I can't believe that Vagrant Story is a niche RPG. When I was a teenager, I played this game religiously. I even remember the entire game itself fit into less than 100MB on disc. I was so amazed on how much content there was on such a tiny package.
Or, after seeing Sydney rising from death; "Leave that back-from-the-grave stuff to the faerie tales..." Or, after meeting with Rosencrantz; "I will cut you next we meet..." Or,.... many more.
This game blew my mind. I loved being able to look around the locations in 1st person, the combat, the story, and the overall ambience. A true gem. Looking at the footage you captured I'm pleasantly surprised by how good it still looks. Thank you for the trip down memory lane. :) Fantastic stuff.
Vagrant Story is perhaps the most amazing game I’ve ever played. I can’t believe I’d forgotten about it. Guildenstern, Rosencrantz, Hardin, and Merlose. The story is absolutely amazing.
Took me 3 times to love this game. One of the best. Up to this day, Im still puzzled by his antenna (strand of hair) and his exposed ass. One of the coolest intro and most mysterious ending. Cleary this game defies time. I love it for the battle and weapon mechanics. Took me over 5years to collect all the Ultimate Dread Wood and get every aspect of the items to be 100/100/100. Although the game first playthrough could potentially be short, reruns is about 1-2hrs, the game was not meant for a first playthrough. To keep it short, this is how this game goes. Micromanagement, Side quest, Collect and gather. After you beat it the first time, your 2nd playthrough should be breeze. To achieve Ultimate armors, my biggest tip is don't use ALG elixirs. Eventuallly, everything misses you like on the 5th playthrough.
Vagrant Story, Legend of Dragoon, and Xenogears are not forgotten gems to me, more like a treasure diamonds. these games made me an RPG game fan. Just like AoE 2, Battle Realms, and Empire Earth made me Strategy game fan. #gemsuggestion
Battle Realms doesn't hold up these days sadly. I think it was incredible for the time, and the unit production and resource management were awesome. But the game play now is just incredibly akward and lack luster.
Vagrant Story is by far one of my fondest RPG memories along with Xenogears and FF7 during the PS One era. Such a complicated, perfect storm of a game ...Masterpiece!
Yasumi Matsuno is one of my favourite game designers when it comes to style and story-telling. If your viewers are still interested in other games of his after playing Vagrant story, I strongly recommend Crimson Shroud. Splendid presentation, Ragnar. Well done.
Besides Legacy of Kain this is my favourite game. It would be more accurate to say that LoK is my favourite series and Vagrant Story is my favourite singular game. I have story walkthroughs for both on my channel. I've edited the cutscenes and dialogue with enough gameplay to flesh them out into movies then added a load of extra lore and stuff into the description boxes. This was however when I still had a 10 min video limit so they are in playlists but on the other hand that does give a lot more description boxes for adding extras (and I make good use of them). The third big effort was converting the Prince of Persia: Sands of Time trilogy into plot walkthroughs but there a few others too.
#GemSuggestion 'Star Ocean: The Second Story' definitely deserves a huge dose of The Ragnar Treatment. Only you would be able to do that Forgotten Gem the proper justice it deserves. ♡♡
I recently heard about that game and downloaded the ISO to my playstation classic, lookin forward to playin it! Just gotta finish the other big games I've already started playing, like Final Fantasy Tactics, first.
Never gave a like so fast in my life. I love Vagrant Story so much, i use to play him as a child and even if the game was hard and confusing as f, I was manage to finish him. Thank you for the video Rag! So glad that you are back! I would love to see you talking about Brave Fencer Musashi or any game of the Breath of Fire series, great forgotten gems.
Vann Bloes bro. Bro. You have just read my mind. Brave fencer Musashi was the shiz. Also did you play "Ehrgeiz Dungeon mode" and also "Legend of dragoon " ?
The PSOne had such good games. This was one of the absolute best: amazing music, combat variety, great atmosphere, good characters, great story, a design and aesthetic to die for... it was simply incredible. I'm so glad I'm not the only one who played and appreciates this absolute gem.
This game has some great visuals indeed. It holds up today pretty well I think, like it seems asthough it is more of an artstyle rather than just something that was done within technical limitations. I'll have to check this one at some point.
My god, I am blown away by this game's visuals. I've never heard of it before, but it's easily the best looking PS1 game I've ever seen. There are stylistic design choices being made here that are way ahead of their time.
I still play this game . Getting The Ultimate sword - "Holy Win" in Iron Maiden with the ultimate Gem "Arturos" . And becoming a beast. Ahh the good stuff. Best game in the history of games along Another gem "Brave Fencer Musashi" and "Ehrgeiz Dungeon Mode" . Chocobos Dungeon 2 is also amongst my favourite and than "Legend of Legaia"
I had that same feeling when i played final fantasy 8 junction system when i was 10..had absolutly no idea how the system worked just autoed it my first play through...replayed it when i was 20 and made malboro a clown
It has been 20 years... For over 20 years NOT A SINGLE game has even came close to the level of Vagrant Story... And I feel sad and empty inside that I will never find a game that just shakes me inside and makes me feel complete, as Vagrant Story did...
