Ys chronicles is a remake of two first games in y's series. While being a remake these games are probably quite true to the original, meaning that there are surely some quality of life improvements, but overall feel of the game is that of the 80's hard console games. I liked the plot, there's surprisingly interesting and large story for an old game. The music is awesome. I already knew what to expect from the gameplay, I don't mind the battle system at all, a bit of grinding here and there and buying the right stuff and then you're good for anything except few boss battles. Few boss battles are unfair and almost more luck-based than skill-based. Getting lost and not knowing where to go or what to do next and needing to check walk through is common, the game doesn't always point well enough to right direction and which items are supposed to be used explicitly but that's about it. The game is short and therefore nice to play for a bit of refreshment between playing 100+ hour epics.
Haven't played part 2 yet.
Haven't played part 2 yet.
Ys I started promising with a unique combat system and excellent writing, but I eventually did need to look up a guide to proceed. The steps outlined in the guide were so convoluted and unpredictable that I just couldn't convince myself to continue. This game is clearly meant to be played with a ton of backtracking and wandering around figuring out what to do, and I really don't think that type of design has aged well. The music is absolutely fantastic, and the graphics are reasonably well done considering the source material. I'm glad I tried it for its historical significance, but I hated these types of games even when they were on the cutting edge.
Ys1: The best things about this game are: its pacing, its music and its general art direction. The action-RPG combat I can take or leave. Now, I hate to disparage the "Bump" system, especially as it Tries Something New (TM), but I just have to ask: WHY? I completely appreciate the need to tackle foes from the sides and weird angles; it adds a small level of tactics to an otherwise breezy combat experience, just like 'A Link to the Past', where certain armoured enemies needed to be struck from the sides, lest the PLINK of defeat ring in thine ears...Would Ys1 be better with a dedicated sword button? Maybe...The biggest problem with "Bumping" is the lack of complete character control and there are some bosses where it felt like a race to the bottom of the HP barrel. Thankfully, you can save almost anywhere, meaning a judicious RPG-liker shouldn't be losing too much progress to a poorly designed boss.
There are, in my view, two such bosses, which were probably "designed" in the same way my local council "designs" roundabouts: badly, and with way too many bats. Ys1 likers will no doubt feel a shiver down their spine at the mere mention of "Bat Boss" and I can only gasp these words of advice having finally bested this beast of absolute dubious provenance: Please Don't Play This Game On Hard or Nightmare Mode!!!! Maybe Hard mode is possible, maybe; if you believe in the Heart of the Cards enough you might be able to prevail where I stumbled. But, ye gods! Never try Nightmare mode. Never!! Have you ever read those H.P Lovecraft stories that always begin with the protagonist already at the brink of sanity (but always find time to "set down" their experiences in extremely florid and pageful prose before jumping out a window or some such...) after a horrifying eldritch encounter? That's what playing Nightmare mode is like! In fact, Lovecraft himself would blush at the sheer Hell induced by this abominable mode!!
You should give it a try!
Nightmare mode aside, the game is breezy, I tell you, like a gust of wind gently pushing you along. The pacing is really well done for an RPG, a genre historically plagued by games that take a somewhat whimsical approach to the audience's time. Ys1 pivots from plot point to plot point at speed, introducing new macguffins and world-saving crystals conveniently tucked into old women's shawls at an alarmingly refreshing pace. Until we get to the final dungeon, where the developers seemed to completely panic and started to pad, pad, pad the time away with backtracking...Not a dealbreaker, and it only happens once or twice, although by this time your patience and serenity towards the game may be waning.
You know what doesn't wane, though? This kick-ass music! Mostly electric guitar based with some awesome synthy touches (think Castlevania: Symphony of the Night boss battle type music and you're in the same ballpark) it really helps to make you feel like a true hero as you skip through these dungeons, Bumping(TM) into your enemies. Very cool. I don't really remember the melodies very well, but highlights would include: the Plains music, Darm Tower and most boss battles (yes, even the horrible BAT boss is almost saved by the strength of those chugging guitar lines).
And I definitely want to check out some more Ys titles after this to see where the series goes. Like Dragon Quest or Final Fantasy, I need to pick on later games to get more of a feel for what this series is really supposed to be, or what it later became.
