Dragon Media

Tri-Ace became known for their work with Star Ocean 2 way back when at the end of the 20th century. The company’s main ambition seems to be able to create a solid RPG experience while tossing aside the usual turn-based battle system for some more explosive action. Although Valkyrie Profile doesn’t feature full real-time battles, the heart-gripping amount of action featured in Tri-Ace’s first project still permeates in Valkyrie Profile. And unlike its brethren, it has a lot more than an entertaining battle system going for it.

Ragnarok, the day of judgment in the kingdom of the Gods, Valhalla, lurks nearer and nearer. Odin’s kingdom, Asgard, must wage war against its enemies. The task of recruiting viable souls of honorable warriors from the lowly earthly territory of Midgard is handed to Valkyrie, the Goddess of Death and chooser of the slain. While death may seem tragic at first, those worthy of redemption will unite under the just Odin to restore peace to Valhalla and prevent Ragnarok at all cost. (more…)

I have been a big fan of RPGs ever since the release of Final Fantasy VII on the PSX. From that very day I have played many other great titles, such as Breath of Fire III and Grandia. These are excellent titles that have been in my collection from day one. Recently, another game was added to my RPG collection, Vandal Hearts. I found this game in my local video games store with a large sticker plastered across the case, which read “very rare”. Being an addictive fan of Final Fantasy Tactics, I immediately made the purchase and rushed home to load it up. Vandal Hearts became one of my all time favorite strategy RPGs alongside Final Fantasy Tactics. Although Vandal Hearts’ gameplay doesn’t compare with the gameplay featured in Final Fantasy Tactics, I’d still recommend this game to any RPG fan.

Vandal Hearts’ storyline kicks off with an election where two rival characters are competing to become chairman of the Ishtarian Council. These two characters are Hel Sprites and Renaldo Castille. You take on the role of Ash Lambert, who has been made a commander by Renaldo, the leader of the Ishtarian Security Defense. Hel Sprites, an evildoer, has come up with a devious plan to overthrow the election by killing Renaldo, which will automatically make him chairman. Somewhere along the line, Ash and his accomplices have been framed for the attempted murder of Renaldo. This is just one of the many twists involved in the rich storyline featured in Vandal Hearts. (more…)

Konami doesn’t release RPGs regularly, but when they do they happen to be the best of the best. Take Suikoden for instance, when Suikoden was released in 1996 it was one of the very few decent rpgs to hit the PSX. Then about four years later they decided to release the sequel, Suikoden II. Shortly after releasing Suikoden they quickly released another RPG – Vandal Hearts. These were two completely different RPGs, but they happened to be great titles for the PSX. After a few years Konami released Vandal Hearts 2, proving that they still have what it takes to make great rpgs.

The storyline is a rather compelling and righteous one, with many twists and surprises entwined. The setting for Vandal Hearts 2 is in a country called Natra. This is a country in chaos from a civil war between the two sides of Natra, the East and the West. The East claims that their royal monarch is the real ruler of Natra, whereas the West believes their king is the true ruler of Natra. At the beginning of the game you take the role of a young village boy, who at a young age is tormented by the way each side runs the land. Due to this he runs away on a journey with a young princess. Years pass and the young boy has grown strong. You and a small gang of warriors form a rebellion known as Central Natra, who plan to overthrow the East and West sides. Vandal Hearts 2 has no relevance to its prequel what so ever, but this does not detract from the overall storyline of the game. (more…)

Vanguard Bandits, or Epica Stella as it is called in Japan, is a very light-hearted RPG which main attraction is the ability to entertain, despite its lack of any real inspiring aspect. It’s also a very anime-influenced game, what with the large variety of colorful and distinct mechs available. Despite its short-comings, as the people from Working Designs said so well, it is ADDICTIVE!

You’ll be assuming the role of Bastion, a young rebel fighting for justice against the evil Junaris Empire. Bastion will meet many other singular characters, all of whom own an ATAC, or All Terrain Armored Combatant. The original 10 ATACs, which were excavated long ago in the Pharastia Kindgom, have now spawned many different type of ATACs around the continent of Eptina, which in turn resulted in the second Eptinan War, a war for supremacy and control of the continent and the “Excavated ATACs”. You’ll travel across the 8 countries, making allies, disrupting treaties, and ultimately learning about your true purpose.

Vanguard Bandits is a very linear game. You’ll trek around the continent, talking to people and battling foes on yet another grided and rotating war field. You won’t be able to walk around town, talk to NPCs, or even shop whenever you like. After each mission, you’ll see a short cut-scene, followed by a pre-battle screen which gives you the option to talk to your allies, organize your stuff, save, and on the rare occasion, purchase new parts. (more…)