It should be, it was a pretty complex game for the time - especially for a kid. My proudest moment in that game was figuring out that I COULD actually craft a single weapon that was good vs every enemy type...even though the developers, fellow players, guides etc. all claimed it wasn't possible.
I love it when youtubers start "forgotten gem" videos, always a great way to find new video games i would never have come across if said video was never created. Will add it to the list. Great video as usual man ❤️
Thank you Ragnar for covering this game, and for the effort you've put into the Forgotten Gems collection. One of the few PS1 games that was so good but so unknown. Sorry if its out of place to say but thought id drop my 2cs. Personally ,I felt that the lack of interaction the character had with the story was, to some extent, a part of the experience. Till today when i think about Vagrant's story i remember it being a game that invoked a sense of loneliness and fear as you trawled alone through mysterious dungeons and locales that re-created a dark medieval flair.; Which almost made it feel felt like a melancholic thriller (perhaps having been a kid and being sh*t scared of everything played a part). To me, the character being so detached from the story had convinced me as I got older that it was part of the design. Furthermore, having known what Vagrant meant ultimately as I got older it only reinforced this idea. Just thought to add to discussion
Oh my god I didn't know I could become more absorbed in your content. Now we're discussing hidden gems? *dies a little* I'm sure you will have so many subscribers going NUTS with their recommendations, but I would love it if you would explore Kagero Deception II, Midevil, Jersey Devil and maybe even some Einhander or Bust A Groove (DDR dance game literally nobody knows about). These were some serious childhood faves. I think you would especially appreciate that first gem a LOT since you have a keen knack for appreciating the symbolism and depth within storytelling and game play. Kagero Deception II reminds me a LOT of Vagrant Story, actually. Similar in a lot of ways and also very difficult for gamers that like to play easy. Amazing content. I love your channel~
One of many mysteries in my life is to know how the hell I beat this game in my PSX. I was a teenager back then, with a low english level. There was no internet back then, so not guide at all. But I remember I got obsessed with the weappon creation system. You can also name your sword, spike o whatever. I also remember that there was a special dungeon, extremely hard, where you can find stronger enemies with very valuable drops. What a great game.
This game was like a polished parasite Eve. I lost so much time to this game, and I feel bad for the current generation of gamers who will inevitably miss out on experiences like this.
It's funny you bring up the battle with sydney as a party member because they originally intended you to team up with tieger and neesa (the two out of nowhere crimson blades you fight in the undercity) but time constraints prevented them from doing so. I assume Vagrant story was gonna be a lot larger than it came out as but they ran out of time and/or budget.
In many ways, for better or worse, Final Fantasy XII is the realization of so much that the Ivalice team wanted to do with this game but could not do, due to the limitations of the PS1.
Thank you for making this video! I've loved this game for over 15 years so much to the point where I have the Rood Inverse tattooed on my back :) Its a damn shame this game doesn't have the fame it deserves
Plus you have to worry about your Fatigue level if you chain too long before using a power move. Unless you pop a potion. Man I loved this game. It's still great. Especially when you play it on something that can render the graphics beyond the ps1 norm.
I played as teenager. Didn't know English and what the fuck I was doing. Yet I finished it I don't know how but the final boss gave me so much trouble. I used to chain more than 99 attacks where only a few landed hahaha
Yeah, I remember the practice dolls you encounter down the road and actually needs in orden to unlock achievements of number of hits on chain attacks...
my favourite game of all time. The guide book was also a work of art in its own right. I will never stop hoping for a remake or sequel, though FFXII came just close enough to keep me going for 60 hours.
I saw this and was really thrilled to see someone make a commentary about a game I loved so much as a child. If you have a need for any other obscure PS1 rpg titles, Valkyrie Profile was my ultimate fav!
Awesome game. This video got me into the game again and tearing it up so far. The earlier parts can be rough to a newcomer. I love that. There's something particularly bad ass about giving your back to a dragon, unarmed, and reflecting a percentage of damage back at it as the killing blow.
i finally beat this game after years of playing!! it's definitely a steep learning curve getting used to the combat system and weapon-building, but the whole game is so brilliant in execution!
2:50 That's actually Final Fantasy Tactics _Advance_ which, as the name implies, was on the GBA. To give you an idea of the differences between the two games, here's an excerpt from a FFTA let's play: "Final Fantasy Tactics is a classic strategy RPG with an engaging story of love, betrayal, political intrigue, and stabbing. Final Fantasy Tactics Advance is about kids wishing away problems like albinism. And some armored guy on a ostrich telling you that you can't use a spear today for no adequate reason." But disregarding that, amazing video! Vagrant Story looks absolutely awesome, and if I wasn't completely useless when it comes to strategy games and micromanaging I'd probably try to find it and play it.
