Vagrant Story: The Unanswered Questions

#vagrantstory #playstation #review
I successfully resisted the urge to name it "An Extremely Uncomprehensive Critique and History". Take that SEO!
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[@stefanssmellsvictory105]

Another thing I'll add about the story is how it hits home so much harder as you grow older. I became a parent for the first time last year and, playing through this game again now, and the thought of losing my wife and child in such a tragic way, and then having the [possible] revelation is, quite simple haunting and the most unbearable tragedy I could ever hope to not experience. It's fascinating to enjoy a story when you're a teenage, and then see and feel it on another level many years down the line.

[@Siegdrifa]

Here is some fun facts about Vagrant Story and the mysterious city where it takes place : The city was heavily inspired by the french village of Saint Emilion where the wine "Saint Emilion" is produced. This is an old and beautiful village with a strong medieval vibe surounded by vineyards. Square Soft was in Business with Kalisto, a french video game studio in Bordeaux to fund and edit Dark Earth 2 (official name : Silent Chaos). This game had character design done by Nomura, and during the developpement, Square Soft sent some important people to visit Kalisto, and Kalisto showed them around (like visiting Saint Emilion). One of Kalisto's game designer was japanese (Patrick Chen) which was very helpful as you can imagine. One day, Patrick told me when they visited a cave at Saint Emilion with Square, that one of them (i don't remember the name) said "now i know how it feels to be lost in a maze". So, if you were wondering what could be the connection between Vagrant Story and it's caves and wine, it's because of the impact that Saint Emilion left on them. Check some pictures of saint émilion on google and you will see for yourself.

[@TheTacticalRPGOdyssey]

I knew about Saint-Émilion being an inspiration but I didn't know about Kalisto or Dark Earth 2!

[@noctsickversusTOBETOLD]

How do you know all this? Also silent chaos is real?

[@Siegdrifa]

@@noctsickversusTOBETOLD Because i worked at Kalisto, and i was there when Tetsuya Nomura and other Squaresoft's staff came to visite us, mainly because of Silent Chaos on PS1. I was beta testing Silent Chaos and it was never in a playable state; it was full of bugs, unstable, and the story was always changing because of Squarsoft's demande, it was driving the devs nuts; that's why Squaresoft still paid Kalisto after the game cancelation. At best it was an early-alpha. The game was les than 3 hours long for a first playthrough, which was very weak for an action RPG. After Silent Chaos PS1 ended, Kalisto keept a small team to rework the project for PS2, because the game had potential; that's why you can find a remaining trailler on internet, this was presented to Squarsoft in hope that they would eventualy come back on the project, but Kalisto's team wanted to keep the control over the story to avoid repeating the same mistakes. In the end, Square neither said yes or no, and not long after, Kalisto went bankrup. One of Kalisto's team who where working on another game near complition decided to finish it and see if it could work, this is how Asobo Studio came to life.

[@Tiwill]

You are so underrated man. I feel like I got to experience and appreciate Vagrant Story in its entirety through this video. You had my full undivided attention from start to finish. Also your sense of humor and delivery gets genuine laughs out of me several times each video. I love that you go in-depth for each category yet it never feels drawn out, because you focus on the meaningful stuff. Your channel has such a unique and specific vibe, you might be one of my favorite creators for that. Also don't listen to that other guy saying no one cares; this era of games is my favorite and I very recently discovered one of my favorite series ever (Koudelka / Shadow Hearts) thanks to a random youtube video after I searched "PS1". Even if it's a niche subject, your love for a piece of art will be contagious to at least one person. I look forward to the next upload! :)

[@TheTacticalRPGOdyssey]

Really appreciate the kind words Tiwill! If I didn't have a full-time job I'd try to make the most comprehensive videos possible for each game but at the very least I want to bring some unique angle to the games I'm fascinated by and it's nice to know that I'm not the only one who enjoys that. Koudelka is on my list! The combat looked at least TRPG-like. And I've heard nothing but good things about the Shadow Hearts games. So many cool RPGs and so little time lol.

