Saiyuki: Journey West is a charming strategy-RPG released by Koei. The game follows the adventures of a devout monk named Sanzo as he is charged with a divine order to deliver a mystical staff from China to India. Along the way, he meets up with the mysterious Monkey King as well as a whole host of various companions. Based on the popular Chinese myth, The Journey West.  Saiyuki uses excellent source material to present a game which is both engaging as a story and just as fun in gameplay.

Graphically, the game does look dated considering it was originally released in Japan several years ago. Most of the battle environments are presented in a rotatable rectangle featuring forests, mountains, volcanoes, or ice fields as well as temples and town battlefields. Graphics are sprite based reminiscent of early PlayStation games much like Vandal Hearts. Each character has their own expressive portrait to go along with the dialogue. Spell effects are relatively simple, featuring different lighting and vibration effects. The transformations into Werebeasts add a bigger presence to the friendly army.

The music is of oriental flavor, not changing much from town to town. While the distinct music rarely deviates from this style, it fits the game environment perfectly. Some voice acting between chapters is also not bad.

The biggest strength of Saiyuki is in the gameplay. While similar to most strategy-RPGs of its type, the biggest draw comes from the scenarios, story, and game system. The player can choose to start out as either a male or female version of Sanzo. Sanzo is basically the hero of the game who you must prevent from dying in order to win each battle. Sanzo carries the staff which is able to summon various deities to assist the party in healing, defense, offense, and movement bonuses. Each summon lasts for 3 rounds of the battle. All other recruited characters are able to transform into Werebeasts, which are superpowerful versions of themselves. The Werebeasts have more powerful magic attacks and defense, however, only one character can be a Werebeast at a time. Furthermore, the length of time you can use a Werebeast depends on the Weremeter, which is increased through experience but is depleted as the player uses more powerful attacks. 

Each battle consists of a battlefield where you can position your characters strategically. Highlighted squares indicate where your characters and the enemy can move during each turn. Characters can either move, attack, use item, or magic during each turn to best dispatch the enemy. Each character also has an elemental attribute which they are proficient in. Purchasing spells for the matching elemental class of the character will maximize attack power and effectiveness for that character. After each battle the story progresses and your party moves on to the next town or location. The gameplay system is very intuitive and easy to master. The fun in the gameplay is enhanced by the many memorable characters you will meet. 

From the protective and gung-ho Son Goku to the bashful and demure Lady Kikka, each character has their own distinct personality and viewpoint on life which serves to promote their emotional interactions. Each character has a past which at some point in the game is dealt with beyond just traveling to India and back. There is also a bigger backstory among the villains which consist of renegade werebeasts and devils who are against humanity and heaven. I especially like the fact that some enemies turn good and can be recruited as playable characters complete with their own Werebeast transformations and attacks. As if the story and main scenario battles weren’t enough, there is also plenty to do in towns such as taking on delivery jobs, practicing battles for experience at the dojos, and uncovering secret missions at the posts for more money and experience.

Saiyuki: The Journey West is an unexpected gem which, due to the lack of marketing power, will be overlooked by many gamers. This is a shame because the game is truly among the best of its genre. Koei has a real winner here and I am thankful that some companies are willing to take the risk and bring games to the U.S. that would otherwise never have seen the light of day for American audiences.