XHitoshuraX
Banned
Post Mortem: Vagrant Story
Published by: Square Electronic Arts (US)
Developed by: Square
Genre: RPG
Number of Players: 1
Release Date:
US: May 16, 2000
Japan: Released
Europe: Unreleased
Australia: Unreleased
MSRP: $19.99
ESRB Content Descriptors: Animated Violence
Designers
Yasumi Matsuno (game producer, game director, battle designer)
Hironobu Sakaguchi (executive producer)
Jun Akiyama (event director)
Akihiko Yoshida (character designer, background art director}
Hiroshi Minagawa (art director)
Jiro Mifune (effect designer)
Eiichiro Nakatsu (character modeling)
Tsunataro Yoshida (motion designer)
Taku Murata (main programmer)
Hitoshi Sakimoto (music composer)
North American Box Art
Japanese Box Art
European Box Art
Once Upon a Time...
Vagrant Story (ベイグラントストーリー
is a Japanese-developed console role-playing game developed and published by Square (now Square Enix) for the Sony PlayStation video game console in 2000. The game was released in Japan in February 2000, in the United States in May 2000, and in Canada and Europe later, as part of Square's promotional "Summer of Adventure" game package, and in PAL territories in June 2000. It was largely developed by the team responsible for Final Fantasy Tactics, with Yasumi Matsuno serving as producer and director.
The game takes place in the fictional kingdom of Valendia and the ruined city of Leá Monde. The story centers on Ashley Riot, an elite agent known as a Riskbreaker, who must travel to Leá Monde to investigate the link between a cult leader and a senior Valendian Parliament member, Duke Bardorba. In the prologue, Ashley was blamed for murdering the duke, and the game discloses the events that happened one week before the murder.
Vagrant Story is unique as a console action/adventure role-playing game because it features no shops and no player interaction between other characters; instead, the game focuses on weapon creation and modification, as well as elements of puzzle-solving and strategy.
Characters
Ashley Riot
After graduating as valedictorian from VKP Academy, Ashley worked as an elite soldier. Following the tragic death of his wife and child at the hands of a ruffian, he transferred to the Dangerous Criminal Task Force, a.k.a. "Riskbreaker," the most danger-ridden post at VKP, where he remains today.
Riskbreakers conduct their investigations alone, infiltrating into and investigating foreign crime syndicates over long periods of time, which always puts the individual at high risk. Many lose their lives during their assignments; the survival rate stands at less than 30 percent. Ashley, always maintaining his calm in all situations, has succeeded in mission after mission. When Millenkamp cultists entered the Graylands and seized Bardorba's manor, a chain of events was set into motion ending with the assasination of Duke Bardora. Ashley's involvement in the intrigues at the manor makes him a prime suspect in the duke's assisanation.
A Riskbreaker with a tragic past, Ashley must now face an uncertain future. Only his efforts can reveal the truth and clear his name.
Duke Bardorba
One of the heroes who brought an end to the civil war in Valendia.
Once the most vocal member of the former House of Lords, he has withdrawn from center stage for health reasons. He continues to exercise formidable influence in the national assembly, though. Rumored to be the financial benefactor for the Mullenkamp cult, he is a fixer pulling the strings behind the scenes of history.
Sydney's legions attacked the Duke's manor--apparently to acquire something in the duke's possession. The night of the occupation, however, the duke was at his secondary residence, and thus escaped harm.
John Hardin
A prominent member of the Mullenkamp Cult, Hardin organized the occupation of the duke's manor with Sydney. Although Sydney is recognized as the leader of the cult, these two men are more like comrades-in-arms than master and servant.
Hardin is the one who took Joshua to Lea Monde during the occupation.
His noble stature hints at his skill in the sword and his pleasant, open-minded personality.Like his comrade Sydney, who has the power to read the minds of others, Hardin possesses the power to see events unfold from afar.
Callo Meriose
Callo is a member of the VKP's Information Analysis Unit, a team specializing in the collection of information, espionage, and analysis, sifting through tangible and intangible evidence for information that can help in criminal investigations.
With a Ph.D. in both criminal psychology and religious psychology, Callo entered Info. Analysis as a specialist in the analysis of cults and religious terrorism; her proficiency in information analysis has drawn the attention of the veteran analysis officers in spite of her young age.
As an Information Analyst, she cooperated when Ashley sneaked into the Duke's manor and infiltrated Lea Monde.
Sydney Losstarot
Leader of a cult that worships the ancient priestess Millenkamp, Sydney is a self-professed prophet who preaches about human weaknesses and the end of the world.
Sydney can precisely describe the past of those he meets, and it is rumored that he can maniputale others at his will. His charisma has attracted a zealous following prompting Parliament to declare the Millenkamp cult a threat to state security.
