Firstly, I'm hella biased. I love this series, I love beach settings, and I love blue-haired heroines. Secondly, I will write a lot (lmao nerd).

Jumping is back, babyyyy! Finally Adol's feet can be unbound from the grips of the earth again. This means we get some platforming back in the mix, and overall I think this function is used decently well, just maybe not as much as in older games that had it. Neither in level traversal, nor in combat. Small minus but no big deal, because in the end I think the scenarios have a good amount of verticality in them, which brings good variety compared to the flatter landscapes of the last two games.

Another game changer is free camera. Being able to look around makes me take in much more of the game's world, as you can sometimes just stop take a moment to let the space around you sink in, and it's gives more freedom on getting an understanding of the game's world as you spot landmarks from afar.

Probably the next big change is also the game's length. While the previous one took me 40 hours to beat, this one took 60! Ys has come a long way from a series that used to have 10-hour long playthroughs. Although this was expected since the change to more traditional JRPG-style since Ys Seven. However...

...While a game being long is not a bad thing, I think it's not that favorable usually. It's weird. I definitely enjoyed every minute of it, and I appreciate the fact that the game being longer allowed me to spend more time with it. And while there is some repetition, I feel it never goes into the bad side of it. There's always new areas to explore, new progression for the plot... Well, maybe not as much as I'd consider ideal on the gameplay side? But again, never bad enough to be an actual problem. Just maybe a thing that could be better.

For example, I love the optional dungeons you can do as Dana. They feel tightly-packed, and you unlock new significant abilities to do combat and level interaction at a nice pace. While the main game doesn't do that as well. This might just be the Ys Origin fanboy in me, but perhaps I would indeed enjoy the game better if it was either shorter (which would be a problem, considering the scope of the story they wanted to tell), or had more impactful gameplay changes unlocked throughout it.

In the end, this might still be the best Ys game I've played so far (still didn't play IX). I love the exploration, it's the best that's ever been in the series. They finally nailed it after what I'd say a slightly awkward attempt at a "big open world" with the previous game. The story is epic and well-crafted, it takes you on a ride for sure. Growing the village and improving it slowly with time is one of the best sensations too. The village feels like a comfy and warm community where you belong. This also means the side-characters here are the best in the series, since you get to know and interact with each of them over time.

And of course the music is awesome, it is Ys we're talking about. Many songs here will stick with me forever, special shoutouts to "Next Step Towards the Unknown", "Riddles of the Labyrinth", "Eroded Valley", and... Better stop it here or I ain't stopping... Okay fine, at least I'll put "Sunshine Coastline" in there too, it's definitely one of my favorite Ys songs of all time.

In the topic of me not stopping, I feel like this review could go on forever as well... But in the end, this is a series I hold really close to my heart, I can't help it! I like a lot what this entry adds to the world itself, both lore and characters, and I'm sure as hell looking forward to seeing some familiar names and faces in future entries. The power level is getting way too dank at this point too, but I don't mind if it means I always get to fight some crazy god transcendent entity alongside the sound of soul-lifting power metal.

I'd say little keeps me from rating this a perfect game, but it's a very special one nonetheless. I think Falcom finally reached a very sweet spot with the formula they started on Ys SEVEN, and while maybe it will still not completely dethrone Ys Origin in the deepest parts of my platformer-lover heart, it surely can find space to be there alongside it.

bro this game is garbage like you cant even jump you cant even do a backflip you also cant climb walls, can't believe this is a game made by the guys who game geshin impact 3D, like that game SO MUCH COOLER you don't have to wait your turn to attack lmao is this 1999????? update your game to have some REAL ACTION boomer devs, waste of time don't play this go play a real gacha like dragalia lost
FINAL VEREDICT: 1/10 who names their character a day of the year lmfaooooo march 7th more like april 1st this game is a joke 🤣🤣🤣

fucking love this game dude AHHHHHHHHHHHHH

peak videogame

did not ever think id cry over a supa mario brothers

Been playing this game on and off for little more than 2 years. I only wanted to consider it finished after 100%ing it, and today it's finally done!

To me, this game is perfect. Everything is very well-made, and every aspect blends perfectly with each other. If you love platformers, this game is simply a MUST. And if you at least don't hate them, you should still play it, even if using Assist Mode to give you a hand.

After 52 hours, my climb is finished. And I can only look forward to future projects made by those amazing artists! Earthblade, come home baby!

This game is about cute girls doing cute things (fighting each other to death).

This game also makes me feel like a grandpa. It's way too frenetic! It's Battle Network + Touhou + 1 litter of coffee.

Overall though, solid combat with lots of attacks to use (while also dodging a lot), interesting character building, beautiful spritework, and the music, oh boy. I probably listened to the OST more than I played the game. It has good replayability which is a must for roguelites, and honestly I just wish I was better at the game hehe.

First game, so it's VERY rough around the edges (and I feel some of it is intended). But the music, the atmosphere, the dungeon crawling, it's all that matters.

My main complaint is how you kinda have to hard commit to a character build or team comp that might just suck, and resetting skill points or creating a new character puts a lot of grind on your plate. This is a complaint I have with most if not all Etrian games, but it's at its worst here.

The dungeons are super fun though, but you might have to be a masochist to enjoy this (If you aren't, consider playing the remake, or using recommended builds). It's a lot of fun to fight FOEs, draw your map while navigating your way, and getting your party to work better as you get new skills. Combat might be a little simple, but this is definitely something that changed in the series over time, although the simplicity here can also be a strength.

I should also dedicate a paragraph solely to talk about the music. Yuzo Koshiro is a genius, and once again he proves that with this OST. It's probably what got me hooked into this series the most. It really gets you in the mood for each area, and each battle.

Overall, EO1 is a fun experience for those really into oldschool RPGs. Sometimes you just need to throw yourself into a deadly dungeon and crawl your way to the bottom. Oh, and there's also some absolutely insane post-game if you think the last dungeon didn't crush your soul enough. Have fun! (you won't :D)

Wacky and fun little game, just not my cup of tea. It's interesting for the first few moments, but then it becomes kinda trial and error to figure out all the endings. Honestly, I got tired of the gameplay loop not too deep into the game, and also lost some of the attachment to the setting of the game. Even so, I can see how interesting it can be to have all these possibilities that can lead to unique story paths and find out the crazy endings you can get.

Visuals are pretty nice, cute and retro aesthetic is a sweet spot for me. There's a decent amount of art for what the game is supposed to portray. And the music can get a tad repetitive, but it tends to match well the mood when needed, so bonus points for that.

In the end, this game is more of a gimmick and curiosity for me, but if you like exploring possibilities of a story by playing around with the choices, and aren't afraid of dark/weird topics, this can be a fun experience. Also, it's a VERY weeby and deviant game, so yeah.