Vagrant Story | Retrospective Review 

I had a blast revisiting Vagrant Story. Now it's on to Suikoden!

I remember showing this to a girl I liked in high school. During the opening cutscene, she started laughing. I asked why, and she said, "Is the guy you're playing wearing assless chaps?" There was no recovering from this.

This game is criminally underrated. That opening scene, with the exposition, the battle with the wyvern and the music crescendo as the camera pans behind Ashley and then the title emerging is cinematic gold.

11:30 So glad you gave the translator, Alexander O Smith, his due. I'm half Japanese and speak and read Japanese fluently, but the Japanese games he translated are rare examples where I actually prefer the English version. The difference in dialogue between the PS1 and later versions of FFT are night and day, and I'm still haunted by "Did you get your end in all of this, Ramza? I... I got this."

Vagrant Story is my favorite game of all time. This is such a fantastic, indepth look into the game. I greatly appreciate your video.

12:03 that facial animation is so impressive for PS1. I remember being amazed at this game when it released and it still blows my mind at what they were able to accomplish.

Could you imagine a remake with a weapon wheel? I would lose my mind.

The golden age of Square

I was living in Japan when this game first came out. I remember the hype surrounding it, even though Final Fantasy VIII was out or coming out soon. It was years later after returning to Australia that I got the chance to rent this game and couldn't put it down. A few years later and I bought the copy I played as a rent and still own it today - what a classic game!

This game needs a remake that adds the content that had to be cut to accommodate the budget and technical restrictions. With the popularity of games like Bloodborne, I can see a lot more people giving an expanded and updated version of this game a chance.

Vagrant Story is by far the best game i ever played

Vagrant Story is one of my all time favourite games. I'm still hoping we get a rerelease on current hardware or even a remaster.

Xenogears, Vagrant Story, Parasite Eve, Brave Fencer Musashi, Square always abandon great games

I know it's highly unlikely, but I'm still hopeful that folks at Square will eventually decide to at least port some of those underrated gems to modern systems/Steam. Games like VS, Parasite Eve and other Squaresoft classics really deserve more recognition.

I'm glad you mentioned the script. I just started playing this and it has the most impressive localization I've ever seen in a PS1 game. I feel like these characters actually belong in a medieval setting, which is something I can't even say about JRPGs today.

FINALLY! Well written and masterfully edited review, Mike. Now about this gem of a game. It's basically the most well crafted, cohesive gaming experience I've ever had. I'm actually surprised, reading your review, that they had to cut content. Because the game feels so coherent and complete. You were right to insist on its storytelling first, because to this day I never saw anything like it. The cinematography, the pacing, the dialogues, the art style, the music...Damn! Everything comes together. Ashley Riot and Sydney Losstarot will forever be in my heart as an incredible duo of characters. This game exudes class. I personally loved the combat system to death. It's both very deep and definitely rewards preparation. I never went into this game expecting fast action. Once you get the grip (!) of what really matters to make consistent damage, everything falls into place. I spent hours in the forge, trying this metal with that one, this blade with that one, and getting excited all the time. But really, just exploring and getting what's inside the safes, the game actually does give you more than enough excellent weapons and armors to be very strong. It all comes down to getting the right, high attack blade and blade type, and getting the best grips. The gems you can put on those grips are incredibly valuable, and can change your damage output quite dramatically. Getting weapon experience to make them more efficient versus a given class, or more elemental power, is just a complementary system to blades, grips, and gems. Once you understand that they are the priority and the gamechanger, everything becomes much more simple. The only thing the game badly, badly needed was a shortcut to change weapons. That would have made an awful lot of difference in new players experience. I think Vagrant Story is a very particular game. I think it's Matsuno and his team given free rein, at a time when Squaresoft both trusted him enough to let him do his thing, and could afford the risk taking because their games were incredibly succesful. Yes, compared to the Final Fantasy blockbusters, Vagrant Story does feel like a passionate indie project, Matsuno himself setting out to craft something that would not please everyone. That free rein didn't happen with FF12 though. Probably too much at stake. My dream of an 'auteur' Final Fantasy didn't happen, and even though the gameworld and combat system are my favorite in all the series, the master storytelling, which is the first reason why i love Matsuno, is nowhere to be found. So Vagrant Story remains the one game where Matsuno and team showed how they could tell a story, in 3D. His other games had good story and writing, but damn does that cinematographic approach change everything. It's funny how Matsuno's story with FF12 does parallel Kojim'a's with MGSV. MGSV also has impeccable technique and gameplay, but the story falls (almost) flat, only showing Kojima's usual flair in the beginning at the hospital, and the end in front of that mirror. But with Sony integrating and probably giving free rein to Kojima, another video game auteur if there ever was one, I'm hoping that Death Stranding will be my second Vagrant Story. An auteur given enough time and resources, and enough trust, to fully realise his vision. I really hope it's not another matter of Kojima giving us incredible trailers (MGSV's were really awesome) leading to a disappointing game. All that said, Vagrant Story will always, always have a special place in my heart.

