/vr/ - Retro Games

Saiyuki: Journey West is a Koei-developed SRPG that is often forgotten when discussing the PSX games that exist for this somewhat small genre. It is based on the classic Chinese tale Journey to the West, which has inspired unending amounts of pop culture, including Dragon Ball.

Play as a male or female protagonist and recruit several were-beast allies to accompany you in battle. Aside from your main character, all of your fighters can shift into more powerful beast forms in battle, and knowing when to transform (as transformation is temporary and greatly taxes the user) is essential to win. All characters also have elemental affinities which affect their strengths and weaknesses in battle.

The presentation is very similar to a game like Final Fantasy Tactics, with isometric sprites on 3D environments. Visually it's somewhat more colorful, and certainly has a more happy-go-lucky tone than FFT. Character skills and attributes are largely set in stone, and are not customizeable. Though the game does not put forth a huge challenge level, it's demanding enough to keep SRPG fans entertained.