Saiyuki: Journey West

"Perfect Harmony"

Two years ago, this masterpiece was shipped across seas to America. When it first arrived, it was shunned my many due to the low ratings that it received in magazines, but a true games lets him/herself decide whether or not a game is good or not. Many people quickly bought Saiyuki hearing that it was like Final Fantasy Tactics. I surely hope they were pleased, because I surely was. For more in-depth content, read on.

Story: 10/10
The story is still one of the best ones that I have ever seen in a videogame. It revolves around a monk who lives in a monastery in China. His name is Sanzo. Sanzo has a dream in which a goddess entrusts him with a holy staff to bring to India. (China to India is why they say ''Journey West''.) Afterwards, the story follows him as he makes new friends to help him on his quest. One of which is a monkey-tailed guy named Goku (does that name ring a bell?).

Music: 10/10
The music is very well-done. It is sort of a catchy Chinese/Indian melody as the game progresses. It is played perfectly to match the mood of the game.

Gameplay: 10/10
The gameplay is really what makes Saiyuki what is it. Fans of such games as Final Fantasy Tactics or the Arc the Lad series will be familiar with this battle system. The only problem is that when Koie developed Saiyuki, the made it so the odds are almost always against you. Many times you will have to fight going up a straight hill or something bad like that. There is a set limit of spaces that you can move, so it takes a while of enduring enemy attacks from above as you are worrying about getting to them. But something that you have against the enemy is the ability to transform into a monster that gets huge range and power.

Pros of Saiyuki
There are very many good things to be found in Saiyuki. The battle system is fun once you get the hand of it. Becoming a huge ''Were monster'' can be fun when you are having a hard time with the enemies. One last thing that is great about Saiyuki is the music. With any other kind of music, it just wouldn't be the game that it is now.

Cons of Saiyuki
There are also some things to consider before going out to but it. The battle system can sometimes make you want to smash your controller onto the ground and yell about how un-fair it can be. I think that this is something to keep in mind when researching. I will be the first to admit it. Saiyuki: Journey West is a hard game at times.

Overview
I think that in Saiyuki, the pros outweigh the cons by far. There are so many good things to notice in the game, and if you train your characters, the battles won't be quite as hard as I said. I would recommend renting this game or borrowing it from a friend before you buy it, but if you like it, then I would definitely recommend it.

Reviewer's Score: 9/10, Originally Posted: 06/30/03, Updated 06/30/03