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Vandal Hearts: Difference between revisions
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''Vandal Hearts'' is a series of tactical RPGs released by Konami. Three games have been released in the series so far, the most recent one being a prequel to the first. The first game was released for the Sega Saturn and Sony Playstation, and plans were made at one point for a Nintendo DS re-release. The second was available only on the Playstation. A prequel, ''Vandal Hearts: Flames of Judgment,'' was released on [[Xbox Live Arcade]] on January 20, 2010 and on the [[Playstation Network]] the following day.
The first story follows the story of Ash Lambert, a soldier in the Republic of Ishtaria, as the government is gradually being corrupted into an empire. The second switches to a Natran bandit named Joshua ([[Hello, Insert Name Here|in the manual anyway]]) caught in the middle of a civil war. Both stories involve the same [[Sword of Plot Advancement]], the titular "Vandal Hearts", and its influence on the outcome of the wars.
The original ''Vandal Hearts'' was a fairly standard tactical RPG, with its main differences from the rest of the genre coming in the form of a small amount of interactive scenery; one could kick boulders out of the way, push blocks, and so forth. Characters were restricted to a limited tree of classes based on their initial predetermined classes. Each side in battle would move all of their characters as part of their turn, then the other side would get a turn. Many missions included goals other than defeating all of the enemies, such as surviving X number of turns, reaching a certain point on the map, or destroying all enemies while preserving at least one villager.
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The plot was larger and the background information available was greater, though some felt that the individual characters were less distinctive. Also, some fans and reviewers were put off by the new "second-guess" system, preferring the old system.
''Flames of Judgment'' ditched the Dual Turn system, brought back the first game's varied mission objectives, and introduced a somewhat [[The Elder Scrolls|Elder Scrolls]]-like character advancement system, where characters' stats improved automatically based on their actions. The story follows a young priest named Tobias Martin, who eventually becomes {{spoiler|[[The Messiah]]}}, as he battles a [[Well
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** One in the original has you escort your party's mage's past self around a narrow stone path that can be raised or dropped into the sea at will so she can open an ancient shrine which is protected by the same ancient guardians who later serve the Big Bad. It...almost makes sense in context.
* [[Face Heel Turn]]: Yuri in ''Vandal Hearts II''. {{spoiler|This is later [[Heel Face Turn|reversed]] if you have the [[Sword of Plot Advancement|Vandal Heart]].}}
* [[For Science!]]: In ''Flames of Judgment,'' {{spoiler|Liana's}} journal reveals how she gradually lost her grip on right and wrong as she chased success in the science lab.
* [[Fragile Speedster]]: Any character in ''Vandal Hearts II'' wearing the armor L-mach; +30 Movement... [[One
* [[Free Rotating Camera]]
* [[Freudian Excuse]]: Dolf Crowley in ''Vandal Hearts I'' wanted to [[The End of the World As We Know It|destroy the world]] as revenge for [[Folk Hero|his father]] being conspired against. Likewise, ''Vandal Hearts II'''s Godard wanted to [[A God Am I|become a god]] because he was betrayed by his religious ideals.
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** And the fabled ''Gradius Sword'' from ''Vandal Hearts 2''. It has only been obtained through sheer chance or use of a gameshark.
* [[Happy Fun Ball]]: The Evil Doll in VH II.
* [[Hello, Insert Name Here]]: The second game allows you to rename the main character.
* [[Heroic Mime]]: Commander Agress in ''Vandal Hearts II''.
* [[High
* [[Hostage for Macguffin]]: Done in the first game, for {{spoiler|[[The Atoner|Kira Wulfstan]]}}.
* [[Improbable Weapon User]]: The second game uses a weapon class system. There're swords, shields, daggers, axes...and then there's the "Special" class. Ranging from [[Power Fist|knuckles]] to lead-weighted urns, to [[Throw the Book At Them|books]], to [[Instrument of Murder|Maracas]], and lastly, the Evil Doll. Oh, also, the [[Sinister Scythe]].
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* [[Licking the Blade]]: Certain enemies do this before each attack.
** Most notably the [[Exactly What It Says On the Tin|Mad Soldiers]] from the 2nd chapter of the first game.
* [[Load
* [[Mighty Glacier]]: Dragoons in ''Vandal Hearts'', and heavily-armored characters in ''Vandal Hearts II''.
* [[Multiple Endings]]: ''Vandal Hearts II'' has several widely different endings depending on choices made throughout the game. ''Flames of Judgment'' has two somewhat different endings, depending on {{spoiler|which love interest you favor during key conversations.}}
* [[Names to Run Away From Really Fast]]: Hel Spites, though he's actually not so bad once you know that [[Well
* [[Nerd Glasses]]: Calvin in ''Flames of Judgment.'' Darius, although they're more like nerd goggles, in ''Vandal Hearts I.''
* [[No Doubt the Years Have Changed Me]]: In ''Vandal Hearts II,'' Joshua encounters Nikolai on the street years after their previous meeting. In that time, Nikolai's gone from a proactive, politically-charged warrior to a self-pitying drunkard. Also, {{spoiler|Joshua's stepsister has become a prostitute. [[Crapsack World|Yeah.]]}}
* [[One
** In the first game, [[Arch Enemy|Kane]] [[Deal With the Devil|gives his soul]] for the power to kill Ash. The final boss also pulls one of these, though his OWA form was actually weaker than his normal one.
