![]() ![]() You want turn based fighting - you got it. So what are we left with - ah yes - the battle system and inventory management! Perhaps because the other aspects of the game are somewhat thin, the developers have decided to go overboard here. However they are simply there to provide the keys and other items necessary to advance in the game and to test the hero's fighting skills. At regular intervals impressively animated boss sprites need to be defeated. There is a wide assortment of enemies to encounter and dispose of. The action takes place in an endless series of claustrophobic chambers (now and then the game goes outdoors but there is never any world map or visits to new towns that typifies other role playing games.) We are in dungeons and dragons territory here and after a while one gloomy room looks very much like another. Trying to empathise with him is a little like trying to make friends with Conan the Barbarian or the Terminator (in fact he reminded me a lot of Arnie.) There is little or no interaction between the hero and the supporting cast (apart from the fact that he kills most of them.) In fact that is all our hero is, a killing machine. The small cast of characters are just there to spout lines of 'period' dialogue 'You wear naivety like a crest' to explain things along the way. ![]() The storyline is really all explained in the excellent 5 minute intro (gang of terrorists kidnap nobleman's son need to be pursued) and is just there to provide our hero with a reason for embarking on his 'quest.' I really tried to enjoy playing this game, I read all the rave reviews, I bought the strategy guide (a beautiful piece of work) I spent 2 weeks playing the game and put in over 20 hours of saved gameplay time (plus as much again of unrecorded hours from dying.) It was always a chore, at the end is was just a bore. Role playing games like Final Fantasy are all about being swept along in a powerful story with characters that you can get involved with as you explore fantastic new worlds and fight strange creatures, Vagrant Story is all about being stuck in a workshop tinkering with your equipment. ![]()
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