[@darshio8307]

I have to thank my dad for having this game, i got introduced in gaming in general thanks to him, and althought i've played more mainstream games thanks to him as well, i was surprised that a game so challenging as this one was in his libray. I can't believe how something this incredible is so underrated and a bit forgotten as well, for sony and SE. After finishing this, i was left hungry for more, there is something so unique and so magical about the combination of the dark story, ambience, difficult gameplay and music that makes this world to feel so inmersive and real. Also, i loved that the final boss song of Vagrant story is also included in ivalice raids in ff14, so i just want to believe theses games are indeed connected. Anyways, thanks for this video, the research is so interesting and really solid, great job

[@zachchapman4831]

Dude this is a really great video. Really well put together. Great commentary, fun jokes. Damn, shocked at your sub numbers.

[@hundun5604]

20:57 The horror! That image will haunt me for the rest of the day.

[@Enharmony1625]

This game is such a masterpiece! One of my favourite games of all time. Praying and hoping we get a good quality remaster or remake one of these days. Truly unique and special games like this don't deserve to rot away on old hardware!

[@hundun5604]

Yes. Thank the gaming gods for software piracy. So many game would fade into black without that.

[@ValendianCrafts]

Great video!

[@ErnuButchart]

How do you play it in 2024?

[@ValendianCrafts]

@ErnuButchart Hello! I have the original disc, I run it on a ps2. Otherwise you can go with an emulator on nearly any operating system!

[@tehdii]

43:40 even resonant arc guys did not catched it. Great idea!!! I am in a process of thinking about/writing my own sf book as a hobby. I will use the name Paume as in French word for the inside part of the palm. And there is a God Damn reason I am using this so yeah, as an SF enthusiast those names mean what you have discovered is my bet. I am thinking to link one crucial chapter dealing with a theme of failing to see in the world the presence of or a track of a higher power and palm of a hand with the name of my protagonist. I think that "trope" is a thing every writer has in its mind. The names always mean something, outline some idea in a story. Your observation is in such accord with the way I as a writer thought from the beginning of my writing process that I would bet that was something done intentionally. Church of Joke is so Matsuno ;) 45:44 The Soul suggestion is also such a O'Smith/Matsuno mark on the language that I believe it the more I think about it...

[@hian]

Great video. Didn't expect to see my VS2 translation slide towards the end there. The internet is a small place, apparently.

[@TheTacticalRPGOdyssey]

@@hian Thank you for your service! Hopefully one day we’ll see the vagrant again!

[@hian]

@@TheTacticalRPGOdyssey There's always Crimson Shroud. Several of the ideas for VS2 were repurposed into that game.

[@TheTacticalRPGOdyssey]

@@hian Ah, almost forgot about Crimson Shroud. Played it years ago and still have it on my 3DS. That'll be a fun one to replay!

[@hian]

@@TheTacticalRPGOdyssey Great game. Probably my favorite in the Matsuno catalogue since it isn't as dense/obtuse as his other games =P

[@gabrielortiz2552]

great video and work, and also its the first time i hear about the ash tree too. cool catch

[@tehdii]

I have the idea of a memoir dealing with my PSX era in the style of Bradbuy's Dandelion Wine. You Sir, at the minute mark grabbed my imagination by the heart. I can feel what you are describing, I have been there, just swap brother with a friend, leave the hot summer alone :)

[@runeramdas]

Nice video! People don't believe me, or think I'm crazy, when they ask about favorite games of all time and I bring up Vagrant Story. I feel it has aged like fine Lea Monde wine. Originally, I didn't like the fact that the "Risk" system kind of punished you for aggressive tactics, but now I see that as a feature, not a bug. I also don't know what to think about the ending which implied that Ashley actually had a family after all (which is impossible given the events of the game, but not everyone agrees with me on that). But, maybe knowing/facing up to the truth is not a prerequisite for being the right person to bear the Rood Inverse.

[@Dadutta]

random observation: i believe (callo) "merlose "was originally supposed to be "melrose", but someone said "we already have a rosencrantz in the game" and was changed to avoid the repetition of the word "rose", which could've been taken to imply a connection. but hey, maybe that even was the intention once, that callo and jan were somehow connected ?

