A critter comes up to Ashley and you hit the circle button, causing a wire frame (reminiscent of Parasite Eve) to appear. Battling against the multitude of human and inhuman foes Lea Monde possesses is done simply and effectively. Two other factions are also searching for the cult leader, which leads to all sorts of in-fighting and treachery as players get drawn into enough intrigue to make most soap opera writers feel inadequate.Īshley, meanwhile, tries to keep away from that spider web - preferring to to solve his problems with weaponry. Of course, since Ash is a typical PlayStation-era Square hero, he's an antisocial loner (who also has the requisite mental issues which lead to flashbacks and confusion) who immediately discards the inexperienced Merlose - who promptly gets taken hostage by Sydney. Ashley, as an elite Riskbreaker of the Valendia Knights of the Peace, is accompanied to Lea Monde by VKP Inquisitor Callo Merlose. All Riot knows is that the trio are going to the cursed city of Lea Monde. Syd's not the average zealot, though, as he quickly recovers from what seemed a lethal wound and summons his wyvern (handy pet to have, that) - which allows him and a subordinate to escape with the duke's hostage son, Joshua. After dominating a pair of cultists, he corners their leader and wastes the dude with a crossbow when he refuses to surrender. The game grabs your attention immediately, as protagonist Ashley Riot enters a duke's manor that's been overrun by members of a cult run by Sydney (a typically bizarre blond-haired Square antagonist). Unfortunately, Square mixed in just enough tedium with the cool stuff to make it somewhat of a rarity in my library - a game I truly enjoyed, but never have seriously felt the urge to pick up for a second go-around. Thanks to combining a fast-paced battle system with sweet presentation, Vagrant Story should have been a truly incredible action-RPG. If you gain high risk because you chained a 10-hit combo on some fool and immediately get assaulted by something else, you'll receive a severe dose of pain.' He can cause much more damage, but his accuracy and defense both suffer. As it rises, both good and bad things happen. 'Every combat action Ashley takes affects a risk meter.

Vagrant story battle system