So, about that dungeon name... no, I'm not sure why a city in Not!France uses Latin for that, I'll assume the Romuns just renamed it because they're imperialistic jerks. And it's not the funkiest name in the game by a long shot. xD
Oh, interesting! I suppose, when you think about it, the other use for that word is still, in a roundabout way, kind of related lol.
I was starting to get some French vibes, from the saint who sounds an awful lot like Joan of Arc, to the mention of a hundred year war with Britai. Not exactly the most subtle Falcom's ever been XD
Is there a good world map for the series? I don't really have a solid image in my mind of where the various nations are laid out, although if you said just open any real world atlas, I wouldn't be surprised.
I was starting to get some French vibes, from the saint who sounds an awful lot like Joan of Arc, to the mention of a hundred year war with Britai. Not exactly the most subtle Falcom's ever been XD
Falcom tends to be a little less subtle when it comes to their references in Ys, probably because the setting is Earth (albeit a fantasy one with deities and dragons and a protagonist that can eat both for breakfast, and a second moon) so they can get away with being very blatant about it.
Is there a good world map for the series? I don't really have a solid image in my mind of where the various nations are laid out, although if you said just open any real world atlas, I wouldn't be surprised.
I'd almost do that, but Falcom plays around with the geography slightly and places like Esterior simply don't exist to be found on a real map of France. The best one is still probably the map that accompanied Ys VI because it gives the best feel for the big picture, but the map that's printed in the novella booklet is the most up to date and includes notations for Seiren and Balduq. The only thing is, the map is split across two pages and it's pretty small. There's a one-page version of that map in the manual that cuts off a lot of the margins (including all of Afroca) but will give you an idea where more things are in relation to each other since it includes VIII and IX material. Apologies for the shadow and distortion, I didn't want to take the booklet apart to scan it.
Cool, thanks. So, I guess the only major areas on those maps we've yet to visit are whatever's to the East, Romn and Britai, right? I'm interested to see what they do with Britai. Perhaps their take on Arthurian legends or something. Will Adol yank the sword from the stone and butter fingers it into oblivion on his way out?
So, are there a bunch of missables in IX? After an NPC gave me a recipe, I realized I'd better start being thorough with my rounds each chapter. Aside from the sidequests not on the message board, I feel like there's not too much else to worry about.
Also, I totally thought Raging Bull was going to be the bull that Felix was "fighting." Don't ask me how that could have possibly worked, but after Doll, I figured they'd throw another curveball and have the next one be an animal. I even dismissed Yufa, because I thought them havng the same voice was to throw me off. I feel a bit silly.
Gotta say, I think I'd place this over VIII for me so far and unless the game suddenly takes a dive off a cliff, I don't see my opinion changing. The central mystery is much more intriguing and has me craving answers. I like the verticality of areas and all the movement abilities are a bunch of fun to traverse the city with. Also, raid battles are much improved over VIII - having control over when I do them, rather than having to drop everything and run back to camp is vastly preferable to me. The cast's mostly an improvement and there's something about the dynamic between them that I prefer, too. I think part of it's how they were already an established group and Adol was like the late comer playing catchup. It's something different from the way the party games usually go. I will say, though, mapping an uncharted island is more satisfying than a city and I liked finding castaways and building up castaway village more than the stuff with the Dandelion, for the most part. Aside from that, it's all aces...except, I don't think I've heard anything to match the banger that is Sunshine Coastline. But how do you top perfection?
Edit: And special mention has to go to the sidequests. A lot of them are so involved, I genuinely forgot it technically wasn't required. In a way they kind of are, since you'd otherwise have grind those mini battes in town endlessly, so doing the sidequests does sort of feel mandatory, but even so, it's a great improvement.
Edit 2:
Mmmmmm, this popcorn is so delicious... 😀
Why yes, I am vicariously enjoying this after floofy did the same thing to me a year and a half ago, in the exact same sorts of situations. Especially after that second thing you edited in.
Cool, thanks. So, I guess the only major areas on those maps we've yet to visit are whatever's to the East, Romn and Britai, right? I'm interested to see what they do with Britai. Perhaps their take on Arthurian legends or something. Will Adol yank the sword from the stone and butter fingers it into oblivion on his way out?