After masterminding the seizure of the Bardorba Manor in the Graylands, Sydney held the duke's family and servants hostage in exchange for the release of his followers, but it seems that his true intent lay elsewhere. Riskbreaker Ashley Riot encounters Sydney seemingly by chance during his mission, but their meeting was ordained by fate.
Joshua Bardorba
The duke sired Joshua at a late age and treasures his son so much that he calls him "my soul." Unfortunately, the boy becomes a hostage along with the servants in the occupation of the manor, and is taken to Lea Monde by the hand of Hardin.
Presumably, the relationship between Sydney and the duke came to an end with the manor's occupation. Perhaps the cult kidnapped Joshua to keep the duke from intervening in the crisis.
Romeo Guildenstern
Leader of the "Crimson Blades" - Knights of the Cross, a military order under the direct control of the cardinal. Although every bit a knight of elegance and breeding, Romeo can be utterly cold-blooded, never hesitating in the name of justice for the kingdom. He led the Knights of the Cross during the incident at the Duke Bardorba's manor and led the effort to suppress the riots that ensued. Why the cardinal's Knights of the Cross became involved despite having recieved no orders to do so remains a mystery.
Jan Rosencrantz
Another Riskbreaker dispatched by the VKP to support Ashley, Rosencrantz went directly from Duke Bardorba's manor to Lea Monde.
Having secretly researched Lea Monde, he would of course have more information on Sydney and Mullenkamp, as well as on Sydney's "powers," than Ashley.
Yet Riskbreakers always act alone, and it is inconceivable that they would change their strategies in the middle of a mission. Can his words be trusted? And what of his rumored ties with Duke Bardorba...?
Plot
Vagrant Story is set in the fictitious city of Leá Monde, while the kingdom of Valendia is engulfed in civil war. Leá Monde is an old town with a history spanning more than two millennia. Located on an island surrounded by reefs, the walls have been the "witness of many battles" and are "stronger than the mightiest forts of Valendia". In its golden years, Leá Monde was a thriving community until an earthquake struck the town 25 years before the game, destroying the city and leaving the ground unstable.
The Grand Cathedral and the Temple of Kiltia are at the center of the city. Beneath the ground is an abandoned mineshaft and limestone quarry, the darkened labyrinths of an "Undercity", and the dark Iron Maiden dungeon. The maze-like Snowfly Forest, named for the so-called snowflies that can be found within, grows around the city. Other locations include the Graylands, the setting for the prologue event; and Valnain, the city where the Valendia Knights of Peace's Headquarters is located. While Valendia and Leá Monde are fictitious, the game's scenery is inspired by real-life landscapes of the southwest of France, including the city of Saint-Émilion.
Vagrant Story begins in the Graylands, where Ashley and Callo are sent by the VKP to Duke Bardorba's manor to investigate the Duke's involvement with Müllenkamp and the Cardinal's interest in Sydney Losstarot. Ashley infiltrates the manor and encounters Sydney, witnessing his powers first hand.Sydney escapes with his accomplice Hardin and the Duke's son Joshua, leaving Ashley with a clue to his whereabouts. This event was dubbed the "Graylands Incident".
Ashley Riot faces a wyvern during the opening sequence.Ashley and Callo arrive in Leá Monde and a lone Ashley infiltrates the city through the underground wine cellars. Along the way, he learns of objects holding magical power known as Grimoires and the city's power to spawn the undead and mythological creatures. He encounters Guildenstern and his lover Samantha, and learns of the condition known as incomplete death and the Cardinal's true intention for his pursuit of Sydney: immortality.The Crimson Blades confront Ashley and reveals his presence to Guildenstern.
Escaping unharmed, Ashley encounters Rosencrantz who intends to join him, though Ashley declines.Rosencrantz tells him of the VKP and the Parliaments' knowledge of the dark powers of Leá Monde, and that the hidden powers deep within a person can be unleashed with the help of the Dark. In his encounters with Sydney, Ashley is shown visions of his past, where his wife Tia and his son Marco are killed by rogues, who later turned out to be Ashley himself. Meeting Rosencrantz again, Ashley learns that they were not his family, but mistaken targets during their mission. Ashley's guilt over their deaths was manipulated by the VKP to turn Ashley into a loyal Riskbreaker.Ashley recalls his hidden battle skills and experiences "clairvoyance", seeing the progress of the Crimson Blades, which leads him to the Great Cathedral.
Sydney had captured Callo earlier and brought her with them. Callo learned that Hardin was skeptical of Sydney's plans. She begins to develop the powers of "heart-seeing", a form of telepathy, as they continue their escape deeper into Leá Monde. With her powers, she learned of Sydney's intentions and Hardin's reason to join Müllenkamp and his closeness to Joshua.Sydney left them to stop the others from advancing; taunting Guildenstern and Samantha, and provoking Ashley to follow him as he intends to succeed his powers to Ashley.Ashley was not interested in inheriting the powers of Darkness; seeing that Callo had been captured, his only intention is to rescue her.
