THE BORE

General => Video Game Bored => Topic started by: demi on April 13, 2009, 05:09:36 PM

Title: Vandal Hearts PSN/XBLA
Post by: demi on April 13, 2009, 05:09:36 PM
The original Vandal Hearts came out on the PlayStation more than 10 years ago and its sequel followed just a few years later. It's been a while since we've heard anything about the world of Vandal Hearts, but now Konami is revisiting the bloody series with a prequel, set to be released on Xbox Live Arcade and the PlayStation Network. At the Konami event last week, we were able to get a quick look at the game, but unfortunately we weren't able to see much more beyond a battle demo.

The events of Vandal Hearts will take place before the original game, and newcomers will find that this is an excellent starting point if you're new to the series. For those who are familiar with the previous two games, there will be story elements that will provide more insight into the original storyline, given that this was made with the fans in mind. The fighting mechanics should feel familiar to anyone who's played a strategy RPG before; between the story-driven sequences, violent battles are fought and won. Movement is grid-based, so characters are limited to the highlighted squares for each turn. Each character can carry two weapons, so you can shoot a long-ranged bow or make a melee attack with an axe, depending on the situation. Your party (up to six in the game) takes individual turns as they move around the field like chess pieces, trying to find ways to swarm and conquer.

Characters will have affinities to certain job types, but it's up to you to determine which path you want them to specialize in. Some of the features have been streamlined so that you don't have to deal with a ton of menus regarding leveling and statistics. We were told that your characters will develop based on how you use them. For example, if you make a specific character move around the battlefield a lot, eventually his or her movement will increase. If you use a bow and arrow frequently, the character's long-range attacks become stronger. All of this is happening behind the scenes as you play, so you don't have to deal with the micromanaging.


http://www.gamespot.com/ps3/rpg/vandalhearts/news.html?sid=6207815

(http://image.com.com/gamespot/images/2009/102/reviews/959363_20090413_screen001.jpg)
(http://image.com.com/gamespot/images/2009/102/reviews/959363_20090413_screen002.jpg)
Title: Re: Vandal Hearts PSN/XBLA
Post by: Rman on April 13, 2009, 05:17:01 PM
Wow.  That was pretty unexpected.
Title: Re: Vandal Hearts PSN/XBLA
Post by: Himu on April 13, 2009, 05:20:39 PM
wow.
Title: Re: Vandal Hearts PSN/XBLA
Post by: Arbys Roast Beef Sandwich on April 13, 2009, 05:20:44 PM
(http://i41.tinypic.com/1rfb4m.png)
Title: Re: Vandal Hearts PSN/XBLA
Post by: Himu on April 13, 2009, 05:21:09 PM
:smug
Title: Re: Vandal Hearts PSN/XBLA
Post by: tiesto on April 13, 2009, 05:24:52 PM
Hope this is good... loved the original PSX game.
Title: Re: Vandal Hearts PSN/XBLA
Post by: Enl on April 13, 2009, 05:25:32 PM
Unexpected, but cool. Not liking the art style though, then again the original game wasn't that pretty looking either. Wonder if it will still be bloody.
Title: Re: Vandal Hearts PSN/XBLA
Post by: Bebpo on April 13, 2009, 06:07:12 PM
wait, what?
Title: Re: Vandal Hearts PSN/XBLA
Post by: Akala on April 13, 2009, 06:12:28 PM
The original was great (for the time). I hated the sequel though.

