Vagrant Story - Retro Review (PS1)

[@mazda9624]

It's crazy that this video is now older than Vagrant Story was back when this video came out

[@Rihcterwilker]

this game is beautiful. Just look at the details, characters with independent fingers, hair moving with the wind. That was like a next gen ps2 game running on ps1. The art style holds up until today, in my opinion, it's not right to compare this to modern games and say it's bad.

[@Hato1992]

Ye, this game is so beautiful, it could be released at PS2 without any problems, Square squished all what PSX offer for developers.

[@triggahappyyt5420]

Richter WLK it looks shit or is it the video compression?

[@Rihcterwilker]

I suppose it's because the video is a little old. The graphics look better even if played on emulator.

[@latinstuff1]

well they did it again with final fantasy xii on the ps2

[@igodreamer7096]

The game with the best polygons in PSX, no doubt it, man! =)

[@calebjanus2000]

I disagree with your assessment of the graphics. Some of the best graphics on the PSX right there buddy. Amazing lighting. Unique character models. You really feel like you are in some vast ancient city underground. It's a damn shame they have never made a sequel.

[@Valendian2009]

Couldn't agree more, this game still looks beautiful

[@daoyang223]

There were a ton of one and done JRPG's on the PS2 that never got another release on the PS2 or on the PS3. Vagrant story was awesome! Suikoden never made it passed the ps2 era. We haven't had another Dark Cloud game. Also, this one's not a JRPG, but, we didn't get a conclusion to Half Life. Which is just an amazing game by all means, it never got the ending it deserved. The PS2 was like a death trap to a lot of series. So many great games during that era just died with that era. Meanwhile we are still getting FF's and COD's.

[@SerotoninCrunch]

Metaljesus, you and mark from CGR are probably my 2 favorite retro reviewers. Keep up the great work!

[@TXFDA]

+Dr. Pheel Thing I enjoy about Metaljesus, is that he sounds.."genuine" I guess would be the right word. If he likes a game, it actually sounds like he likes it. it doesn't sound like he rehearsed a script and list of reasons. He just..talks about it as if you were asking your friend's opinion on a game.

[@ryanbruneau1197]

Yup. You can actually hear the passion in his voice for his games

[@obudanbondon]

Alister Dante You mean Classic Shirt Room?

[@dwdiscount]

It's on sale right now at the Playstation Store for $2.99 (until Jan 2nd 2018.)

[@SFBrit1]

Very helpful and insightful retro review. Much appreciated.... I'm about to try this game out for the 1st time. Having lost access to my PS1 just before this was released in 2000, I missed out on this originally. It will be very interesting to finally play this one.

[@saedt]

Ivalice titles always feel more mature, and I fucking love them. This is the most wonderful representation of that. Oh and the soundtrack..."Remembrance" Is one of my all-time favorite compositions.

[@saedt]

Final Fantasy XII, though many don't like it, but I loved it

[@saedt]

Paralysisis Hahah, it is a bit too grindy, but the world is pretty nice, and the combat grew on me, though I do prefer a more predetermined job system like in FF9. FF12 is such an expansive world though, the sidequests are its selling point I think

[@saedt]

Worth a shot :P but Vaan will still be annoying x)

[@saedt]

Paralysisis oh god that part is crap! His voice AAHHHHH!! xD but it's such a nice world! :D

[@saedt]

captain basch von ronsenberg was it? :P

[@Harkz0r]

Can't agree about the graphics, I'm afraid. This game has some of the best graphics seen on the PSX, alongside (imo) FFIX and MGS1. Even without this, I feel the art direction alone makes it look incredible. I had a friend who was really into FF but didn't like this game, so he gave me it free of charge! I still think it's one of the best on the console.

[@TXFDA]

+Harkz0r The issue is, it's still PSX. I don't mind the graphics on the console, because I grew up with it. I actually love how PSX games look. But honestly, they are kind of a blocky mess. Even the good looking PSX games are blocky messes. It's the Atari 2600 of the 3D generation. Fun games, but they look like shit compared to more recent stuff. Again though, I still love the graphics, even if they are messy.

