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RPGACTION RPG

Vagrant Story

2000 · Square Product Development Division 4

A sophisticated cult RPG known for its intricate combat systems, dark atmosphere, dungeon design and visual direction.

PLATFORMS

PS1

GAMEBOX SCORE

94

Provisional GAMEBOX editorial ratings. These are not verified facts or aggregate review scores.

/ 100

Retro Score99
Hidden Gem99
Revival Potential98

GAME DNA

experience
Strategic planning · Mastery challenge · Role immersion · Narrative-driven
genre
RPG · Action RPG
mood
Dark · Serious · Mysterious
gameplay
Combat · Exploration · Dungeon Crawling · Character Building
difficulty
Hard
era
2000s
pacing
Slow
perspective
Third-person
structure
Interconnected

DISCOVER BY GAME DNA

Game DNA is GAMEBOX editorial classification; era comes from the sourced release year. Ratings are separate editorial judgements.

DarkSeriousMysteriousCombatExplorationDungeon CrawlingCharacter Building

ABOUT THE GAME

A sophisticated cult RPG known for its intricate combat systems, dark atmosphere, dungeon design and visual direction.

Play it for its unusually deep combat system, atmospheric world, memorable art direction and sophisticated storytelling.

WHERE CAN I PLAY IT?

Availability information will be added to the GAMEBOX database.

We only list legal and officially available platforms and services.

RETRO HISTORY

Vagrant Story became one of Square's most critically respected cult RPGs and remains a frequent subject of discussion among PlayStation RPG enthusiasts.

ORIGINAL RELEASE
2000
Developer
Square Product Development Division 4
Publisher
Square · Square Electronic Arts

DISCOVER MORE

SIMILAR GAMES

Explore what makes games feel like Vagrant Story

GAMEBOX algorithmic assessments of editorial Game DNA. Confidence describes overlap strength, not a probability of enjoyment.

2011

Dark Souls

52% SIMILAR

GOOD MATCH

Mastery challenge · Role immersion · Action RPG · RPG · Mysterious · Dark

WHY IT'S SIMILAR

Both games share Mastery challenge experiences (learning through repeated attempts and improving execution) and Role immersion experiences (inhabiting and developing a character within a world); Action RPG / RPG genre; Mysterious / Dark mood.

Similarity breakdown
  • experience: Mastery challenge · Role immersion40% distinctive overlap · 29.5 / 74.1 points
  • mood: Dark · Mysterious35% distinctive overlap · 25.6 / 72.4 points
  • genre: Action RPG · RPG100% distinctive overlap · 28.9 / 28.9 points
  • gameplay: Character Building · Combat · Exploration41% distinctive overlap · 11.2 / 26.9 points
  • structure: Interconnected100% distinctive overlap · 25.7 / 25.7 points
  • pacing: No shared values0% distinctive overlap · 0.0 / 11.1 points
  • perspective: Third-person100% distinctive overlap · 6.6 / 6.6 points
  • difficulty: Hard100% distinctive overlap · 4.6 / 4.6 points
  • era: No shared values0% distinctive overlap · 0.0 / 4.2 points

2009

Demon's Souls

41% SIMILAR

PARTIAL MATCH

Mastery challenge · Role immersion · Action RPG · RPG · Mysterious · Dark

WHY IT'S SIMILAR

Both games share Mastery challenge experiences (learning through repeated attempts and improving execution) and Role immersion experiences (inhabiting and developing a character within a world); Action RPG / RPG genre; Mysterious / Dark mood.

Similarity breakdown
  • experience: Mastery challenge · Role immersion40% distinctive overlap · 29.5 / 74.1 points
  • mood: Dark · Mysterious35% distinctive overlap · 25.6 / 72.4 points
  • genre: Action RPG · RPG100% distinctive overlap · 28.9 / 28.9 points
  • gameplay: Character Building · Combat · Exploration41% distinctive overlap · 11.2 / 26.9 points
  • structure: No shared values0% distinctive overlap · 0.0 / 27.7 points
  • pacing: No shared values0% distinctive overlap · 0.0 / 11.1 points
  • perspective: Third-person100% distinctive overlap · 6.6 / 6.6 points
  • difficulty: No shared values0% distinctive overlap · 0.0 / 6.8 points
  • era: 2000s100% distinctive overlap · 3.6 / 3.6 points

1998

Shadow Tower

37% SIMILAR

PARTIAL MATCH

Strategic planning · Role immersion · Action RPG · Dark

WHY IT'S SIMILAR

Both games share Strategic planning experiences (weighing resources and planning consequential decisions) and Role immersion experiences (inhabiting and developing a character within a world); Action RPG genre; Dark mood.