I wouldn't be surprised if Britai does throw in Arthurian legends. The series plays fast and loose enough with timelines (see: Fantasy Roman Empire existing five centuries after the Fantasy Hundred Years' War when in reality the war happened a thousand years after the (Western) Roman Empire ceased to exist) that there's no reason elements of those stories can't work in Ys, either as an active story or a set of historical events that influence the present.
On those maps, those are the main regions we haven't seen but there's a whole lot of the world still out there. The manual to the very first version of Ys I mentioned several of Adol's adventures by name and others by implication and the loading screen for the PC remake kept the foreshadowing. This is why we knew that eventually we'd get a story set in Altago involving dragons, some twenty years before Ys VII existed. We've since run out of the named adventures but we do know that Adol's travels will eventually take him to southern Afroca, the north pole and beyond the Tigres (which gets teased in Memories of Celceta). Since that basically means all of central and eastern Asia the last one alone could fill as many games as Falcom cares to make, and there could be any number of games set in Afroca since there's lots of possible sources of inspiration that Falcom could draw on. I do have some theories on that, related to some things that came up in Ys VIII. Also there's this whole other presumed landmass far across the western ocean that I wouldn't put it past Adol to help discover at some point... and I'd be willing to bet that the Atlas Continent rises from the ocean at some point to be the site of a future adventure as well.
Still within the region of Europe let's not forget Steldum (Amsterdam) which could be a future site of an adventure, Garman (still not visited, though in this universe it's under Romun control) and the very rarely appearing Rurway which could be all sorts of fun. I'm certain we'll get to Romn eventually too; it seems like something they're building up towards.
So, are there a bunch of missables in IX? After an NPC gave me a recipe, I realized I'd better start being thorough with my rounds each chapter. Aside from the sidequests not on the message board, I feel like there's not too much else to worry about.
The game is pretty lenient about hidden things staying accessible and I'm pretty sure that the NPCs who give recipes will still give them up through the endgame. The optional Grimwald battles however are I think only unlockable on a per-chapter basis. I was pretty set on doing all of those so I've never missed one to find out if the battle can still be done later.
Edit 2:
SpoilerLate Chapter 5WHY IS THERE A PRIMORDIAL HERE?! WHAT IS HAPPENING?!
Yes, what indeed? For the record, my reaction from when this first came out:
WHAT?!
WHAAAAAAAAAATTTTT?!!!!!
HOW IS THAT THING STILL NOT DEAD, WHY IS IT HERE, WHAT THE FUCK IS HAPPENING IN THIS PLACE?!
Forgot this game was coming out, so only just now starting the game. Put in about two hours, most of it running around and just barely getting into the 1st chapter story section where I can start heading towards the shanty town. Interesting way how the game starts out. I did get a chuckle out of the many conveniences of Adol such as his constant shipwrecks and losing the OP weapon from the previous weapon before his next adventure. Though since he's so far into his journey it's a little hard to believe that he can keep meeting people who are somehow so far above him right off the bat.
So from what I can gather, this game is the farthest in the timeline from the games that have been released. I don't think the games follow a linear timeline, but I never been super invested in the story stuff like Kiseki so I could be wrong on that. Also, there is the one game that never came here and hasn't had a remake/remaster so now sure where that one fits into everything.
So from what I can gather, this game is the farthest in the timeline from the games that have been released. I don't think the games follow a linear timeline, but I never been super invested in the story stuff like Kiseki so I could be wrong on that.
The games have a decentralized plot, so while there's a ton of lore connecting the various games they really don't need to be played in any particular order to nearly the extent that Kiseki does (at least within the arcs) with the pretty obvious exception that you really need to play Ys I before playing II. Not that doing otherwise is easy these days since the games are always bundled together anyways...
And yes on both counts, the games aren't linear and IX is the farthest game in the timeline.
Also, there is the one game that never came here and hasn't had a remake/remaster so now sure where that one fits into everything.
Here's the timeline, with Adol's age in parentheses to give you an idea where everything fits:
Ys Origin (700 years before Ys I, Adol obviously hasn't been born yet)
Ys I-II (17)
Ys IV/Memories of Celceta (18)
Ys III/Oath in Felghana (19)
Ys V (20)
Ys VIII (21)
Ys VI (23)
Ys VII (23)
Ys IX (24)
Still within the region of Europe let's not forget Steldum (Amsterdam) which could be a future site of an adventure, Garman
I was under the impression Felghana is in Garman. Is that not right?