[@Harkz0r]

TXF I suppose you're right. I don't think growing up with it is a prerequisite, but it certainly helps. To be honest, though, when you take some of the earlier titles and compare them to something like, say, FFIX, it's a marvel they're even on the same console. Graphically I don't think FFVII or the Gran Turismo games aged very well, for example, compared to their contemporaries.

[@Dreamewalker]

I'm playing through the game right now. I sympathize with everything you said about the graphics, save system, and battle system complexity. This game could've used some more modern tropes like in game tutorials, check points, and...MEGA TEXTURES. lol

[@StrongDaddy]

Me and my my brother poured days and weeks of our youth playing this game, constantly getting lost when backtracking to a unsealed door. We loved the game so much, and I never noticed that Ashley was wearing assless chaps until watching and reading the comments here. This game deserves a sequel. More games should adopt that combat system or the grid targeting limbs.

[@daoyang223]

The limitations brought about some creative ways to do combat without it being so fast and twitchy like newer games. Newer games you can breeze through bosses if you're a natural at just dodging and button mashing combos to win. Then you have turn based and other variations of it, which require some forethought and brain power to beat the bosses. Sometimes always attacking or always throwing your power house abilities doesn't do the trick. You have to figure out when you should do them, and what you should do meanwhile. In games like Final Fantasy XV, you can get pretty good at dodging and just throwing out your abilities. In Grandia 2, you have to know when to use that Sky Dragon Slash. lol

[@senseiii3986]

Dude if you want a game with the limb targeting system, check out the surge 2!!! Pretty new and AMAZING Rpg game. One of the best I've played in a while!

[@TheFloatingcats]

I feel u about the save points, sometimes they're before a boss but most of the times they aren't like WHY

[@stonerdemon]

Simply put: the best PS1 game produced. An absolute masterpiece. One thing to mention: Once the game is finished, a sort of new game+ begins where the player will be rewarded with the Rod Inverse, which is a key to open a previously inaccessible area of the game. Buy it, enjoy it, and worship it forever.

[@matthewedwards8996]

I respect everything you do. You even brought back my love of old school pc games such as the original side scrolling duke nuke ems and the heretic/hexen series. I was just playing this and thought to look up a retro review and found you had made one 8 years ago! Your buying guides also helped me build up a nice neo Geo collection and lots of hidden gems I had overlooked on other systems. You are my favorite youtuber dont ever change dude!

[@fatroc33]

This looks great! Going to buy this and play on my vita on my way to work.

[@kustomkure]

a real grown-up badass game. loved it when it came out. huge fan by this day. I consider it a relative to Dark Souls

[@Jubanen12]

Exactly! It has that same kinda feel to it as Dark Souls has even if its not exactly as hard.

[@mintcake2668]

+Daniel Korolev So true!!! The first time I saw Dark Souls, I immediately thought of Vagrant Story.

[@toooydoeur]

Daniel Korolev stop

[@CripplingDuality]

@@toooydoeur yeah really tired of hearing about Dark Souls and everything being compared to it

[@toooydoeur]

@@CripplingDuality damnnnn bro this was 3 years ago, crazy

[@MetalJesusRocks]

@IsleenMilligan - You are completely correct in your criticism of my review, so thanks for commenting. The truth is I got about 12~15 hours into the game before getting really frustrated, so I know that's not a comprehensive review. Instead, I reviewed the game never had played it originally, and I found a lot of the old school save systems, and controls, and menus to be very problematic. It's a cool game...but buyer beware!

[@MetalJesusRocks]

@Vladimir0538 - thanks very much for that compliment! That was really nice of you!

[@SinnerJ]

Vagrant Story was a bit of a hit and miss title. But it's definitely a cult classic RPG.

[@erikcotterli-heather8873]

Wow...! This video was made when Metal Jesus was a You Tube Baby.

[@MetalJesusRocks]

@elcarohw - You're right. Had this game come out before 2000, I'm sure it would have had more of a following. But being released so close to the PS2 launch... it just got ignored unfortunately.

