[Robnark]

vagrant story

it's a silly name, the plot is, well, somewhat baffling, and the combat system ain't good. but I love it.

the gameplay is fairly typical action RPG, exploring, collecting keys to open new areas, bosses and mini-bosses, all fairly standard. but the thing is, it's beautiful. a large section at the start is set in cellars and underground passages, but you slowly head upwards, sometimes seeing tiny barred windows in the ceiling with dust swirling in front, sometimes a crack (and bear in mind that the action is isometric. you only see a lot of this in first-person view mode). and you eventually emerge into the overgrown streets of a ruined city with rivers running down fissures in the broken streets. instead of (some very good, atmospheric) music, most of the areas have sound effects - shuffling and distant animal sounds in the cellars, birdsong and running water in the city, and so on.

the enemies fit very well with their surroundings. soldiers wander the streets with uncanny naturalism. corpses rose from the ground to attack you. and, well, so many other things.

it's certainly not the best game ever, and the gameplay is a bit less than the sum of its parts, but despite being old and lacking in the sort of graphical tricknology you get these days, it is stunningly presented. there are areas so beautiful that I have a hard time thinking of anything that looks - and sounds - better (a fight with a greater fire elemental outlined in the light of the sunset streaming through a cracked cathedral wall springs to mind). it's simply the most complete, well-realised environment ever, in my opinion.