@Yotaka Hi! I've been meaning to get more into Ys lately (I had only played Ys I and II so far), but was hoping to get your opinion (as well as those from any else who may want to!) on which play order you'd recommend.I should also mention that I don't know any Japanese.
I was recently recommended to go for release order (Specifically: I>II>V>VI>III>Origin>VII>IV>VIII>IX) as I would be able to best observe the gameplay's evolution. Primarily though, I'd like to have the best grasp on the story/lore as I go along, as well as what may provide the best story flow. I'm probably gonna try to experience the whole series at once -- each game back-to-back. So if there are some story/lore details given in an entry I play early in the run that will be relevant for a game I play later on, I'm not sure if I'll be able to remember all the details.
For example,I know Origin is a prequel to Ys I and II and tied pretty closely to those games. Would it be better then, in my case, to experience Origin next, or is it better to experience it at a different point? I also heard that Ys VI is a big lore game that ties together what came before it and has lots of lore reveals that would be more impactful if I'd played the prior entries. Would you agree with that, or do you think it's better to play Ys VI after Ys I and II? And if you do think it's better to experience other entries first, which entries would they be?
I'm pretty sure Ys IV and III take place before it, but I'm not sure how much more interconnected some entries are over others, and to which games they are connected (like how Origin seems more connected to Ys I and II).
As an aside, I planned on watching a translated playthrough of Ys V, as well as the original Ys III and both Ys IVs if possible, but I'm not sure when a good time to experience those would be. I'm not sure if the earlier versions of those entries spoil (for lack of a better word) the newer versions (like if Wandered from Ys will spoil/reveal a lot of Oath in Felghana's story), and I would like my experience of Ys Oath and Memories to be with as little spoiled as possible, so I'm currently thinking of watching playthroughs for the older versions after OoF and MoC
But it's also possible the older games had very little to do with OoF and MoC's remade versions, and if it's recommended to experience them in order after Ys I and II and before Ys V and VI. So I'd really love to hear your opinion on this and what you'd recommend.
Right now the only order I think I'm sure about is:
I>II>VI>VII>VIII>IX
With me being unsure of where to place Origin, III, IV, and watching Ys V. I'm primarily not sure where to go next after Ys II. I've heard that Ys IV happens next in the timeline, Ys III obviously is a remake of the game that follows Ys II, Origin is a connected prequel, and Ys V is next from an evolving gameplay standpoint. You can see my predicament! xD
While I mentioning preferring to go in the best story/lore order, that's probably if it's more than just minor, and also of course depends on the game. Like if, for example, Ys III or IV could be played at any time with it not effecting anything, then in that case I'd probably play III after VI, and IV after VII and before VIII.
Right now I'm leaning Origin next so I still have I and II on my mind going into it, then III next with V then VI after. And then IV between VII and VIII... mostly because I don't know how connected Ys IV is and to which entries. I think Ys IV might be the one(s) I am most perplexed about when to play it. I've heard it has lore connections to Ys VI, for example, but I'm not sure what that means, and if that was meant it's better to play IV before or after VI for the best lore experience.
Any input, advice, or recommendations you can give would be appreciated!
One other question I was hoping to ask: Is there any supplementary material you'd recommend that goes along with the games that you think are musts for an Ys series playthrough? I heard Ys IX had a prequel novel, is it recommended to read it prior to playing or is it just a retelling of Ys IX's prologue? And is there any place where it can be read in English outside of needing the special edition?
One other thing I heard of is that Ys I has a whole backstory in its manual that I found here that doesn't really seem to be present in the game: https://isu.fandom.com/wiki/Ys_1_Backstory_(PC88_Manual_Translation) Would that also be considered important/canon to the series in your opinion, and is there anything else like that or the Ys IX novel?
Thank you for any replies and I apologize for all the lengthy questions.
Most people recommend release order because that lets you experience the gameplay progression, but you can skip V because it doesn't have a remake and is kind of bad so,
I>II>VI>Oath>Origin>Seven, Celceta, VIII, and IX.
Realistically, the games are separate enough that you can play the games in any order.
@Cold_Steel_IV Not a problem! To give you the condensed version:
Maximum appreciation: I-II, III (SNES or Turbo Duo), IV (Mask of the Sun and Dawn of Ys), V, VI, Oath in Felghana, Origin, VII, Memories of Celceta, VIII, IX.
The saner approach: What Hellseye said, but at least watch a playthrough of V before playing VI.
And now for the wordier version: Speaking broadly you can play the series in any order but you will get a bit more appreciation out of things if you play in release order. if you want to get the absolute super-duper best sense of both the gameplay and story evolution of the series you'd actually want to play both the original version of Ys III and one or both versions of Ys IV. Playing III before Oath helps you appreciate how the latter game adapted the side-scrolling maps of the former and greatly expanded the story including making use of elements from Ys VI. Of the versions available in English, the SNES game has the closest translation to Falcom's terms (for some reason the Genesis and Turbo Duo versions changed a bunch of proper names) but the Turbo Duo version has the epic-tier music and Symphony of the Night-tier voice acting and has a less masochistic difficulty curve.
Playing Mask of the Sun before Memories of Celceta is the same idea, since Falcom based the setting (albeit loosely) on that game so you'll appreciate just what they did with it if you're aware of what came before. Playing The Dawn of Ys as well lets you recognize the elements that Falcom borrowed from it (some MoC characters are much closer to their Dawn versions or only appeared there) and while the story isn't canon it is by far the better game of the two.