Could be decent.
Title: Re: Vandal Hearts PSN/XBLA
Post by: Mr. Gundam on April 13, 2009, 06:29:06 PM
Wasn't the original Japanese-developed? What is this outsourced-to-Eastern-Europe looking crap?
Title: Re: Vandal Hearts PSN/XBLA
Post by: demi on April 13, 2009, 06:31:25 PM
Vandal Hearts: Flames of Judgment will be released for Xbox LIVE Arcade for Xbox 360 in August 2009 and the PLAYSTATIONŽNetwork in September 2009.
Title: Re: Vandal Hearts PSN/XBLA
Post by: Bebpo on April 13, 2009, 06:49:43 PM
Vandal Hearts: Flames of Judgment will be released for Xbox LIVE Arcade for Xbox 360 in August 2009 and the PLAYSTATIONŽNetwork in September 2009.

lol, PSN owned again.  Wtf is wrong with Sony.
Title: Re: Vandal Hearts PSN/XBLA
Post by: Herr Mafflard on April 13, 2009, 07:02:55 PM
artstyle looks okay to me.
Title: Re: Vandal Hearts PSN/XBLA
Post by: Don Flamenco on April 13, 2009, 07:03:21 PM
random. 

2nd only to Vay for the iphone
Title: Re: Vandal Hearts PSN/XBLA
Post by: Mondain on April 13, 2009, 07:04:39 PM
fuck yes, Vandal Hearts was so awesome

Vandal Hearts II was even better, it had a plot and characters as good as FFT only even more twisted, and a very innovative and compelling battle system

getting this on PSN not to deal with forced point bundles and DRM on 360
Title: Re: Vandal Hearts PSN/XBLA
Post by: demi on April 13, 2009, 07:05:47 PM
We're all glad you made that decision
Title: Re: Vandal Hearts PSN/XBLA
Post by: pilonv1 on April 13, 2009, 09:44:19 PM
1200 points probably

still awesome news
Title: Re: Vandal Hearts PSN/XBLA
Post by: demi on April 13, 2009, 09:57:48 PM
1200 points probably

still awesome news

Amazon will make sure that point amounts are a thing of the past
Title: Re: Vandal Hearts PSN/XBLA
Post by: demi on April 13, 2009, 09:58:56 PM
Wait, sorry, that only applies to America

:usa
Title: Re: Vandal Hearts PSN/XBLA
Post by: pilonv1 on April 13, 2009, 10:07:15 PM
its ok ive been getting codes for most of the xbla stuff lately
Title: Re: Vandal Hearts PSN/XBLA
Post by: Mondain on April 14, 2009, 07:11:37 AM
I really don't understand why most players seemed to despise Vandal Hearts II's battle system so much. OMG THE ENEMY MOVES ALONG WITH YOU IT'S ALL FUCKED!!!

It added tension to the battles and it was possible to predict which moves the enemy would make, block him and kill him before he had the chance to do anything.

I don't understand the love for the original, the plot and characters were very two-dimensional, the battle system not exactly deep, the music mostly sucked and the game lacked any kind of depth whatsoever. I just loved tuning my VH2 characters just the way I wanted and I spent hours trying to find all the prisms to get the Vandal Hearts sword.

Plus it had a much cooler zombie battle and awesome medieval melodies.  8)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9_g6oIY6D6I
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VQHELCJ3wFs
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TL8gSUIbTGI
Title: Re: Vandal Hearts PSN/XBLA
Post by: Great Rumbler on April 14, 2009, 09:41:43 AM
Wasn't the original Japanese-developed? What is this outsourced-to-Eastern-Europe looking crap?

Apparently it's still being developed by Konami.
Title: Re: Vandal Hearts PSN/XBLA
Post by: AdmiralViscen on January 19, 2010, 09:04:35 PM
Tomorrow
Title: Re: Vandal Hearts PSN/XBLA
Post by: demi on January 19, 2010, 09:14:59 PM
I'm getting it, I'll probably regret it too
Title: Re: Vandal Hearts PSN/XBLA
Post by: Stoney Mason on January 19, 2010, 09:25:06 PM
[youtube=560,345]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pa0JwQcHdtM[/youtube]
[youtube=560,345]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ETRI7gaRswM&feature=response_watch[/youtube]
Title: Re: Vandal Hearts PSN/XBLA
Post by: Akala on January 19, 2010, 10:23:53 PM
arterial spray nowhere near the impact of the original  :'(
Title: Re: Vandal Hearts PSN/XBLA
Post by: Damian79 on January 19, 2010, 10:44:49 PM
The interface looks convoluted.
Title: Re: Vandal Hearts PSN/XBLA
Post by: OptimoPeach on January 20, 2010, 12:04:17 AM
Those videos got me pretty unexcited :lol I don't think it would seem so boring if there were some music
Title: Re: Vandal Hearts PSN/XBLA
Post by: Ichirou on January 20, 2010, 12:38:01 AM
Who the hell is developing this?  This isn't a big enough franchise that I'm going to buy any random piece of crap that has Vandal Hearts in the title.