[@IsleenMilligan]

Being one of my all time favorite RPGs from gaming in general, I was really happy to stumble across this review. The only thing I took issue with was that you didn't even mention the Break Arts systems and you barely even touched on the magic. I think people going to this review considering whether or not to spend the money getting the game on the PSN might have liked to know about the four magic schools, how they impact gameplay and the flashy weapon abilities you get to learn.

[@FreeFlow__]

the most overlooked and underappreciated game of all time.

[@FatherSaunders]

COMPLETELY agree!!

[@kilvasify]

to be honest you can even fight with your punches if you're good enough....on the other side if you're bad you're gonna struggle against any single monster probably...I find this "no mercy" way of living through the game(retro gamers philosophy) fascinating, I mean at some points the game even says to you "evolve or die"

[@commentman19]

I think there was always a save point in rooms right before the boss room... and you'll know that the next one's a boss room because it has double doors... plus the save point and the storage chest... and I think there's also training dummies in some of them too for your weapon customization... D:

[@buzzworddujour]

I love how you are so open to criticism and discussion!

[@Riskbreakerslayer]

I friggin love this game, man. It's the first rpg I ever bought. The article in Gamefan Magazine back in the day had me sold, instantly. The artwork and musical score are amazing.

[@cameroncantu633]

I have always wanted to play this game. I remember it coming out as a kid. I fell in love with the art style and it has always been in the back of my mind. I'll get it someday.

[@Auturgist]

The thing he doesn't mention about the Risk system is that it becomes irrelevant if you can chain your combos indefinitely, because even at max Risk, your chance to hit never reaches 0%. Because a chain combo cannot be interrupted by the enemy, even at max Risk, there's still a slight chance your attacks can hit, so you can dink away at an enemy until eventually you deal enough damage to kill it. That's far from the optimal way of killing most enemies, but it's possible, and adds one more level of depth to the gameplay for hardcore players.

[@MetalJesusRocks]

@Philosifus - Thanks very much for this feedback! This is really great and I appreciate it!

[@kellymoon3406]

I remember this game...It was probably the most hard "fair" game I've ever played. It's way harder than Dark Souls or those games. It was really really fun though, and you felt amazing when you beat a boss or hard enemy. The environments were really cool, and sometimes VERY creepy.

[@doyoulikemyhaircut8278]

Vs makes dark souls look like hello kitty online adventures

[@b3at2]

+Kelly Moon it wasnt fair.. no matter how much i leveled up. .nothing helped. it was crap.

[@Malouco]

+JRLM u mean vagrant story? Or dark souls?

[@jaieet]

Vagrant story wasn't hard unless you sucked at chaining. And even then, only if you *relied* on chaining despite sucking at it. :P You could just go through the game single-hitting.

[@Malouco]

U guys ever tried resonance fate? Holy shit. Took two hours to figure out what to do.

[@MetalJesusRocks]

@mitsurugi999 - I agree with everything you are saying...however, as a newcomer to Vagrant Story (ie I don't already have every boss pattern memorized), I just found the game way too punishing. Is it a classic? Obviously. But the cheap bosses and infrequent save points stopped me dead in my tracks.

[@richiekrauss7993]

Can I just say that I love all of your videos! Secondly, I concur wholeheartedly with the save point anger.

[@Threadnaught]

Apparantly the sparks around Ashley when you use an item, Spell or Break Art are the game loading the effects and animations. If the disc is damaged they'll last longer and longer. Personally they're one of the many things I like about the game. I think they add to it's charm.

[@TripleThreatUK]

Cool review. It's really hard to review & explain this game in 8 minutes, I think you did well! I loved the in-depth story in this game, the array of characters & also how dark the game was portrayed. It played out really well with an incredible soundtrack to back it up! Every time you walk into a workshop after smashing through a giant maze and hear the music "Factory", you can't help but feel a sense of safety! This game could easily become a feature film or TV series!

[@stevefulkerson4995]

I like your single game focused reviews or overviews, are you going to do more of these kinds of videos?