There are, in my view, two such bosses, which were probably "designed" in the same way my local council "designs" roundabouts: badly, and with way too many bats. Ys1 likers will no doubt feel a shiver down their spine at the mere mention of "Bat Boss" and I can only gasp these words of advice having finally bested this beast of absolute dubious provenance: Please Don't Play This Game On Hard or Nightmare Mode!!!! Maybe Hard mode is possible, maybe; if you believe in the Heart of the Cards enough you might be able to prevail where I stumbled. But, ye gods! Never try Nightmare mode. Never!! Have you ever read those H.P Lovecraft stories that always begin with the protagonist already at the brink of sanity (but always find time to "set down" their experiences in extremely florid and pageful prose before jumping out a window or some such...) after a horrifying eldritch encounter? That's what playing Nightmare mode is like! In fact, Lovecraft himself would blush at the sheer Hell induced by this abominable mode!!
You should give it a try!
Nightmare mode aside, the game is breezy, I tell you, like a gust of wind gently pushing you along. The pacing is really well done for an RPG, a genre historically plagued by games that take a somewhat whimsical approach to the audience's time. Ys1 pivots from plot point to plot point at speed, introducing new macguffins and world-saving crystals conveniently tucked into old women's shawls at an alarmingly refreshing pace. Until we get to the final dungeon, where the developers seemed to completely panic and started to pad, pad, pad the time away with backtracking...Not a dealbreaker, and it only happens once or twice, although by this time your patience and serenity towards the game may be waning.
You know what doesn't wane, though? This kick-ass music! Mostly electric guitar based with some awesome synthy touches (think Castlevania: Symphony of the Night boss battle type music and you're in the same ballpark) it really helps to make you feel like a true hero as you skip through these dungeons, Bumping(TM) into your enemies. Very cool. I don't really remember the melodies very well, but highlights would include: the Plains music, Darm Tower and most boss battles (yes, even the horrible BAT boss is almost saved by the strength of those chugging guitar lines).
And I definitely want to check out some more Ys titles after this to see where the series goes. Like Dragon Quest or Final Fantasy, I need to pick on later games to get more of a feel for what this series is really supposed to be, or what it later became.
AZY TOI REMET MOI DES GLACONS
ys i i'd give 3 stars, ys ii i'd give 4, for an average of 3.5. i really like the ys series, simple enjoyable combat. the stories are never anything to write home about, but you're not playing this game for that reason, are you?
10/10 music
0/10 gameplay
even though the game looks amazing and sounds perfect, the lack of maps and the dated gameplay mechanics made me very mad during the completion of this game, talking specifically about the last segments of ys II, shrine of solmon is probably the most confusing to navigate, all that without a map, even when I tried using the illustarted map on GAME FAQ it was waaay too convoluted and just not fun.
That being said, I am still listening to its BGM on spotify, its perfect, but the game itself isnt good, frustrating even.
Story is nothing special, defeat darkness to free all demons from the land.
Super excited to finally play the better games of the ys series, because this one aged terribly.
0/10 gameplay
even though the game looks amazing and sounds perfect, the lack of maps and the dated gameplay mechanics made me very mad during the completion of this game, talking specifically about the last segments of ys II, shrine of solmon is probably the most confusing to navigate, all that without a map, even when I tried using the illustarted map on GAME FAQ it was waaay too convoluted and just not fun.
That being said, I am still listening to its BGM on spotify, its perfect, but the game itself isnt good, frustrating even.
Story is nothing special, defeat darkness to free all demons from the land.
Super excited to finally play the better games of the ys series, because this one aged terribly.
Pretty aight 1 is probably better than 2 but both r backtrackatons with some dumb bosses where you just face tank or spam fireballs
Each game has shortcomings, and something each does better. For example I think 1's climax was better but 2 was more consistent. In the end though you have timeless classics that tell an somewhat sad yet still hopeful and inspiring story. Bump system isn't the best, it's pretty annoying for trash mobs but I think all of the bosses are fresh and unique. Music is baller too.
monster harassment simulator
Ys I and II Chronicles contains the first games of the Ys franchise with updated graphics and music. Originally, I was going to play Ys II after finishing Ys I, but after beating the first Ys, I do not feel like doing the second game. The first game is a passable, yet archaic RPG and the second game does not look like it has a lot of differences for me to consider playing it. Who knows? Maybe one day I will play the second Ys, but I will be focusing on the first one for this review.
Since Ys originally was released in the 1980s, it is incredibly basic. The story is basic and the gameplay is basic. For how basic the story is, I can see the seeds being planted for something grander in the franchise.
The game is an Action RPG and the gameplay has the protagonist Adol “bumping” into enemies. There is no attack button; Adol automatically attacks when you bump into an enemy in the front or the back. It is actually not mindless since attacking in front of the enemies is not the go to strategy most of the time. I do like how fast Adol moves, so the game has good pacing.