While discussing the Gran Grimoire, a powerful source of magic, Guildenstern and Samantha discover ancient Kildean letterings carved throughout the city walls. Rosencrantz reveals that the city is the Gran Grimoire and its power lies at the city center: the Grand Cathedral. As Guildenstern leaves for the Grand Cathedral, Rosencrantz searches for Ashley and Sydney. Finding them, Rosencrantz uses his immunity against Darkness and forces Sydney to surrender his powers. Rosencrantz also assaults Ashley to prove that he is not a suitable candidate for the powers of Darkness. Sydney refuses to listen and kills Rosencrantz by using a possessed statue, leaving Ashley to once again prove himself as his chosen successor.
Guildenstern continues on to the Great Cathedral in the center of the city, leading him to Callo, Hardin and Joshua. Interrogating Hardin about a certain "key" known as the Blood-Sin, Guildenstern reveals his intentions in acquiring the Dark's powers.Sydney arrives to teleport Hardin and the rest away, leaving him to Guildenstern. Guildenstern acquires the "key" from him and murders Samantha as his sacrifice for the powers of darkness. Ashley arrives later and listens as Sydney reveals his true intentions. Ashley then confronts Guildenstern and manages to defeat him.
Upon Guildenstern's defeat, Ashley, now bearing the "key", carries Sydney out of the collapsing city. The creatures spawned within the city begin to disappear. Callo, Hardin and Joshua escape the city, though Hardin dies. In the epilogue, Duke Bardorba's manor receives a visit from Ashley. In a report received by the VKP a week after the Graylands Incident, the duke was found murdered, and Ashley became the prime suspect, though he was never found again.
Gameplay
Vagrant Story is a solo dungeon crawl, in which the player controls Ashley Riot from a third-person perspective while exploring Leá Monde and the catacombs underneath. The player may also switch into first-person perspective to allow for a 360° view using the L and R buttons on the game controller. Characters and sprites are proportionate with each other, and the player navigates Ashley on a three-dimensional field map. Navigation is in real-time, and areas accessed by the player are stored in an in-game map menu.
Ashley can run, jump, and push crates and cubes to navigate around obstacles, adding puzzle and platforming elements to gameplay. During the game, the player must sometimes solve block puzzles to advance the story. When the player returns to a completed block puzzle room, a time-attack mode called "Evolve, or Die!!" begins. Players must reach the end of the room in the shortest time possible, after which they are ranked. This stage is optional and can be turned off from the menu.
In the field map, players may engage the enemy as soon as they enter Battle Mode. In Battle Mode, when the player taps the attack button, a wire frame sphere appears around Ashley. Individual body parts within this sphere can be targeted. The battle system involves the player chaining different attacks known as Chain Abilities to achieve large combos and deal damage to the enemy. This is done by pressing buttons in timely succession, making combat resemble a rhythm game. In addition to Chain Abilities, Defensive Abilities allow Ashley to reduce or reflect damage or avoid status ailments. Ashley also gains Break Arts, which exchange his hit points (HP) for increased damage.
Reflexes must be keen to inflict higher damage to the enemy.Magic in Vagrant Story is learned later in the game using Grimoires, items dropped by enemies. Once a Grimoire is used, the magic spell associated with the Grimoire will remain in the menu, and players only need to spend magic points (MP) to cast a learned spell. Magic spells can be used to attack, heal, create status effects, and manipulate Ashley's elemental and enemy affinities. Certain magic spells allow the player to affect multiple targets by using a small sphere positioned within the Battle Mode wire frame. Unlike physical attacks however, magic attacks cannot be chained.
Risk is an essential element in the battle system. A Risk bar is placed below the HP and MP bar, representing the Risk Points the player has accumulated. Risk Points affect Ashley's concentration; the longer Ashley attacks a target, the more his Risk Point accumulates lowering his accuracy and defenses. Chain and Defensive Abilities increase Risk faster than regular attacks, while Break Arts do not increase Risk at all. Enemy attacks and spells deal more damage if the player has high Risk. The advantage, however, is the higher chances for the player to score critical hits and restore higher HP.
Vagrant Story's crafting system allows the player to create and customize weapons and armor in designated "workshop" areas, inputting various ranges, strengths, and statistics. Weapons fall into one of three main damage types: blunt, piercing, and edged. Equipment are influenced by their material and affinity to enemy classes and elements. Affinities influence the effectiveness of weapons and armor; however, equipment loses one form of affinity when it gains another type. Weapons and armor can be combined, merging their affinities and sometimes creating a new type of blade or armor in the process.