[@BggProductions]

Great review, though you should've mentioned the AMAZING sound effects in this game. They still kick ass 11 years later!

[@bertnbirdgaming4315]

Vagrant story is a technical beauty for its time. i think it still looks amazing in my opinion.

[@rapt0rface]

Was on the fence about getting this - definitely gonna get it now and you have a new subscriber :) keep it up!

[@caffeineadvocate]

Was just looking at my backlog of RPGs, wondering which to play next. Let's look up some reviews.. Oh, hey MJR!

[@JebberGamingJaws]

Amazing that this video will soon be 10 years old. The game has nearly doubled age 🤯.

[@bakasoraa]

The sound effects and design is still one of the finest

[@KAILOONE]

I finished this game many many years ago, I had finished many other games like RE1 2 3 Silent hill 1 PE 1 Metal gear solid Soul Reaver etc etc before playing this one. This game caught my eye because of the covers artwork also that it said squaresoft and I was a fan of that company back then. Oh boy where should I begin? This game had one of the best music, artwork, storyline, and the text they used was amazing. This game was amazingly hard to beat the first time, I fell in love with this game and always wondered if there would be a part 2 , been waitng 15 years now... anyway to me this is probably a top 5 game on my list of all the games I have played from atari to ps3... thousands probably. I still yet to see another game as great as this one is, I would probably rate this game a 9.3 Legendary and a must for any rpg lover out there. It's still worth playing more as of today 2015 than most crappy rpg games out there,

[@erdemsenol9642]

KAILOONE has there been petititon for a vagrant story sequel? ı definitely feel like doing something to see a sequel, because i completely agree what you say. Even killing a single foe with various chains is pure fun. artstyle is amazing, weapon depth is astonishing, story is even better than most of the famous movie scripts, atmosphere is mesmerizing, combat mechanics are uniq, exegarrated visual effects are strangely beautiful, sound effects have a shocking strength, sountrack rocks...why are we forced to play current hollow games?

[@KAILOONE]

erdem senol Yea I agree with how you described the game, I could just go on all day on how amazing this game is, so just I will say it's amazing in every single aspect. This game needs at least an HD remake and that would be the least this game needs. And I hope if that happens at least they make a direct remake and not add any crappy things that might ruin the game. The game is already great as it is.

[@TXFDA]

+KAILOONE Ugh, I wish I could get myself to finish a game. I just tend to start getting bored half way through most games. They're fun and all, but it gets repetitive eventually and I wanna play a different game. Especially in the case of RPG games that's mostly just..press X repeatedly to win battles. (Which sucks because I do love RPGs, I just get bored like I said.) Not to mention it takes 20 minutes to even start playing an RPG because you have to sit through a feature length movie for an intro.

[@LargoGabriel]

Looking cool in those shades!

[@thewolfman751]

So glad to see a review about this game, Vagrant Story is a cinematic masterpiece and I hold it up there among the greatest titles for the Playstation.

[@observer.b_e_l_l_i_s]

Throwback Metal Jesus recommendation? Hell yeah im in.

[@saimaberrii]

Great review, I really want to play it now

[@xXReplicantXx]

The battle sphere really was the epitomy of prescient game design it had a great deal of depth to it and pretty much forced you into strategic thinking. If they re-made this the combat system would definitely stand the test of time, albeit with some tweaks such as the ability to move while in sphere mode and just updates to increase mobility. That way it would appeal to the current twitch-trigger generation.

[@brians_casual_shenanigans]

Absolutely love this game! The story is extremely immersive and draws you in. Risk was a bit of a pain in the arse, but if you used the right abilities, you would still cause growing damage when the meter is full. The challenge was great, even if frustrating at times, but great game.

[@Painmaster212]

We need some more reviews from you MJR! Do you ever plan on reviewing other rpgs or games in general?

[@ChrisLT]

Cool review. My favorite action RPG, actually, though it's been a while since I went through it. One of the few games where I've unlocked just about everything. I'd love to see it touched up, since I don't know if a sequel could live up to my insane expectations. Shame you didn't finish it, since I found the latter portions of the game to be absolutely incredible. The last few hours and the end sequences, especially. Oh well!