The systems went well over the heads of even the people playing. I just remembered that I had weapons that got really strong against certain types, so I took their parts and made them even more specialized towards each type. Though the other thing I remembered was there was some really jank platforming required in this game near the end that was probably one of the more infuriating experiences I've had with games at the time.
Me and my brother were given this game in early 2001 by a cousin and we were hooked ever since. This and Front Mission 3 are my favorite RPG's on the PS1.
Hey thanks for covering this one. I've never been able to beat this but always come back to it every five years or so. I usually just get a little stuck and run out of time before I have to get back to life but this is always a solid title.
Vagrant Story is like the perfect fine wine. A hidden gem that not many will appreciate. But, should you open your mind to it, you will find a pathway to a new realm with just a single sip.
Very well put together video. One thing that I feel that bears mentioning is the actual translation of the game from Japanese into English. The English used in the game as akin to Shakespearean English, very appropriate for its setting and influences. Two of the characters are even named for Shakespeare's characters. And as far as the cube puzzles there is a bit of a premise for them in the game. Lea Monde is an abandoned city falling apart. Walkways that existed are no longer, stairways and bridges have collapsed. Everything is going to pieces in the city so one must improvise with what they have at hand. Limestone blocks from the quarry, two kinds of wooden crates from the wine cellar and the two mysterious cubes, friction-less cubes and magnetic cubes.
I was just thinking, man, been a second since the last RagnaRox video, hope it's doing good. Glad to see the second wave of RUclips's world-famous fuckery hasn't stopped you from doing what you do so well.
Ah, Vagrant Story, the stealth side entry in the Final Fantasy franchise, second coming of Ivalice, how have I missed thee. Your morbid tunes and painted looks and fonts straight out of the handwritten manuscripts. The strange and confusing story, as grim and labyrinthine as the ruins of Lea Monde itself to my young mind. And the beings barring progress, crushing me for each wrong push, a mere misstep out of the battle rhythm...
Played this game when I was just a little kid, made it far but couldn't finish it back then, and just completed last year (2017) , since I got back into it after ps2,3 and 4 got me hooked on for years, loves every part in the game. Even downloaded the soundtrack to it ❤️
For anyone else confused, the footage at 2:50 on the left is actually gameplay from Final Fantasy Tactics Advance, a title published much later on in the series after the original tactics game in 1997, but for GBA, not the Playstation. Nearly all the core mechanics of the games are similar or identical, but the settings are totally different.
Indeed, there are many games that I'll personally never forget on the PS1 console . My 2 personal most favorites are Vagrant Story and Lunar : Silver Star Story Complete.
Another wonderful video, Ragnar. I've heard of this game before in passing, but I never paid it much attention. I'll check it out, as soon as I get though my backlog. I have a #gemsuggestion! Brave fencer Masashi. It's seldom spoken of, because it came out around the same time as Legend of Zelda- ocarina of time- another title that focuses on saving a princess. Its a simple tale, but has a lot of heart and humor. Adventure is a big theme in the game, and it has some Metroid-vania elements to it. Coming back to an area with new magic reveals new secrets. Combat is dynamic, since you can steal the powers of enemies to use against them!
I was wondering why I didn't see this. It's because it never appeared in my subs, RUclips and go fuck itself. I'm glad I checked your channel after rewatching your Resident Evil 7 video and saw this. Good to see you still creating, Ragnar. Thank you.
This game, brought me back from depression when i was in college. The struggle of the protagonist strengthened me in a way that boosted me from oblivion. "The body is but a vessel for the soul....."
I would buy any console that has a remake of this Game, this game was literally a gem. Perfect story, gameplay, characters, music. And the game+ option was really nice too, getting the finale weapons and gems, all spell to max levels, I have run this game probably 20 - 30 times, and it never gets old.
Vagrant Story's combat is very deep and complex, but very rewarding. When I came back to after a decade of not touching it, took a quick refresher on the game, on a brand new game, everything was a LOT easier than my first time. Like, I remember elementals are weak to spells, so I used them instead, dragons are weak to pierce, so I pulled out my lance, humans are weak to blades, sword time!
I played this game when it came out and couldn't beat it, never went back... now I feel I should. I believe it was some sort of dragon-type monster in some sort of sewer-esque level... What a great video.
This game is my #1 rpg in my book. I bought this game when it came out. I was only 15 years old then. The difficulty of this game was hell. It took a lot of time learning how this game works. New game plus was a blast.