Like several Square titles, the New Game Plus option is made available to the player upon first completing the game. In Vagrant Story, selecting "New Game+" enables the player to replay the story using their end-game weapons, items, and statistics instead of the defaults.This option allows players to access a hidden level, which features more intimidating enemies and more powerful equipment. The story does not change, and original enemy statistics will remain at default.
Music
Catalog Number: SSCX-10042 (reprint SQEX-10068/9)
Released On: March 8, 2000 (reprint March 24, 2006)
Composed By: Hitoshi Sakimoto
Arranged By: Hitoshi Sakimoto
Published By: DigiCube (reprint Square Enix)
Recorded At: Orange Studio
Number of CDs: 2
The sound effects of Vagrant Story are credited to Minoru Akao, the game's sound programmer; and Tomohiro Yajima, the sound editor and engineer. Vagrant Story Original Soundtrack is the video game music soundtrack from Vagrant Story. All the tracks of the soundtrack are composed by Hitoshi Sakimoto, whose video game work included the soundtracks to the game Final Fantasy XII, Odin Sphere and GrimGrimoire, with additional arrangement by Takeharu Ishimoto for Track 230 and Hirosato Noda for Track 231. A Japanese orchestra ensemble, Shinozuka Group, performed for the orchestral piece of Track 229. All synthesizing operations are led by Takeharu Ishimoto with assistance from Hidenori Iwasaki for Track 11 and Hirosato Noda for Track 218.
The album was first released on two Compact Discs by DigiCube on March 8, 2000 bearing the catalog number SSCX-10042, and was re-released by Square Enix on March 24, 2006 with the catalog number SQEX-10068/9. The CDs feature 57 tracks, two of which are bonus tracks that did not appear in the game. Packaged with it is a small booklet featuring interviews with the composer and character artworks.
Unfortunately all below samples are RealPlayer Only
Disc One
01 - Opening Movie
02 - Valendia Knights of the Peace ~ Duke Bardorba's Mansion
03 - Climax of the Graylands Incident
04 - Preface ~ Investigation Report Regarding the Graylands Incident
05 - Lea Monde is Closed
06 - Minotauros
07 - Reminiscence
08 - Catacombs
09 - Dullahan
10 - False Memory
11 - Sanctum
12 - Golem
13 - Snares Laid by the Rabbit
14 - Abandoned Mine
15 - Knights of the Cross
16 - Wyvern
17 - Town of Lea Monde
18 - Interview
19 - Snowfly Forest
20 - Lizard Man
21 - Riskbreakers Work Alone
22 - City Walls
23 - Brainwashing
24 - Rosencrantz
25 - Undercity
26 - Game Over
Total Time:
73'08''
Disc Two
01 - Factory
02 - Tieger & Neesha
03 - Karli
04 - Joshua 2
05 - Nightmare
06 - Lidless Eye
07 - Joshua
08 - Abandoned Mine ~ Second Layer
09 - Iron Crab
10 - Painted with the Blood of Violation
11 - Tattoo of an Unholy Cross Knight
12 - Retrospection
13 - Limestone Transportation Ditch
14 - Dark Element
15 - Last of Rosencrantz ~ Karli
16 - Ogre
17 - Kilitia Shrine
18 - Large Chapel
19 - Ifrit
20 - Fanfare
21 - Last Power
22 - Large Chapel Garret
23 - Utata Crude Party
24 - Truly
25 - Heteromorphic Person
26 - Escape
27 - Epilogue
28 -Lea Monde at Dawn ~ The Story of a Wandering Person
29 - Staff Roll
Bonus Tracks
30 - Opening Movie "Fight Mix"
31 - Dungeon Robot Mix
Total Time:
74'17''
Translation
Alexander O. Smith is responsible for the English localization of Vagrant Story, using anachronistic English as compared to its straightforward Japanese version. His effort on translating Vagrant Story was quoted by Vestahl as an "unparalleledand unprecedentedwork" of Japanese to English video game translation, "in spite of the occasional typo or grammatical hiccup", as quoted by IGN. Vagrant Story was awarded "Best PlayStation Game" in the E3 2000 IGN Awards and was nominated for Best Console Action/Adventure in the 4th Annual Interactive Achievements Awards held by the Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences.
Reception
In May 2000, Vagrant Story became the fifth best-selling PlayStation title. 100,000 units were sold in the first 20 days of the game's release,[2] despite being overshadowed by other Square titles like Final Fantasy IX and Chrono Cross.[2] Vagrant Story was the third of six games to date, and the only game on the PlayStation, to receive a perfect score of 40 from Famitsu magazine.