For anyone who is interested in the story of Vagrant Story but does not feel like tackling the often plodding gameplay then please check out my Vagrant Story Movie playlist. I edited the cutscenes with enough gameplay to flesh it out into a movie while also chopping out any menus, grids and other immersion breaking features. I also filled the description boxes up with loads of extra lore and other tidbits. ru-vid.com/group/PL0C8E4D57603D0983 (It is in playlist form as I still had a video length limit back when I made this)

Vagrant Story is still my favorite game to this day. I personally enjoyed the slower paced combat, as that and the dungeon crawling aspects are very much like that of Dungeons and Dragons. and the story is just amazing. I never knew that they had to cut half of it, and if any game deserves a directors cut remake, this would definitely be it.

I've watched a ton of ya'll's videos and have to say, while watching this one again, that I really appreciate how *loud* the sound is; often YT videos are too quiet to be enjoyed on a phone, outside, but I can enjoy yours anywhere and on any device. I appreciate that along with your content.

Matsuno is currently one of the writers for Final Fantasy XIV. A lot of the lore from the Ivalice Final Fantasy games and Vagrant Story are being reused in FFXIV. One of the story ideas Matsuno had for a potential Vagrant Story II was recently used in a questline in FFXIV.

This is so well researched, what a great video! There's tons of channels out there that try to do in-depth analysis of games with just surface-level knowledge, and often it feels like a curtain of words hiding shallow observations. It's so refreshing to see someone with an actual grasp of the genre as a whole, with a deep understanding of who the crew that worked on this game were, and their history within the industry at the time.

You make the most incredible and comprehensive reviews I’ve ever seen. Each one is like a masterwork of content. Thank you so much man.

VS was way before its time, still blows my mind it was on the PSX.

I loved this game. I even got the Rood seal tattooed on my back.

This game needs a remake, so much potential, included on my top 5 best ps1 games

one of the best retrospectives on the youtubes. hands down i was very happy to have stumbled upon another channel that does in depth reviews of classic games, you sir have won over a loyal fan.

Vagrant story is absolutely gorgeous, what an art style

I played this game loads when i was in my teens and i loved it! The game was damn brutal in difficulty but that made it addictive. Also just want to say how damn epic the soundtrack to this game is! A standout track for me is 'Greylands incident climax' which is over ten minutes of awesomeness.

I've never been so impressed by the camera angles in a game as I have when playing Vagrant Story.

My favorite game of all time! Great story, addictive gameplay, brilliant map design and unforgettable soundtrack...to mention what comes to mind. It requires a remake!

"The player has to learn how the game works..." Me: Well, I'm about 33% of the map explored, so I think I already know every single mechanic in the ga- "You can check the status of your enemies to know their weaknesses..." Me: Oh, really? That one's new, but it's only a little thing... "And you can teleport to different locations by using the save locations" Me: REALLY??!! That could have saved me from so much backtracking!!! AAAGH.... And still, I am loving this gem of a game.

i made Damascus Rhompaia with maxed 100% all class bonus in this game. I spent a whole week to made that weapon. Glorious days

I'll never forget the first time a beat this game. As a young teen I was legitimately intimidated by the end boss and his dreaded ultra attack. So i just infinite chained him, and he never even landed a hit. gaming sure was different then.

I just finished Vagrant Story last week after revisiting it and it has been a while since I last played it. The game is brilliant , even better than I remember it. However I felt the story was hard to follow and I think this game suffered a lot from the limited capacity of the PS1, I felt that if it had been developed for a stronger hardware , the story could have been fleshed out a lot more. As far as the gameplay is concerned , I think it's almost perfect. When I watched this review and read Yasumi's quotes about the story of the game being cut , it confirmed my opinion about the game. I think if a game truly deserves a remake it would be this one , especially because of it's brilliant gameplay that still to this day doesn't feel outdated at all , and also because of its dark mature fantasy setting which have become popular due to game of thrones and the Witcher video game.

