▁K oe i . ▁It ▁is ▁based ▁lo os ely ▁on ▁the ▁Chinese ▁novel ▁J our ney ▁to ▁the ▁West . ▁The ▁game ' s ▁Japanese ▁title ▁is ▁simply ▁S ai y ū ki ▁( 西 <0xE9> <0x81> <0x8A> 記 ), ▁which ▁is ▁the ▁Japanese ▁name ▁of ▁J our ney ▁to ▁the ▁West . ▁ ▁It ▁follows ▁the ▁basic ▁outline ▁of ▁the ▁plot ▁of ▁the ▁novel , ▁in ▁which ▁the ▁main ▁character , ▁a ▁Buddh ist ▁pract ition er ▁named ▁San zo , ▁travel s ▁from ▁China ▁to ▁India ▁on ▁a ▁religious ▁mission ▁and ▁has ▁a ▁variety ▁of ▁advent ures ▁along ▁the ▁way . ▁The ▁game ▁also ▁features ▁several ▁other ▁characters ▁from ▁the ▁novel , ▁including ▁Son ▁G oku , ▁the ▁mon key ▁king . ▁In ▁contrast ▁to ▁other ▁rend itions ▁of ▁the ▁story , ▁the ▁game ▁allows ▁San zo ▁to ▁be ▁played ▁as ▁either ▁a ▁male ▁or ▁a ▁female ▁character ▁at ▁the ▁player ' s ▁choice . ▁ ▁A ▁game play ▁tw ist ▁is ▁that ▁every ▁character ▁except ▁San zo ▁can ▁transform ▁into ▁a ▁mon str ous ▁form ▁for ▁a ▁limited ▁time . ▁Instead ▁of ▁transform ing , ▁San zo ▁has ▁access ▁to ▁sum mon ▁sp ells ▁that ▁each ▁boost ▁the ▁party ' s ▁stats ▁in ▁different ▁ways ▁for ▁a ▁number ▁of ▁r ounds ▁and ▁allows ▁him / her ▁to ▁use ▁an ▁extra ▁spell ▁at ▁will . ▁Furthermore , ▁each ▁character ▁has ▁a ▁native ▁element ▁that ▁powers ▁their ▁sp ells ▁and ▁weak ens ▁them ▁to ▁oppos ing ▁elements . ▁ ▁The ▁game