Flashback twenty-four years ago: it's 1990 and the RPG is a fledgling
concept. The introduction of a console with the first-ever CD-ROM
peripheral allowed expanse material to be brought to the TurboGrafx-16-
in specific, titles like Ys Book I and II. Revolutionary for its time,
Ys featured action-based gameplay with role-playing elements, a pounding
soundtrack, and a surprisingly in-depth story.
With Ys VIII's recent release on Steam and the increased exposure of the series thanks to its imminent release on Switch, it is as good a time as any to evaluate what makes Falcom's signature Role-playing series so unique. Like many of its kind, however, Ys has undergone several improvements and changes throughout the years. This feature will take a look at some of the best parts of Ys Book I and II, highlighting why it is still holds up in its base form almost a quarter of a century later.
Fundamental Progression Perfection
Ys begins by teaching its basics in the best way possible- short story introduction, a basic task, and an introduction to gameplay. One of the most clever parts of Ys opening is how it forces the player to adapt to its mechanics- combat, story, and menu design. In its first objective, the player is required to buy armor to prepare for the journey ahead- except, the funds Adol arrives with are not enough to purchase all three items, meaning the player will have to enter the field in order to learn the combat mechanics and obtain more gold. It may seem convoluted, but it's a brilliant way to get a player into the groove of how a game will play. Likewise, the next narrative objective will not unlock until you have equipped your armor. This demands that the player accesses their menu to learn the navigation and confirmation elements. If a player never opened the instruction manual for Ys Book I and II, they will still learn to understand the mechanics of its systems. This is particularly helpful as the foundations of Ys were- and still are- very different from other RPGs.
It doesn't stop there- by the time you have reached the endgame of Ys Book I, you are prepared for the dungeon format in its lightest form. A typical structure is established over the course of the gameplay, with three-floor dungeons that possess increasingly difficult challenges. Ys Book I manages to make its final challenge feel substantial by creating this predictable loop, as the player is thrown into a massive, challenging tower that demands constant activity and combat. Even the bosses in Ys slowly evolve into more complex and precise affairs, taking the core combat and forcing the player to navigate the area and avoid attack patterns as best they can over the course of their playthrough. In addition, although Ys Book II features a different tone and introduces new systems, they all build on what the player has already learned in the previous title.
While dialog options and tutorials have become increasingly prevalent as the genre has advanced, it is always a treat to look back and admire the way developer intent shapes progression and understanding. More recently, the free nature and lack of guidance featured in Breath of the Wild allowed players both old and new to relearn the fundamentals of the title. The idea of teaching a player through a game hearkens back to the idea that all video games are, in some way, the process of mastering a certain set of systems. Ys Book I manages to teach the player using very little dialogue, and that's quite commendable.
Difficulty and Save Points- Accessibility and Player Respect
Ys features a save system that is extremely forgiving, but it is a mechanic that must be accessed frequently. Unlike many modern games, Ys' save function is extremely quick and painless, meaning progress lost is really the fault of the player. Likewise, Ys automatically saves progress before fighting key bosses, which is really the only time the player would have to do so once they have eased themselves into the mechanics. Enemies do have different behavior and deal greater amounts of damage as the game progresses, but bosses are the truly the most enjoyable challenges in the game, offering varied conflicts that reward players experimenting with their approach
Ys has text dumps, but they are rarely intrusive enough to break the flow of gameplay. They contain key plot and progression notes, though, which means the attentive player will learn some valuable information from them- this becomes especially prevalent in Book II, when even roaming mobs have something to say that often hints at the player's progression. Again, while text is sparse in proportion with modern games, the dialogue and information present is crucial. Should the player respect that the characters have something important to say, the game will respect and reward them, in kind. It's an interesting dichotomy, refreshing for its time and maybe a bit inaccessible or hard to comprehend in comparison with the superfluous dialogue of modern Role-playing games.
Flawed Elements- Ambiguity Issues and Hidden Doorways
While Ys has some great flow, there's still a few speed bumps here and there that stop it from hitting top speed. Yes, the opening is truly sublime and the game progresses at a fast pace. But there's a few points where the game throws some awkward translations and extremely ambiguous objectives at the player. NPCs will ask the player to speak with characters never before referred to by their true name, or, more often than not, the player must exhaust every ability in their inventory to find a solution to an obstacle or puzzle. Ys Book I has a particularly punishing portion where the player must backtrack ten floors of its final dungeon to get in contact with an NPC. While some of these instances can be solved with a few minutes of trial and error, others are a bit frustrating because of their roundabout execution. Still, since the game worlds aren't massive, it won't take you to figure out the solution. This is an example, however, of somewhat artificial padding, which is hard to overlook.
Also,
Ys graduated from the "hidden doorway" school of thought, where secret
entrances are never explicitly pointed out and feature key items behind
them. Though Ys Book subverts this oft-used mechanic somewhat
with one of its early game items, but it turns out Ys Book II embraces
it, and even makes its endgame dungeon an extremely difficult and
convoluted area to traverse with areas that barely look like entrances.
Conclusion- Does Ys stand the test of time?