Hope it flops.  Art design looks godawful.  Like some wannabe animu drawn by a fifteen year old Yugoslavian kid.
Title: Re: Vandal Hearts PSN/XBLA
Post by: MCD on January 20, 2010, 12:41:22 AM
Who the hell is developing this?  This isn't a big enough franchise that I'm going to buy any random piece of crap that has Vandal Hearts in the title.

Hope it flops.  Art design looks godawful.  Like some wannabe animu drawn by a fifteen year old Yugoslavian kid.
reported for insulting the republic of yugoslavia.
Title: Re: Vandal Hearts PSN/XBLA
Post by: Bebpo on January 20, 2010, 12:52:01 AM
The art is really really bad though.  This is that one game every few years that everyone laughs at and uses in future threads like the furry fox and sudeki
Title: Re: Vandal Hearts PSN/XBLA
Post by: naff on January 20, 2010, 12:57:34 AM
I didn't like Fire Emblems Gamecube outing. This looks pretty similar.
Title: Re: Vandal Hearts PSN/XBLA
Post by: The Sceneman on January 20, 2010, 01:14:32 AM
Im buying some MS points tomorrow so will be all over this shit

unless its 1200 points, then its boycott time
Title: Re: Vandal Hearts PSN/XBLA
Post by: demi on January 20, 2010, 01:19:09 AM
Its 1200 points, go suck some dick you dirty poor
Title: Re: Vandal Hearts PSN/XBLA
Post by: The Sceneman on January 20, 2010, 01:43:04 AM
fuckin hell. I'll do a trial. MS points are a hot commodity atm seeing as I want all the Mass Effect content, Asscrud 2 DLC, Zombie Ned DLC and this. May just have to like spend some more or something
Title: Re: Vandal Hearts PSN/XBLA
Post by: jiji on January 20, 2010, 01:43:14 AM
Looks like some unholy combination of bad animu fangame art and WoW.  vomit  :yuck
Title: Re: Vandal Hearts PSN/XBLA
Post by: demi on January 20, 2010, 01:45:36 AM
fuckin hell. I'll do a trial. MS points are a hot commodity atm seeing as I want all the Mass Effect content, Asscrud 2 DLC, Zombie Ned DLC and this. May just have to like spend some more or something

Well the ME content is ass, i'd wait on review of AC2, and Zombie Ned is worth it if you finished the main game.

I only have 1800 points left so I'm going all in with this. Maybe I'll just get the Pinnacle Station DLC since I've got nothing else to buy with the other 600 points.
Title: Re: Vandal Hearts PSN/XBLA
Post by: The Sceneman on January 20, 2010, 02:04:11 AM
I was gonna pass on ME content but that game has me by the balls so I kinda want to get it for completions sake. I didnt pay for the game (borrowed a copy from a bro) so I kinda feel obliged to buy that shit, I dunno.