I love the sprites and the soundtrack. Adol’s spritelooks cute and seeing him mow down enemies is amusing. The soundtrack is phenomenal. I chose the newer option for the soundtrack and it sounds amazing. Why did it take me this long to listen to music from Nihom Falcom? I hope more of their games have great soundtracks.
Remember when I mentioned Ys I is a “passable, yet archaic RPG”? Well, this is a game where a guide is required if you want to beat it. There is no map system in this game and the game is rather vague on what you need to do. Huge shout-out to StrategyWiki for having a helpful walkthrough. Trust me, you need it for the Abandoned Mine and Darm Tower. Those two are nightmares to navigate.
Link to the walkthrough: https://strategywiki.org/wiki/Ys:_Ancient_Ys_Vanished/Walkthrough
It is a shame that Ys I has some of the worst bosses I have ever encountered in a RPG. The first boss that really got me to almost rage quit was the bat creature, Vagullion. This boss is luck based. Vagullion will divide itself into multiple bats and chase after you. These bats drain your health like nothing else and they can be a pain to avoid. Once Vagullion becomes big again, you have a short window to attack. I swear it is random when it decides to become big again. I took so much damage trying to run away from those bats and the many game overs got my blood boiling. Vanguillion does not hold a candle to Dark Fact, the final boss.
I despise Dark Fact so much. This fight is unfair and bullshit. You have projectiles all over the screen draining your health (meaning you have a limited amount of time to defeat Dark Fact), he is constantly moving, and once you attack that motherfucker, a square disappears. You can fall and get a game over if the square you are standing disappears. Just like Vaguillion, I swear what square disappears is random. It is not fun; it is a clusterfuck. I died so many times that I almost gave up. After many attempts, the fucker is defeated and the game is over. I felt so relieved.
Ys I is an old school RPG that requires a guide to know what to do. Without it, you are screwed. Even with the great sprite work and soundtrack, the archaic design and bullshit fights with Vanguillion and Dark Fact soured my opinion on the game. I do look forward to trying out more Nihom Falcom games like the Trails series since I heard great things about those games.
Since Ys originally was released in the 1980s, it is incredibly basic. The story is basic and the gameplay is basic. For how basic the story is, I can see the seeds being planted for something grander in the franchise.
The game is an Action RPG and the gameplay has the protagonist Adol “bumping” into enemies. There is no attack button; Adol automatically attacks when you bump into an enemy in the front or the back. It is actually not mindless since attacking in front of the enemies is not the go to strategy most of the time. I do like how fast Adol moves, so the game has good pacing.
I love the sprites and the soundtrack. Adol’s spritelooks cute and seeing him mow down enemies is amusing. The soundtrack is phenomenal. I chose the newer option for the soundtrack and it sounds amazing. Why did it take me this long to listen to music from Nihom Falcom? I hope more of their games have great soundtracks.
Remember when I mentioned Ys I is a “passable, yet archaic RPG”? Well, this is a game where a guide is required if you want to beat it. There is no map system in this game and the game is rather vague on what you need to do. Huge shout-out to StrategyWiki for having a helpful walkthrough. Trust me, you need it for the Abandoned Mine and Darm Tower. Those two are nightmares to navigate.
Link to the walkthrough: https://strategywiki.org/wiki/Ys:_Ancient_Ys_Vanished/Walkthrough
It is a shame that Ys I has some of the worst bosses I have ever encountered in a RPG. The first boss that really got me to almost rage quit was the bat creature, Vagullion. This boss is luck based. Vagullion will divide itself into multiple bats and chase after you. These bats drain your health like nothing else and they can be a pain to avoid. Once Vagullion becomes big again, you have a short window to attack. I swear it is random when it decides to become big again. I took so much damage trying to run away from those bats and the many game overs got my blood boiling. Vanguillion does not hold a candle to Dark Fact, the final boss.
I despise Dark Fact so much. This fight is unfair and bullshit. You have projectiles all over the screen draining your health (meaning you have a limited amount of time to defeat Dark Fact), he is constantly moving, and once you attack that motherfucker, a square disappears. You can fall and get a game over if the square you are standing disappears. Just like Vaguillion, I swear what square disappears is random. It is not fun; it is a clusterfuck. I died so many times that I almost gave up. After many attempts, the fucker is defeated and the game is over. I felt so relieved.
Ys I is an old school RPG that requires a guide to know what to do. Without it, you are screwed. Even with the great sprite work and soundtrack, the archaic design and bullshit fights with Vanguillion and Dark Fact soured my opinion on the game. I do look forward to trying out more Nihom Falcom games like the Trails series since I heard great things about those games.