railgun233
2021
HENSHIN
Exploring in this game is a painful and wonderful memory at the same time.
Although the main theme of the game seems a bit dated these days, I really appreciate what the creator was trying to say.
Next move to chulip
Although the main theme of the game seems a bit dated these days, I really appreciate what the creator was trying to say.
Next move to chulip
video game peaks here
spiritual successor of majora's mask
peak story
peak gameplay
peak level design
peak sound design
peak character writing
spiritual successor of majora's mask
peak story
peak gameplay
peak level design
peak sound design
peak character writing
Its graphic is in high quality and looks perfect on the deck.
The controls are smooth and the combat is pretty fun. So many controllable characters and there unique mechanics in a 10-hour epic campaign. Definitely one of the best licensed games.
The controls are smooth and the combat is pretty fun. So many controllable characters and there unique mechanics in a 10-hour epic campaign. Definitely one of the best licensed games.
2024
It's a remake that can't be picked apart, with a lot of improvements to the system that make the combat faster paced.
But I find it really kind of boring when playing a remake JRPG that follows the original completely. The story and gameplay are predictable and the character arcs are unchanged.
And I don't like the new remix songs and animation either.
But I find it really kind of boring when playing a remake JRPG that follows the original completely. The story and gameplay are predictable and the character arcs are unchanged.
And I don't like the new remix songs and animation either.
god tier soundtrack
Combat is boring, but the rest of the game is fantastic.
2017
Gameplay is mid, but holy fuck the story is so emotional.
2020
Incredible soundtrack, with a great story and solid gameplay, hidden gems.
2023
So I finally finished Ys X this weekend and there's so much to say.
Is it a great game or a mediocre game?
Hard to say, Compared to VIII and IX, Nordics has made a lot of good changes, but there are also many downgrades for me. Still I enjoy this game like VIII and IX and I highly recommend it if you also like Falcom game.
Now let's begin the review.
It is difficult not to compare X with VIII and IX in the review, because they basically belong to the same template.
Cut scenes and dialogues, land exploration, dungeon and boss fights, side quests and collecting missions, and garbage time scramble fights. These elements are present in each game, with different forms of expression but the essence is the same. People call it trails-ys, which means there are more story and RPG elements while less combat. Ys X is another Trails-Ys, it's obvious.
Combat
The best part of the game and the real fresh stuff that carries the whole game. I never thought the combat system of Ys would be complex, it's just rubbing the attack button and dodging or jumping at the appropriate time. But I did spend some time learning Ys X's combat system.
Unlike VIII and IX, in X, you can only use two characters: Adol and Karja. For me, this is a good change. Multiple but homogeneous characters in action games are meaningless. Falcom finally realizes it. Now breakdown every parts.
Combine mode
Actually guard mode. When pressing R2, a protective cover will be generated. It's very similar to the Royal Guard. If the timing is perfect, you can avoid attacks completely and gain a certain amount of revenge rate, the higher your risk rate the more damage your combine skill can cause. Even if it's half a beat slower, you won't get hurt most time. And when you perfectly block a red attack, it can stun the enemy, trigger a powerful counterattack or counter QTE, and fully recover the revenge rate. Combine guard can resist any attack (even roaring) except for the blue attack. So using combine mode all the time is the safest way to play. Few bosses can break your defenses and combine skill at a high revenge rate is extremely powerful.
Solo mode
I mentioned that the combine mode is the safest, but it is not the most effectivetive. In fact, the solo mode of Adol and Karja is the most powerful character you can use in the ys series. First, we need to retrospect the skill system. It first appeared in Ys seven, but at that time the SP obtain speed was slow and the normal attacks are still mainstream. The acquisition of SP in Ys IX is much faster, but you still cannot use high-damage skills casually. While in ys x, the SP of the two characters are separate, and when using one character, the SP recovery speed of another character is very high. So constantly switching between two characters can achieve sp freedom. In addition, using different skills can increase the chain number, and the higher the chain number, the lower the SP consumption. But this is not the most ridiculous yet, During the animation of releasing skills, you will receive significant damage reduction buffs, almost eliminating 90% of damage. That means you're virtually invincible during the uninterrupted release of skills.