This has been my favorite game since the first time I picked it up in May 2001. I have replayed it countoess times, dressed and when to conventions as VS characters. I have the art book fondly displayed in my room. I have so much love for this game from the music to character design, to the UI. The story was hard for me to follow at first (but I felt that was the point of the plot). I am thankful I still have two PSOne copies and a digital copy on my PS3.

Imagine how this game would have been with no technical limitations

I often reference Vagrant Story as a feat of technological genius for its time. To have fully rendered 3D environments and characters with full facial and hair animations, and (in Syndey's case) fully animated fingers on the Playstation 1... it's an exceptional achievement. This really is probably my favorite game of all time as far as plot and world design goes.

Expertly produced and paced. What a great video. I wish all retrospectives were this level of quality.

We need a Remake of this game SOOO Badly.

I love Vagrant Story to death. I'm still playing it here and there to date. It'd be amazing to see what they could do on current consoles with this IP, so here's to hoping a Vagrant Story 2 releases

3 playthroughs like... all? I finished the game around 60 times and absolutely love it. I'll be getting Rood of Iocus tattooeed on me on Monday ^^

The depth of research in your reviews is the thing that keeps me coming back to your channel and helps me appreciate the auteurs of Square. Great video, Mike! Thanks for making it.

I was a little over 5 when my father got this game for the PS1. We had no idea how hard it was and couldn't really progress after the forest level but it didn't really matter because we fell in love with the presentation and feel of the series. I'm glad that you revisited this.

Do you know the sudden surge of emotions, when you love something? Thanks to this video, I was close to tears.

Your thorough explanation and depth for assessing this game is incredible. I was hooked pretty much all the way through til you started explaining how the weapon mechanics had to work, then i just really want to go buy the game and play it somehow to come back to this later and watch it all over again

Bruv, the replay value and depth of Vagrant Story is enormous. There are virtually countless combinations of weapons and armors you can craft in workshops. The story and the monsters in it are amazing. They sacrificed the voices audio for the soundtrack and fx audio and that is a big plus. The backtracking are monstrous. The map is crazy. In all my years of RPG gaming or gaming in general I still haven't seen better RPG than this one. Even my other favourite Chrono Cross comes second. You can encounter some enemies at second or third run of the game. I can talk for hour about the game and I have to say only good things. Thanks for this little review and bringing back some good memories.

Mike, I tried to play this game a few times on PS1 way back in the day, but found the combat and systems confusing. I finally pushed through and beat it several years ago on PS3. I loved this game for many of the reasons you list in this video, but I probably won't ever have the time or patience to play through it again. This is one of the reasons why I love this channel. I can relive the enjoyment I had playing certain games without a major time investment. Keep up the good work!

VG is game you can either love or hate. And I need VS2 or Remake of these master piece on PS4.

I love this game and the ending, i feel this game need a sequel.

Im glad the translation got a mention, i remember being blown away by how authentic the writing seemed back then. Even tho it was just text, i still get lines from that game stuck in my head today! Its definitely very Shakespearian, even down to the fact that two of the characters, Rosencrantz and Guildenstern, are named after characters in Hamlet. Defintely one of Squares best, and a great swansong for the PS1

Great job! When I played this a few months back I struggled a lot early on and looked to the internet for help to almost no avail. I decided then that when I finished the game I would create a video on understanding Vagrant Stories Combat, so that other people who go to play this gem don't give up as I nearly did. It's nice to see other people trying to breath life into this game. This is one of those games that if you're going to make a video on it, there's almost no way to make it a small one. You covered it all very well. The highlights and the lowlights, and done so with a really great approach to your writing and structure. Keep it up dude! Happy to see this game finally getting talked about more.

I dont want a remake or remaster or a sequel. Just leave it alone. If they would touch it today it would be full of angsty teens jumping 40 feet in the air with giant oversized swords yelling "my friends are my powahh". Just leave it as it is. A Diamond.

Wow....hearing about those memory problems makes me wish this game came out on ps2 instead. Imagine if they could have released their full vision. Still one of my favorite games......OF ALL TIME :)

Holywin with 3 slot Arturo's gem with 100 all affinities + all dread set armor with 100 all affinities I will never forget this game, because this is the only game that I've spent a lot of time, farming the weapons and armor plus training weapons and armor. Love this game :)

i just snickered how lightly you touched on the Rood Inverse dungeon areas of NG+. XD those areas were so flipping brutal. :)

Miss Merlose in my opinion is the most beautifully modeled female character ever on PS1. I can't believe what they managed to accomplish with such limitations.

