Every adventure has a beginning. Some beginnings are humble (Link begins his quest as a goatherd from a peaceful village in Twilight Princess), some are more epic in scale (Kratos' fall from godhood kicks off the events of God of War II), but every story starts somewhere. Before the beginning, the player generally knows nothing of the characters, places, or events to follow. Much like the first line of a book, the introduction to a game draws the player in, intrigues them, and gives them a taste of what is to come.

Vagrant Story // PSX //
This Squaresoft pseudo-action RPG is steeped in the atmosphere of the world it contains. Part of the Ivalice Alliance, Vagrant Story's setting and characters are given the attention to detail that is expected of the Final Fantasy series, while maintaining a uniquely macabre feel that is absent in most Final Fantasy titles. Magic exists in this world, but it is a malevolent force. It's something that isn't fully understood, even by those who wield it.

The characters and mood of Vagrant Story is wonderfully conveyed in the introduction. In a very cinematic, but engaging way, the game's beginning tosses the player into this confusing setting where geo-political squabbles mix with the occult to create an intriguing portrait of Ivalice.


Fire is spreading across town. The Duke's manor may catch at any second. A shadowy knight-like figure kills a man, but there is no explanation as to why. Here, the game has already revealed a major player, but has withheld his name and any significant information about the man. His alliances are not stated, does he fight for the righteous, or is he wicked?

He retrieves his sword from the body. Turning quickly towards the door with sword drawn, he sees another knight. Clearly he is tense about the situation at hand. He sheaths his sword and asks the other knight "Have you found Sydney?" It is odd that the first name mentioned (other than Duke Bardorba) belongs to someone who is not a playable character. Who is this Sydney?


The blond knight is clearly in charge. He approaches the window and gazes out at the fires below. He issues an order to the other knight: split the knights up; have half battle the fire and the other half kill the traitors. There has been some sort of betrayal. Here the credits roll. It is an intermittent display, a way for the game to change scene. Each side-wipe is strategically placed to transition to the next part, much like a movie's opening credits. The music swells triumphantly as the hero runs onto screen. Lightning flashes illuminate the Duke's manor and show the hero where to go. Not wanting to be followed, he closes his path off behind him. Up ahead of the hero, a man talks to a group of thugs. He issues orders to "Torch the chamber, and kill the hostages." Immediately this man is established as someone who doesn't take crap from anyone. If several innocent people must die to get his way, so be it.

The hero listens intently, hidden from sight behind a stack of crates. One of the top crates is jostled by his presence, and balances precariously on the edge. The underlings are afraid of a group called The Blades, and want to get on with their mission. The hero stands and the box falls, alerting the group. Here the player is thrust into the action. Knowing full well that if these men leave, they will torch a room full of hostages, the player must make sure that none of these hooligans survive. Up until this point, the atmosphere has been incredibly tense, something sinister is happening here, and we aren't fully aware what. Upon gaining control of the hero, the player has a clear goal as well as a clear purpose: take out these men to save the hostages and then continue to remain unseen.

Once inside, the hero eavesdrops on the man from before talking to someone else. They are searching for something that doesn't appear to be on the premises. The hero hides in time to see a group of thugs leave in search of the item. Hardin and another man, soon revealed to be Sydney, have a discussion inside the room. The way Sydney is shown in this introduction is brilliant. He is persistent, wanting to find what he is searching for within the time they have, but as soon as Hardin doubts him, he turns sharply. The look on his face is pure madness, and Hardin (who earlier is shown to be in command of his troops) is immediately taken aback.

Sydney sends Hardin to grab a hostage, knowing they will not find "it" in time. Alone now, Sydney reaches for his sword, but is stopped by the presence of our hero. The hero aims a bowgun (a variant of the crossbow) at Sydney and commands that he bind his legs with a rope. In this scene, it's interesting to note that our hero knows Sydney's name already, and we still don't know our own. This theme is played out in the game through the use of recovering memories and reliving some of those memories. The hero's name is Ashley, though it hasn't been revealed yet. This part of the introduction has the main character and the already notorious Sydney trying to sum each other up. The camera angle keeps playing towards Sydney's sword, foreshadowing what is going to happen.

Sydney turns, grabs his sword and runs at Ashley before being shot through the heart by the bowgun. He flies back to the ground and his sword clatters on the floor nearby. Ashley approaches to take his pulse and confirm his death, and is interrupted by Hardin, returning with the boy hostage. Hardin rushes at Ashley, who grabs his sword and leaps to his feet, only to be knocked down by a newly resurrected Sydney. The dart that Ashley shoots Sydney with is sticking through his heart, raising many questions, but undeniably solidifying Sydney's place as a pretty damn cool character.


This is the first event that displays how the world of Vagrant Story is not always as it seems. Eerie things are afoot, and though things seem grounded in truth, something not quite of this world holds just as much sway as the laws that govern reality. Sydney reveals the battleground for the rest of the game when he orders Hardin to meet him there, in Léa Monde, a place Ashley will grow familiar with over the course of the game. Sydney pulls the dart right through him, tossing it to the floor. Shortly after, he summons a Wyvern to drop through the stained glass ceiling and fight Ashley as Sydney escapes out the window.


Vagrant Story doesn't start you off against a training dummy (that part comes later), it drops a wyvern on you. This battle-hardened beast ends up being a pushover (probably due to the spear embedded in its eye), but as one of the first encounters, it's a pretty fun fight. After it's over, the sun rises, a flock of birds passes, and out hero is bathed in light. The player doesn't know what lies ahead, but after this, they're damn well intrigued. That's what makes a good introduction, the ability to hook the player and know they're in it for the long haul.