Skills
Back to the skill itself. Thanks to the reduced number of characters, this time the number and quality of skills for both characters are great (Adol 29 skills, Karja 30 skills). The animations and effects for every skill are very cool and dynamic. And falcom has given real distinction to the skills. Some skills blow enemies away, some are downward smashes, some are upward picks, and some allow the character to shift. This enhances player-enemy interaction and allows for some crazy combos.
Mana Seed and Liberate Road
Very close to the orb system of trails series but much simpler. Different types of Mana Seeds provide different types of enhancements to characters. And the way they are connected affects the results. It certainly won't have as much impact as it did in the Trails series but it's the first time you can truly build a character in Ys series.
Enemy design
Some of the bosses are pretty well designed but some are annoying. What puzzles me is that there are a lot of plural boss fights this time. The experience is really bad because it's hard to watch the movements of two enemies at the same time.
Combat is not without its issues. Blue attacks are hard to dodge in melee and don't reward as much as blocking. Normal attacks and dodges feel much heavier than before. Mana outbreak is useless in combat.
Level design
I'm a little disappointed, to be honest. After playing Ys IX I'm actually looking forward to the further evolution of Ys level design. But Ys X is more of a step back, it's like Ys VIII cut into dozens of pieces. Each island is short to explore and full of invisible walls. Levels are mainly based on platform gameplay with Mana String and Mana Boards. It's ok but undoubtedly not as fun as the Monstrum ability. There are plenty of buried treasures but finding them is boring because Ys X's levels are nowhere near as three-dimensional as Ys IX's. Also, the overall number and size of dungeons are not as good as in the previous game. That said I think the level design is generally good, especially if you prefer linear levels. Some parts that remind me of Castlevania PoR, which is good.
Ship combat
It was really bad in the beginning. The ship was very clumsy and lacked firepower. Although upgrades can change all this the ship combats are still rough and stupid. Don't expect it and treat it as a mini-game then it's actually playable.
Story and character
I think the story is much more complete than IX, and Karja is portrayed quite well. The narrative is more traditional without much of a reversal. The writing is Falcom standard you know what I mean if you've played their games. If I had to rank them, I'd say VIII>X>IX.
It's complaining time. Falcom really needs more artists and modelers. Ys X has the same problem as IX. Every island and town looks exactly the same. The variety of textures and decorations is pitifully small and of poor quality. The scene at sea is even more horrible. It's really hard to attract more players. The OST is by far the worst Ys music I've ever heard outside of Ys V.
My final ranking is VIII>IX>X. But I still recommend everyone to try it and I also think X is a great entry point.
Is it a great game or a mediocre game?
Hard to say, Compared to VIII and IX, Nordics has made a lot of good changes, but there are also many downgrades for me. Still I enjoy this game like VIII and IX and I highly recommend it if you also like Falcom game.
Now let's begin the review.
It is difficult not to compare X with VIII and IX in the review, because they basically belong to the same template.
Cut scenes and dialogues, land exploration, dungeon and boss fights, side quests and collecting missions, and garbage time scramble fights. These elements are present in each game, with different forms of expression but the essence is the same. People call it trails-ys, which means there are more story and RPG elements while less combat. Ys X is another Trails-Ys, it's obvious.
Combat
The best part of the game and the real fresh stuff that carries the whole game. I never thought the combat system of Ys would be complex, it's just rubbing the attack button and dodging or jumping at the appropriate time. But I did spend some time learning Ys X's combat system.
Unlike VIII and IX, in X, you can only use two characters: Adol and Karja. For me, this is a good change. Multiple but homogeneous characters in action games are meaningless. Falcom finally realizes it. Now breakdown every parts.
