Vandal Hearts
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| Vandal Hearts | |
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| Developer(s) | KCE Nagoya |
| Publisher(s) | Konami Corporation |
| Release date(s) | PlayStation : Sega Saturn : |
| Genre(s) | Tactical role-playing game |
| Mode(s) | Single player |
| Rating(s) | ESRB: Mature (M) USK: 12+ ELSPA: 11+ |
| Platform(s) | PlayStation, Sega Saturn |
| Media | 1x CD-ROM |
Vandal Hearts is a Japanese tactical role-playing video game developed by Konami Computer Entertainment Nagoya for the Sony PlayStation and the Sega Saturn. The PlayStation version was distributed in Japan, North America, and Europe by Konami; the Saturn version was never released outside of Japan.
It was one of the earliest games developed for Sony's PlayStation video game console, and was among the first console role-playing games to be released for the system. It was one of the earliest tactical role-playing games to be released in North America, and garnered a small cult following. The game proved popular enough to spawn a sequel, Vandal Hearts II, also for the PlayStation, as well as an upcoming title for the Nintendo DS handheld game console. At this point, it is not certain whether the Nintendo DS title will be a port of the original game or a sequel.
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[edit] Story
Thousands of years ago, the holy man known to history as Toroah the Messiah traveled far and wide across the continent of Sostegaria, spreading his teachings throughout the land. After his death, his descendants and heirs assumed absolute political power over the region, forming the basis of the Holy Ashah Dynasty and ruling through a combination of religious doctrine and military power for millennia. The kings and queens of the Holy Ashah Dynasty, however, did not always rule wisely or justly, and, as time passed, the citizenry began to resent the power of their leaders.
Fifteen years ago, this growing discontent found its ultimate expression in the person of Arris the Sage, who united the disparate anti-royal factions throughout Sostegaria and shaped them into a powerful guerrilla army. Under the cunning leadership of Arris, this Liberation Army managed to outwit and outmaneuver the Royal Army, and finally smashed through to the palace of the Ashah Dynasty itself, and burnt it to the ground.
With the monarchy dissolved, the rebels establish a ruling council founded on the principles of democracy and popular sovereignty. From the ashes of the Holy Ashah Empire emerges the Republic of Ishtaria. The leaders of the revolution naturally assumed leadership positions within the new republic: all, that is, except for Arris himself, who, the battle having been won, quietly slipped into the shadows and disappeared.
Today, the fledgling republic is in increasingly dire straits: the autocratic Minister of Defense, Hel Spites, and his elite anti-terrorism squad, the Crimson Guard, are using ever-increasing force to stamp out the last vestiges of resistance to Ishtarian rule, while they allow outlaws to roam the countryside and pirates to sail the seas. Meanwhile, Ash Lambert and his colleagues at the third battalion of the Ishtarian Security Forces begin to suspect a conspiracy at the highest levels of government. Ash's attempts to draw attention to the situation, though, only draw the ire of the conspirators themselves, leaving only Ash and his allies to foil the their plans and restore order to the nation.
[edit] Gameplay
Vandal Hearts is a typical tactical role-playing game, along the same lines as Shining Force or Final Fantasy Tactics, which can be very loosely compared to chess. Battles are carried out on a series of three dimensional grid maps. Every character, friendly or hostile, participating in battle has a set number of squares that he or she can move. and one action (such as attacking, casting a magic spell, or using an item) he or she can perform per battle round. Once every friendly character has performed their actions for a round, all hostile characters take their turn.
The game features a variety of characters who join the battle party throughout the course of the game. Every character fits into one of seven character classes: Knight, Armor, Archer, Airman, Monk, Mage and Cleric. The particular battle strengths of each class is determined through a circular hierarchy (similar to the hand game Rock, Paper, Scissors): melee fighters (such as Knights and Armors) are the most effective when fighting against Archers. Archers are the most effective when fighting against airborne characters (such as Airmen, or flying monsters). Airmen are the most effective when fighting against melee fighters. The other three classes (Monks, Mages, and Clerics) are magic-users: the Monk pairs healing magic with average physical strength, where the Mage specializes in attack magic, and the Cleric specializes in healing magic. Most magic-using classes have weak defensive capabilities when compared to other classes in the game.
[edit] References
- Syonyx. "Vandal Hearts FAQ/Walkthrough version 1.25" Walkthroughs on GameFAQs. March 6, 2004. Accessed on January 22, 2005.
- "Vandal Hearts." MobyGames. Accessed on January 22, 2005.