[@stefanssmellsvictory105]

Wonderful video! I've just started playing through this game for the first time in almost 15 years, so this video came out perfect timing! Almost at the end. Surprisingly, I remember most of the plot because it's that damn good. Indeed, would be wonderful if there was a remaster, or even a remake, with the cut story content all included. What baffles me is how the cut story content didn't find its way into a novel. Even back in the 90's, many a game and anime had their stories rewritten as books. An expanded version of the story would've given us a glimpse of the creator's true intentions, much in the same way that the Japanese players guide for Nier revealed the 'true ending' that the creators wanted, but couldn't pursue. On a random note, have you every played Stella Deus? IMO hugely underrated PS2 TRPG. If I had the time and know-how, I'd make an indepth video on that title. Anyway, subscribed. Looking forward to more TRPG content. TRPGs are among my favourite genres.

[@TheTacticalRPGOdyssey]

@@stefanssmellsvictory105 Thank you for the thoughtful comment! A novel adaptation/expansion would be a great way to get the rest of the story out but that’s the weird thing about Matsuno. He’s such a talented writer but I don’t think he sees himself as a ‘writer’. But maybe one day. I own Stella Deus because I made it my mission to buy every Tactical RPG before the prices started getting sky-high (anyone selling a copy of Vanguard Bandits btw) a few years ago but haven’t played it yet. It is on my list and it looked interesting. Right now I’m working on my Tactics Ogre: The Knight of Lodis video. After I cover every Matsuno-related TRPG I will want to bounce around a little bit more so one off titles like Stella and Jean D’arc are really appealing to me.

[@stefanssmellsvictory105]

@@TheTacticalRPGOdyssey I think a book adaption by another writer would've been great. But, well, it won't ever happen now. I recently played a little of Jean D'ark. Admittedly I wasn't fond of that one. But a lot of people are. Stella Deus has a great dungeon area. 100 levels. Playing through them all is terrific fun, if you enjoy the combat system. It's not a classic, but it is overlooked.

[@ChocolatierRob]

Just found this great video today. I know a whole bunch of interesting stuff about this game (I wrote the script for the ten tips video you linked, so thanks for that) but it never even occurred to me to check what Ashley's name meant. I mean it's such a strangely mundane name that the thought never crossed my mind that there would be more to it. I thought myself clever when I realised that all the weapons found in chests were named after cocktails but Ash Tree Meadow may just be the most apt name meaning in any game... So which of Lea Monde's vintages do you imagine the commemorative wine most closely resembles? - Audentia - A Leá Monde quality sweet wine allowed to age to perfection. (HP+) Prudens - The most elegant red wine, with a gentle flavour and bouquet. (Int+) Valens - A Leá Monde red wine with a delicate, yet robust flavour. (Str+) Virtus - A sparkling wine made from a blend of three grapes. (MP+) Volare - A Leá Monde white wine known for its honey-like fragrance. (Agl+)

[@TheTacticalRPGOdyssey]

Hell yeah! Resonant Arc is my favorite and I've heard your name so many times over the years that tis an honor sir to have you comment here. Your tips were very appreciated on my second go-round with Vagrant Story. That Ashley name revelation was wholly unexpected but very interesting. I'm happy to have brought it to the overall discussion. Gotta go Valens on the wine! From the pictures it's definitely a red and like the game itself I know it must be robust.

[@RPGStory]

Vagrant Story is an underappreciated masterpiece. The soundtrack alone is perfection.

[@gilium5039]

Vagrant Story is probably "the thing" for me.That one work of art that i'm most passionate about,one that i can talk or think about it hours upon hours,one that i can play again and again for years and not get tired of in the slighest.It's such an interesting,ambitious,unique game that never truly received the acclaim it deserved.Even some people who praise it only likes it due to it's fancy graphics and cutscene direction and says stuff like "Oh i love this game,but i wish it would remade as a soulslike,then it would be perfect!". Most people can't see anything of worth on it's gameplay due to it's "clunk" or "slow pace".And this honestly really frustruates me.If you removed every single mechanic except for the chaning system,i'm sure it would got way more recognition and probably would be rereleased already.But Matsuno and his team decided to something way more bold,different and bound to be a cult classic.I really,really respect and love his works for this.Great video btw,just wanted to spit out a few thoughts i have about the game lol

[@TheTacticalRPGOdyssey]

Totally agree! I love that Matsuno, whether he intended to or not, creates games that feel like completely believable worlds. The systems may overwhelm many players but they give them a level of density that if you did want to dedicate your life to just one of his games, well, you could lol. Not gonna lie though, I would play a Vagrant Souls game.

