Vanguard Bandits

"Nuisances and annoyances bring down what could have been"

The Playstation has been the breeding ground for some of the greatest Role Playing Games (RPG's) that gamers have been blessed with. From greats such as Final Fantasy 7 and Final Fantasy 9, to the Lunar and Breath of Fire series, gamers searching for an RPG haven turned to the Playstation (and for good reason). Yet another ''sub-genre'' if you will, of RPG's, are turn-based strategy games. Though they closely resemble RPG's, they are less command oriented, and force the gamer to use much more strategy. Enter into the fray, Vanguard Bandits (VB), which, most mediums, is your typical turn-based strategy game. In short, it is the player versus the computer, in all-out war. However, the mode of battle is quite different.

Instead of using different characters until the battle field is bloodied, you commandeer each character's Mech (referred to as ''ATAC'' in VB) and duel with The Empire. The story line is your typical revolt against the established monarchy that is found within almost all turn-based strategies, with the only difference here, being that you are in Mechs. This game does a number of things well. First, you have full control of your viewpoints (always a plus when launching strategically based attacks) and you are giving the option to turn the Battle Animations off (which save a lot of time and repetitiveness). Secondly, the story is simply littered with many unexpected events of political turmoil and upheaval. However, this game is not without its faults, and those definitely bring down the overall feel of the game.

In an age where graphics seem to be king, VB seems behind in the times. Its only cut-scenes are not filled with any Computer Graphics (CG), and many of the Mechs aren't very detailed. However, as in most RPG's, a person does not choose to play it mainly for its graphical appeal, but more for its story. And in that regard, VB shines rather brightly. Yet the main drawback or hindrance to the entire VB experience has to be the way battles are played out. Yes you are given most of the ''control,'' yet in almost every battle, you are fighting alongside a computer controlled character (who is on your side). AND, more often then not, the character goes against exactly what you were trying to do strategically. For example, once Bastion finds what he is looking for (trying to exclude all possible spoilers here), the team is instructed to guard the bridge at all possible costs.

Obviously being a stickler for strategy, I aligned an equal number of combatants on each side of the bridge. Much to my chagrin, a player controlled character, completely went to the other side an ruined my advantage. Though I came out victorious in that battle, I could definitely see that nuisance hurting me later in the game. Throughout the first nine chapters (up to where I am in the game), I have only been given one opportunity to hit a shop and upgrade my equipment, needless to say this definitely hindered the personalization factor, because you couldn't give certain character's one set of strengths, and another set of character's another. However, with all those nuisances aside, the most aggravating part of the game would have to be ''battle on-lookers.''

At different points in the game, there will be a group of characters watching you fight. However, instead of simply watching the battle, the computer gives them the opportunity to move (though they don't take it). Though this seems very petty, it often takes up to five minutes total, thus lengthening each battle significantly. Despite the annoyances that VB carries, it is a solid turn-based strategy game, and is a great addition to any collection (though it does not get the nod of Final Fantasy Tactics). One thing that must be added however, is that the story line contains quite a few sexual references and an extreme amount of sarcasm and humor. And most of the humor is often found in the Battle Animations.

Reviewer's Score: 7/10, Originally Posted: 12/27/01, Updated 12/27/01