God I miss Squaresoft I wish they were still there and Yasumi Matsuno had an unlimited budget to work with. So much talent all gone to waste. I wish we got to see his vision of FF12, would have been so much better. Imagine what this guy can do given the budgeting and creative freedom. RIP Squaresoft 1986-2002.

This was a critical hit at home and abroad, blew the critics minds back in the day and also mine. I had to get this the day it was released. It also blows my mind that it never got a sequel or at least a spiritual successor with how well received it was, but then again, FF tactics and, to a degree Front Mission is in the same boat, lost in a void at Square where someone upstairs just doesnt care for these IP anymore.

This is one of the 2 PS1 games I vividly remember playing during my childhood. I still play it from time to time on my PS2. Lucky the CD lasted this long along with my PS2 (unlike my PS1), would never feel the same/as nostalgic playing it emulated. I only got into the FF series in the past couple of years and I never had any idea that "Vagrant Story" was from Square Enix or had any connections to FF, until around last year when I searched on Vagrant Story online.

Hey discovered your channel a week ago and done feel in love, keep up amazing work

They cut the story for memory? I loved this game, it never felt like it missed anything.

Brilliant review of a timeless masterpiece. The video might have been 30mins, but it was so interesting and well-written that it felt like 12. You really did the game more than justice with this review. Thank you!

I played through this with the strategy guide back when it was relatively recent. It is still one of my favorite games, and i think having that needed information, especially for the weapon systems and puzzles, to really enjoy the game. There was a new game plus mode that brought me back through at least half a dozen replays. Thanks for revisiting this masterpiece of the golden era

One of the best games on Psone

Is there a good PC version or remake? :(

Vagrant Story is definitely one of my top favorite JRPGs ever! The gameplay could get cumbersome, but I loved the story, characters, and the atmosphere, especially.

Phenomenal review, man. Excellent quality information and analysis. I feel like I've learned all I need to know where they did well and where they misstepped in their combat system. Glad you've done such good work.

The best JRPG ever made and I don't care what anyone else thinks.

The combat system in this game is so satisfying.

Ah well this was my absolute favourite game back then. amazed how they manages to create such an incredibly immersive graphics, music, cinematics and combat mechanics. Look at those stylish speech bubbles! It still looks stunning. Used to just look upon what’s above my head as you could find a eagle flying in the blue sky sometimes. Underground dungeons were so intimidating and spooky but it contrasted pretty well with how aboveground was bright and calm. I was just a kid living in japan, but felt as if I was in medieval France while playing this game. Thanks for making this video. Your intricate work is just astonishing!

Like so many others this has been my all-time favorite game. This was the first, ( and maybe only ) game that I actually fell in love with. And I knew has long has there were games out there like this I would play them all my life. And unlike the commentator of this video really I enjoyed the pacing and battle mechanics. I felt the slower pace pulled me into game and the timed defence and offence chain abilities more than kept the moment by moment action at a high, but reasonable pressure. I always hoped there would be a sequel. I even wrote and drew my own fan fiction set in the later renaissance where Ashley, after gaining immortality, battles a reemergence of the dark. In this game the enemies were pulled more directly from European folklore and it featured flint-lock guns. But when I look at the direction gaming has taken I'm happy there hasn't been a squeal. I just don't see how this level of magic would be pulled off in this day and age. Thanks for the amazing review!

This was like early "Dark Souls" From Software should collaborate with the director and remake it but as a fully realized "Vagrant Souls" edition

Wow, so Vagrant Story was made to play more like a traditional pen-and-paper RPG, but translated into real-time? Nice.

When I was a kid, in the game shop's that we're selling game discs, consoles, and accessories during the ps1, ps2, xbox era. I kept seeing this game on the shelves, but never bought it, never knowing how amazing this game was. now I'm kicking myself in the nuts for it. BTW, that battle system is right up my alley, as I like strategical way of beating enemies.

I love this game so much that I had the Rood seal from the games cover tattooed on the nape of my neck years ago.

OMG Thank you for this. Vagrant Story is such a masterpiece.

if only i knew about the importance blunt/edge/pierce !!! I beat the game dealing only 1HP and doing a 100 chain to every monsters or bosses during the 2nd half of the game ...