Similarity breakdown
  • experience: Role immersion · Strategic planning36% distinctive overlap · 26.7 / 75.0 points
  • mood: Dark13% distinctive overlap · 10.3 / 79.6 points
  • genre: Action RPG36% distinctive overlap · 13.0 / 36.3 points
  • gameplay: Combat · Dungeon Crawling · Exploration56% distinctive overlap · 18.0 / 32.2 points
  • structure: Interconnected100% distinctive overlap · 25.7 / 25.7 points
  • pacing: Slow100% distinctive overlap · 10.1 / 10.1 points
  • perspective: No shared values0% distinctive overlap · 0.0 / 7.3 points
  • difficulty: No shared values0% distinctive overlap · 0.0 / 6.8 points
  • era: No shared values0% distinctive overlap · 0.0 / 4.0 points

1999

System Shock 2

35% SIMILAR

PARTIAL MATCH

Strategic planning · Role immersion · Mysterious · RPG

WHY IT'S SIMILAR

Both games share Strategic planning experiences (weighing resources and planning consequential decisions) and Role immersion experiences (inhabiting and developing a character within a world); Mysterious mood; RPG genre.

Similarity breakdown
  • experience: Role immersion · Strategic planning33% distinctive overlap · 26.3 / 78.6 points
  • mood: Mysterious14% distinctive overlap · 11.2 / 80.3 points
  • genre: RPG16% distinctive overlap · 4.6 / 28.0 points
  • gameplay: Character Building · Combat · Exploration38% distinctive overlap · 10.9 / 28.6 points
  • structure: Interconnected100% distinctive overlap · 25.7 / 25.7 points
  • pacing: Slow100% distinctive overlap · 10.1 / 10.1 points
  • perspective: No shared values0% distinctive overlap · 0.0 / 7.3 points
  • difficulty: Hard100% distinctive overlap · 4.6 / 4.6 points
  • era: No shared values0% distinctive overlap · 0.0 / 4.0 points

1999

Dino Crisis

33% SIMILAR

LIMITED MATCH

Strategic planning · Dark

WHY IT'S SIMILAR

Both games share Strategic planning experiences (weighing resources and planning consequential decisions); Dark mood.

Similarity breakdown
  • experience: Strategic planning26% distinctive overlap · 20.4 / 78.6 points
  • mood: Dark19% distinctive overlap · 12.7 / 66.6 points
  • genre: No shared values0% distinctive overlap · 0.0 / 28.2 points
  • gameplay: Exploration8% distinctive overlap · 2.0 / 26.9 points
  • structure: Interconnected100% distinctive overlap · 25.7 / 25.7 points
  • pacing: Slow100% distinctive overlap · 10.1 / 10.1 points
  • perspective: Third-person100% distinctive overlap · 6.6 / 6.6 points
  • difficulty: Hard100% distinctive overlap · 4.6 / 4.6 points
  • era: No shared values0% distinctive overlap · 0.0 / 4.0 points

1998

Suikoden II

32% SIMILAR

LIMITED MATCH

Strategic planning · Role immersion · RPG

WHY IT'S SIMILAR

Both games share Strategic planning experiences (weighing resources and planning consequential decisions) and Role immersion experiences (inhabiting and developing a character within a world); RPG genre.

Similarity breakdown
  • experience: Narrative-driven · Role immersion · Strategic planning71% distinctive overlap · 51.6 / 72.4 points
  • mood: No shared values0% distinctive overlap · 0.0 / 60.6 points
  • genre: RPG34% distinctive overlap · 8.2 / 24.2 points
  • gameplay: Character Building · Exploration27% distinctive overlap · 6.8 / 25.5 points
  • structure: No shared values0% distinctive overlap · 0.0 / 27.7 points
  • pacing: Slow100% distinctive overlap · 10.1 / 10.1 points
  • perspective: No shared values0% distinctive overlap · 0.0 / 10.4 points
  • difficulty: No shared values0% distinctive overlap · 0.0 / 3.6 points
  • era: No shared values0% distinctive overlap · 0.0 / 4.0 points