#GemSuggestion hybrid heaven >> turn-based + realtime >> scifi, (face swapping story, synthetic humans, bio-engineering plot) >> hand to hand combat (no swords and magic, only punches, kicks, throws, counters,blocks, and combos) >> tactical (you selected body parts to attack like Vagrant story) >> rpg (you levelled up parts of your body, and specialise in particular actions) with box puzzles too lol loved vagrant story and Hybrid heaven, the directors of both games boldly blend genres/styles and created gems that were not perfect by any means but were cult classics that introduced concepts perfected in later games vagrant story --> souls Hybrid heaven --> legend of legaia 2 --> Godhand --> shenmue/yakuza en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hybrid_Heaven Great video vagrant story always felt like a marriage of Metal gears solid and finalfantasy
hahahaha yess i forgot that! the character was all naked, sombre and contemplative in the shower, knew it was gonna be amazing after that lol So glad someonelse played this game, was soo bloody rare but an unforgettable experience
Holy moly, what a gem indeed! I've heard of this game in passing and have had a PS1 for a decade but never played it. Well, now I know what I'm playing next :)
Vagrant Story was a big hit at its time as far as I remember, it's not really forgotten. It doesn't get mentioned a lot mostly because it never got any kind of sequel and had become a dead title.
9:40 - To clarify there isn't a 15 chain cap. There are 15 attacks in terms of different attack options (1 primary attack + 14 battle abilities). You can chain attacks until your opponent gives out. One of the achievements "sparkling warrior" is for a chain greater than 30, which is probably only possible against a training dummy. Unless you want to torture an enemy by just alternating between the gain (life/magic) or status effect chains for ages instead of doing the decent thing and finishing them off.
Here I thought the story was like "the" onion... Thank you for clarifying? Great series. Nice to see content that shows love to some of the many great games that unfortunately got lost with the passage of time. I've been rebuilding my ps1/ps2 library and there's sooo much out there to enjoy.
I just downloaded this on my phone.i played it years ago and was obssessed with this game.it was a masterpiece when square enix was square soft still putting out original RPGs.it was also challenging.there was so much weapons gems upgrades battle chains mechanics was supurb.nit to mention a great story.i love it
You went quiet on us for a bit there, so that's always good to know. Truly. (Dammit, my lame ass missed that pun the first time reading your reply. I need a few rounds of what will require my palm and my face. XD) Also, either it's one of those 'Great Minds think alike' moments, or you sated my original request for hearing that amazing voice of yours talk about Chrono Cross by mentioning and showing it within this video. ;) I'd like to think it's the latter, but the former is likely more probable. Regardless, you were missed. ♡
![[FULL] RETROSPECTIVE : Final Fantasy Tactics](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/RUBmYqs1jZ0/mqdefault.jpg)
I can't believe that Vagrant Story is a niche RPG. When I was a teenager, I played this game religiously. I even remember the entire game itself fit into less than 100MB on disc. I was so amazed on how much content there was on such a tiny package.
The game can be downloaded at around 60mb!
"Reinforcements? I Am the Reinforcements" most badass quote ever
True
Or, after seeing Sydney rising from death; "Leave that back-from-the-grave stuff to the faerie tales..."
Or, after meeting with Rosencrantz; "I will cut you next we meet..."
Or,.... many more.
didnt think a man in an apron and ass-less chaps could parse such a quote so flawlessly
About the battle system: It is, in fact, an improvement on another forgotten gem: Parasite Eve ;)
Biouke I just commented how parasite eve did it first, but this game perfected it
Loved both games!
This game blew my mind. I loved being able to look around the locations in 1st person, the combat, the story, and the overall ambience. A true gem. Looking at the footage you captured I'm pleasantly surprised by how good it still looks. Thank you for the trip down memory lane. :) Fantastic stuff.
Vagrant Story is perhaps the most amazing game I’ve ever played. I can’t believe I’d forgotten about it. Guildenstern, Rosencrantz, Hardin, and Merlose. The story is absolutely amazing.
Took me 3 times to love this game. One of the best.
Up to this day, Im still puzzled by his antenna (strand of hair) and his exposed ass.
One of the coolest intro and most mysterious ending. Cleary this game defies time.
I love it for the battle and weapon mechanics. Took me over 5years to collect all the Ultimate Dread Wood and get every aspect of the items to be 100/100/100. Although the game first playthrough could potentially be short, reruns is about 1-2hrs, the game was not meant for a first playthrough.
To keep it short, this is how this game goes. Micromanagement, Side quest, Collect and gather. After you beat it the first time, your 2nd playthrough should be breeze. To achieve Ultimate armors, my biggest tip is don't use ALG elixirs. Eventuallly, everything misses you like on the 5th playthrough.
I forgot about the assless chaps. lol
Vagrant Story, Legend of Dragoon, and Xenogears are not forgotten gems to me, more like a treasure diamonds. these games made me an RPG game fan. Just like AoE 2, Battle Realms, and Empire Earth made me Strategy game fan. #gemsuggestion
Battle Realms doesn't hold up these days sadly. I think it was incredible for the time, and the unit production and resource management were awesome. But the game play now is just incredibly akward and lack luster.
totally agred
Sorry but dragoon is boring played it but compared to Vagrant and legends of legaia and xenogears it's very weak.
Vagrant Story is by far one of my fondest RPG memories along with Xenogears and FF7 during the PS One era. Such a complicated, perfect storm of a game ...Masterpiece!
Yasumi Matsuno is one of my favourite game designers when it comes to style and story-telling. If your viewers are still interested in other games of his after playing Vagrant story, I strongly recommend Crimson Shroud.