Famitsu 40 of 40
IGN 9.6 of 10
GameSpot 9.6 of 10
EGM 9.0 of 10
OPM 4.5 of 5
Edge 7 of 10
AllRPG.com 8.7 of 10
PSXExtreme.com 9.6 of 10
Published by: Square Electronic Arts (US)
Developed by: Square
Genre: RPG
Number of Players: 1
Release Date:
US: May 16, 2000
Japan: Released
Europe: Unreleased
Australia: Unreleased
MSRP: $19.99
ESRB Content Descriptors: Animated Violence
Designers
Yasumi Matsuno (game producer, game director, battle designer)
Hironobu Sakaguchi (executive producer)
Jun Akiyama (event director)
Akihiko Yoshida (character designer, background art director}
Hiroshi Minagawa (art director)
Jiro Mifune (effect designer)
Eiichiro Nakatsu (character modeling)
Tsunataro Yoshida (motion designer)
Taku Murata (main programmer)
Hitoshi Sakimoto (music composer)
North American Box Art
Japanese Box Art
European Box Art
Once Upon a Time...
Vagrant Story (ベイグラントストーリー
is a Japanese-developed console role-playing game developed and published by Square (now Square Enix) for the Sony PlayStation video game console in 2000. The game was released in Japan in February 2000, in the United States in May 2000, and in Canada and Europe later, as part of Square's promotional "Summer of Adventure" game package, and in PAL territories in June 2000. It was largely developed by the team responsible for Final Fantasy Tactics, with Yasumi Matsuno serving as producer and director.
The game takes place in the fictional kingdom of Valendia and the ruined city of Leá Monde. The story centers on Ashley Riot, an elite agent known as a Riskbreaker, who must travel to Leá Monde to investigate the link between a cult leader and a senior Valendian Parliament member, Duke Bardorba. In the prologue, Ashley was blamed for murdering the duke, and the game discloses the events that happened one week before the murder.
Vagrant Story is unique as a console action/adventure role-playing game because it features no shops and no player interaction between other characters; instead, the game focuses on weapon creation and modification, as well as elements of puzzle-solving and strategy.
Characters
Ashley Riot
After graduating as valedictorian from VKP Academy, Ashley worked as an elite soldier. Following the tragic death of his wife and child at the hands of a ruffian, he transferred to the Dangerous Criminal Task Force, a.k.a. "Riskbreaker," the most danger-ridden post at VKP, where he remains today.
Riskbreakers conduct their investigations alone, infiltrating into and investigating foreign crime syndicates over long periods of time, which always puts the individual at high risk. Many lose their lives during their assignments; the survival rate stands at less than 30 percent. Ashley, always maintaining his calm in all situations, has succeeded in mission after mission. When Millenkamp cultists entered the Graylands and seized Bardorba's manor, a chain of events was set into motion ending with the assasination of Duke Bardora. Ashley's involvement in the intrigues at the manor makes him a prime suspect in the duke's assisanation.
A Riskbreaker with a tragic past, Ashley must now face an uncertain future. Only his efforts can reveal the truth and clear his name.
Duke Bardorba
One of the heroes who brought an end to the civil war in Valendia.
Once the most vocal member of the former House of Lords, he has withdrawn from center stage for health reasons. He continues to exercise formidable influence in the national assembly, though. Rumored to be the financial benefactor for the Mullenkamp cult, he is a fixer pulling the strings behind the scenes of history.
Sydney's legions attacked the Duke's manor--apparently to acquire something in the duke's possession. The night of the occupation, however, the duke was at his secondary residence, and thus escaped harm.
John Hardin
A prominent member of the Mullenkamp Cult, Hardin organized the occupation of the duke's manor with Sydney. Although Sydney is recognized as the leader of the cult, these two men are more like comrades-in-arms than master and servant.
Hardin is the one who took Joshua to Lea Monde during the occupation.
His noble stature hints at his skill in the sword and his pleasant, open-minded personality.Like his comrade Sydney, who has the power to read the minds of others, Hardin possesses the power to see events unfold from afar.
Callo Meriose
Callo is a member of the VKP's Information Analysis Unit, a team specializing in the collection of information, espionage, and analysis, sifting through tangible and intangible evidence for information that can help in criminal investigations.
With a Ph.D. in both criminal psychology and religious psychology, Callo entered Info. Analysis as a specialist in the analysis of cults and religious terrorism; her proficiency in information analysis has drawn the attention of the veteran analysis officers in spite of her young age.
As an Information Analyst, she cooperated when Ashley sneaked into the Duke's manor and infiltrated Lea Monde.
Sydney Losstarot
Leader of a cult that worships the ancient priestess Millenkamp, Sydney is a self-professed prophet who preaches about human weaknesses and the end of the world.
Sydney can precisely describe the past of those he meets, and it is rumored that he can maniputale others at his will. His charisma has attracted a zealous following prompting Parliament to declare the Millenkamp cult a threat to state security.