I'm certain we'll get to Romn eventually too; it seems like something they're building up towards.
D'you reckon we're done with the Eldeen and the Clan of Darkness, then? Feels like a while since they've come up.
Speculation time!
Then there's Aprilis. I found her broken locket or whatever it was and then Tito says it seems to be as old as the hundred year war. HMMMM. And isn't there a notable saintly female figure from that period who keeps being brought up? The ol' noggin' is certainly joggin'.
The azure petal girl is totally channeling Dana or something. Her comment about being surprised to see Adol and watching over him always, pretty much sealed it for me. Can't think of another lady from his adventures who'd be able to do that.
I was under the impression Felghana is in Garman. Is that not right?
It's sort of in the broad geographic region of Garman but the way characters talk about it in Oath implies the locals don't consider themselves part of Garman (and only just got absorbed into Romn's sphere of influence recently) and there's actually a line later in Ys IX that also goes toward the idea that it's not traditionally thought of as being part of Garman.
Offhand, it wasn't until that one map came out that we even knew where Felghana was and Falcom themselves seemed to move the country around a few times. The description 'between Gllia and Garman' makes it sound like it might have been intended as Switzerland but it's too far north on the map for that now and outside of what's considered Gllia. At one point I think there was actually a map that placed Felghana in Italy but I can't find it right now.
D'you reckon we're done with the Eldeen and the Clan of Darkness, then? Feels like a while since they've come up.
The Clan might be done with as a recurring antagonistic faction after Memories of Celceta.
For the Eldeen, I'm quite certain we're not finished with them. There were very strong hints dropped in the Ys V Proto-Story and the Perfect Data book that they had an influence (if only indirectly) on Kefin and while it's not canon the PS2 remake of the game actually had an Eldeen involved there. I suspect Falcom's going to incorporate at least some of the Proto-Story elements into an eventual remake (Ys VIII strongly hinted in this direction with Dogi being present for the adventure, which he wasn't in the currently canonical game, but he was present for in Proto-Story) but we'll just have to wait and see. That possibility aside, there's also the chance of further influence elsewhere in the series that we simply haven't seen yet since there's no reason we can't have survivors from the Atlas Continent that pushed further east.
Speaking of which, I have a suspicion that Falcom is saving the Atlas Continent for some crazy future story, whether it means raising the continent above the ocean again or going under the sea looking for it. I mean, it's basically Atlantis in the setting so it's almost screaming for a game of its own. xD
Speaking of which, I have a suspicion that Falcom is saving the Atlas Continent for some crazy future story, whether it means raising the continent above the ocean again or going under the sea looking for it. I mean, it's basically Atlantis in the setting so it's almost screaming for a game of its own. xD
Gosh, if only there was an ancient device capable of controling the weather and sea levels; that'd sure help bring it back, huh? Sure would be a shame if such a device had had a run in with a certain red head, though...
I saw an interesting painting in the prison's chapel. A lady with a sword, her face obscured and in her lap sat a rather familiar doll. Now, what lady would possibly have a painting in a holy place like a chapel? Someone saintly, no doubt. HMMMMMM.
The last petal I need to get is in the prison section of the map and it's driving me up the wall. For the life of me, I just can't seem to pin it down anywhere even with Third Eye. Agh!
I've been enjoying all the callbacks to previous games in this one. The way it's done really does make Adol seem like a seasoned adventurer, and I was pleased to see the 5 Dragons of Altago gift and the chance to regale Renegade with tales of Adol's derring-do. That said, the apple gift for Dogi conversation was getting dangeriously close to Lloyd's namedrop-apalooza from CS2, but I'm a sucker for that sort of thing!
Speaking of callbacks, there was a conversation earlier in the game about how a man in an iron mask had been imprisoned at some point in the past. I forget what the reasons were exactly, but was that a reference to an older game? I couldn't think of anyone at all. All I really want to know is that, rather than if it's something relevant to this game's story.
Gosh, if only there was an ancient device capable of controling the weather and sea levels; that'd sure help bring it back, huh? Sure would be a shame if such a device had had a run in with a certain red head, though...
I know, right? Shame that ancient civilizations never bothered to Adol-proof their devices and cosmic keystones...
