Line #8 YMMV/VandalHearts


1	* ContestedSequel: ''Vandal Hearts II''. Some find the game a step down from its predecessor due to its rather clunky [[TheyChangedItNowItSucks new battle system]], lack of a clear class system, and lack of the highly praised CG sequences and narration. Others, however, find the game [[EvenBetterSequel a massive upgrade]] from Vandal Hearts I thanks to its greatly expanded story (the first game only lasts about 15 hours, while II can last over 40), its greater focus on character development and world building, and its generally great attention to detail (the equipment a character is wearing changes how their sprite looks, some maps feature different enemies and treasure depending on the time of day, etc).
2	* CultClassic: The first game, while not a major hit, still enjoyed a certain status as one. The diverse cast of characters is often heralded as one of its strong points, ranging from domestic policemen to ancient sages and drunken sailors.
3	* FauxSymbolism: The collapse of [[spoiler:Nigran Cathedral]] in ''Vandal Hearts II'', with symbolism helpfully pointed out by Baron Pratau.
4	* GameBreaker: [[GuideDangIt By "examining" many random spaces on specific levels, figuring out what you're supposed to do with them, and completing a few bonus levels,]] you can turn Ash Lambert into a Vandelier...and subsequently make him the most broken character ''ever'' in the history of [=RPGs=]. [[NotMakingThisUpDisclaimer That is not an exaggeration.]] As a Vandelier, Ash has all spells in the entire game, enemy spells included, the highest attack and defence values, no natural weakness, and it blocks all attacks from the front and most attacks from the sides. It can one-shot ''every enemy'' it encounters except for the final boss, and that includes the final boss's second form. It even has the unique ability to "cast" items as spells... except they all cost zero MP, essentially giving him infinite health, MP and so much more, giving the impression that the devs rewarded the players with a DebugMode. The only downside is that [[WebVideo/WhoIsThisGit Ash looks like a chicken.]]
5	* JerksAreWorseThanVillains: In ''I'', you are fighting against TheEmpire led by Hel Spites, later usurped by Dolf Crowley. Dolf's actions, in addition of [[TheDragon his right-hand man Xeno's]], can be brutal and destructive, but they don't spend too much time to antagonize your party and Dolf does have his own legitimate FreudianExcuse. Hel is also actually a WellIntentionedExtremist that gets killed too prematurely after the times he plotted behind the scenes and only making a direct confrontation with your party exactly once. His son, Kane, despite his other minor redeeming qualities, is the one who confronts your team most of the time, showcases his own brutality and sadism, and if he's not ruining innocent lives, he uses his time to antagonize and insult Ash for sheer pettiness and envy. Guess which one is more hateable by the fans. [[spoiler:Kane!]]
6	* LowTierLetdown:
7	** The armour classes are unpopular because they have huge attack and defence, but their terrible movement means they'll never keep up with your sword wielders and flyers. Plus, they're incredibly weak to magic which becomes increasingly prevalent as the game continues.
8	** The monk classes are unpopular because for the enemies, they mean a durable and annoying foe with no exploitable weaknesses, but for you, it means taking one of your few spellcasters, giving them mediocre stats all round in a game based on specific class roles and a poor selection of spells.
9	* NightmareFuel:
10	** ''Vandal Hearts'', 2nd chapter, 1st mission. The pre-battle sequence is completely creepy, seeing green-skinned humans, moving like crazed zombies, with creepy music, and creepy sound effects to advance the dialogue. Not to mention the creepy sound the Evil Statues produce! Brrrr....!
11	** The first scene in ''Vandal Hearts II''. Jacob's men slaughter the villagers, with blood spurting out of them. Also, one woman is chased by a black knight, then dragged into an alley by another one, while his partner laughs and joins in... As if that wasn't enough, there are also corpses of other villagers strewn through the ground, most impaled with swords and lying on pools of blood.
12	* OnceOriginalNowOverdone: ''Vandal Hearts I'' plot and script were also solid and above average for a translation from Japanese at the time, though by today's standards it would be rather [[ClicheStorm predictable]]. The gameplay was also good for its time, having a clearly defined system wherein each class type was alotted its own "position" within an army, and the level design meant that each time the game was replayed, it could still be challenging.
13	* ScrappyMechanic: The Dual Turn system in the second game is widely regarded as the game's biggest weakness. If you don't know how to work it, half your army's actions will be wasted as they swing and fire at empty air. If you ''do'' know how to work it, the game becomes ridiculously easy as your ''enemies'' swing and fire at empty air.
14	* SoOkayItsAverage: ''Flames of Judgment'' is seen as an average game to fans of the first two games, due to its cartoonish art style that resembles a mobile game, dumbed down gameplay when compared to the first game, and a far weaker story and characters when compared to the second game.
15	* ThatOneBoss: The first game has the Black Knight Kane, the first boss of the final chapter. Unless you unlocked the secret Vandalier class, expect to have trouble with his Plasma Wave spell, which deals heavy magical damage to every party member on the map. Not to mention that he stands next to an MP recovering panel, and there's still some imperial troops guarding him[[note]] Although if Ash becomes a Vandalier before this battle, you can return the favor with your own Plasma Wave. In fact, if you are really patient and don't smash through the barrier, you can actually slowly kill Kane with multiple Plasma Waves and, with the barrier intact, he never turns into the Black Knight. The ending of the battle is still the same [[/note]].

Context YMMV / VandalHearts