Vagrant Story | Retrospective Review
ฝัง
- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 11 พ.ย. 2018
- My review of the PS1 classic Vagrant Story, one of the most overlooked of Squaresoft's brilliant RPG pantheon for the console. With brilliant visuals, incredible cinematic storytelling, and a deeply integrated combat and equipment system, it stands as one of the most unique RPGs the company has ever made to this day.
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I had a blast revisiting Vagrant Story. Now it's on to Suikoden!
Suikoden 2 is the shit! Damn Konami back in they day...
Suikoden 1 and especially 2 are still one my favorite JRPG's. Man the hours I spent playing those games when they released! Of course I love vagrant story too, very underrated game and I believe ahead of it's time.
One of your best videos yet, made me appreciate it even more. May come back to it, couldn't finish it back at the time.
suikoden 5 should have been the revival of that franchise.
Amazing video!! Suikoden 2 & 5 is incredibly good!
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.
Always respond with, all chaps are assless.
Jak Lynch nuff said
Yeah this completely glosses over the fact that the main character is dressed like a slutty BDSM character with antennae for hair really breaks the immersion
This is like when my ex permanently ruined all shounen anime for me by saying dragon ball z is just about whichever little boy throws the biggest tantrum getting to win the fight
The fact that you needed a girl or well, anyone else for that matter to tell you those things about game or DB and shonen in general, is most likely worse.
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.
Actually, it wasnt underrated, and still isn't underrated.
Its a cult hit, its a critical hit, its loved by all who remember it.
Perfect score in the days where Famitsu scores where very very respected.
High 9's in most publications that were relevant in those times. No...it isnt underrated at all.
I feel the word "underrated" is overused to the point where it doesn't mean anything anymore.
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."
Xenogears, Vagrant Story, Parasite Eve, Brave Fencer Musashi, Square always abandon great games
abdalminator
Those games were so ridiculously good, I totally agree!
Square didn't abandon them, idiots rule the market. Can't expect work for free.
Only 1 I don't have iz Musashi, iz that game worth playing ?
@@Zidane9ful well at the bottom of my list but still great
abdalminator Goodlooking Brah. ✌
Vagrant Story is by far the best game i ever played
Same here! I gonna try to capture it's glory in my project to comes for sure.
agreed! Mine too
Good game, not great.
Easily best game ever made.
Is it also the only game you've ever played? Because this game sucks donkey balls.
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!
Vagrant Story is my favorite game of all time. This is such a fantastic, indepth look into the game. I greatly appreciate your video.
You too huh?
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.
THIS IS WHAT I'M TALKING ABOUT!
@@ResonantArc thanks for making a video on this game.
Its the best retrospective/review of it on TH-cam. A lot of people don't touch enough on the music story and development of the game. People just focus on the combat and visuals.
#TAKEMYMONEY
How dare you sir! We don't talk about it!
Yeah redo the UI and update the graphics, and you just sold millions of copies.
The golden age of Square
mmm That´s a tough one, the 16 bit era was flawless, Romancing Saga, Front Mission, Tactics Ogre, Super Mario RPG, Live a Live, the Mana series, etc.
@@sudacagamer Maybe they mean the entire decade.
More like the exploration age of Square
Square titties for Lara, square boots for Ronaldo in PES
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.
A remaster would be in order, yes.
just imagine a remake with no limitation on this game. this will fucking create a new standard on the game industry.
Still waiting, would be great.
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.
As long as they didn't turn it into a long drawn out first mission action game and sell it in episodes id be in!
Its a brilliant game that would deserve a good remake.
Imagine the game with a story twice as woven and long, actual horror-like foes with chrono knights spilling their guts on the floor as you finish them off, dragons... There's no way it wouldn't be a hit
@@liamjenkins82 its precisely for that reason that I now wish all old games to be left as they are, If they remade these classics back in 2006 or something it would have been awesome but now that so much time has passed the game would be changed too much, it would be barely recognizable. My guess if square enix were to remake this it would have a different art style, simplified English (modern audience and accessibility being such buzzwords these days) completely different battle system with reduced difficulty (cant be having modern audiences dying now can we?) as well as a drastically simplified weapon upgrade system. Add to that reduced blood and censored ass cheeks lol. there is your modern 2020 vagrant story remake if they went ahead with it :P
@@Terron29 ha ha ha ha, well put, you obviously enjoyed the most recent remake of an rpg as much as I did.
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.
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.
Karv3r my switch yearns for this game
I just wish they could find their roots again and take chances.
@@balbanes1 Well, they took chances with FFXV... and failed, sadly. I wish they would have released it in the PS2 or PS3 era, instead of nowadays. The initial versions looked way more promising imo.
