What's more, the game's battle system also makes use of things such as Risk Points, Battle Abilities, Character Class, and Character Affinities, all of which play major roles in the player's encounters with enemy creatures. Targeting specific areas can render certain parts of the enemy's body useless and that in turn effects how you can fight it. In this area alone the depth is staggering, as there's an enormous amount of technique that can be used in choosing which areas to attack and it all depends on the specific monsters that you're attacking. First, the battle system enables the player to target specific body parts of the enemy, which vary from enemy to enemy, and enemies can also do the same with attacking Ashley. There are just so many different factors that come into play during the battles in the game. At least, after you've played the game for a few hours. Yet, at the same time, it doesn't feel the least bit overly complicated or too robust. It's by far the most in-depth system that has ever been implemented in a console role-playing game. The key word when describing the battle system in Vagrant Story is deep. While it's not quite action-oriented enough to be called an action/RPG and it is more hands-on than most traditional style RPGs, the battle system in Vagrant Story is so deep and intuitive that it'll likely please fans of either RPG genres. Gameplay After a compelling storyline, the most important thing that most role-playing fans look for in their RPGs is a quality battle system. The commendable writing effort, brilliant storyline and masterful cinematic presentation all really add up to one of the best gaming experiences that you can get on PlayStation. This really means a lot because of all the writing styles to try and carry out, the 'Medieval-speak' that Vagrant Story uses is probably the most difficult to do. In spite of the occasional typo or grammatical hiccup, the overall writing quality of the game is good. Vagrant Story is filled with an enormous amount of mystery and intrigue and has some amazing twists and turns that are almost as big as the plot twists in recent films The Sixth Sense and Fight Club. Whilst the background story by itself is already more intriguing than what you'll encounter in many of today's games, what makes the entire storyline stand head and toes above the rest is how it plays out as players progress through the game. Throughout the game, players will find out more about Ashley Riot and his mysterious past, and will be introduced to many other secondary figures who play a significant role in the game, such as Romeo Guildenstern, the leader of the 'Crimson Blades,' Callo Merlose, a VKP Information Analysis, and John Hardin, who is a prominent member of the Mullenkamp Cult. And Ashley is sent in by the VKP to break the cultists' hold on the manor. The manor of Duke Bardorba of Valendia Kingdom had been seized by a cult of religious zealots lead by Sydney Losstarot, while the Duke was away. Set in Medieval times, the game's story revolves around Riskbreaker Ashley Riot, who is a member of the Valendia Knights of the Peace (VKP). Truth be told, the actual storyline of the game plays out much better than most of today's big blockbuster films. In fact, the five-minute long opening sequence to the game is one of the best one will ever encounter in a videogame and will pull the player deeply into the storyline as well as any opening to a big budget Hollywood action flick.

Under the fine direction of Yasumi Matsuno, the game has a storyline and presentation that are equal to that of Hideo Kojima's cinematic masterpiece, Metal Gear Solid. The biggest case in point is that Vagrant Story is generally overshadowed by Square's other titles such as Final Fantasy IX, Chrono Cross, Legend of Mana, and Parasite Eve II, when it's arguably one of the best games on PlayStation.

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