Vagrant Story was one of my favorite titles of the PS1. I mean there were a lot of them but this one always holds a special place as one of the top 5 easily. I loved everything about it. The challenge that ramps up later on in the game, the new game plus... I mean if you walk the path, the game has like 5 new game plus additions with an armor set, and some of the unique weapons like the Phantom blade (invisible blade) and the Holy sin (I think it was called?) you could really power your gear to make it monstrously powerful. The way you gain stat increases after bosses was unique and while not my favorite method, it did lend itself to unique stat building (roulette system). My biggest gripe was magic. magic is tough to use early on...the spells you get are just so low power at first, it's tough to really use them. If you're lucky enough to get some good INT bonuses, you can really start dishing out the damage in a BIG way, but it takes some serious investment which, while possible, kind of pales to the fact that MP is a requirment and your physical attacks are in far more of a surplus than magic would ever be. There were also some neat little easter eggs, like befriending certain enemies. Cast buffs and heals on humans for example, 3 times, and they'd charm, popping a little heart over their head and fighting on your behalf. that was fun to exploit from time to time. Once you hit NG+ and gain access to the god Workshop, your crafting really explodes. It's a wonderful game that was released before it's time. I think it would've shined on the ps2. I would LOVE to see this game remade with all of the original ideas intact and updated.... Sadly it will probably never happen. But I'd settle for a spiritual successor as well. I just love vagrant Story, it really was a gem.

I remember beating this game as a high schooler and many of the things you talked here are things I don't remember doing and wish I knew about back then. This game is more deep than i thought. Amazing review.

Saying im an rpg veteran is an understatement however ive always had a hard time grasping vagrant story. I havent played the game as an adult though. Back in the day the games equip system always confused me.

R.I.P SquareSoft

If this game ever gets a remaster, which it highly deserves, I will burn my house down in honor of the gods.

"Reinforcements? I AM the reinforcements" Badass line. Amazing game. Warm memories.

ya know i love this art style on early 3d graphics. this kinda reminds me of soulreaver graphics. that unltra realistic vibe on low polygon count and the textures are just killer. love it im gonna have to play this game

Interviewer: Mr Matsuno in which genre should we categorize Vagrant Story? Action, rpg, strategy or adventure? Matsuno: Yes!

My favourite PS1 Game... I spent tons of hours on it when playing it in 2004, 2005, 2006 and so on... I still play it, at least once a year.

Ight imma need you to make about 300 more of those Retrospective reviews because I love them

Still trying to obtain damascus Hand of Light ^^

One of the best game i ever played. VS2 nooow!

A retrospective review done right. You did the game justice and you deserve high praise for this detailed, well edited video.

I played this game when I was maybe 13 or 14 I was wowed by the visuals and story (although I didn't understand half of it.... but it was something more important than saving a princess) then the combat .... I was very new with ff at that time and figured squaresoft (square - enix) has made something simple again .... but I was stuck with the golem boss for sometime in thought I needed grinding maybe ...... but what I needed was grinding my brain to the max to figure out the mechanics ..... 3 years later I managed to finish my 1st walk through ..... then bought a ps2.... 10 years later played it on emu and achieved 100% map completion Great review to a legendary game

Reinforcements? I am the reinforcements.

Did you guys know that endless shrimp at Red Lobster is only $15.99?

Hi great review, I've played through this game for more than four times along the years, and I never bothered to understand the difference between blunt and edged :D, that is till I saw this review. I focused on grinding affinities against certain enemy types(e.g. more you hit dragons better your weapon gets against dragons), buffs, debuffs and elemental damage, so that works as well.

Another PS1 gem to add to my ever growing digital game library. Seriously, I got one of those mobile wireless controllers that expand and retract depending on your game's screen orientation and I've since turned my phone into a retro gaming power house, and I think I'm enjoying having a makeshift portable PS1 the most. I'd recommend this to anybody who's strapped for cash and has little access to the classics. The wireless controller is only about $20 - $30! 👍 Can't wait to play Vagrant Story ^_^

Super interesting :)

What can I say, this was one hell of a review for one hell of a game. ...Except for that voice actor, he sounds like an addle-pated fool.

Man... This game, tactics and 12 inspired me to start working on a game with my friend. We love the tactical aspect of these games and as a kid i appreciated the combat more than i cared for the story. Those combos had me hooked!

I didn't know anything other than it was a Square game when I bought it on release, but after I played it a while, it became one of the best games I ever experienced. It still is.

Such a great game but it’s sooooo slow and those menus!