Vanguard Bandits

"Addictive gameplay+Memorable characters+wonderful story=Vanguard Bandits"

Vanguard Bandits is,without a doubt a wonderful game.A sleeper hit,if you will.Asides from Final Fantasy Tactics,Vanguard Bandits is by far THE best strategy/RPG on the Playstation.A very fulilling and enjoyable game.


Story:


The story revolves around a boy named Bastion and his part-taking in a Holy War.Bastion and his friends are rebels and fight to end the war,they fight for good and justice.Their enemy?General Faulkner,the epitome of evil.He is at the helm of the Junaris Empire.Faulkner oppresses the people and kills without just cause.Bastion and his friends fight to end this mans terror.


Although there are three different story lines(Kingdom Branch,Empire Branch,Ruin Branch)the story line always centers on Bastion and his fight to end the war between the Pharastia Kingdom and the Junaris Empire.
The game has many plot twists and different events may occur depending on your choosing.To really comprehend the deep and involving story you must play through the game three times,on each of the three main branches.

The story is a wonderfully done with a great translation(thanks to Working Designs).Although,unlinke the Lunar translation,Vanguard Bandits has more of a serious tone in the text rather then a humours one.Either way,translation is perfect when it's done by Working Designs.



Gameplay:


This is the reason why Vanguard Bandits is a pure joy to play...The gameplay is addictive and requires you to think out your next moves.You must learn to position your characters correctly and attack at the right moment.The core of the gameplay is the battle system.


You always battle in your ATAC(Giant humaniod mechs).ATAC's may learn different techniques depending on which stone or amulet you give them or how you level up character stats.In the battle system there are two gauges:AP and FP.

AP determines how far you can walk or what skills you can do(skills differ from techniques or attacks because they usually temporarily boost a characters stats or even heal them).When your AP gauge is empty,it usually means that it is time to end your turn.


FP,on the other hand plays an important part in the battles.When you are attacked,your FP gauge fills depending on what actions you take(You can either attack,defend,avoid or counterattack.)For instance,avoiding costs less FP then attacking.

When your FP gauge fills to one hundred,your character will become frozen and will be unable to do anything on the next turn.Also,when you are frozen,you become very vulnerable to enemy attacks.However,you can freeze enemies,making them very easy to destroy.

Also,on the battlefield,you must use the landscaping to your advantage...If you learn to position yourself using the landscaping you can either protect yourself from enemies or surround them.Positioning is very important.For example,a damages character may want to turn his/her back against a bush to prevent any back attacks.

Replay Value:The game has incredible replay value.With 56 missions and three different storylines,I can guarantee you that people will be playing this game a few times through.The game also features five unique endings which also boost the replay value.


Difficulty:The difficulty varies with each mission.Some missions you will be able to breeze by,while others you will have to replay a few times,just to know the enemy patterns.Overall,I would say that you can beat any mission with planning and positioning...



Graphics:Not a strong point in the game.The characters are blocky and aren't really that detailed.The colors are bleak and somewhat set the mood for the game.Not a whole lot of say here.However,the battle animations are very nice.Detailed ATACS,vibrant colors,some nice effects with certian attacks.


Sound:Okay...This is also not a strong point in the game...Not at all...The sound isn't that clear and reallys doesn't belong in the game.As many people have said before,it really sounds like it is coming from an SNES.The song from the opening theme is sub-par.


Overall,I was very satisfied with Vanguard Bandits.Truly,a wonderful game.I suggest that you should own it.It is worthy to be in any gamers collection.

Reviewer's Score: 10/10, Originally Posted: 08/17/00, Updated 08/17/00