Vestaria Saga

86%
Game Brain Score Based on 426 reviews
  • story
  • gameplay
  • graphics
Vestaria Saga Game Cover
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"Vestaria Saga" is a strategy RPG set in a world of international conflict between a powerful empire and a small coastal kingdom. Players control protagonist Zadrian, a young warrior, and his band of knights in their efforts to protect Meleda's princess and ensure the kingdom's future. Positioning, movement, and weaponry are crucial in tactical, grid-based battles against various enemies, in a story filled with espionage, intrigue, and deception.

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Reviews

86%
Audience ScoreBased on 426 reviews
story56 positive mentions
stability9 negative mentions
  • Vestaria Saga captures the essence of classic Fire Emblem games with its challenging gameplay and engaging story.
  • The game features well-designed maps with dynamic objectives, encouraging strategic thinking and exploration.
  • The character development and interactions are well-written, making each character feel important and memorable.
  • The technical aspects of the game are lacking, with frequent crashes and a clunky user interface.
  • Graphics are outdated and may not appeal to players accustomed to modern visuals.
  • The save system, which only allows saving every five turns, can be frustrating and lead to repetitive gameplay.
  • story173 mentions

    The story of the game is generally described as simple and archetypal, often following familiar tropes found in classic tactical RPGs, particularly reminiscent of older Fire Emblem titles. While some players appreciate the well-written dialogue and character development, others find the characters bland and the plot generic, lacking depth and complexity. Overall, the narrative is engaging for fans of the genre, with a mix of political intrigue and character-driven moments, though it may not satisfy those seeking a more innovative or profound storyline.

    • “The story is fantastic; the characters feel super real and have so much personality, the plot is engaging, and I am curious to see where it goes.”
    • “The story is very well written and the political facts are pretty clear, and you are always shown a map to better understand the world and the interaction between its countries.”
    • “Kaga continues to prove himself as one of the greatest story-writers and world-builders of this day and age.”
    • “Don't expect complex and varied characters like in modern games such as Three Houses; the characters here are just a background for the story, and you hardly hear from them after their introduction.”
    • “The story is generic, following an even more generic lord, but the world-building is pretty decent even in spite of the constant text walls of lore.”
    • “The story is cliche, old, and overused, lacking unique or interesting characters, original storylines, or innovative gameplay mechanics.”
  • gameplay85 mentions

    The gameplay of the game has received mixed reviews, with many praising its strategic depth and nostalgic elements reminiscent of classic Fire Emblem titles. However, players have also noted issues such as clunky controls, poorly communicated mechanics, and frequent bugs that detract from the overall experience. While the core gameplay is engaging and offers a solid tactical challenge, the execution is marred by inconsistencies and a lack of polish.

    • “The gameplay is fun and plays exactly how I expect a SRPG should; also, the level design deserves some praise because it has a nice blend of objectives and puzzles to solve as you play through each chapter.”
    • “Incredible SRPG with brilliant level design and gameplay/story cohesion.”
    • “But the gameplay is where the real gem shines.”
    • “I can also blame really clunky controls, poorly communicated mechanics, and poor implementation/coding.”
    • “The gameplay was amusing when it worked; however, it is not worth the hassle of all the bugs and the escape key danger.”
    • “The game is littered with bugs and glitches and slow stuttering gameplay animations.”
  • graphics46 mentions

    The graphics of the game are widely criticized as outdated and subpar, often compared to early SNES titles and late 90s aesthetics, with many reviewers noting issues like poor framerate and awkward animations. However, some players appreciate the nostalgic art style and argue that the strong gameplay and narrative compensate for the visual shortcomings. Overall, while the graphics may deter some, fans of classic strategy RPGs may find them forgivable in light of the game's depth and design.

    • “An amazing script, solid play-through, and a nostalgic art style.”
    • “Don't be fooled by the visuals, this game has top-tier map and unit design that rivals AAA SRPGs.”
    • “Though humble in its graphics, you will see strategy, knowledge of the genre, and heart put into every single one of the maps in this game.”
    • “First of all, the graphics are terrible.”
    • “The graphics are late 90s hentai game quality.”
    • “The animations/graphics are pretty bad, not gonna lie, but I chalk that up to it being a passion project with extremely limited resources.”
  • music36 mentions

    The music in the game receives mixed reviews, with some praising it as excellent and well-integrated with the gameplay and story, while others find it bland or forgettable. Several users highlight standout tracks and enjoyable themes, but there are also mentions of distracting engine-default music and a lack of memorable pieces. Overall, the soundtrack is seen as a strong aspect by many, though opinions vary significantly on its impact and quality.

    • “The music is really good.”
    • “Really strong story and gameplay integration and excellent music too.”
    • “This soundtrack slaps.”
    • “The music is bland, and non-existent in some cases.”
    • “With Vestaria Saga, there was never really a time where the music inspired some kind of 'oh damn' feeling in me where I stopped what I was doing just to listen.”
    • “The music is... acceptable but gets boring extremely quickly.”
  • stability9 mentions

    The game's stability is heavily criticized, with players reporting numerous bugs, glitches, and crashes that significantly hinder the experience. While some levels run smoothly, others are plagued by issues like infrequent saving and frustrating random events, leading to a need for frequent reloading. Overall, the game is described as "buggy but fantastic to play...when it works," indicating that while it has potential, its stability problems detract from the enjoyment.