Shit I should just buy 3000 points and get it all. I want it all
Title: Re: Vandal Hearts PSN/XBLA
Post by: The Sceneman on January 20, 2010, 04:15:03 AM
sweet the Mass Effect DLC is 40% off at the moment, 240 points each. Thats a good saving
Title: Re: Vandal Hearts PSN/XBLA
Post by: demi on January 20, 2010, 06:31:48 AM
I should be playing this, since I bought it... but of course it wont let me download it. Fuck digital distrobution.
Title: Re: Vandal Hearts PSN/XBLA
Post by: tiesto on January 20, 2010, 08:46:32 AM
Yeah, I need to wait for some impressions before I jump the gun on this. I loved the original VH but something about this just looks off (same thing with the new Sparkster game).
Title: Re: Vandal Hearts PSN/XBLA
Post by: demi on January 20, 2010, 01:28:20 PM
Ok first off if you're expecting to be like VH 1 & 2... dont buy this game. It's pretty blatant. Go live in your weeaboo fantasy land.

This is basically Arkadian Warriors SRPG

But XBLA is sorely lacking in games like this so I bought it on impulse. 550MB filesize implies this could have some length to it, at least.
Title: Re: Vandal Hearts PSN/XBLA
Post by: demi on January 20, 2010, 01:41:30 PM
The trademark blood squirt is here too
Title: Re: Vandal Hearts PSN/XBLA
Post by: demi on January 20, 2010, 06:59:33 PM
You can have 6 characters at once in battle.

Characters can equip 2 weapons at once, and you can switch seamlessly each turn. Each weapon does its own thing

Bow - range
Sword - close
Knife - can sometimes do multiple attacks (maybe only from behind?)
Hammer - swings in a circle, hitting everything friend or foe
Axe - no idea, maybe just really strong

You can also equip books to learn magic, so anyone can learn magic. You can buy any spell from a shop. When you use a spell long enough, you learn it, and dont need the book anymore, but you get a bonus if you hold onto it.

You can only equip 2 items for use (a book can fill one slot).

There are treasures on the battlefields, not hidden. There are also sometimes items that you can examine that unlock a bonus battle map.

There are multiple endings, but unsure what decides them. I had to make a decision early on, but no clue if it affected anything, so I saved it in a separate slot.

The game autosaves after each fight, but you can manually save in 10 slots.

Buying and Selling equipment is hassle-free. You can tell what is stronger by green/red arrows.
Title: Re: Vandal Hearts PSN/XBLA
Post by: demi on January 20, 2010, 07:26:03 PM
Oh and here's the most important bit:

There are no Levels to gain

Everything is increased by grinding throgh battles and increasing skills (think Kawazu), and new equipment that boosts your HP/DEF/MP
Title: Re: Vandal Hearts PSN/XBLA
Post by: demi on January 20, 2010, 09:43:39 PM
Enemies and characters will always counterattack as long as your weapon is within range. Sometimes if 2 people are nearby, you can initiate a Team Attack, which is basically everyone attacking the enemy within range.

Characters also have a bonus skill that can activate at times - "Inspiration"

I like this game. Thumbs Up for me.
Title: Re: Vandal Hearts PSN/XBLA
Post by: The Sceneman on January 20, 2010, 11:05:10 PM
well this sounds pretty tight. Better free up some hard disk space. Useless 20GB POS.

Whats the best option for a cheap storage upgrade for the 360? (off topic again lol)
Title: Re: Vandal Hearts PSN/XBLA
Post by: MCD on January 20, 2010, 11:14:24 PM
used 120gigs hdd, about $70~80 on ebay and amazon sellers.
Title: Re: Vandal Hearts PSN/XBLA
Post by: The Sceneman on January 20, 2010, 11:17:00 PM
thats way too expensive man. I'll see if I can back-up some save games with my old USB Zip disk drive
Title: Re: Vandal Hearts PSN/XBLA
Post by: MCD on January 20, 2010, 11:18:00 PM
go suck some dick you dirty poor
Title: Re: Vandal Hearts PSN/XBLA
Post by: Beezy on January 20, 2010, 11:20:43 PM
I didn't like Fire Emblems Gamecube outing.
Wtf is wrong with you? Who are you btw?
Title: Re: Vandal Hearts PSN/XBLA
Post by: demi on January 20, 2010, 11:23:21 PM
thats way too expensive man. I'll see if I can back-up some save games with my old USB Zip disk drive

