Vanguard Bandits

Vanguard Bandits (1998)

by Human Entertainment, Working Designs
Genres:Role-playing (RPG), Strategy
Game modes:Single player
Story:In a world where technology and mythology are one, a young rebel and his ragtag crew are unwittingly drawn into a holy war being waged by the bloodthirsty General Faulkner and his mercenary forces. Guide the charasmatic Bastion as he realizes his destiny to lead the rebellion against the Junaris Kingdom, and to save the people of his world from an eternity of oppression. Lead powerful squadrons of robotic warriors into battle and take complete command of their actions. Smite your foes with cleaving swords, piercing spears, and sizzling magic spells. Use the terrain to your advantage and maneuver your forces into superior combat positions. Witness the results of your tactical decisions in glorious 3D combat sequences.Show more
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user avatar@aetherrose0user avatar@aetherrose0
February 06, 2025
Vanguard Bandits is another experience that I've never seen before or since. It's incredible, and it's unique, and that makes its gaming history. Players would appreciate the kind of amazing story and gameplay on offer here, some, uh, slurs aside. I assume those can be removed? And game designers can study it for advice on how to make their own TRPGs better. It's the kind of game that makes you want to explore all the options they give you, and in the end, leave you wishing there was always just a tiny bit more to discover.
My cousin and I played this game a lot when we were teenagers. I first rented it from Blockbuster, really liked it, and ended up buying it when Blockbuster went under. I still have my old PS1 disc. I was completely enamored with the story. Branching paths, multiple endings, hidden mechanics, and a cast of interesting characters and mechs made this game unforgettable for me. It failed commercially back in the day, which is tragic. Relatively few Human Entertainment games ever made it to the West, and much of Working Designs’ work wasn’t heavily advertised either. A lot of gems like Vanguard Bandits were simply overlooked and unnoticed at the time. I would love for more people to experience this game. Has it aged well? I honestly couldn’t say, I haven’t played it in a very long time. But the fact that I still remember the characters and story decades later says something about the impact it had on me.
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