Magic Son Goku

It's kinda like Dragonball, and it's proof that I'm still playing video games! It's Saiyuki: Journey West.

I don't know what a Saiyuki is, but it's an sRPG in the vein of Final Fantasy Tactics and Tactics Ogre. That's likely why I stumbled upon it after high school. It was so deep in my dark ages that I forgot all about it for almost four years. I've been looking for things to scratch that FFT itch since 1999. Unlike the previously stated games, Saiyuki doesn't have a rotatable job system. Instead, all the characters have roles, but a lot of those roles are pretty malleable thanks to the element system.

The other main difference between games in the genre is each character has a grid that shows the five elements that make up each character. The elements are the traditional flavor, and they don't really do much outside of what spells someone can equip. Characters can don any spell, given they have the right number next to the correct color. I didn't deviate too much, but those numbers rose pretty naturally, and I never had a problem.

And those spells are pretty rad. They start out small, but they grow steadily as you progress. From a single target element, to buffs and nerfs, to massive AoEs. While characters seem pretty boring, the way magic works gives characters a role. Water, for example, has so many debuffs. Wood is for healing, obviously. Fire and gold, though, is pretty much just damage. Earth is used by a tank, so I never got much offensive power from it.

Your characters can also turn into giant monsters...

That's probably the biggest unique trait about Saiyki. Everyone except Sanzo can transform into a kaiju! This alters their stats and attack patterns, giving them incredibly powerful new attacks. There is a gauge that limits its capabilities, but it's always worth using them before you need them.

Even out of battle, those characters are so fun and interesting. They have their own personalities, reasons for teaming, feelings about being a were (the kaijus), and feelings towards Buddha and the bad guys. And half of them are even optional!

But I can't talk about them without getting into the plot. Saiyuki is based on Journey to the West, Xiyou Ji, the Chinese epic about a Buddhist monk's pilgrimage to India to discover the sacred texts. On that journey, he finds new friends and fights demons. In Saiyuki, you play a main character whose gender you can choose. I choose fem-Sango, so I'm going to use she/her pronouns. She travels from her temple because Lady Kannon, a Buddha adjacent, told her to find the guardians of Heaven and store them in a staff on the way to East India. On the journey, she meets new friends who can turn into weres, giant monsters, and is accosted by demons. Her group learns some exciting truths, grows as friends and people, and saves the world. While Sanzo can't transform, she can summon the guardians she finds to buff the party. Her element grid has good access to all the types, so she can always be relied on to heal and provide magic damage. Summons also grant a free physical attack spell for massive damage.

Son Goku is the monkey king and once fought against Buddha. He was sealed in a rock and only freed by Kannon to protect Sanzo from bandits. He starts off as a hard nosed, quick-to-anger man but becomes a softy at the end. His element is fire.

Hokkai is a hungry hungry pig who can't keep a job. He gets getting run off by scared humans who don't appreciate monsters. All he wants is a home and to be a good cook. In fact, he gets a side quest to become a renowned cook, which is a powerful magical scroll. His element is earth.

Ryorin is a young, emotional dragon girl who wants what's best for her tribe. She also doesn't want to marry the sketchy dude. She starts off with a questionable reason to join the team but becomes a key connection to a certain enemy. Her element is gold.

Gojo can turn into the Creature from the Black Lagoon. He hates being a were but comes around to it. He is a wise man who acts as the party's guide. As you'd guess, he likes water.

Lady Kikka is a fairy/druid who was trapped in a tree after being hit by a guardian. She's the best mage and attacks with a bow. Her were is a butterfly, and her wood element makes her a great healer. Though I mostly used her to charm enemies. She joins the party just because...

There are also six more characters that are hidden. Most have a connection to others but don't have any vital scenes once they join. But their side quests to get them are interesting and have backstories or world building on China.

And that can be said for both forms of enemy groups. Lord Taurus and his men, former underlings of Goku, are the primary antagonists for the first half of the game. But they're just small fries trying to rule western China. It's the Devils who want to destroy the world who take the spotlight in the second half. All of them have multiple reasons to follow their leader and his war against the Buddha.

That's the general overview, so that should make this next part fast.


What does Saiyuki: Journey West do that sucks?

Honestly, not much. Kikka doesn't have a great reason to join the group, but that's hardly worth ranting about. The secret characters don't need to exist, but I love backstories! The music is kinda mid, but it's still far from bad.

So, guess what the game does well?

The characters are all fun and unique, and their were forms are rad. I enjoyed the interactions with the enemies.

The battle system isn't revolutionary, but it's a lot of fun, and I'm sure there are a lot of strategies nestled in, especially with the secret characters.

There are plenty of side missions, content, and even a blackjack card game. Hakkai's recipes, the secret emperor guardian quest, and the powerful Star Ore upgrade were exciting.

The story took turns that I didn't see coming, and I really shouldn't have taken a month to finish this.

And that artwork!!!


Let's get to the numbers!

Plot: worthy of the source. I've never read it, though, so what do I know? Regardless, the main cast is fun, and the villains are meaningful. The story isn't groundbreaking, but I enjoyed it. 8/10

Gameplay: solid. In a world of sRPGs, Saiyuki wasn't going to change the world. As cool as the wereforms are, they're just a gimmick. But it doesn't do anything to set the genre back. 7/10

Music: fine. There are no standouts, but it leans into the Chinese source and fits in. There's enough to go around, too, so you don't get annoyed with anything. 8/10

Art: stunning. Character portraits are the prettiest things on the PlayStation. And the artists drew five variants to showcase emotions for everyone important. Sprite work is also amazing, and there's so much scenery for the battles. 10/10

Charm: perfect? Side content is all over the place, something very few sRPGs (that I've played) try. The world is nice, and it's filled with cute little side stuff to explore. There's only one NPC you really interact with, which isn't great, and I think everything is too linear to give an honest replay point. 7/10
Total: 40/50.

I shouldn't have played my game instead of Saiyuki. In my defense, I've been dealing with some stuff in the background, so I kept showing up to work late. If you're late, why even bother? But I see why Saiyuki has a cult following, and I consider myself a part of that.

But here's proof I haven't abandoned games yet. Sadly, my next adventure is 110 hours long...