Theres a way to use your own Hard Drive, but you have to still buy your own Hard Drive to replace in the shell anyway.
Title: Re: Vandal Hearts PSN/XBLA
Post by: The Sceneman on January 20, 2010, 11:24:35 PM
go suck some dick you dirty poor

to tell you the truth Im seriously considering man-whoring to fuel my gaming habit
Title: Re: Vandal Hearts PSN/XBLA
Post by: Stoney Mason on January 20, 2010, 11:55:54 PM
http://xboxlive.ign.com/articles/106/1062360p1.html
http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/vandal-hearts-flames-of-judgment-review
Title: Re: Vandal Hearts PSN/XBLA
Post by: demi on January 20, 2010, 11:58:31 PM
A guy on my FL chatted with me like WHY DID YOU BUY THAT IT SHITS ON THE SERIES OH GOD IM GONNA KILL YOU IF THEY MAKE A SEQUEL :lol
Title: Re: Vandal Hearts PSN/XBLA
Post by: Stoney Mason on January 21, 2010, 12:02:45 AM
I loved the originals. They were like strategy rpg's for beginners which I appreciated. I'll almost certainly buy this tomorrow.
Title: Re: Vandal Hearts PSN/XBLA
Post by: MCD on January 21, 2010, 12:04:53 AM
go suck some dick you dirty poor

to tell you the truth Im seriously considering man-whoring to fuel my gaming habit
seek a femdom mistress, strapons are easier for first timers.
Title: Re: Vandal Hearts PSN/XBLA
Post by: CHOW CHOW on January 21, 2010, 08:15:31 AM
Wow this game is so well-made for an arcade title...i thought it was like some shit PS1 port but it's a brand new game, gfx are great, characters speak, i like the art...not too jappy.  So how do you play this? Im in the tutorial....do you walk around in a world in the main game or is it a hub or exactly what type of game is this. I played FF tactics on ps1
How many hours too
Title: Re: Vandal Hearts PSN/XBLA
Post by: demi on January 21, 2010, 08:22:36 AM
It plays like FF Tactics for the most part. It's a pretty short game. The first "act" is like 3 battles at most, and a couple optional fights.

You only get 6 characters the entire game it looks like.
Title: Re: Vandal Hearts PSN/XBLA
Post by: CHOW CHOW on January 21, 2010, 08:26:24 AM
That's a shame it's short..it's so well-done. This is like a SRPG for casuals. Everything seems simplified (not a bad thing).  Even the world map looks adorable
Title: Re: Vandal Hearts PSN/XBLA
Post by: demi on January 21, 2010, 08:29:50 AM
Yes, it's very small compared to the originals, like I said in the first post up top, it's Arkadian Warriors SRPG. Download the demo for Arkadian Warriors to see for yourself.

If you like this you could try Band of Bugs, thats even more simplified and casual.
Title: Re: Vandal Hearts PSN/XBLA
Post by: Saint Cornelius on January 21, 2010, 10:48:50 AM
Or maybe that effeminate douche could pick up a bag of Sony & Microsoft branded marbles, play with them for a while, then trade those in for some Pogs.

Nice impressions Demi. I like these kind of games so I'll probably pick it up.
Title: Re: Vandal Hearts PSN/XBLA
Post by: MoxManiac on January 21, 2010, 03:36:36 PM
A guy on my FL chatted with me like WHY DID YOU BUY THAT IT SHITS ON THE SERIES OH GOD IM GONNA KILL YOU IF THEY MAKE A SEQUEL :lol

Pfft. VH2 already shat all over the VH series. This new one can't be any worse than that.
Title: Re: Vandal Hearts PSN/XBLA
Post by: demi on January 21, 2010, 04:48:59 PM
The game is pretty easy. As long as you dont spread characters out by themselves you can just lure everyone to your big mob and eat them up like chewy clits.