After masterminding the seizure of the Bardorba Manor in the Graylands, Sydney held the duke's family and servants hostage in exchange for the release of his followers, but it seems that his true intent lay elsewhere. Riskbreaker Ashley Riot encounters Sydney seemingly by chance during his mission, but their meeting was ordained by fate.
Joshua Bardorba
The duke sired Joshua at a late age and treasures his son so much that he calls him "my soul." Unfortunately, the boy becomes a hostage along with the servants in the occupation of the manor, and is taken to Lea Monde by the hand of Hardin.
Presumably, the relationship between Sydney and the duke came to an end with the manor's occupation. Perhaps the cult kidnapped Joshua to keep the duke from intervening in the crisis.
Romeo Guildenstern
Leader of the "Crimson Blades" - Knights of the Cross, a military order under the direct control of the cardinal. Although every bit a knight of elegance and breeding, Romeo can be utterly cold-blooded, never hesitating in the name of justice for the kingdom. He led the Knights of the Cross during the incident at the Duke Bardorba's manor and led the effort to suppress the riots that ensued. Why the cardinal's Knights of the Cross became involved despite having recieved no orders to do so remains a mystery.
Jan Rosencrantz
Another Riskbreaker dispatched by the VKP to support Ashley, Rosencrantz went directly from Duke Bardorba's manor to Lea Monde.
Having secretly researched Lea Monde, he would of course have more information on Sydney and Mullenkamp, as well as on Sydney's "powers," than Ashley.
Yet Riskbreakers always act alone, and it is inconceivable that they would change their strategies in the middle of a mission. Can his words be trusted? And what of his rumored ties with Duke Bardorba...?
Plot
Vagrant Story is set in the fictitious city of Leá Monde, while the kingdom of Valendia is engulfed in civil war. Leá Monde is an old town with a history spanning more than two millennia. Located on an island surrounded by reefs, the walls have been the "witness of many battles" and are "stronger than the mightiest forts of Valendia". In its golden years, Leá Monde was a thriving community until an earthquake struck the town 25 years before the game, destroying the city and leaving the ground unstable.
The Grand Cathedral and the Temple of Kiltia are at the center of the city. Beneath the ground is an abandoned mineshaft and limestone quarry, the darkened labyrinths of an "Undercity", and the dark Iron Maiden dungeon. The maze-like Snowfly Forest, named for the so-called snowflies that can be found within, grows around the city. Other locations include the Graylands, the setting for the prologue event; and Valnain, the city where the Valendia Knights of Peace's Headquarters is located. While Valendia and Leá Monde are fictitious, the game's scenery is inspired by real-life landscapes of the southwest of France, including the city of Saint-Émilion.
Vagrant Story begins in the Graylands, where Ashley and Callo are sent by the VKP to Duke Bardorba's manor to investigate the Duke's involvement with Müllenkamp and the Cardinal's interest in Sydney Losstarot. Ashley infiltrates the manor and encounters Sydney, witnessing his powers first hand.Sydney escapes with his accomplice Hardin and the Duke's son Joshua, leaving Ashley with a clue to his whereabouts. This event was dubbed the "Graylands Incident".
Ashley Riot faces a wyvern during the opening sequence.Ashley and Callo arrive in Leá Monde and a lone Ashley infiltrates the city through the underground wine cellars. Along the way, he learns of objects holding magical power known as Grimoires and the city's power to spawn the undead and mythological creatures. He encounters Guildenstern and his lover Samantha, and learns of the condition known as incomplete death and the Cardinal's true intention for his pursuit of Sydney: immortality.The Crimson Blades confront Ashley and reveals his presence to Guildenstern.
Escaping unharmed, Ashley encounters Rosencrantz who intends to join him, though Ashley declines.Rosencrantz tells him of the VKP and the Parliaments' knowledge of the dark powers of Leá Monde, and that the hidden powers deep within a person can be unleashed with the help of the Dark. In his encounters with Sydney, Ashley is shown visions of his past, where his wife Tia and his son Marco are killed by rogues, who later turned out to be Ashley himself. Meeting Rosencrantz again, Ashley learns that they were not his family, but mistaken targets during their mission. Ashley's guilt over their deaths was manipulated by the VKP to turn Ashley into a loyal Riskbreaker.Ashley recalls his hidden battle skills and experiences "clairvoyance", seeing the progress of the Crimson Blades, which leads him to the Great Cathedral.
Sydney had captured Callo earlier and brought her with them. Callo learned that Hardin was skeptical of Sydney's plans. She begins to develop the powers of "heart-seeing", a form of telepathy, as they continue their escape deeper into Leá Monde. With her powers, she learned of Sydney's intentions and Hardin's reason to join Müllenkamp and his closeness to Joshua.Sydney left them to stop the others from advancing; taunting Guildenstern and Samantha, and provoking Ashley to follow him as he intends to succeed his powers to Ashley.Ashley was not interested in inheriting the powers of Darkness; seeing that Callo had been captured, his only intention is to rescue her.