** The final boss of VH II has two forms which are both this; you fight his human form earlier.
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* [[Plotline Death]]: Early in ''Vandal Hearts II,'' a villain hypnotizes {{spoiler|kindly old Lord Kossimo}} into attacking the protagonist, prompting the player to kill him in self-defense. Even though (1) you can avoid his attacks indefinitely, (2) [[Gameplay and Story Segregation|you have access to a spell]] that can freeze him in his tracks without hurting him, and (3) you should be able to just leave the room (you jump out a window in the very next cutscene), the game [[But Thou Must|won't let you advance]] until you kill him.
** {{spoiler|Liana}} in ''Flames of Judgment'' is mortally wounded during a pre-battle scene, and lies wounded on the map during the fight. None of your healing abilities will help — in fact, even in the dialogue afterwards, Tobias tries a healing spell, but it doesn't work.
* [[Rape, Pillage and Burn]]: ''Vandal Hearts II'' includes all three, twice each. ''Vandal Hearts I'' and ''Flames of Judgment'' both feature a scene where a town gets torched, though not quite to the brutal extent of ''II.''
* [[Reforged Blade]]: One of your main purposes during your quest is to obtain the legendary sword Vandal Heart. However, if you take on a number of subquests along the way - collecting all the Spheres, passing all the Trials, obtaining all the Keys - then towards the end, you can upgrade the main hero, Ash, into the 'Vandalier' class, which makes him virtually invincible and turns the rest of the game into a cakewalk. As part of this transformation, the Vandal Heart is turned into the even-stronger Vandal Heart Reforged.
* [[Saintly Church]]: The Church of Restoration in ''Flames of Judgment'' is a legitimate religious charity, with no particular ambitions beyond that.
* [[Sealed Evil in A Can]]: A magic ring in the first game, which tends to corrupt the holder and those around them.
* [[Sequel Hook]]: At the conclusion of ''Vandal Hearts II's'' ideal ending, ''Vandal Hearts I's'' protagonist appears to lead the second game's protagonist on [[Here We Go Again|another adventure.]]
* [[Short
* [[Shut UP, Hannibal]]: In ''Flames of Judgment,'' when {{spoiler|the manifestations of the party's sins}} appear and deliver an elaborate round-robin monologue, Connor's response is, "Did you guys rehearse that before we showed up? 'Cause you really nailed it!"
* [[Sliding Scale of Idealism vs. Cynicism]]: ''Vandal Hearts II'' is decidedly cynical, as exemplified in a scene where Nikolai heroically stands up for the townspeople, drives off the crooked, lecherous tax collector — and makes their situation much worse by bringing the wrath of the tax collector's boss down on the town. ''Vandal Hearts I'' and ''Flames of Judgment'' are both somewhere in the middle; in both, the world is bleak, and there are no perfect, easy solutions, but the heroes do at least succeed in preventing things from getting worse.
* [[Stable Time Loop]]: In ''Vandal Hearts I,'' {{spoiler|Eleni is repeatedly thrown back in time, meets her younger self years later, and gives her essential advice before her younger self is thrown back in time again.}}
* [[Sword of Plot Advancement]]: The Vandal Heart sword fills this role in the first game, as the characters need it to defeat the villains' [[Weapon of Mass Destruction]]. In the second game, finding the Vandal Heart sword is an optional subquest, not necessary for beating the game, but necessary for achieving the best ending. In ''Flames of Judgment,'' {{spoiler|the sword is first forged during the game's climax.}}
* [[Tactical Rock
** The more poetic version, as delivered in game is:
{{quote| Sword defeats bow, bow defeats air and air defeats sword.<br />
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* [[The Dragon]] - Kane Spites in ''Vandal Hearts I''.
* [[The Good the Bad And The Evil]]: In the first game, Zohar questions the protagonists' righteous quest, asking if it rather isn't self righteous instead, and if they are certain what they are doing will make the world a better place and not just mess it up even more.
** Much later in the same game, it turns out that [[Sinister Minister|Hel Spites]], who's been setting himself up as the [[Big Bad]], has been trying to attain [[The Empire|Imperial]] [[World Domination]] for the [[Well
* [[The Juggernaut]]: The enemy "Juggernaut". Attack them in the back; they die on one hit, attack them from anywhere else; you're basically asking for a major ass whoopin'.
** Dallas, from the first game, also qualifies.
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** Though in the first game selling some means you can't get one of the Trial Keys to obtain the Vandalier calss.
* [[We Cannot Go On Without You]] - Most of the battles in all three games end if the main hero is defeated. Occasionally, the games suspend that rule, and include battles where the hero can "die," but another character can't.
* [[Well
* [[What Do You Mean Its Not Symbolic]]: The collapse of {{spoiler|Nigran Cathedral}}, with symbolism helpfully pointed out by Baron Pratau.
* [[Where Are They Now? Epilogue]]: All three games include a glimpse of each character's future during the ending sequence.
** Highlights include leading governments, marrying sweethearts, becoming important political figures, following ambitions all the way to...having an Archbishop of near unrivalled magical power working in a bakery, and her only rival for such powers working on a stamp collection. Granted though, he's old.
** The "stamp collection" ending is spoofed in ''Flames of Judgment.'' "So what're you gonna do when this is over?" "I don't know. Start a stamp collection?" "No, seriously."
** And the first Archbishop? Took the job so she can be near her [[Love Interest]].
* [[Year Inside, Hour Outside]]: ''Vandal Hearts I'' - After spending one day in a parallel universe, Ash and his friends return to find three years have passed in their time. And Zohar said they're lucky, they could've ended up in A THOUSAND YEARS IN THE FUTURE.
{{reflist}}
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[[Category:Konami]]
[[Category:Vandal Hearts]]
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