Most of its fans are very objective and even give constructive criticism while still being adamant that it was one of the better PS1 RPG experiences

I used to brush those people's opinions away whenever they praised FFXII despite it's Not-Tidus protagonist, and ripped-off MMO combat system. And turned out they were right. Vaan doesn't ruin the game and the combat system is just an older version of what Dragon Age and Xenoblade Chronicles pretty much uses

I certainly won't shrug off their opinions of an even older darling of a game