Ys-E To Recommend- Ys Seven Review

DesertEagle’s Take: North American gamers are forgiven if they aren’t familiar with the exploits of Adol Chistin and his devoted sidekick, Dogi. With the exception of 2005s Ys VI: Ark of Napishtim, the duo hasn’t made an appearance on this side of the Atlantic since the sixteen-bit era. Yet in Japan, the series has been steadily refining its action/role-playing elements for a faithful legion of fans. Like the Dragon Quest franchise, Ys appears to be on the verge of widespread Western appeal. With publisher XSEED’s commitment to localizing three entries in the popular series, PSP owners are in for a treat- especially if each ensuing title is a competent as recent release, Ys Seven.

Despite the inclusion of the recurrent protagonists, players need not have played previous franchise iterations to enjoy Ys Seven. Staying close to role-playing platitude, the titles opens as a ship transporting crimson haired Adol and brawny Dogi makes its way toward the shore of Altago. Soon after the pair reach land, they come to the rescue to an innocuous flower merchant, which inadvertently lands them in the local jail. Luckily, they are released by a benevolent King ,who quickly discerns the duos’ stalwart disposition. The ruler then asks for Adol and Digo’s assistance is uncovering the source of a mounting surge of malevolence.

While Ys Seven‘s pre-town prologue and animated introduction generate anticipation for an impending adventure, some of the title’s momentum was lost during dialog with the local villagers. Before most individuals quests are assigned, players must initiate a conversation with a specific person to move the story along. Sporadically, this meant talking to a dozen or so townsfolk, whose chatter is intended to enrich the title’s storyline, yet often veers toward the mundane. There’s a are a few skillful exceptions to this formula- such as an impetuous young boy with a heartbreaking backstory who transforms into a gallant hero.

As plodding as the prattle can be, most players will absolve Ys Seven based on the game’s consistently stirring combat. Forgoing the turn-based skirmishes found in most adventures, the title’s conflicts aren’t far-removed from an arcade brawler. With buttons assigned to strike, dodge, use a variety of special moves, or switch characters battles are both rapid and rewarding. Since each dispatched foe gushes a stream of money and items, treks through hostile zones rarely feel like a grind; even so, players may dart past any encroaching beasts. To add a bit of substance to the proceedings, each party member has a specific expertise; for example Dogi’s attacks are most effective against armored opponents.

A number of minor elements also help improve Ys Seven‘s playability. From the commencement of the game, players have access to a quest guide and map. As a portable game that is often played in quarter-hour spurts, these tools were invaluable. A convenient teleport option become available once Altago’s pathways become well-worn. I do wish the game’s setting  was a bit more expansive- players are tasked with exploring the same dungeons twice (although they are rearranged for the revisit).

With a vibrant color palette and a rousing score, Ys Seven‘s presentation is certain to charm PSP owners. Masterfully, the game’s framerate is flawless even during the title’s intense boss battles, which will have players dodging and striking for durations of up to thirty minutes. Although towns overflow with buildings which can be entered and overworld treks can be expansive, the title’s loadtimes are always brief. The game’s single abstinence is the lack of voice-acting; all non-cutscene dialog is text-based.

Along with the two Star Ocean titles, Ys Seven is a requisite PSP game for action/RPG aficionados. With a riveting battle system, a handful of epic boss battles, and a surprisingly deep item synthesis component, the title should has the capacity to keep players engaged for at least thirty hours. If future franchise installments can maintain this game’s proficiency (and avoid the woes of the Ark of Napishtim port), Ys has the potential of capturing fans on Western shores.

SeanNOLA’s Take: There is a thin line between games that show respect to their audience and games that are obtuse to “outsiders.”   Games like Flower are often touted for making the assumption that its target audience comes equipped with certain knowledge of basic gameplay elements, such as collection, but more complicated titles can become inaccessible if designers presume that the player comes to the table with intimate knowledge of a genre’s inner workings.  Ys Seven precariously walks the line, but for the most part comes out on top.

The story begins with Adol and Dogi, consummate adventurers, landing on the once forbidden continent of Altago.  Upon arrival, they are asked by the king to investigate a series of Dragon shrines in order to explain the recent rise in tectonic activity as well as the strange illness that has been running rampant across the kingdom.  The next 30 hours are spent travelling from one Shrine to another, unlocking their dormant powers and reporting back to the sickly king.  Just like most JRPGs, the duo collects a cast of colorful characters to join them in their journey, and each one has their own story to tell, complete with side quests.  The overarching story is nothing to write home about, but it bears mentioning that the localization is well above average.  The dialogue is subtle, respectful and believably delivered.  There are no wacky, over-the-top comic relief characters or out-of-place talking animals – just a nice, straight forward tale in a fantasy setting.  The tone of Ys Seven is a refreshing context to the kind of childish drivel that JRPGs have become synonymous with.

The legendary bumping battles of the original Ys games are thankfully absent from Ys Seven.  Instead, combat is fast paced and surprisingly tactical.  In addition to slashing and dodging, each character can set up to 4 special attacks and one super attack.  Additionally, you can switch between any member of you party on the fly, giving you a choice of 18 different attacks at the ready for any given situation.   Every character in the game is assigned an attack stance, which serves as an anchor for a rock-paper-scissors mechanic, as certain enemies are more susceptible to particular attacks.  Boss battles revolve around a fatigue mechanic, very similar to the Stagger system found in Final Fantasy XIII, which breaks up the standard battles just enough to keep the game from getting repetitive.

Ys Seven’s Achilles’ Heel is its tendency to assume the player has a deep familiarity with JRPG nuance.  Often times, the story will offer little direction as to how to progress, instead supposing that the user will find the one character in a town that looks different from everyone else.  Without an understanding of the sort of nonsensical quest structure of the early nineties, you might find yourself losing a few hours wandering around a town without any focus.  Also, as deep and entertaining as the battle system is, the mechanics are not exactly spelled out for you.  Most of the more tactical details are left for the player to figure out on their own, leaving the inexperienced player with a rather dull “mash-x-to-win” style brawler.  The complaint seems small, but it is valid for anyone who is tackling an action RPG for the first time.

Although the past few installments of the Ys series have been underwhelming to say the least (I’m looking at you, Ark of the Napishtim), I can whole heartedly recommend Ys Seven to anyone with two thumbs and a PSP.  If you are unfamiliar with JRPGs, you might want to find a good guide or FAQ to help you through the first few towns, but if you’ve navigated your fair share of world maps, then you’ll feel right at home.