Combine mode
Actually guard mode. When pressing R2, a protective cover will be generated. It's very similar to the Royal Guard. If the timing is perfect, you can avoid attacks completely and gain a certain amount of revenge rate, the higher your risk rate the more damage your combine skill can cause. Even if it's half a beat slower, you won't get hurt most time. And when you perfectly block a red attack, it can stun the enemy, trigger a powerful counterattack or counter QTE, and fully recover the revenge rate. Combine guard can resist any attack (even roaring) except for the blue attack. So using combine mode all the time is the safest way to play. Few bosses can break your defenses and combine skill at a high revenge rate is extremely powerful.
Solo mode
I mentioned that the combine mode is the safest, but it is not the most effectivetive. In fact, the solo mode of Adol and Karja is the most powerful character you can use in the ys series. First, we need to retrospect the skill system. It first appeared in Ys seven, but at that time the SP obtain speed was slow and the normal attacks are still mainstream. The acquisition of SP in Ys IX is much faster, but you still cannot use high-damage skills casually. While in ys x, the SP of the two characters are separate, and when using one character, the SP recovery speed of another character is very high. So constantly switching between two characters can achieve sp freedom. In addition, using different skills can increase the chain number, and the higher the chain number, the lower the SP consumption. But this is not the most ridiculous yet, During the animation of releasing skills, you will receive significant damage reduction buffs, almost eliminating 90% of damage. That means you're virtually invincible during the uninterrupted release of skills.
Skills
Back to the skill itself. Thanks to the reduced number of characters, this time the number and quality of skills for both characters are great (Adol 29 skills, Karja 30 skills). The animations and effects for every skill are very cool and dynamic. And falcom has given real distinction to the skills. Some skills blow enemies away, some are downward smashes, some are upward picks, and some allow the character to shift. This enhances player-enemy interaction and allows for some crazy combos.
Mana Seed and Liberate Road
Very close to the orb system of trails series but much simpler. Different types of Mana Seeds provide different types of enhancements to characters. And the way they are connected affects the results. It certainly won't have as much impact as it did in the Trails series but it's the first time you can truly build a character in Ys series.
Enemy design
Some of the bosses are pretty well designed but some are annoying. What puzzles me is that there are a lot of plural boss fights this time. The experience is really bad because it's hard to watch the movements of two enemies at the same time.
Combat is not without its issues. Blue attacks are hard to dodge in melee and don't reward as much as blocking. Normal attacks and dodges feel much heavier than before. Mana outbreak is useless in combat.
Level design
I'm a little disappointed, to be honest. After playing Ys IX I'm actually looking forward to the further evolution of Ys level design. But Ys X is more of a step back, it's like Ys VIII cut into dozens of pieces. Each island is short to explore and full of invisible walls. Levels are mainly based on platform gameplay with Mana String and Mana Boards. It's ok but undoubtedly not as fun as the Monstrum ability. There are plenty of buried treasures but finding them is boring because Ys X's levels are nowhere near as three-dimensional as Ys IX's. Also, the overall number and size of dungeons are not as good as in the previous game. That said I think the level design is generally good, especially if you prefer linear levels. Some parts that remind me of Castlevania PoR, which is good.
Ship combat
It was really bad in the beginning. The ship was very clumsy and lacked firepower. Although upgrades can change all this the ship combats are still rough and stupid. Don't expect it and treat it as a mini-game then it's actually playable.
Story and character
I think the story is much more complete than IX, and Karja is portrayed quite well. The narrative is more traditional without much of a reversal. The writing is Falcom standard you know what I mean if you've played their games. If I had to rank them, I'd say VIII>X>IX.
It's complaining time. Falcom really needs more artists and modelers. Ys X has the same problem as IX. Every island and town looks exactly the same. The variety of textures and decorations is pitifully small and of poor quality. The scene at sea is even more horrible. It's really hard to attract more players. The OST is by far the worst Ys music I've ever heard outside of Ys V.
My final ranking is VIII>IX>X. But I still recommend everyone to try it and I also think X is a great entry point.
