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Saiyuki: Journey West
North American cover art
Developer(s)Koei
Publisher(s)Koei
Director(s)Minoru Honda
Designer(s)Minoru Honda
Artist(s)Akihiro Yamada
Platform(s)PlayStation
Release
  • JP: November 11, 1999
  • NA: August 13, 2001
Genre(s)Tactical role-playing game
Mode(s)Single player

Saiyuki: Journey West[a] is a tactical role-playing video game released for the Sony PlayStation by Koei. It is based loosely on the Chinese novel Journey to the West.

Plot

The game follows the basic outline of the Journey to the West's plot, in which the main character, a Buddhist practitioner named Sanzo, travels from China to India on a religious mission and has a variety of adventures along the way.

Gameplay

Sanzo can be played as either a male or a female character at the player's choice. Every character except Sanzo can transform into a monstrous form for a limited time. Instead of transforming, Sanzo has access to summon spells that each boost the party's stats in different ways for a number of rounds and allows him/her to use an extra spell at will. Furthermore, each character has a native element that powers their spells and weakens them to opposing elements.

Reception

The game received "average" reviews according to the review aggregation website Metacritic.[1] Eric Bratcher of NextGen said that the game "won't dazzle your eyes, but with compelling characters, a unique setting and plot, and nice tactical depth, it's still a grand experience."[9] In Japan, Famitsu gave it a score of 31 out of 40.[5] However, Four-Eyed Dragon of GamePro called it "an unsuccessful attempt to make a popular Chinese literary legend come alive."[12][b]

The game was nominated for "Best Game No One Played" at GameSpot's Best and Worst of 2001 Awards, which went to Victorious Boxers: Ippo's Road to Glory.[13] It was also a nominee at The Electric Playground's 2001 Blister Awards for "PSX Game of the Year", but lost to Dragon Quest VII: Fragments of the Forgotten Past.[14]

Notes

  1. ^ known in Japan as Journey to the West (西遊記, Saiyūki)
  2. ^ GamePro gave the game 2/5 for graphics, 4/5 for sound, 3.5/5 for control, and 2.5/5 for fun factor.

References

  1. ^ a b "Saiyuki: Journey West". Metacritic. Fandom. Archived from the original on January 10, 2024. Retrieved January 10, 2024.
  2. ^ Thompson, Jon. "Saiyuki: Journey West - Review". AllGame. All Media Network. Archived from the original on November 15, 2014. Retrieved May 29, 2020.
  3. ^ Mielke, James "Milkman" (September 2001). "Saiyuki: Journey West" (PDF). Electronic Gaming Monthly. No. 146. Ziff Davis. p. 148. Archived (PDF) from the original on November 20, 2023. Retrieved January 10, 2024.
  4. ^ Tapia, James (September 24, 2001). "Saiyuki: Journey West". The Electric Playground. Greedy Productions Ltd. Archived from the original on August 17, 2002. Retrieved January 10, 2024.
  5. ^ a b "プレイステーション - 西遊記". Famitsu (in Japanese). Vol. 915. Enterbrain. June 30, 2006. p. 22. Archived from the original on January 10, 2024. Retrieved January 10, 2024.
  6. ^ "Saiyuki: Journey West". Game Informer. No. 100. FuncoLand. August 2001.
  7. ^ Speer, Justin (August 24, 2001). "Saiyuki: Journey West Review [date mislabeled as "May 17, 2006"]". GameSpot. Fandom. Archived from the original on October 5, 2001. Retrieved May 3, 2022.
  8. ^ Smith, David (August 29, 2001). "Saiyuki: Journey West". IGN. Ziff Davis. Archived from the original on October 1, 2023. Retrieved January 10, 2024.
  9. ^ a b Bratcher, Eric (October 2001). "Saiyuki: Journey West". NextGen. No. 82. Imagine Media. p. 81. Retrieved May 29, 2020.
  10. ^ Baker, Chris (August 2001). "Saiyuki: Journey West". Official U.S. PlayStation Magazine. No. 47. Ziff Davis. p. 108. Retrieved January 10, 2024.
  11. ^ Koehler, Paul (2002). "Saiyuki: Journey West - Retroview". RPGamer. CraveOnline. Archived from the original on August 24, 2002. Retrieved January 10, 2024.
  12. ^ Four-Eyed Dragon (October 2001). "Saiyuki: Journey West Review for PlayStation on GamePro.com". GamePro. No. 157. IDG. Archived from the original on December 22, 2004. Retrieved May 29, 2020.
  13. ^ GameSpot staff (February 23, 2002). "GameSpot's Best and Worst of 2001 (Best Game No One Played)". GameSpot. CNET. Archived from the original on June 11, 2002. Retrieved May 3, 2022.
  14. ^ EP staff (2002). "Blister Awards 2001 (Console Games 3)". The Electric Playground. Greedy Productions Ltd. Archived from the original on July 13, 2003. Retrieved January 10, 2024.

External links

Wu Cheng'en's Journey to the West
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