Splendid presentation, Ragnar. Well done.
I still play Vagrant Story to this day! It is in my top 3 games of all time for sure - absolutely love it!
Besides Legacy of Kain this is my favourite game. It would be more accurate to say that LoK is my favourite series and Vagrant Story is my favourite singular game. I have story walkthroughs for both on my channel. I've edited the cutscenes and dialogue with enough gameplay to flesh them out into movies then added a load of extra lore and stuff into the description boxes. This was however when I still had a 10 min video limit so they are in playlists but on the other hand that does give a lot more description boxes for adding extras (and I make good use of them). The third big effort was converting the Prince of Persia: Sands of Time trilogy into plot walkthroughs but there a few others too.
I bought this game the day it came out and I consider beating it one of my greatest achievements in video games ever. It was a massive effort.
#GemSuggestion 'Star Ocean: The Second Story' definitely deserves a huge dose of The Ragnar Treatment. Only you would be able to do that Forgotten Gem the proper justice it deserves. ♡♡
Frisk The Fabulous great game, but it's not really forgotten. It is like the most popular one of its series.
Really? Because I don't hear people talk about it.
I recently heard about that game and downloaded the ISO to my playstation classic, lookin forward to playin it! Just gotta finish the other big games I've already started playing, like Final Fantasy Tactics, first.
Never gave a like so fast in my life. I love Vagrant Story so much, i use to play him as a child and even if the game was hard and confusing as f, I was manage to finish him. Thank you for the video Rag! So glad that you are back! I would love to see you talking about Brave Fencer Musashi or any game of the Breath of Fire series, great forgotten gems.
Vann Bloes bro. Bro. You have just read my mind. Brave fencer Musashi was the shiz. Also did you play "Ehrgeiz Dungeon mode" and also "Legend of dragoon " ?
The PSOne had such good games. This was one of the absolute best: amazing music, combat variety, great atmosphere, good characters, great story, a design and aesthetic to die for... it was simply incredible. I'm so glad I'm not the only one who played and appreciates this absolute gem.
This game has some great visuals indeed. It holds up today pretty well I think, like it seems asthough it is more of an artstyle rather than just something that was done within technical limitations. I'll have to check this one at some point.
My god, I am blown away by this game's visuals. I've never heard of it before, but it's easily the best looking PS1 game I've ever seen. There are stylistic design choices being made here that are way ahead of their time.
One of the greatest games ever made. A true masterpiece
I still play this game . Getting The Ultimate sword - "Holy Win" in Iron Maiden with the ultimate Gem "Arturos" . And becoming a beast. Ahh the good stuff. Best game in the history of games along Another gem "Brave Fencer Musashi" and "Ehrgeiz Dungeon Mode" . Chocobos Dungeon 2 is also amongst my favourite and than "Legend of Legaia"
I know what you mean.i got 2 copies of that sword plus another on of favorite is the griever mace.
An amazing game that I cherished back in the day, and a great video worthy of the game. Keep it up!
Love your videos man, glad to see you have great taste in content creators too!
Rektro thanks!
Hey man, what's up? Plan to make a "Vagrant Story 17 Years After"?
please do a video on fighting games or the rise and fall of soul caliber please!!!!!!!!
I put it higher than Final Fantasy series on PS1. Another forgotten gem is Legend of Mana.
The ending bits of your sentence sounds like you're making a goo-goo face at a baby.
And here I was worried that I was having a stroke.
I loved that game as a 10 year old kid, but I never quite knew what I was doing.
I had that same feeling when i played final fantasy 8 junction system when i was 10..had absolutly no idea how the system worked just autoed it my first play through...replayed it when i was 20 and made malboro a clown
Same here and is exactly why i searched for this vid
Or light crusader on sega
It has been 20 years... For over 20 years NOT A SINGLE game has even came close to the level of Vagrant Story... And I feel sad and empty inside that I will never find a game that just shakes me inside and makes me feel complete, as Vagrant Story did...
When I beat this game way back when I was a kid it was one of my proudest accomplishment at that time
It should be, it was a pretty complex game for the time - especially for a kid. My proudest moment in that game was figuring out that I COULD actually craft a single weapon that was good vs every enemy type...even though the developers, fellow players, guides etc. all claimed it wasn't possible.
I am so happy you covered this game. It's one of my all time favorites, and indeed a gem.
I love it when youtubers start "forgotten gem" videos, always a great way to find new video games i would never have come across if said video was never created. Will add it to the list. Great video as usual man ❤️
Thank you Ragnar for covering this game, and for the effort you've put into the Forgotten Gems collection.
One of the few PS1 games that was so good but so unknown.
Sorry if its out of place to say but thought id drop my 2cs. Personally ,I felt that the lack of interaction the character had with the story was, to some extent, a part of the experience. Till today when i think about Vagrant's story i remember it being a game that invoked a sense of loneliness and fear as you trawled alone through mysterious dungeons and locales that re-created a dark medieval flair.; Which almost made it feel felt like a melancholic thriller (perhaps having been a kid and being sh*t scared of everything played a part).
