Product description
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Hard to find, often out of print RPG for the original
Playstation by Konami.
From the Manufacturer
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A fantasy battlefield in which you must raise your or
summon your magic to conquer an empire torn with vengeance. The
3D battlefields with their many views will place you in life or
death situations. Prepare your wit and strength to battle foes
from unknown forces. Gallant victories lead to the magnificent
Vandal-Heart.
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Review
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Is 32-bit gameplay better than that of the 16 or 8-bit eras?
While the graphics are beyond anything homable five years ago,
most gamers are still unsure of whether the games they are
playing today are actually more fun than those of a few years
ago. Konami's Vandal Hearts is a prime example of the industry's
lopsided development. It's a solid, terrific looking game - yet
it lacks the features that made RPGs like Shining Force instant
classics.
The rich are getting richer, the poor are getting poorer, and the
youth are getting restless. So goes the story of Vandal Hearts
(and if it sounds familiar, that's because it basically the same
as Konami's last game, Suikoden). Government corruption and a
growing unrest among the common folk are steadily coming to a
head, leaving the player as the only one to prevent "anarchy in
the RPG" from breaking out.
Vandal Hearts builds on the Shining Force motif and sticks to RPG
basics. Players lead a sizable team of warriors, mages, clerics,
and other role-playing types against a variety of enemy monsters
and bosses. Combat is strategically driven, requiring players to
prepare in town and carefully out strategies for each battle.
Between fights, the plot unfolds and players are given time to
prepare for the next conflict.
One unique addition to the game's combat system is the
interplay among the seven character classes. For instance,
knights have the advantage against bowmen, who have an advantage
over flying characters, and the flying characters in -turn have
an advantage against knights. Keeping track of all of this, as
well as factoring in the advantage offered by boulders and
similar useful items strewn throughout polygonal battlefields,
can be pretty mind-boggling, and players will need to remain
sharp in order to succeed in this unique mix of chess,
rock-paper-scissors, and Dungeon & Dragons.
Had Final Fantasy VII never existed, Vandal Hearts' combination
of sprites and polygons would be rather impressive. The various
battlefields, which appear to hover, lack polygonal detail giving
objects a peculiar "squared-off" look with a high level of
pop-up. Even so, the game's textures are colorful and detailed,
and give the game a look reminiscent of Pandemonium. The battles
start off unimpressively, but as your spells build, the visual
effects rival those of the ultra-impressive Suikoden. Between
chapter cinematics are also a nice touch, if somewhat compressed.
Game sound is a mixed bag, offering effects that vary wildly in
quality and music that can only be described as nondescript.
In the end, Vandal Hearts' al flaw is its lack of the
explorative aspect that made games like Shining Force so great.
Instead the game's progression is perfectly linear and completely
lacking in replay value (don't bother looking for hidden
characters and other special items you won't find either).
Players should expect roughly fifteen hours of gameplay, mostly
spent in battle.
Considering how much it borrows from classic
strategy/role-playing games, it's a shame to see that Vandal
Hearts does not live up to its potential. --Peter Bartholow
--Copyright ©1999 GameSpot Inc. All rights reserved. Reproduction
in whole or in part in any form or medium without express written
permission of GameSpot is prohibited. GameSpot and the GameSpot
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- A Strategy RPG.
- 32-bit graphics provide outstanding 3D views of battlefields.
- Lead your team of knights, mages, clerics and more against monsters and bosses.
- Defend your territory with an intriguing array of weapons and exciting spells.
- Creative visual effects keeps players glued to the screen.