While discussing the Gran Grimoire, a powerful source of magic, Guildenstern and Samantha discover ancient Kildean letterings carved throughout the city walls. Rosencrantz reveals that the city is the Gran Grimoire and its power lies at the city center: the Grand Cathedral. As Guildenstern leaves for the Grand Cathedral, Rosencrantz searches for Ashley and Sydney. Finding them, Rosencrantz uses his immunity against Darkness and forces Sydney to surrender his powers. Rosencrantz also assaults Ashley to prove that he is not a suitable candidate for the powers of Darkness. Sydney refuses to listen and kills Rosencrantz by using a possessed statue, leaving Ashley to once again prove himself as his chosen successor.
Guildenstern continues on to the Great Cathedral in the center of the city, leading him to Callo, Hardin and Joshua. Interrogating Hardin about a certain "key" known as the Blood-Sin, Guildenstern reveals his intentions in acquiring the Dark's powers.Sydney arrives to teleport Hardin and the rest away, leaving him to Guildenstern. Guildenstern acquires the "key" from him and murders Samantha as his sacrifice for the powers of darkness. Ashley arrives later and listens as Sydney reveals his true intentions. Ashley then confronts Guildenstern and manages to defeat him.
Upon Guildenstern's defeat, Ashley, now bearing the "key", carries Sydney out of the collapsing city. The creatures spawned within the city begin to disappear. Callo, Hardin and Joshua escape the city, though Hardin dies. In the epilogue, Duke Bardorba's manor receives a visit from Ashley. In a report received by the VKP a week after the Graylands Incident, the duke was found murdered, and Ashley became the prime suspect, though he was never found again.
Gameplay
Vagrant Story is a solo dungeon crawl, in which the player controls Ashley Riot from a third-person perspective while exploring Leá Monde and the catacombs underneath. The player may also switch into first-person perspective to allow for a 360° view using the L and R buttons on the game controller. Characters and sprites are proportionate with each other, and the player navigates Ashley on a three-dimensional field map. Navigation is in real-time, and areas accessed by the player are stored in an in-game map menu.
Ashley can run, jump, and push crates and cubes to navigate around obstacles, adding puzzle and platforming elements to gameplay. During the game, the player must sometimes solve block puzzles to advance the story. When the player returns to a completed block puzzle room, a time-attack mode called "Evolve, or Die!!" begins. Players must reach the end of the room in the shortest time possible, after which they are ranked. This stage is optional and can be turned off from the menu.
In the field map, players may engage the enemy as soon as they enter Battle Mode. In Battle Mode, when the player taps the attack button, a wire frame sphere appears around Ashley. Individual body parts within this sphere can be targeted. The battle system involves the player chaining different attacks known as Chain Abilities to achieve large combos and deal damage to the enemy. This is done by pressing buttons in timely succession, making combat resemble a rhythm game. In addition to Chain Abilities, Defensive Abilities allow Ashley to reduce or reflect damage or avoid status ailments. Ashley also gains Break Arts, which exchange his hit points (HP) for increased damage.
Reflexes must be keen to inflict higher damage to the enemy.Magic in Vagrant Story is learned later in the game using Grimoires, items dropped by enemies. Once a Grimoire is used, the magic spell associated with the Grimoire will remain in the menu, and players only need to spend magic points (MP) to cast a learned spell. Magic spells can be used to attack, heal, create status effects, and manipulate Ashley's elemental and enemy affinities. Certain magic spells allow the player to affect multiple targets by using a small sphere positioned within the Battle Mode wire frame. Unlike physical attacks however, magic attacks cannot be chained.
Risk is an essential element in the battle system. A Risk bar is placed below the HP and MP bar, representing the Risk Points the player has accumulated. Risk Points affect Ashley's concentration; the longer Ashley attacks a target, the more his Risk Point accumulates lowering his accuracy and defenses. Chain and Defensive Abilities increase Risk faster than regular attacks, while Break Arts do not increase Risk at all. Enemy attacks and spells deal more damage if the player has high Risk. The advantage, however, is the higher chances for the player to score critical hits and restore higher HP.
Vagrant Story's crafting system allows the player to create and customize weapons and armor in designated "workshop" areas, inputting various ranges, strengths, and statistics. Weapons fall into one of three main damage types: blunt, piercing, and edged. Equipment are influenced by their material and affinity to enemy classes and elements. Affinities influence the effectiveness of weapons and armor; however, equipment loses one form of affinity when it gains another type. Weapons and armor can be combined, merging their affinities and sometimes creating a new type of blade or armor in the process.