Exactly they should have a streaming service for thier classic games. They would make bank based on nostalgia
@@balbanes1 their Nintendo titles Crystal Chronicles, Bravely Default Octopath Traveler is where their good games are at these days outside of the decades between Dragon Quest releases. And since these titles are cheaper to make hopefully they can take more chances. Them having to be cutting edge graphically stopped paying off after the ps2 era.
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. th-cam.com/play/PL0C8E4D57603D0983.html
(It is in playlist form as I still had a video length limit back when I made this)
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.
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.
great comment. about ff12.i would not go so far as to say Matsuno`s storytelling is not there. remember that matsuno left the ff12 project at half-time? In my opinon ff12 has a good start but loses itself (storywise) midjourney and Matsuno leaving was most likely a major factor in this.
Vagrant story cinematography is golden. Something that Square should really study cause Final fantasy could really use some improvements.
@@goncaloferreira6429 Yes I can see some Matsuno in Vayne's politics and such, but the simple fact he intended Basch to be the main protagonist and was asked to change, means even from the beginning some pretty deep changes were probably made.
Look at the dramatic pressure of Vaan believing Basch to be his brother's killer for example. It's barely mentioned and not at all resolved.
I know that in its current form FF12's plot mimic Star Wars (Final Fantasy always did), with a small group of colorful resistants to a huge evil empire, but FF12 has none of the powerful character moments I associate with for example the tension in Anakin Skywalker to come back to the light, or the doubts Ashley is made to feel toward his own actions and history by Sydney There is something akin to that in FF12 in Balthier's opposition to his father, but once more it is not fully developped.
The amazing thing is that even with all of that, FF12 is my favorite in the series still. Simply because Ivalice is a gorgeous world, and I loved the combat. These 2 things are such high quality that I'm ok with having to do with a half baked plot. I can't wait to get it on my Swith :-).
@@Dante-uj5pc i dont know ff12 that well so take my opinion with a grain of salt.
it is a shame we will never know how great 12 could have been had Matsuno be given free reign to do control the game`s creation. Also, concerning what ended up in the game we cant say for sure what has Matsuno`s finger on it and what doesnt.
The story has many unsolved plot lines or barely explored ones. You give a couple of good examples
IMO the game´s story suffers because of 2 things
1- some weak moments of voice acting. even with great writting things can get weird when spoken outloud. i remember hating the way Ashe´s doubts and insecurities were bresented through sighs.
2- the game structure, being the offline open world MMO FF12 allowed me to loose myself in the world and dungeon exploration. thats great but at a certain point the story became less interesting that the combat (the hunts are the thing a better remember from the game).
So you didn`t try the zodiac version yet? i have heard some many things about it, some good, some bad. being that 12 is your favourite i would love to get your opinion.
@@goncaloferreira6429 Ofc I bought the Zodiac version on PS4 :-)
The game looks glorious in HD, and the fast forward up to 4 times speed changes the grinding completely. The game has been made easier though, probably to appeal to a wider audience, and the fact you can take on 2 jobs allows you to create some quite op combinations. All in all, you can feel the love the developers had for the game remastering it. It's a joy to play.
I was referring to the Switch version as in PORTABLE BABY! :-)
@@Dante-uj5pc oh, so you are buying both versions? that is some real love! i myself will eventully buy the ps4 version when the price is right. makes it easier than picking up my old ps2.
getting ff games on a nintendo console makes me hope that some day i will get Lost Odissey on my playstation. a man can dream :)
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.
If they remade it as a director's cut, I'd be forst in line to preorder.
@@esoterikosonline8932 Yes and if they have Natsuko Ishikawa help with the story I would buy a PS5 just to play the game!
Vagrant story is absolutely gorgeous, what an art style
You spoke only the thruth, friend.
This game needs a remake, so much potential, included on my top 5 best ps1 games
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.
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.
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.
My top 3 Tunes are Limestone Quarry, Staff Roll and Greylands Incident Climax, in that order.
"Factory" is my alarm clock up to this day xD
I've never been so impressed by the camera angles in a game as I have when playing Vagrant Story.
A 30 mins video, and there is nothing that I didnt agree with. Vagrant Story deserves a sequel and ofcourse Ivalice Alliance also deserves a new Final Fantasy. It would be great to see Yasumi Matsuno, Akihiko Yoshida and Hitoshi Sakimoto working together for another masterpiece.
Yes and get Natsuko Ishikawa on board also, she wrote the Shadowbringers main storyline, it would be awesome to see what she can do with a sequel, or prequel to 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.
You get teleport spell later in the game, some time after Snowfly Forest when You defeat Lick IIRC, 33% is probably not far enough :P
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.
I tried I don't get it
Except square doesn't make remakes. They need something like plot ghosts to make it interesting for them so I don't think you'll ever see what you're looking for
i made Damascus Rhompaia with maxed 100% all class bonus in this game. I spent a whole week to made that weapon. Glorious days
Those were the days. I remember playing video games all day every day as a kid.
