Visions & Voices

Exploration is a large component of Visions & Voices.

Throughout the game, you'll have some objectives that you have to complete before their time runs out. When you aren't being warned of potential doom and gloom or when you've actually completed those objectives, however, you'll find that you have time to go and explore the world. You can explore two types of areas.

The Village

The first type of area to explore is the village (who would have thought that?). It's suggested that while you poke around on your first day, you should head to the tavern fairly soon. Looking at signs will help you orient yourself in this foreign town, letting you find places of interest and - most importantly - the Ogre's Mug. Note that the Ogre's Mug is the only place that you can save with a Portable Record! After getting some rest, feel free to explore the village proper. You never know what you might find lying around in somebody's house - and if you're low on resources, checking out people's houses again might let you find some items you missed before. There are other strange places outside the village, too! If you're feeling up to it, try taking on the swamps to the west, some of the cave complexes scattered about, or if you can unlock them, the Montfort Catacombs.

The Portals

As you adventure, a second type of area will appear - portals into other dimensions. Not only do they further your need to figure out what is going on, they allow for many forays into danger and loot. Who knows what strange adventures you'll have in places that could only be created by otherworldly things?

Alterations

Not everything is as it seems, and you might realize that things are... changing. Be wary of large, obvious alterations in the world around you. They most likely present dangers even worse than those found in all but the most vile portals.

Feats and Exploration

As long as Wanderer is not alone, you gain access to Feats that let you manipulate the game world in your favor. Each playable character has a unique Feat - one can pick powerful herbs, for example, while one can trap enemy encounters so that you can pick them off without much trouble. When you utilize the power of a Feat, however, you draw from a universal pool. This pool of Feats is replenished whenever you rest at the Ogre's Mug. Manage your Feats wisely, and never go to sleep without using all of them!

Items and Exploration

The key to long-term survival in the Montfort village is to pack a lunch. You can hold up to 25 of any item, so feel free to carry plenty of bread and cheese to make the going easier. Each individual foodstuff may not seem like a good healing item, but eating a good meal is a great way to keep your party healthy and ready for more. You can often find food and keys lying around the village, left behind by an adventurer or villager now perished. Those keys are used to open doors and chests - quite useful for accessing the best treasures. A final type of item you'll want to keep handy is the Portable Record. Use these to save anywhere in the game. Maybe you'll use them before a big fight or just when you have something else to do. Don't forget to return and solve the mystery!

Battling Monsters

When you run into a white encounter cloud or a unique monster (denoted by a 'real' monster graphic - an orc, imp and ogre, in order of difficutly), you'll start a battle. Like most RPGs, the point of the battle is to reduce the enemy's Energy down to 0 while keeping yours above 0. Because Visions & Voices uses an Active Time Battle system (like Final Fantasy IV to X-2), each of your characters gets to move when their wait bar is full. After selecting a command, the character will charge the action and then perform it.

For more details on the effects of weapons and equipment in battles, check the Numbers tab.