    • “The game is littered with bugs and glitches and slow stuttering gameplay animations.”
    • “Cons: as I've stated before, glitches, bugs and crashes, plus I'm not a huge fan of how the game loves to punish you with random stuff; some maps even have 'invisible units' that love to stab you once and leave you with 1 HP.”
    • “Man, this game is so much fun... but it pisses me off. Glitches, bugs, and saving only every five turns... you make a mistake, which could not be a tactical mistake, but you just get unlucky and get hit by a random enemy.”
  • humor7 mentions

    The humor in the game is characterized by its self-aware and relatable writing, often highlighting the absurdity of situations and characters, such as a dimwitted protagonist who is surprisingly popular with women. Players find the comedic elements both entertaining and reflective of human nature, with instances of broken mechanics adding an unexpected layer of humor. Overall, the dialogue is praised for being funny and well-crafted, contributing to the game's charm.

    • “Seriously, he's so dimwitted with girls and every single one loves him; it's hilarious.”
    • “Haha wow, this game is hilariously broken.”
    • “The writing, in general, is stellar, realistically hilarious, entirely aware of itself, and above all else, true to human nature.”
  • character development7 mentions

    Overall, the game is praised for its strong character development, with unique designs and engaging storylines that enhance gameplay. While some reviewers noted missed opportunities for deeper character exploration, many highlighted the effective dialogue and character arcs that bring the cast to life. The combination of well-crafted characters and a compelling narrative contributes significantly to the game's appeal.

    • “But gotta be honest, this game is a masterpiece, not animation-wise, but more about style, story, and character development, the process of playing through the game.”
    • “It's a well-done game with great dialogue and character development, witty quips, and tough levels.”
    • “Also great at making the characters feel alive; most of the characters have story and character development.”
    • “A missed opportunity for character development.”
    • “But gotta be honest, this game is a masterpiece, not animation-wise, but more about style, story, and character development, the process of playing through the game.”
    • “Character design and uniqueness expressed in gameplay.”
  • grinding6 mentions

    Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be tedious and repetitive, often leading to a lack of interest in engaging with it. While the game offers great maps and a variety of weapons, the necessity to grind for optional objectives can detract from the overall experience, making it feel like a chore rather than an enjoyable challenge.

    • “However, grinding random bandits map after map is not particularly interesting and is something I try to avoid in similar games since I simply don't find grinding to be engaging.”
    • “Here, if you want to achieve optional objectives or collect all the secrets, you will have to take risky actions which, due to randomness, might result in your units being killed. You could probably avoid that by grinding levels on every map when possible, but that's boring.”
    • “Here, it is tedious and repetitive.”
  • emotional4 mentions

    Players report that the emotional depth of the game is profound, often evoking strong feelings such as tears, not solely due to the narrative but also through character development. Each character is portrayed as significant, contributing to a rich tapestry of emotionally resonant arcs that enhance the overall experience.

    • “10/10 made me cry, not for story reasons.”
    • “No game has ever made me feel the way a Shouzou Kaga game has made me feel, and I am not sure if that is a good thing.”
    • “Beyond these simple bars that certain plots fail to clear, Vestaria Saga's story is fantastic, with good characters who go through emotionally resonant arcs.”
  • optimization3 mentions

    The game's optimization has been criticized, with users likening it to a poorly executed handheld port for PC, leading to frequent performance issues and crashes. While the gameplay can be enjoyable when functioning properly, the overall experience is marred by these technical shortcomings. Additionally, unit performance is heavily influenced by class and starting stats, which adds complexity to the optimization concerns.

    • “The performance of units is uniquely determined by their class, starting stats, and access to personal weapons.”
    • “It feels like a terribly optimized GBA/handheld port to PC - gameplay itself is fun when it's actually working, which isn't as common as it should be.”
    • “The performance of units is uniquely determined by their class, starting stats, and access to personal weapons.”
  • replayability1 mentions

    Players appreciate the replayability of the game due to numerous hidden secrets and optional tasks that encourage exploration and reward attentive players, offering additional content for those willing to revisit the game.

    • “On top of that, there are many hidden secrets and optional tasks scattered throughout the game, which will reward attentive players and provide significant replay value if they are inclined to explore.”
    • “The game offers multiple endings and diverse character paths, encouraging players to replay it to experience all the different outcomes.”
    • “With a variety of gameplay styles and strategies to explore, each playthrough feels fresh and engaging, making you want to dive back in for more.”
    • “The game lacks significant changes in gameplay mechanics, making multiple playthroughs feel repetitive and uninspired.”
    • “Once you've completed the main story, there's little incentive to return, as the side quests offer minimal variation.”
    • “While there are some hidden secrets, they don't add enough depth to encourage replayability beyond the initial experience.”
  • atmosphere1 mentions

    The atmosphere of the game is noted for its inconsistency, particularly in the music, which, while not necessarily poor, does not always align with the overall tone.

    • “The music isn't quite uniform in its atmosphere and doesn't always fit the rest, although none of it is bad.”
    • “The overall ambiance feels disjointed and lacks a cohesive theme, making it hard to immerse myself in the game.”
    • “The environmental sounds are often repetitive and fail to enhance the mood, leaving the atmosphere feeling flat.”
Positive mentions (%)Positive
Neutral mentions (%)Neutral
Negative mentions (%)Negative

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Play time

51hMedian play time
39hAverage play time
41-57hSpent by most gamers
*Based on 4 analyzed playthroughs

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