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.

This article is about a game by Koei. For “Gensou Maden Saiyuuki: Harukanaru Nishi e” by J-Wing, see Saiyuki (manga).
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 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.[4]

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.[12]

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

References
  1. "Saiyuki: Journey West for PlayStation Reviews". Metacritic. Red Ventures. 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. Red Ventures. Archived from the original on October 5, 2001. Retrieved May 3, 2022.
  8. Smith, David (August 29, 2001). "Saiyuki: Journey West". IGN. Ziff Davis. Retrieved May 29, 2020.
  9. Bratcher, Eric (October 2001). "Saiyuki: Journey West". NextGen. 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 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.
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