This past month marks the 25th (!) anniversary of Vagrant Story, the PSX RPG by Yasumi Matsuno (Final Fantasy XII, FF Tactics).
It arrived toward the end of the Playstation's life span, pushing the system to its limits. The game has a wonderful English localization by Alexander O. Smith, taking it in an appropriately Shakespearean direction.
I never did finish it back upon release. The game can be absolutely brutal if you don't finesse its mechanics properly. Battles can often become wars of attrition, with buffs and debuffs, affinities, damage types, and attack chaining all playing significant roles. There's also a complex workshop system to combine and synthesize new equipment, and new features and areas unlocked in New Game+.
I revisited it this past week and found it to be just as fun and engaging today, completing it at long last. They don't make 'em like they used to.
It arrived toward the end of the Playstation's life span, pushing the system to its limits. The game has a wonderful English localization by Alexander O. Smith, taking it in an appropriately Shakespearean direction.



I never did finish it back upon release. The game can be absolutely brutal if you don't finesse its mechanics properly. Battles can often become wars of attrition, with buffs and debuffs, affinities, damage types, and attack chaining all playing significant roles. There's also a complex workshop system to combine and synthesize new equipment, and new features and areas unlocked in New Game+.
I revisited it this past week and found it to be just as fun and engaging today, completing it at long last. They don't make 'em like they used to.