At first the battle system looks like it takes place in complete real time (such as the technique used in Blood Omen: Legacy of Kain). This is not the case however, as the player can then press an action button whilst engaging a creature, and as this pauses the game you can actually select which limb you are going to attack on your opponent (right arm, left arm, head, neck, body and legs). This is extremely handy as many of the creatures you are to fight have weak points on certain areas of the body, which you will need to exploit. For example, if you constantly hit the legs of an enemy who is clearly faster than you, eventually his movement will be compromised by the wounds on his legs until he is almost disabled (much like hitting a spell caster in the head effects their casting ability, etc).

The NPCs in Vagrant Story do not play second fiddle to Riot, as each are just as important in the story line as the main character himself. There are plot twists aplenty in which an obvious villain can suddenly become an ally, and even a noble knight may hide some deep, dark secrets. In fact the history of the main character is even brought into question at one point, as he struggles to remember the details of his past.