To me, the character being so detached from the story had convinced me as I got older that it was part of the design. Furthermore, having known what Vagrant meant ultimately as I got older it only reinforced this idea. Just thought to add to discussion
I love this game so much. I still play it to this day. I go through the art book all the time. Such a gem.
Oh my god I didn't know I could become more absorbed in your content. Now we're discussing hidden gems? *dies a little*
I'm sure you will have so many subscribers going NUTS with their recommendations, but I would love it if you would explore Kagero Deception II, Midevil, Jersey Devil and maybe even some Einhander or Bust A Groove (DDR dance game literally nobody knows about). These were some serious childhood faves. I think you would especially appreciate that first gem a LOT since you have a keen knack for appreciating the symbolism and depth within storytelling and game play. Kagero Deception II reminds me a LOT of Vagrant Story, actually. Similar in a lot of ways and also very difficult for gamers that like to play easy.
Amazing content. I love your channel~
One of many mysteries in my life is to know how the hell I beat this game in my PSX. I was a teenager back then, with a low english level. There was no internet back then, so not guide at all. But I remember I got obsessed with the weappon creation system. You can also name your sword, spike o whatever. I also remember that there was a special dungeon, extremely hard, where you can find stronger enemies with very valuable drops. What a great game.
This game was like a polished parasite Eve. I lost so much time to this game, and I feel bad for the current generation of gamers who will inevitably miss out on experiences like this.
This and the first Shadow Hearts are one of my favorite, unique games out there. Story, gameplay, characters. I can't get enough. Subscribed
I have to check this out, seems up my alley.
Would be great (and hopeful) in this age of remasters to get a Remastered edition with voice acting!
If only. I would buy it in a second
I can't help but to be happy that others know of this game and laud it!
I play this game to oblivion when I was young.
The predecessor of the Demon’s and Dark Souls series one of the best games ever made 😉
It's funny you bring up the battle with sydney as a party member because they originally intended you to team up with tieger and neesa (the two out of nowhere crimson blades you fight in the undercity) but time constraints prevented them from doing so. I assume Vagrant story was gonna be a lot larger than it came out as but they ran out of time and/or budget.
In many ways, for better or worse, Final Fantasy XII is the realization of so much that the Ivalice team wanted to do with this game but could not do, due to the limitations of the PS1.
Thank you for making this video! I've loved this game for over 15 years so much to the point where I have the Rood Inverse tattooed on my back :) Its a damn shame this game doesn't have the fame it deserves
Chaining attacks can go further than 15 times. It will only stop if u miss the timing or if the enemy is actually dead. Otherwise it can go on.
Plus you have to worry about your Fatigue level if you chain too long before using a power move. Unless you pop a potion. Man I loved this game. It's still great. Especially when you play it on something that can render the graphics beyond the ps1 norm.
I played as teenager. Didn't know English and what the fuck I was doing. Yet I finished it I don't know how but the final boss gave me so much trouble. I used to chain more than 99 attacks where only a few landed hahaha
Yeah, I remember the practice dolls you encounter down the road and actually needs in orden to unlock achievements of number of hits on chain attacks...
One of my favorite games by one of my favorite game designer in one of my favorite RUclips channel.
What a dream come true!
Thank you oh so much!
my favourite game of all time. The guide book was also a work of art in its own right. I will never stop hoping for a remake or sequel, though FFXII came just close enough to keep me going for 60 hours.
awesome video, truly does justice to the game, great narration, the delivery was pristine. thanks for sharing.
I saw this and was really thrilled to see someone make a commentary about a game I loved so much as a child. If you have a need for any other obscure PS1 rpg titles, Valkyrie Profile was my ultimate fav!
Dude it makes me so happy you were able to upload a new video.
Awesome game. This video got me into the game again and tearing it up so far. The earlier parts can be rough to a newcomer. I love that. There's something particularly bad ass about giving your back to a dragon, unarmed, and reflecting a percentage of damage back at it as the killing blow.
i finally beat this game after years of playing!! it's definitely a steep learning curve getting used to the combat system and weapon-building, but the whole game is so brilliant in execution!
Might not have been the best game to buy for your young son, but I’m glad that my dad introduced me to rpg’s with this gem when I was a kid
#GemSuggestion Valkyrie Profile, one of the best PSX's JRPGs and an overlooked one.
Nibelung Valesti!
YES
2:50 That's actually Final Fantasy Tactics _Advance_ which, as the name implies, was on the GBA.
To give you an idea of the differences between the two games, here's an excerpt from a FFTA let's play:
"Final Fantasy Tactics is a classic strategy RPG with an engaging story of love, betrayal, political intrigue, and stabbing.
Final Fantasy Tactics Advance is about kids wishing away problems like albinism. And some armored guy on a ostrich telling you that you can't use a spear today for no adequate reason."