[@Threadnaught]

The king of grind heavy RPGs. If it didn't have such an amazing art style and graphics that are decent even by today's standards, an epic story with so many interesting plot twists, you need to see it twice to believe it, one of the greatest soundtracks in videogaming, a fantastic script writer as the translator and the most unique gameplay ever seen in the RPG genre. It wouldn't be worth the $60 people are willing to pay for it.

[@MaudlinDreams666]

Woah this one looks really interesting and creative. The ability to target body parts reminds me a little of Fallout but this seems much more in-depth with it.

[@JesuitsRule]

Unless we're talking about some different version or something, there is no Disc 2 to Vagrant Story -- the second disc is just the demo disc.

[@Hato1992]

I love this game. I wish it had at least remaster, or even remake or sequel. I played it so many times, but I think I gonna buy it on PS3 again.

[@monkeyman123321]

Risk isn't REALLY fatigue cause it increases your heal effects and your crit % but you'll miss a lot more.

[@MetalJesusRocks]

@dabobster123 - I've been passionate about video games since I owned my first Atari 2600 and Commodore 64. It wasn't until a few years ago however, when I found that you could buy games and consoles cheap on Craiglist that I got serious. Basically it was the day I picked up an Atari 5200/7800 and 70 games for $60 that I thought "Wow. This is so cool!". My wife was also happy that it wouldn't cost me much either!

[@azalin19751975]

M.J. Thank you soooo much for reviewing this game. Since this review, I was on the look-out for this game for awhile...I just found this game for about 3 dollars as part of a 'group' buy. I feel bad, cause i've ignored PS1 games while I have been collecting...But I truly am surprised as too how many great games the PS1 had. With Vagrant Story I also got Legend of Mana and Final Fantasy Chronicles...Wow...Now I have to deal with a PS1 addiction..Take Care and once again THANK YOU!!

[@Sonns7900]

I love this game another defining moment in squares history

[@unique_mushroom]

ive tried getting into this game many times over the years. still would like to try again but im so bad at it. no matter how many times i read the manuals, guides online, etc i barely get any closer to knowing what im doing. :/

[@volkte37]

It's prudent in any game like this to ensure you always carry at least one type of each weapon, blunt, edged and piercing. Save system is fine.

[@frenhrir]

Martin Hinson besides, in the rpg lore, the save point always announced a major event

[@novachikun]

This is my favorite game. Loved the story and the music, even the combat/weapon system once I got the hang of it. Dark Souls' similarity to Vagrant Story is one of the reasons I was drawn to it, but sadly the Dark Souls series could learn A WHOLE DAMN LOT when it comes to fleshing out their characters and the storytelling. Also, when he was talkin about the menu system, I think MetalJesus forgot to mention that there is a Quick Menu in the game that you can bring up with L2 for combat commands like Items, Offensive Spells, Defensive Spells, etc. Like any other RPG, you do still have to go into the old fashioned menu to Equip things and re-attach gems to your weapon/shield, and also to disassemble/reassemble the blades to hilts in workshops. Just an awesome game once you get familiar with it.

[@joeydelrio]

this was my first rpg and all these years later it is still the best rpg game ever. i loved making all the weapons and can still remember spending hours and hours farming silver armor in the iron maiden to make the Damascus armor. why in the world did they never make a sequel???

[@Hijynx87]

Just downloaded it, and the file size is surprisingly small. Must be the in game cutscenes rather than cgi or FMV.

[@mrnevernice]

Interesting review. When judging graphics, keep in mind sheer polygons(quantity) are generally a bad place to start. Instead, talk about fluidity and consistency of the art direction (quality), then whether or not the technical power was enough to achieve this goal (however this usually has nothing to do with when the game was made, and more about which engine/platform is used.)