It's fun but looting in first-person sucks.
2021
It's rough but charming, great 3D metrovania adventure game.
More like Ys IV: The Peak of Ys
Imagine a polished and expanded version of Ys I&II, with the strongest graphics, animation, and music of its time.
Gameplay
Needless to say, this is the best bump combat Ys. It undoubtedly combines the strengths and removes the weaknesses of Ys1&2. The combat of Ys I was pretty clunky, while Ys 2 went overcorrect and made it too easy. The dawn of Ys is just at the middle point, it feels good to control but is still challenging.
BOSS Fights
It's Amazing. Not only the amount but the quality. I really love the magic system of Ys 2, but they abused it in the boss fights. But in this game, bosses that require magic and bump combat appear in turn. So you'll never feel monotonous. Balance is also very well done, fighting the boss at different levels is like choosing different difficulties, But whichever difficulty you choose it's just fun and challenging.
Story
As we know classic Ys never get an impressive story. But even so, this game is very different. Most Ys stories have a town or city as the center, and the dungeons are spread around it. But The Dawn of Ys has plural towns, each of which can serve as the center of one of the adventures, and which you'll revisit as the story progresses. This makes for a larger and wider world map, and more characters involved in the story, which makes Ys IV feel like a real big-budget jrpg. Also there are many fan services of Ys1&2.
Graphic and Music
PCE CD is fucking incredible, even if the pixel art isn't the best, all that elegant animation and voice acting is good as hell. PC-98 is great for me, but PCE is more suitable for Ys without a doubt.
As for the OST, You must be crazy if you don't like it.
The game isn't perfect for sure, there are a few things that are aged well. The dungeon design has the same problem as Ys1&2, the non-guide playthrough is very annoying, too much trial-and-error. Besides, you have to admit escort missions are shitty.
It's also interesting that best Ys is not made by Falcom and they try to erase the existence of this game
Imagine a polished and expanded version of Ys I&II, with the strongest graphics, animation, and music of its time.
Gameplay
Needless to say, this is the best bump combat Ys. It undoubtedly combines the strengths and removes the weaknesses of Ys1&2. The combat of Ys I was pretty clunky, while Ys 2 went overcorrect and made it too easy. The dawn of Ys is just at the middle point, it feels good to control but is still challenging.
BOSS Fights
It's Amazing. Not only the amount but the quality. I really love the magic system of Ys 2, but they abused it in the boss fights. But in this game, bosses that require magic and bump combat appear in turn. So you'll never feel monotonous. Balance is also very well done, fighting the boss at different levels is like choosing different difficulties, But whichever difficulty you choose it's just fun and challenging.
Story
As we know classic Ys never get an impressive story. But even so, this game is very different. Most Ys stories have a town or city as the center, and the dungeons are spread around it. But The Dawn of Ys has plural towns, each of which can serve as the center of one of the adventures, and which you'll revisit as the story progresses. This makes for a larger and wider world map, and more characters involved in the story, which makes Ys IV feel like a real big-budget jrpg. Also there are many fan services of Ys1&2.
Graphic and Music
PCE CD is fucking incredible, even if the pixel art isn't the best, all that elegant animation and voice acting is good as hell. PC-98 is great for me, but PCE is more suitable for Ys without a doubt.
As for the OST, You must be crazy if you don't like it.
The game isn't perfect for sure, there are a few things that are aged well. The dungeon design has the same problem as Ys1&2, the non-guide playthrough is very annoying, too much trial-and-error. Besides, you have to admit escort missions are shitty.
It's also interesting that best Ys is not made by Falcom and they try to erase the existence of this game
It seems that JAPAN Studio have already made Tears of the Kingdom 24 years ago.
2005
Incredible map design, getting keys and exp is kinda torturous, but still a unique and charming ARPG.
Sadly Falcom has lost its diversity and we will never get a sequel.
Sadly Falcom has lost its diversity and we will never get a sequel.