Did you ever get the Dread armor set?? I've been trying to get it over the years...
@@mitchelljulius5875 i prefered jazeraint, they give better defense against magic.
I remember this weapon! It's actually the only weapon I remember from the game
@@darkmatter32x I also remember wearing this armour!
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.
I second that!!!
Great job~ dropped a sub for ya =D .
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.
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.
Expertly produced and paced. What a great video. I wish all retrospectives were this level of quality.
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.
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.
Yeah you could only survive that ultra attack by using a well-timed health regain defense ability. Killed me a lot, the bastard.
@@OnyxIdol actually, not true. in the play through to make this review he actually eats a bloody sin and shrugs it off pretty well. I didn't bother to parse out how this was actually achieved, but he had pretty basic buffs up, and simply tanked the attack.
@@benjaminrosiek5007 Well I guess I never got gud at the game ^^;
A good INT defense shield and armor and you can tank it.
If you failed that chain youd probably get killed from a single hit due to the risk id imagine
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 ^^
Now that’s dedication!
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
Imagine how this game would have been with no technical limitations
I know right, imagine it with the Unreal 5 engine!
Possibly as good or better, but probably not. Limitations often bring out the best in a creative endeavor.
thats why its the game it is tho
If they could do a remake right ? 👍👌🏼😳🙂
@@daveg7516 they did really good on the ff7 remake, the resident evil 2 remake and the new demon souls remake. There’s a lot more remakes that have been amazing if not better then the originals too. But then there’s all the crappy remakes too so yeah. It would just depend on who did the remake if it ever happened.
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.
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
We need a Remake of this game SOOO Badly.
big facts no cap on god
This game is a freaking masterpiece it need to be treated like ff7 with the remake
@@kenshirosama7227 I'm quite in fear with that, I prefer more something like what they did with final fantasy 8, a complete remake of this game certainly will bring us something, but not this vagrant story, the same for chrono cross my absolute game of all-times
No remake, just remastered. The game already looks great especially the artstyle. What SE needs to do is increase the resolution & frame rates, shorter loading times, and add some texture to the model & environments.
But a remake will give a chance for all the cut contents due to limitations before.
Do you know the sudden surge of emotions, when you love something? Thanks to this video, I was close to tears.
VG is game you can either love or hate. And I need VS2 or Remake of these master piece on PS4.
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.
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
I love this game and the ending, i feel this game need a sequel.
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!
Also, in terms of story telling, world building, characters, and tone, Matsuno has long been my favorite Square director. FFT and FF12 are both in my top 5 FF games
Ya, this is one I really need to revisit. I had the same problems, but I'm more patient now then when I was 15.
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.
Fantastic review. Comprehensive and in-depth, clearly a lot of work has gone into this. I just started playing Vagrant Story for the first time on PSPGo as I was looking for a hidden gem to play and it looks like I've found it. Clearly before it's time on the PSOne. Looking forwards to checking out some of your other reviews, and will have a look at the Patreon as well.
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 :)
Hey discovered your channel a week ago and done feel in love, keep up amazing work
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
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.
One of the best games on Psone
Is there a good PC version or remake? :(
No, but you can get the game running on an emulator. Mednafen is almost cycle accurate and will give you a 1:1 experience on PC to real hardware.
Outside of emulating, the closest you can get is as a PS1 Classic on the PS3/PSvita
@@judeeschete4752 Which also uses emulation btw.
@@elimalinsky7069 I mentioned it as an official way to play the game.
@@judeeschete4752 Fair enough.
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.
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!
OMG Thank you for this. Vagrant Story is such a masterpiece.
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.
Alejandro Martinez also her animations are so fluid, and the hair is really advanced for the hardware!! and yet, recently, developers seem to have such a hard time with modeling longer hair
@@feymouse You're right. Which is a shame that she wasn't a more prominent character in the story. Not to mention the combination of great camera work and great character posing really sold her femininity. Final Fantasy 12 pushed female subtleties even further.
Yasumi Matsuno was kind of spoiled given the success of Tactics, he was rumored to be difficult to work with, which could be part of why he left ffxii. He worked on the Return to Ivalice raids in FFXIV, which are pretty sweet. He has a game coming out next year on multiple platforms titled Unsung Story: Tale of the Guardians which will be his first console game since Vagrant Story.
I am assuming he has something to do with the next FFXIV,expansion as some of his creations are in the early announcements, viera, nu mou, etc. The Ivalice raids were really well received, and Naoki Yoshida isn't a fool.
@@Gee-xb7rt Good to hear he is still active in game development. Not too familiar with FFXIV since I'm more into single player material but I'm glad to hear he is creating quality content. I have to check out his new Unsung Story title. His world building is some of the best in the industry.