[@gonzo191]

Things to note about 'Risk' when high your offense drops but magic rises so you dont wanna eliminate it from your battles manage it around 30-40 just in case you slip up during a combo. However before entering any rooms reduce Risk to 0 just in case of mini-boss, locked room or dragons. You need to craft better weapons and master the chain system. I killed tons of enemies with the 'wrong' weapon. If you find dummies practice chaining on them it'll increase your weapon's stats. Give it a 2nd try

[@Juicexlx]

My PS3 plays that game when I feed the disk to it. Makes it a lot better. It's a very tough, very long game. Even when you finish it, you gain a tattooed key on your back which allows you to go to the Iron Maiden I & II with new, super hard (almost impossible bosses). Find a walk-through & find fact sheets to constructs weapons, armors + find affinities to make bosses easier.

[@Dragao1010]

good review man, i was wondering if you could review Champions: Return to arms on the ps2, i'm sure you'd love that game :D

[@TheGoldenChile]

i stilll listen to the soundtrack. unforgettable game.

[@GoldenJellyBean]

Great review =)

[@BrUSomania]

The part where Ashley is sitting with his family and they suddenly get killed... Man, I got goose bumps

[@CyberScript404]

I kinda love your voice for reviewing...you should think about contacting places like ign or gamespot or GT to hire you as a reviewer. GOOD JOB! xD

[@Somewondude]

best game decision I made at a young age. i read the reviews in the back of the case and said, "it has to be good."

[@13sinister]

Vagrant Story. A truly AMAZING game on par with the original Metal Gear Solid (graphics/story/gameplay). It's an absolute TRAVESTY that no sequel (or HD remake) exists to this day...

[@dayvyg1]

Great review!

[@MrGrofonja]

my favorite rpg of all time,this game is perfect

[@schram21891]

The more I watched the video, the better the graphics actually got.

[@XgamerdaveX]

In my top 5 PS games. Would love a Vagrant Storey 2 on PS4.

[@Big_Dai]

This game, with the Interface of Tactics Ogre: Let us Cling Together and improved graphics/art would be sublime. Maybe an improvement on the Battle System as well for new generations.

[@TheMetalVagabond]

could never figure it out but did Ashely really kill his family? or did Sidney make him have those visions to manipulate him

[@Dennis-ex3yb]

TheMetalVagabond can't play this game now thanks

[@Xalmuster]

It was left open to the player's interpretation at the end, but I personally feel like Ashley's truth was the correct one.

[@travisbitez951]

+Dennis seriously I was just about to download emulator do people not know how to say spoiler alert

[@Ryuuzaki1770]

Thats true he is very entertaining to hear n very detailed about his review , great job.

[@1Souleater11]

dude first time ive ever seen one of your vids you had me subbed at the intro lol

[@waveexistence3512]

I’ve had this on my psp for like 10 years and I haven’t touched it… this, Xenogears and Soul Reaver. I’m about to start it up today 😬

[@redbake]

Have you reviewed primal for the PS2?

[@Shamsukz]

Dropped by because I was told this game is like Aidyn Chronicles: The First Mage on the N64 by THQ / H20 back in 2001 I think more than anything its similar combat system ish but I am getting some real souls like vibes going on. Regardless, i'm loving it and appreciate the upload :)

[@TheSuperfrazer]

I'm define going to play this again now :) it's just finished downloading as I watched this on my vita.

[@ushilives3]

Who got the Holy Win drop?

[@mm9is]

とっつき難いが楽しめたチェインと装備合成。 キャラの表情に衝撃受けたしストーリーと音楽が相まって最高のゲームだったな。 ゼノギ、ベイグ、アイハン、武蔵、PE等、PS時代のスクウェアは大好きだった。

[@MetalJesusRocks]

@TheBladeJunker - I hear what you are saying, and that's certainly not my intent. Square was really pushing that old technology, so kudos to them! My comment is more from a current perspective, and meant to be an observation...nothing more. Right now I'm playing through Xenogears and it's the same complaint..yet Square did an AMAZING job with what they had!

[@igooglewords]

I remember playing this game its frustrating and finally got the controls figured out without reading the manually. It was fun I remember maximizing my risk and got my favorite weapons are powered up. Crossbow and Broadsword, Sword only thing I hate is the hammer.