But disregarding that, amazing video! Vagrant Story looks absolutely awesome, and if I wasn't completely useless when it comes to strategy games and micromanaging I'd probably try to find it and play it.
When i saw the SquareSoft logo back in the day. I knew this game will be awesome. Glad someone appreciates it also Great Vid!
The systems went well over the heads of even the people playing. I just remembered that I had weapons that got really strong against certain types, so I took their parts and made them even more specialized towards each type. Though the other thing I remembered was there was some really jank platforming required in this game near the end that was probably one of the more infuriating experiences I've had with games at the time.
You should do Suiokoden I & II, you'd give it some long needed justice it deserves.
Me and my brother were given this game in early 2001 by a cousin and we were hooked ever since. This and Front Mission 3 are my favorite RPG's on the PS1.
Hey thanks for covering this one. I've never been able to beat this but always come back to it every five years or so. I usually just get a little stuck and run out of time before I have to get back to life but this is always a solid title.
Vagrant Story is like the perfect fine wine. A hidden gem that not many will appreciate. But, should you open your mind to it, you will find a pathway to a new realm with just a single sip.
Make one for Eternal Darkness: Sanity's Requiem. A darn good lovecraftian survival horror.
Very well put together video. One thing that I feel that bears mentioning is the actual translation of the game from Japanese into English. The English used in the game as akin to Shakespearean English, very appropriate for its setting and influences. Two of the characters are even named for Shakespeare's characters. And as far as the cube puzzles there is a bit of a premise for them in the game. Lea Monde is an abandoned city falling apart. Walkways that existed are no longer, stairways and bridges have collapsed. Everything is going to pieces in the city so one must improvise with what they have at hand. Limestone blocks from the quarry, two kinds of wooden crates from the wine cellar and the two mysterious cubes, friction-less cubes and magnetic cubes.
I was just thinking, man, been a second since the last RagnaRox video, hope it's doing good. Glad to see the second wave of RUclips's world-famous fuckery hasn't stopped you from doing what you do so well.
Thanks YT algo for re-recommending me this.
Such a nice retrospective on a classic game
1:06 freaked me out a bit because the background of the video is the same as the desktop wallpaper I chose today!
Ah, Vagrant Story, the stealth side entry in the Final Fantasy franchise, second coming of Ivalice, how have I missed thee.
Your morbid tunes and painted looks and fonts straight out of the handwritten manuscripts. The strange and confusing story, as grim and labyrinthine as the ruins of Lea Monde itself to my young mind. And the beings barring progress, crushing me for each wrong push, a mere misstep out of the battle rhythm...
Just talking about this game to other people is a slippery slope that ends up with me spending hours, if not days, replaying it.
Horray! RUclips hasn't murdered your channel! yet
Never forgotten! One of my favorites snd also best soundtrack
5:04 - "Almost feels like a Shakespearean stage play". Love it, and so it should be with characters called Guildenstern and Rosenkrantz.
Welcome back, Ragnar. And, might I say, I am most certainly trying this on the ePSXe
Played this game when I was just a little kid, made it far but couldn't finish it back then, and just completed last year (2017) , since I got back into it after ps2,3 and 4 got me hooked on for years, loves every part in the game. Even downloaded the soundtrack to it ❤️
I discovered this masterpiece from a gamesfaqs list by Nazifpour. Its so ahead of its time...
this series rejuvenates me
For anyone else confused, the footage at 2:50 on the left is actually gameplay from Final Fantasy Tactics Advance, a title published much later on in the series after the original tactics game in 1997, but for GBA, not the Playstation. Nearly all the core mechanics of the games are similar or identical, but the settings are totally different.
Uuh this was a favourite of mine back in the day! Love the design and atmosphere. Thanx for doing a vid on it :)
You made me play this game, thanks. Its awesone. Keep the series!
Damn! Am I glad I found your channel! There are so much good videos! Love your work man!
Dat priceless Žižek moment!
I fucking lost it when Zizek appeared, I'm glad I'm not the only one to recognize this
Indeed, there are many games that I'll personally never forget on the PS1 console . My 2 personal most favorites are Vagrant Story and Lunar : Silver Star Story Complete.
Another wonderful video, Ragnar. I've heard of this game before in passing, but I never paid it much attention. I'll check it out, as soon as I get though my backlog.
I have a #gemsuggestion! Brave fencer Masashi. It's seldom spoken of, because it came out around the same time as Legend of Zelda- ocarina of time- another title that focuses on saving a princess. Its a simple tale, but has a lot of heart and humor. Adventure is a big theme in the game, and it has some Metroid-vania elements to it. Coming back to an area with new magic reveals new secrets. Combat is dynamic, since you can steal the powers of enemies to use against them!
I loved this game. Played it over and over. Wish someone would give it a graphical overhaul!
I was wondering why I didn't see this. It's because it never appeared in my subs, RUclips and go fuck itself. I'm glad I checked your channel after rewatching your Resident Evil 7 video and saw this.
Good to see you still creating, Ragnar. Thank you.