@@Gee-xb7rt Sadly, Matsuno hasn't been involved with Unsung Story for a long time.
i just snickered how lightly you touched on the Rood Inverse dungeon areas of NG+. XD those areas were so flipping brutal. :)
Great video. Love the concise and honest, representation of the game. I've had this game for years and have not tried to really play and understand it. Definitely going to give it a playthrough soon.
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.
Well Square Enix didn't screw him over all the people who left to form Mistwalker was the cause. How can you meet a deadline when programmers are quitting in droves?
square always pushing their best out the door. the last one was Tabata.
The best JRPG ever made and I don't care what anyone else thinks.
@Mourning Star *Cough Cough* FF Mystic quest is clearly the best *Cough COUGH hack sneeze*
@Mourning Star Hahahaha! No no no no.
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.
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 :)
The combat system in this game is so satisfying.
They cut the story for memory? I loved this game, it never felt like it missed anything.
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.
Excellent video, review, and recap! I still have this game on disc. I never beat the game as it was wayyy over my head when I was 13. After listening to the explanation, i see why. Maybe I’ll conquer it soon as it’s still one of my favorites. Thanks.
Wow, so Vagrant Story was made to play more like a traditional pen-and-paper RPG, but translated into real-time? Nice.
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.
A retrospective review done right. You did the game justice and you deserve high praise for this detailed, well edited video.
Thank you for the amazing reviews. You guys rock! Congrats on the new branding as well !
This was like early "Dark Souls"
From Software should collaborate with the director and remake it but as a fully realized "Vagrant Souls" edition
Kings field.
Not everything needs to be Dark Souls
@@SonofSethoitae Yeah, let the games be unique. There are already like four Dark Souls games.
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.
Loved this review and how in-depth it is. I ended up picking up the game for myself and am slowly making my way through it!
Just beat Vagrant Story for the first time, can confirm that the tips given in the video for combat are spot on.
Excellent video man!
One of the best game i ever played. VS2 nooow!
Super interesting :)
Thanks! Glad you enjoyed it. Congrats on your new copy of Final Fantasy tw...ahem...four!
Great review!!! I'm very happy to have found your channel!!
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 watched your Vagrant Story videos a while ago, good stuff.
I'd been bugging Mike for the last few years to review this one (I voiced the soldiers in their clip).
@@ChocolatierRob You're doing gods work and have my approval haha.
Still trying to obtain damascus Hand of Light ^^
You can only get Iron and Hagane Hand of Light, impossible to make Damascus Hand of Light without hacking.
That was the joke my dude. Back in time were we hadn't internet. People tried to get that weapon unknowingly that wasn't possible.
@@SanNico I miss the days of not being able to just google everything, really helped show who the real gamers were, haha.
@@AliJayShannon Then stop using Google...
@@SanNico i get everything with damascus material but the hand of light only with hagane just luck of mine with the minotaur at the monastery
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.
Haha, you did great Rob! Your guidance and expertise was key to my enjoyment of this game, and your suggestions made the review better. I really appreciate your support!
@@ResonantArc Heh, thanks. See you for the new and improved version in 7 years. ;)
I love this retrospective series you have going on. great narration.!!
Great game to choose as your first major upload as Resonant Arc, with you liking the storytelling so much. Quality upload!
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
R.I.P SquareSoft
Outstanding review. Late to the game but just wanted to let you know that you're awesome. Putting in the quotes and actually citing the devs, etc.. really good stuff. Subbed.
That new logo animation is sooo cool! Also great job on another great review for another Squaresoft game. I need to check this one out!
Thanks! Glad you liked it!
Did you guys know that endless shrimp at Red Lobster is only $15.99?
What's red lobster?
That has nothing to do with the Video. You filthy Vagrant, Take your Story of 15.99 somewhere.... Wait a minute.
Reinforcements? I am the reinforcements.
This is amazing me and some friends was talking about this the other day. I was thinking of doing a video on this hoping it coming to the switch what a game great review @resonantarc cheers
Ight imma need you to make about 300 more of those Retrospective reviews because I love them
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 ...
Yeah that's harsh! Did it too! But spent 250 hours playtime looking for final switch to open last door. Oh so satisfying to finally beat it!
Dude I'm with you. I never learned how to reduce my risk, so I always needed to take the initiative and chain combo to victory
@@henrytep8884 If you chained 3 abilities instead of only 2 You could take advantage of bonus dmg each subsequent chain did without skyrocketing RISK. If You prebuffed STR also it would made quick work of fucking golems and other tanky shit.
Such a great game but it’s sooooo slow and those menus!
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.
Great review. I played through this years ago on the original PlayStation and was completely blown away on the whole.