Ys is very different. While Book I focuses on taking precise shots at invulnerable enemies, Ys Book II focuses more on ranged combat, with some melee here and there. Interestingly enough, the game still manages to deliver a satisfying final boss even when the player maxes out their stats- it shows how carefully the game was designed and given a sense of progress. Its action-based gameplay allows for a smooth play experience, and can even act as a sign that the player isn't quite prepared for the challenges ahead. With some very classy-looking aesthetics in its cutscenes, a fantastic soundtrack, and addicting mechanics, it's hard not to recommend Ys Book I and II. Of course, the games have been remade over and over, but even the classic still stands the test of time, and that's truly impressive.
With Ys VIII's recent release on Steam and the increased exposure of the series thanks to its imminent release on Switch, it is as good a time as any to evaluate what makes Falcom's signature Role-playing series so unique. Like many of its kind, however, Ys has undergone several improvements and changes throughout the years. This feature will take a look at some of the best parts of Ys Book I and II, highlighting why it is still holds up in its base form almost a quarter of a century later.
Fundamental Progression Perfection
Ys begins by teaching its basics in the best way possible- short story introduction, a basic task, and an introduction to gameplay. One of the most clever parts of Ys opening is how it forces the player to adapt to its mechanics- combat, story, and menu design. In its first objective, the player is required to buy armor to prepare for the journey ahead- except, the funds Adol arrives with are not enough to purchase all three items, meaning the player will have to enter the field in order to learn the combat mechanics and obtain more gold. It may seem convoluted, but it's a brilliant way to get a player into the groove of how a game will play. Likewise, the next narrative objective will not unlock until you have equipped your armor. This demands that the player accesses their menu to learn the navigation and confirmation elements. If a player never opened the instruction manual for Ys Book I and II, they will still learn to understand the mechanics of its systems. This is particularly helpful as the foundations of Ys were- and still are- very different from other RPGs.
It doesn't stop there- by the time you have reached the endgame of Ys Book I, you are prepared for the dungeon format in its lightest form. A typical structure is established over the course of the gameplay, with three-floor dungeons that possess increasingly difficult challenges. Ys Book I manages to make its final challenge feel substantial by creating this predictable loop, as the player is thrown into a massive, challenging tower that demands constant activity and combat. Even the bosses in Ys slowly evolve into more complex and precise affairs, taking the core combat and forcing the player to navigate the area and avoid attack patterns as best they can over the course of their playthrough. In addition, although Ys Book II features a different tone and introduces new systems, they all build on what the player has already learned in the previous title.
While dialog options and tutorials have become increasingly prevalent as the genre has advanced, it is always a treat to look back and admire the way developer intent shapes progression and understanding. More recently, the free nature and lack of guidance featured in Breath of the Wild allowed players both old and new to relearn the fundamentals of the title. The idea of teaching a player through a game hearkens back to the idea that all video games are, in some way, the process of mastering a certain set of systems. Ys Book I manages to teach the player using very little dialogue, and that's quite commendable.
Difficulty and Save Points- Accessibility and Player Respect
Ys features a save system that is extremely forgiving, but it is a mechanic that must be accessed frequently. Unlike many modern games, Ys' save function is extremely quick and painless, meaning progress lost is really the fault of the player. Likewise, Ys automatically saves progress before fighting key bosses, which is really the only time the player would have to do so once they have eased themselves into the mechanics. Enemies do have different behavior and deal greater amounts of damage as the game progresses, but bosses are the truly the most enjoyable challenges in the game, offering varied conflicts that reward players experimenting with their approach
Ys has text dumps, but they are rarely intrusive enough to break the flow of gameplay. They contain key plot and progression notes, though, which means the attentive player will learn some valuable information from them- this becomes especially prevalent in Book II, when even roaming mobs have something to say that often hints at the player's progression. Again, while text is sparse in proportion with modern games, the dialogue and information present is crucial. Should the player respect that the characters have something important to say, the game will respect and reward them, in kind. It's an interesting dichotomy, refreshing for its time and maybe a bit inaccessible or hard to comprehend in comparison with the superfluous dialogue of modern Role-playing games.
Flawed Elements- Ambiguity Issues and Hidden Doorways
While Ys has some great flow, there's still a few speed bumps here and there that stop it from hitting top speed. Yes, the opening is truly sublime and the game progresses at a fast pace. But there's a few points where the game throws some awkward translations and extremely ambiguous objectives at the player. NPCs will ask the player to speak with characters never before referred to by their true name, or, more often than not, the player must exhaust every ability in their inventory to find a solution to an obstacle or puzzle. Ys Book I has a particularly punishing portion where the player must backtrack ten floors of its final dungeon to get in contact with an NPC. While some of these instances can be solved with a few minutes of trial and error, others are a bit frustrating because of their roundabout execution. Still, since the game worlds aren't massive, it won't take you to figure out the solution. This is an example, however, of somewhat artificial padding, which is hard to overlook.
Conclusion- Does Ys stand the test of time?
Ys is very different. While Book I focuses on taking precise shots at invulnerable enemies, Ys Book II focuses more on ranged combat, with some melee here and there. Interestingly enough, the game still manages to deliver a satisfying final boss even when the player maxes out their stats- it shows how carefully the game was designed and given a sense of progress. Its action-based gameplay allows for a smooth play experience, and can even act as a sign that the player isn't quite prepared for the challenges ahead. With some very classy-looking aesthetics in its cutscenes, a fantastic soundtrack, and addicting mechanics, it's hard not to recommend Ys Book I and II. Of course, the games have been remade over and over, but even the classic still stands the test of time, and that's truly impressive.
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