I used to have this game! I got quite far but then lost all my games in a house fire :(
Yesss my favourite youtuber is back . Missed you
This game, brought me back from depression when i was in college. The struggle of the protagonist strengthened me in a way that boosted me from oblivion.
"The body is but a vessel for the soul....."
I would buy any console that has a remake of this Game, this game was literally a gem. Perfect story, gameplay, characters, music.
And the game+ option was really nice too, getting the finale weapons and gems, all spell to max levels, I have run this game probably 20 - 30 times, and it never gets old.
Vagrant Story's combat is very deep and complex, but very rewarding. When I came back to after a decade of not touching it, took a quick refresher on the game, on a brand new game, everything was a LOT easier than my first time. Like, I remember elementals are weak to spells, so I used them instead, dragons are weak to pierce, so I pulled out my lance, humans are weak to blades, sword time!
I played this game when it came out and couldn't beat it, never went back... now I feel I should.
I believe it was some sort of dragon-type monster in some sort of sewer-esque level...
What a great video.
とっつき難いが楽しめたチェインと装備合成。
キャラの表情に衝撃受けたしストーリーと音楽が相まって最高のゲームだったな。
ゼノギ、ベイグ、アイハン、武蔵、PE等、PS時代のスクウェアは大好きだった。
Not forgotten by me! Still think of Vagrant Story whenever the terms "Good Square RPG", or "RPGs that deserve a sequel" comes up.
This game is my #1 rpg in my book. I bought this game when it came out. I was only 15 years old then. The difficulty of this game was hell. It took a lot of time learning how this game works. New game plus was a blast.
#GemSuggestion
hybrid heaven
>> turn-based + realtime
>> scifi, (face swapping story, synthetic humans, bio-engineering plot)
>> hand to hand combat (no swords and magic, only punches, kicks, throws, counters,blocks, and combos)
>> tactical (you selected body parts to attack like Vagrant story)
>> rpg (you levelled up parts of your body, and specialise in particular actions)
with box puzzles too lol
loved vagrant story and Hybrid heaven, the directors of both games boldly blend genres/styles and created gems that were not perfect by any means but were cult classics that introduced concepts perfected in later games
vagrant story --> souls
Hybrid heaven --> legend of legaia 2 --> Godhand --> shenmue/yakuza
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hybrid_Heaven
Great video
vagrant story always felt like a marriage of Metal gears solid and finalfantasy
you forgot that it opens with POLYGONAL MALE NUDITY (RAWR SEXY SEXY POINTY BUTTS)
hahahaha yess i forgot that! the character was all naked, sombre and contemplative in the shower, knew it was gonna be amazing after that lol
So glad someonelse played this game, was soo bloody rare but an unforgettable experience
Holy moly, what a gem indeed! I've heard of this game in passing and have had a PS1 for a decade but never played it. Well, now I know what I'm playing next :)
Vagrant Story was a big hit at its time as far as I remember, it's not really forgotten. It doesn't get mentioned a lot mostly because it never got any kind of sequel and had become a dead title.
9:40 - To clarify there isn't a 15 chain cap. There are 15 attacks in terms of different attack options (1 primary attack + 14 battle abilities). You can chain attacks until your opponent gives out. One of the achievements "sparkling warrior" is for a chain greater than 30, which is probably only possible against a training dummy. Unless you want to torture an enemy by just alternating between the gain (life/magic) or status effect chains for ages instead of doing the decent thing and finishing them off.
Vagrant storys plot is indeed lile an onoin. Strong and it will make you cry
My favorite PS1 one game, the art style, gameplay , music, graphics , story , everything is great.
My favourite game of all time.
I love usage of Weeping Wall for the end of the video. Good work.
One of my favourite games of all time , i wish they'd remake this gem.
I missed you Ragnarrox.
I never thought vagrant story was so complex... never tried it but now i feel like playing it.
Well done, Ragnar.
Good vibes
Here I thought the story was like "the" onion... Thank you for clarifying? Great series. Nice to see content that shows love to some of the many great games that unfortunately got lost with the passage of time. I've been rebuilding my ps1/ps2 library and there's sooo much out there to enjoy.
I just downloaded this on my phone.i played it years ago and was obssessed with this game.it was a masterpiece when square enix was square soft still putting out original RPGs.it was also challenging.there was so much weapons gems upgrades battle chains mechanics was supurb.nit to mention a great story.i love it
So glad to see you're back, and just as awesome as ever! Hope you're doing well, Ragnar. ♡♡
I'm doing fabulously, frisk!
You went quiet on us for a bit there, so that's always good to know. Truly. (Dammit, my lame ass missed that pun the first time reading your reply. I need a few rounds of what will require my palm and my face. XD)
Also, either it's one of those 'Great Minds think alike' moments, or you sated my original request for hearing that amazing voice of yours talk about Chrono Cross by mentioning and showing it within this video. ;) I'd like to think it's the latter, but the former is likely more probable.
Regardless, you were missed. ♡