Saiyuki: Journey West

Saiyuki: Journey West[lower-alpha 1] 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.

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

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 Next Generation 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.[4]

It was nominated for GameSpot's annual "Best Game No One Played" prize among console games, which went to Victorious Boxers: Ippo's Road to Glory.[12]

Notes
  1. known in Japan as Journey to the West (西遊記, Saiyūki)

References
  1. "Saiyuki: Journey West for PlayStation Reviews". Metacritic. CBS Interactive. Retrieved May 29, 2020.
  2. Thompson, Jon. "Saiyuki: Journey West - Review". AllGame. All Media Network. Archived from the original on November 15, 2014. Retrieved May 29, 2020.
  3. EGM staff (September 2001). "Saiyuki: Journey West". Electronic Gaming Monthly. No. 146. Ziff Davis. p. 148.
  4. "プレイステーション - 西遊記". Famitsu (in Japanese). Vol. 915. Enterbrain. June 30, 2006. p. 22.
  5. "Saiyuki: Journey West". Game Informer. No. 100. FuncoLand. August 2001.
  6. Four-Eyed Dragon (July 30, 2001). "Saiyuki: Journey West Review for PlayStation on GamePro.com". GamePro. IDG Entertainment. Archived from the original on December 22, 2004. Retrieved May 29, 2020.
  7. Speer, Justin (August 24, 2001). "Saiyuki: Journey West Review [date mislabeled as "May 17, 2006"]". GameSpot. CBS Interactive. Retrieved May 29, 2020.
  8. Smith, David (August 29, 2001). "Saiyuki: Journey West". IGN. Ziff Davis. Retrieved May 29, 2020.
  9. Bratcher, Eric (October 2001). "Saiyuki: Journey West". Next Generation. No. 82. Imagine Media. p. 81. Retrieved May 29, 2020.
  10. "Saiyuki: Journey West". Official U.S. PlayStation Magazine. No. 48. Ziff Davis. September 2001.
  11. Koehler, Paul (November 11, 2004). "Saiyuki: Journey West - Retroview". RPGamer. CraveOnline. Retrieved May 29, 2020.
  12. GameSpot VG Staff (February 23, 2002). "GameSpot's Best and Worst Video Games of 2001". GameSpot. Archived from the original on August 3, 2002.
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