SpoilerNot really an Ys IX midgame spoilerSpeaking of callbacks, there was a conversation earlier in the game about how a man in an iron mask had been imprisoned at some point in the past. I forget what the reasons were exactly, but was that a reference to an older game? I couldn't think of anyone at all. All I really want to know is that, rather than if it's something relevant to this game's story.
This isn't a reference to a previous game, it's just a cheeky little nod to Balduq being based on the real-world Bastille.
This isn't a reference to a previous game, it's just a cheeky little nod to Balduq being based on the real-world Bastille.
Hah, never even occured to me, but makes a lot of sense now you point it out.
The scene with Doll at the cemetary, her story about Rosvita and her reaction to Aprilis's death has pretty much all but confirmed for me the two are one and the same. I was slightly amused they, if my ears aren't deceiving me, chose Alberich's VA as the mystery man Doll remembers. Considering the similarities they have vis-a-vis creating artificial life of a sort, it made me chuckle. He does "sinister voice" very well, so it's a good pick. Going by facial hair, I'm still putting my bet on him being Parks. Well, that and wearing glasses in a Falcom game. Question is, who is Marius? The missing Lindheim (I think that was the name)? I'm choosing to believe that knocking out other Adol is a swerve and he isn't as bad as it makes him seem.
Just started my own playthrough and I've gotten to the end of Chapter 2. So far I've been loving the localization and looking forward to the rest of it. Also, it's fun continuing to spot things on replays that I missed beforehand. Ys IX is really good for that, to Kiseki-levels of 'Oooohhhhh, I can't believe I didn't see that the first time... or the second time'. xD
What difficulty did you play back when it came out and now that you're replaying? Hard seems to be the sweet spot for me.
Looks like I was wrong about Parks being a secret asshole, or at least the secret asshole I thought he was. I guess there's still a chance? That said, I'm beginning to suspect that Marius may in fact be the Romun Emperor, or at least a homunculus version of him. A seemingly throw away line about the Emperor being a younger guy made me suspicious, plus the name does sound suitably like the name an Emperor of Rome/Romn might have. It would also account for the memory loss he mentioned earlier in the game and there's no way the actual Emperor would be there.
It was really bizarre seeing Homunculadol speak in full sentences to the real one, just before they fused. I kinda feel sorry for him - I rather saw him as a separate person with his own experiences and now he's gone. Yeah, he lives on through Adol, but still...
I forget, did they say that Adol gained all of his memories, too?
It was mentioned that Adol experienced Alchemy in Xandria, but was it anything on this level, or just lead into gold and that kind of thing?
I'm not clear on whether the returned Aprilis is just another copy or the one Chaterlard killed. She appears to have all the memories of the other, but I suppose they did say that Zola could recreate memories, so there's that.
What difficulty did you play back when it came out and now that you're replaying? Hard seems to be the sweet spot for me.
I first played on Hard which was quite satisfying, replayed on Nightmare (and did some playing around with Lunatic but I haven't done a proper run of it) and dropped it back to Hard for my first English run.
SpoilerChapter 8 endWhen he initially appeared looking like a generic NPC, I had my biggest "huh?" moment yet. Hell, I don't even remember who the person he was mimcing even was when they mentioned the name! I was so confused that someone as bland looking as that was going to be our big bad lol. I was reminded of a great moment in an episode of the old Justice League Unlimited cartoon, where Lex Luthor and the Flash swap bodies, so Lex unmasks Flash, looks in the mirror for a minute and just flatly says, "I have no idea who this is."
You're not the only one who reacted that way, I was utterly confused by that at first too. It's like Falcom was deliberately toying with us, but they wouldn't ever do that...
SpoilerContinuedI forget, did they say that Adol gained all of his memories, too?It was mentioned that Adol experienced Alchemy in Xandria, but was it anything on this level, or just lead into gold and that kind of thing?
Heads-up for anyone else following along, he following answer contains a spoiler for another Ys game but naming it in the tag would give away the Ys IX reveal.
Ys V went full alchemy on us; while the association of alchemy and gold gets mentioned it's not really a focus of the game. Istead the plot revolves around the Philosopher's Stone which the city of Kefin depends on and the powers it bestows. Homunculi show up in Proto-Story, the novelization and Taito's remake but it gets glossed over in the canonical game.