[@gilium5039]

​@@TheTacticalRPGOdyssey I would even play a Vagrant dating sim let alone a soulslike lol.I just don't like when people say a game that plays like no other game ever made before or since, would be better when dumbed down into a genre that already has trillion other alternatives

[@LukasRocks001]

Great video! VS is the one classic JRPG that has been on my backlog for over a decade now

[@hundun5604]

I think the graphics are better than most new games. With the latest games I always have the feeling I watch plastic models talking and moving. I don't have that with this (Vagrant Story) art-style.

[@oziphantom9465]

On emulators you can set the loading times to be "instant" which would mitigate the issue.

[@antoniomf8399]

how can we do this ?

[@oziphantom9465]

@@antoniomf8399 changes for every emulator but generally there will be settings in the CD-ROM Emulation section, to either read a lot faster 4x 8x 16x CD-ROM speed or normally also an instant option.

[@oziphantom9465]

Ashley or Ashe is a boys name, it seems in America is used as a girls name however. Sidney ( sometimes abbreviated to Sid ) is also a boys name, if you look up "Sidney (given name)" on wikipedia you will find a lot of examples, even American ones, there is also the Sydney spelling, which some American women use, but also American men have it as well.

[@SatiZakito]

ASHLEY was the tree all along... MY GOD

[@TheTacticalRPGOdyssey]

MIND BLOWN!

[@Mangacide]

I can't believe I'm going to say this but; if they ever remake this game, they should make it a souls-like. The setting, characters, and even the look of the gamelplay really seems like it would lend itself well to that genre of game. I wish there were Ivalice lore channels the way there are for games like Destiny 2 and Genshin Impact. "Not only can his a rate of success at finding fugitives" Did an AI translate this? TvT

[@TheTacticalRPGOdyssey]

Once I finish going through all the other Ivalice titles I might try doing some lore-type videos. I think the idea of a Souls-Like for a remake of Vagrant Story is fantastic! Sign me up!

[@tehdii]

If they ever do the remake with fast load times there will be a mass flood of VOGS Vagrant Original Story players bousting ;P I like this honey sunlignht in the thick glass style of your video. I would recommend one thing, turn down the volume on thse music bits, and I could be using your video to sleep by :)

[@akapotatobrad]

11:23 Locked me in. Subbed.

[@nemo1342]

Uhh... Fallout's limb targeting system has existed since Fallout 1, back in the early-mid 90s.

[@oblivionzone-3604]

Male Ashley here, I never thought about his name besides finding it funny it was my name.

[@Wind_Falcon]

Can you provide a link for the page you are looking at at 26:42? I'm assuming its from the WayBack Machine.

[@TheTacticalRPGOdyssey]

Indeed! web.archive.org/web/20010605120843/www.vagrantstory.com/flb/column/index.html

[@collapsiblechair9112]

quality material

[@davolivero]

i played like 15 times. sometime my chest save corrupted and that was it. i was with what i had at the time. too bad they never remastered/continued this game.

[@TheTacticalRPGOdyssey]

I remember when my brother corrupted my Final Fantasy Tactics save by doing some GameShark nonsense! I feel your pain!

[@SnowWhiteTheU2]

Remember having to return the game to BlockBuster to avoid the late fees ?! I’m old 😢

[@lordfenrir1394]

Vagrant Story 2000 GOTY.

[@CobaltContrast]

50 hours? My first was like 200 hrs

[@CobaltContrast]

I guess I was either just having fun or I was just that young.

[@TheTacticalRPGOdyssey]

@@CobaltContrast You sure got your money’s worth!

[@danieladamczyk4024]

Comment for kindness.

[@TheBalkanTeaParty]

Hope some pro-translators reach out to you and you can parse out more of the mystery.

[@GB-sh9st]

no one really cares about ivalice, matsuno or square anymore... you sound like a guy in a retirement home mumbling a story no one's listening to

[@TheTacticalRPGOdyssey]

Who said that? Is that my grandson come to visit? Come closer child I can't see you with these aged eyes. Let me regale you with the tale of The Zodiac Brave Story...(you might be right )👴

[@rickard1802]

I do

[@ValendianCrafts]

I am bloody listening. Since 2000 and never stopped! :D