Vagrant Story has a carefully crafted story about a Riskbreaker named Ashley Riot who was sent to break a fanatical religious cult's hold on the manor of Duke Bardorba. Shortly after this incident, the leader of the cult, Sydney Losstarot, disappeared and the Duke was murdered. Ashley Riot was named as a suspect in the murder case. The player takes the part of Ashley during the week before the murder, following Sydney into the deserted ruins of the cursed city Leá Monde ( the game takes place in the same day as the Sydney's assault on the Bardorba's manor ).
The game's graphical style is very dark and emphasizes brown tones, adding to the sense of mystery in the game. Some of its scenarios are inspired to some extent by landscapes of the South West of France, notably the city of Saint-Emilion. Its style of cinematics is reminiscent of the style utilized in Metal Gear Solid: in both games the in-game story sequences were rendered with the game engine and directed with a strong cinematic feeling.