[@Nicomanism]

During May 2021, I was looking for PS1 games in a time that was the worst time to collect video games. Luckily for me, I found this game with black label case and disc for $14 . Best of all, it was barely played.

[@SotNist]

another favorite of mine... i would probably put it somewhere between #10-20 in my list. the graphics have aged really poorly, and it would be nice to see it refurbished, but really all that makes it difficult for me to acclimate to whenever i try to return to it is the menu and control configuration. everything has that reversed X = cancel and CIRCLE = confirm from MGS1 and Resident Evil menus, & switches alot. drives me nuts until about 6 hrs in every time

[@snowball1988]

Wasn’t FF9 the last game that Square released on the PS1? It was out later in 2000

[@SirBonarama5]

I'm not a newbie to RPG's I've played Lufia 2, Chrono Trigger, Tales of Symphonia, Golden Sun, Xenogears, Skies of Arcadia, Earthbound, FFVI, VII, Star Ocean 2, and others. Do you think I'll be able to handle this game?? More importantly, is it good in comparison to these? I'm 18 years old and looking for an RPG to blow me away! Apparently, Eternal Sonata and Persona did not quiver my fancy.

[@Jubanen12]

I still have that original PS1 (Black Label) Vagrant Story in my game case.... it totally does not work lol but I've just opted to save it. Makes me realize how lucky I got with finding great games back then cause I didnt follow magazines or web sites or anything... most of the time I just picked up game if it had cool cover or the back text convinced me. (also I of course loved Squaresoft so those were safe bets back then.)

[@Harkz0r]

Hokageeeeeee Ironically, I used to buy magazines as a child but have long since eschewed pretty much all forms of gaming journalism (though I still aggregate various opinions from online users as well as going from past experience). I know what you mean about lucky finds, though. In the '90s and early '00s, Square had the Midas touch so most games were a sure bet indeed. I used to rent a lot of games as well, come to think of it. But there were a few gems (e.g. Grandia 1, Breath of Fire 3, Azure Dreams) I picked up by sheer chance.

[@MetalJesusRocks]

@YouKnowItzTTime81 - LOL!

[@baroquebeast]

Never thought I'd see a Rat City shirt when looking at a Vagrant Story related video.

[@curtisb3000]

One of the best games I ever played....

[@PsRetrogamer]

Hey man. Great review. I only STRONGLY disagree with you in one thing: the saving points. In my opinion, it's not nearly as bad as you point out (I only lost like 45mins of gameplay once, because of it, and it was my bad, playing with 100 Risk). I not only disagree, I also think it's the complete opposite of what you say. Being able to save anywhere, whenever you felt like it would totally ruin this game. Te way the game actually doesn't allow you to save whenever you want adds a feeling of danger and anxiety that, in my opinion, make the game experience much, much better. You actually feel as if you were Ashley Riot. You have to be careful, think before acting, maybe healing and certifying you're all set, before entering a door (I can't count the times I just sit there, with my weapons withdrawn, waiting for my Risk to go to zero and my MP and HP to fill up, only because I was so afraid of entering the next door to find some boss that would kill me and make me waste another 30 minutes dungeon crawling my way to it again. I'm sorry, but this is just the way this game makes me feel. And boy, what a great game it is. And I'm GLAD they never made a sequel. Chances were they would only screw up another awesome game. Leave this gem alone! PS: FF IX was released 5 months AFTER Vagrant Story. And these graphics are amazing for PS1.

[@Veoren12]

Hey maybe FFXII and FF Tactics are the sequels, who knows?? FFXII certainly borrowed from the battle system. Oh and I agree with you I loved the tension and I also waited for my HP and MP to fill up. Better safe than sorry! :P

[@yanderechannel-chan6165]

Squaresoft, back when Enix and Square were actually both good, and 2 separate entities...

[@MartinBarreby]

Havn't played it but always seamd interesting. The music in it is awesome, and have listened to it quiet a bit!