Like several Square titles, the New Game Plus option is made available to the player upon first completing the game. In Vagrant Story, selecting "New Game+" enables the player to replay the story using their end-game weapons, items, and statistics instead of the defaults.This option allows players to access a hidden level, which features more intimidating enemies and more powerful equipment. The story does not change, and original enemy statistics will remain at default.
Music
Catalog Number: SSCX-10042 (reprint SQEX-10068/9)
Released On: March 8, 2000 (reprint March 24, 2006)
Composed By: Hitoshi Sakimoto
Arranged By: Hitoshi Sakimoto
Published By: DigiCube (reprint Square Enix)
Recorded At: Orange Studio
Number of CDs: 2
The sound effects of Vagrant Story are credited to Minoru Akao, the game's sound programmer; and Tomohiro Yajima, the sound editor and engineer. Vagrant Story Original Soundtrack is the video game music soundtrack from Vagrant Story. All the tracks of the soundtrack are composed by Hitoshi Sakimoto, whose video game work included the soundtracks to the game Final Fantasy XII, Odin Sphere and GrimGrimoire, with additional arrangement by Takeharu Ishimoto for Track 230 and Hirosato Noda for Track 231. A Japanese orchestra ensemble, Shinozuka Group, performed for the orchestral piece of Track 229. All synthesizing operations are led by Takeharu Ishimoto with assistance from Hidenori Iwasaki for Track 11 and Hirosato Noda for Track 218.
The album was first released on two Compact Discs by DigiCube on March 8, 2000 bearing the catalog number SSCX-10042, and was re-released by Square Enix on March 24, 2006 with the catalog number SQEX-10068/9. The CDs feature 57 tracks, two of which are bonus tracks that did not appear in the game. Packaged with it is a small booklet featuring interviews with the composer and character artworks.
Unfortunately all below samples are RealPlayer Only
Disc One
01 - Opening Movie
02 - Valendia Knights of the Peace ~ Duke Bardorba's Mansion
03 - Climax of the Graylands Incident
04 - Preface ~ Investigation Report Regarding the Graylands Incident
05 - Lea Monde is Closed
06 - Minotauros
07 - Reminiscence
08 - Catacombs
09 - Dullahan
10 - False Memory
11 - Sanctum
12 - Golem
13 - Snares Laid by the Rabbit
14 - Abandoned Mine
15 - Knights of the Cross
16 - Wyvern
17 - Town of Lea Monde
18 - Interview
19 - Snowfly Forest
20 - Lizard Man
21 - Riskbreakers Work Alone
22 - City Walls
23 - Brainwashing
24 - Rosencrantz
25 - Undercity
26 - Game Over
Total Time:
73'08''
Disc Two
01 - Factory
02 - Tieger & Neesha
03 - Karli
04 - Joshua 2
05 - Nightmare
06 - Lidless Eye
07 - Joshua
08 - Abandoned Mine ~ Second Layer
09 - Iron Crab
10 - Painted with the Blood of Violation
11 - Tattoo of an Unholy Cross Knight
12 - Retrospection
13 - Limestone Transportation Ditch
14 - Dark Element
15 - Last of Rosencrantz ~ Karli
16 - Ogre
17 - Kilitia Shrine
18 - Large Chapel
19 - Ifrit
20 - Fanfare
21 - Last Power
22 - Large Chapel Garret
23 - Utata Crude Party
24 - Truly
25 - Heteromorphic Person
26 - Escape
27 - Epilogue
28 -Lea Monde at Dawn ~ The Story of a Wandering Person
29 - Staff Roll
Bonus Tracks
30 - Opening Movie "Fight Mix"
31 - Dungeon Robot Mix
Total Time:
74'17''
Translation
Alexander O. Smith is responsible for the English localization of Vagrant Story, using anachronistic English as compared to its straightforward Japanese version. His effort on translating Vagrant Story was quoted by Vestahl as an "unparalleledand unprecedentedwork" of Japanese to English video game translation, "in spite of the occasional typo or grammatical hiccup", as quoted by IGN. Vagrant Story was awarded "Best PlayStation Game" in the E3 2000 IGN Awards and was nominated for Best Console Action/Adventure in the 4th Annual Interactive Achievements Awards held by the Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences.
Reception
In May 2000, Vagrant Story became the fifth best-selling PlayStation title. 100,000 units were sold in the first 20 days of the game's release,[2] despite being overshadowed by other Square titles like Final Fantasy IX and Chrono Cross.[2] Vagrant Story was the third of six games to date, and the only game on the PlayStation, to receive a perfect score of 40 from Famitsu magazine.
Famitsu 40 of 40
IGN 9.6 of 10
GameSpot 9.6 of 10
EGM 9.0 of 10
OPM 4.5 of 5
Edge 7 of 10
AllRPG.com 8.7 of 10
PSXExtreme.com 9.6 of 10
