Vandal Hearts (Sony PlayStation 1, 1997)

Vandal Hearts is an excellent strategy RPG. While it may not have the amount of character customization that Final Fantasy Tactics has, or the difficulty that Fire Emblem has, it is still an excellent game. Vandal Hearts is easy to pick up and learn, unlike some other strategy RPGs.
All of the maps are very well designed and are a lot of fun to play through. This is partly due to the array of characters that you are in control of. As your characters increase in level you can upgrade their class. When this happens you get to choose which path your character takes (hence the customization) which dictates how they perform in battle. There is a fair amount of strategy involved during the battles but a lot of them can be fairly easy. In addition to the excellent gameplay, Vandal Hearts features an interesting story and great music. The graphics are pretty bad compared to today's games but if you can get past that it shouldn't be a problem.

Vandal Hearts is a must have game for fans of strategy RPGs or for those who want something to ease them into the genre.

Pros:
- Turn based strategy game
- Characters can upgrade classes
- Great story
- Entertaining battles

Cons:
- A little too easy
- Too short

I had this game "back in the day" and loved it. At the time I was very much into RPGs, however, so after hours and hours of play it gave way to a new Final Fantasy or Lunar or something. Who knows? It sat on the shelf beside my other games for months when I finally decided to trade it to a friend. "I can always buy it again."

Seven years later...
I finally decide to buy this game again because of all the fond memories I have of playing the old school (pre-98) Playstation games, Vandal Hearts stands out as the most entertaining. How did I not realize it before? So I checked Ebay and found one, $30 used plus shipping fees. I bought it brand new for $7.99 eight years ago. The irony.
Anyways I put the game in and immediately fell in love with it again. I caressed it's sweet bottocks with my face and told it how much I needed it. The gameplay was just how I remembered it- simple. That's not to say the game isn't challenging because it is, especially after about five hours into it. The menus are very well-rooted in tradional RPG style, hence the simplicity. The "shop" is extremely well designed in particular.

And now, abstract points...

-Leveling up at the dojo is a great addition to the game.

-The graphics are simple, funny, and brutal.

-The storyline is actually really interesting, but you could play through this game without having the slightest grasp on the english language with minimal problems.

-The maps are really well designed. You can really see the care put into them on every level. Enemy placement, coverage, different structual levels, art design, etc.

-The characters are charismatic and abundant! You'll have a "favorite" almost immediately.

-You can start this game, play for 15 minutes, save in battle, come back, play for hours, save in the world map, stop playing for 4 months, put it in, and pick but up on within 10 minutes or so.

-It's really designed for old school gamers. In that context it's pretty progressive and will bring something new to fans of that sort.


So anyways I obviously love this game. I can't recommend it enough. It's playability and accessibility lend themselves well to my schedule so that I can play for 20 minutes and feel that I accomplished something, but can also play for hours at a time if possible.

BUY IT.
--A stoner

This is truely one of the greatest Simulation RPG's ever made. It far out classes many of the same type of game made today. And that is amazing considering it was one of the first of it's kind for the Playstation.

The graphics, naturally, are a bit dated, but you will hardly notice. The game is simple to grasp, and addictive once you start your first mission. The story line is original to bordering on epic, but the creators seemed to forgo a typical Final Fantasy head squeeze in favor of creating a storyline that didn't push the average gamer away due to boggling cut screens and twisty, curvy plot lines.

Although there is really little replayability outside of upgrading your characters into different classes, the game is so fun that you're sure to head back and beat it at least a FEW times a year. Get your copy now!

Vandal Hearts, a game that could captivate and put into a stupor anyone with the time to play it. There have always been games that people start and can't put down, this is one of the first. Being that it was designed for the PS1, the graphics are none too high tech but that doesn't detract from the game at all. From the animated blood spray to the no sound/all text dialog it is truely 'old school.' This RPG has a great story that pulls you in and was and is still very original. The turn based gameplay is strategy at its finest, forcing descision making and tactics that are like a more dynamic game of chess. With many secreats hidden around various levels, and a plethera of side quests and character options, a gamer rarely gets it all the first time through making for a lot of replayablity. This game is great for anyone who is a fan of RPGs and has a few hours to devote to Ash and his friends.

Okay, the Game itself is a great addition to anyone who likes RPG's.
But in addition to that, it's overall a very in depth and Fantasy Filled Game.
The story is well Put together, revolving a Mysterious Character and
the Past he's run away from...surely trying to break away from the past as it catches up to him. The Charactersin the game are well done, with all their Unique Personalities and different weapons and design. And tho the Graphics are a little outdated, the game play doesn't stray far from some of the Games of Today...So I'm completely Recommending this Game giving it a solid "5".
Why??? Becuz I'm Chubar....LOL