Vagrant Story | 10 Tips To Get Started

Vagrant Story has a reputation for being an extremely difficult game, certainly one of the hardest games Square Soft ever produced. However, this is mostly because its mechanics are so complex that most players don't understand how it all works. This video aims to provide a clear guide to understanding the game's systems and features to mitigate frustration and confusion for new players. If you would like to join us as we begin our podcast on this game, these tips should help you get through the game!

Time Codes:
1. Intro (0:00)
2. Tip #1: Opening Movies (0:55)
3. Tip #2: Basic Combat (2:43)
4. Tip #3: Weapon Damage (3:58)
5. Tip #4: Item & Status Menus (5:51)
6. Tip #5: Further Combat (9:28)
7. Tip #6: Magic (10:51)
8. Tip #7: Battle Arts (12:17)
9. Tip #8: Break Arts (14:21)
10. Tip #9: Workshops Part 1 Repair & Assembly (15:30)
11. Tip #10: Workshops Part 2 Combining (17:07)

[ResonantArc]

Here are some more general tips!

1. When you (much later) unlock the ability to teleport, this is done on save circles through the main magic menu (not shortcuts), jump from workshop to workshop to avoid landing in areas with enemies.
2. Turn Off the puzzle mode in the main menu so you don’t have to repeat box puzzles every time to re-enter a room with one in.
3. If you get lost make use of the comprehensive map to find unopened doors and check your items for keys and sigils you’ve acquired.
4. A number of items can be consumed to permanently increase your stats randomly from 1 to 4 points. Save just before so you can skew the results towards 3s and 4s.
5. There are training dummies of each Class scattered throughout Lea Monde. Striking them is useful for practicing Chaining attacks but also can be used to charge up the relevant Class values on your weapons, and in one case their Affinities.
6. Only the first blow can alter weapon values, not the chaining blows, so you can Chain to inflict damage faster and learn new Chains sooner or choose not to Chain to have more chances to increase Class/Affinity values.
7. Linger in normal mode after battles to allow MP and Risk to recover, use healing spells to restore health. This prevents you from wasting items.
8. When fighting dragons close in fast and stay under their necks to prevent them using their devastating breath attacks.
9. While using one handed weapons allows you to also equip a shield for much better defense be sure to keep at least 1 two-handed weapon around with better range, especially useful for destroying boxes out of regular reach.
11. Just know that getting through this game is not so much about mastering every system as it is about keeping a wide array of options available to make use of. Probably the best general tip for Vagrant Story is to carry around 2 blunt, 2 edged, and 2 piercing weapons with different Affinities on each so Ashley always has a wide range of options available to him. Having different types of weapons on hand further increases your options in battle by giving you a wider array of Break Arts to call upon as well.

[accradata]

Lol reading through these comments brings back old memories...I first picked this game up around 2006 and like so many others, found it to be a bit confusing, tedious and unrewarding. I infuriatingly struggled through the snowfly forest and just found it impossible to get to the next area. I slogged for 60 hours trying my absolute best to love this game but I angrily had to accept that i hated it!!!!

Early in 2016 I tore my left quadricep while squatting in the gym and was forced to lay in bed pretty much while it recovered. I dug out my old PS2 console and Vagrant Story was still inside. With a long sigh I powered it up and watched the game load. I don't know why I did it but I started playing it once again. About 5 hours in I realised I was totally hooked on the whole thing. For some reason it just made more sense to me this time. I played hundreds of hours in game+ mode after I finished it and it is honestly one of the greatest games I've ever played. So glad I didn't let the rage quit be a forever deal!!

[Tenpouin]

Here is a tip: don't worry too much about monster types, just get yourself four good weapons of each type: Blunt, Edged, Piercing and Silver (for Undead). Things get easier after you get Gems and magic for buffs and debuffs.

[Rheinmetall]

Deep and fascinating battle system!... For a lunatic.
That's why I'll give it a try.

[SilverLimit]

No game has needed a video like this more than Vagrant Story. Hell, it practically needs an entire college course to understand. One of the most obtusely designed games ever made. Such a shame, because the visual style and story are fantastic.

[tpgreborn]

I found a copy of this game for a reasonable price on ebay in 2023 and didn't get around to playing it until last week.

Just wanted to drop by and say that this video was extremely helpful and was practically the reason why I was able to beat the game without struggling as much as I thought I would have. Thank you!

[leonard]

DP- durability points. Glad to see Vagrant Story getting the highlight. Ive played this games many times years ago even during the ps1 era. This is the dark souls of PS one.

[mllytan]

I was so excited to see you all start covering Vagrant Story in this year of our lord 2022. I'm legitimately going to revisit it on my Vita after watching this. Awesome work and thank you for the great work you do in discussing games and topics that most other journalists and producers don't.

[austinjpalus]

"Chrono Cross | Ten Tips" would be a great follow-up, given the upcoming remaster. I'd love to see this concept turn into a new series.

[dunsparceprez]

Thank you. I’ve been playing this off and on for 20 years and i still don’t know what I’m doing

[williansnobre]

Amazing.
I'm also impressed at myself for being able to figure all of this out as a kid who could barely understand English. I guess it just shows that despite being a bit obtuse, the game shows enough information that allows players to figure it out.

[Oggre]

The more I learn about this game the more I realise how of a masterpiece it is!

[anglo-saxonconnor]

Two decades later even with video tutorials it is still a challenge to learn the fighting system in this game. Not because people are slow but because some people are not into this kind of game or have no time to learn the game intricacies. Graphics have age very well for a PS1 game though and the story is always top notch.

[leonardoraele]

You forgot one important tip: If you want to mitigate risk increase, you should not chain more than 8 hits in a single attack. Each chain hit after the 8th increases your risk exponentially, which probably will make you deal 0 damage on further attacks.

[kutekatzen]

Wow.. you play Vagrant Story too? Awesome! I really wish there's a remake for this game! This game is amazing! I think I still have the notes on my notebook, containing formulas to create some powerful weapons. 😅

[VicariousBrian]

Love all the Matsuno content coming out! Can't wait to hear your thoughts on the game. The intro has to be the most well shot video game scenes of all time.

[RobbyHuang]

Whew boy! This is gonna be a good one. I really gave this a good try last time I played it, but just couldn't figure it out. I am determined to play through it with the podcast this time.

[LeyeJoe]

Hello guys, I've subscribed to you for a long time, or rather even to your other channel, you can tell that you're having fun and you do a lot of work, really in love with detail, I've talked about every video so often or heard it on a long car ride to learn or fall asleep sometimes just like that I wanted to say thank you very much for everything you have put together and I am looking forward to many more videos from you stay tuned and I hope you will get many many more subscribers everything good for you and your families.

[OtakuDono]

Man, the nostalgia...
I remember I had more than a year of in-game time playing this game back in the day. I absolutely love it...
It took me quite a while to get a full gear of Damascus, all the ultimate weapons, break arts, etc.

[Dzzy]

I've had Vagrant Story downloaded on my PS3 for over a year now. Playing alongside the podcast should be fun.