But like I implied by giving you two lists,it's entirely possible to enjoy the series without having to play two or three older and non-canonical games. If you're not feeling especially hardcore, just go with the second list/the one Hellseye gave. I do suggest watching a run of Ys V however, even if you don't play it yourself. The gameplay isn't brilliant but the story is good and does get referenced in later games. floofy did a run of the game using the Aeon Genesis patch in two parts if you want an example (start here) and seeing what Ys V is like helps you appreciate how much better Falcom did things in Ys VI.
Also like I said earlier, it's possible to play the series in basically any order but your first impressions will include a bit more appreciation if you've got a grasp of the previously published games. This sort of thing still works if you play 'out of order' though (via retrospective recognition) so it's not like some ironclad rule, but if you're looking for the best order to play through to get the most out of each game on your first go, release order it is.
And then IV between VII and VIII... mostly because I don't know how connected Ys IV is and to which entries. I think Ys IV might be the one(s) I am most perplexed about when to play it. I've heard it has lore connections to Ys VI, for example, but I'm not sure what that means, and if that was meant it's better to play IV before or after VI for the best lore experience.
IV was a big game at the time because it introduced several major plot threads that the series has built on since then. The Romun Empire is first mentioned in IV for example, and the notion of the Eldeen as an entire species of which Feena and Reah are but two members was another thing. All the important material gets reestablished in Ys VI so if you just play the canonical games you'll still get the necessary information that way.
One other question I was hoping to ask: Is there any supplementary material you'd recommend that goes along with the games that you think are musts for an Ys series playthrough? I heard Ys IX had a prequel novel, is it recommended to read it prior to playing or is it just a retelling of Ys IX's prologue? And is there any place where it can be read in English outside of needing the special edition?
Ahhh, Endless History was hosting a summary/translation of the novella but floofy took it down once the game was released so I don't think there's anywhere to get it short of the LE. It's not really necessary to read to enjoy Ys IX and can be read before or after the game as it doesn't really impact the plot directly. It's mostly there to fill in some of what Adol was doing in between leaving Altago at the end of VII and arriving in Balduq at the start of IX.
There's a fair bit of other supplemental information but none of it is really necessary to enjoy the games themselves (they just give you a bit more appreciation for the setting) and almost none of it has been translated. floofy did translate the timeline from the Perfect Data book which has some interesting information and the margin notes are even more intriguing for the links they tie between different games, but that's getting close to twenty years old now and so it doesn't include anything after Ys VI. Some of the stuff mentioned in it has been confirmed in later games though. See here and here for that if you're interested, though it's written for people who have played through Ys VI meaning it mentions stuff from the previous games (including the original versions of III and IV).
I, um, may be planning to supplement this with some translations of additional material in the near future. xD
One other thing I heard of is that Ys I has a whole backstory in its manual that I found here that doesn't really seem to be present in the game: https://isu.fandom.com/wiki/Ys_1_Backstory_(PC88_Manual_Translation) Would that also be considered important/canon to the series in your opinion, and is there anything else like that or the Ys IX novel?
The manual is basically canon and contains a lot of content that's been established in later works. A lot of the introductory text was reproduced on the loading screen for Chronicles for example. It's not really necessary to read it before playing Ys I but it gives you a better picture of Adol and of the framing device that the series uses to tell its story, namely that the games we're playing are presented as 'translations' of Adol's many adventure journals being studied centuries after his lifetime.
Some of the material from the manual gets explored in more detail in Memories of Celceta, other bits appeared in the opening movie of Ys Eternal (which I-II Chronicles is a second-degree enhanced port of) but which has been removed from the current versions of the game and a lot of the Promalock-based content actually shows up in the OVA which spends some time with Adol before he gets to Esteria. And of course, that same manual teased the plots of Ys IV, V and VII by name and drops hints of other adventures Adol will go on in the future.
TLDR: It's worth reading and it's broadly canonical but it's not an absolute requirement.
One of the people who had to work at the hospital while this storm blew through Texas, so haven't gotten in nearly as far as I'd like to. Just finished chapter 3 and my hunch on who one of the Monstrums was ended up being wrong, though it was a huge stretch.
So far a fun game, though while not hating it, the aspect of exploring the city in some cases is fun and in other ways feels like a chore. I enjoy it for the most part, but when I get to the gameplay sections those stand out way more. Doesn't help that fighting monsters in the portals does nothing for experience and after a few times I just want to skip them to get to more meaty fighting sections. The Nox fights also don't feel that engaging at this time.
However, I am certainly intrigued at everything that has been presented so far, and am interested in how this all plays out. As for more spoilered thougts (also, go easy on me misspelling or forgetting names).
I'm not sure what to think of the prison section with Adol. I can already gather that those being imprisoned wrongly are those who can see the monsters (can't remember the term for them right now). But how is Adol still in there when he escaped? My best guess at this time is the bodies are split, which happened once he became a monstrum. Those imprisoned could be the other members who we haven't seen their other selves in there, or with the one that was rescued perhaps a failed attempt that only had the ability to see but not split and transform. That or the more simple answer which is Adol gets into unusual situations so he is in a peculiar situation. I'm guessing Aprilis wants free Adol to find himself in their as the secret.
My last prediction which I feel really strongly about is the interrogator is Aprilis. They sound similar and after her title being dropped feels like a dead giveaway.
I finished off the azure petal sidequest, but it's never outright said what the deal with the lady was. I'd assumed it was Dana speaking through her, but I'm not sure if the blue petal falling behind her was supposed to be a clue.
Y'know, thinking about the enemies that Zola could've created based on Adol's memories, I'd say he got off pretty lucky all things considered. What if Galbalan had reared its ugly head again? Or, heaven forbid, Dark Fukt (heehee). I'm still traumatised by that encounter. One thing I'm unclear on, is how he was able to do that without any genetic material to work with. Even in Aprilis's case, he at least had a lock of her hair.
Don't give Falcom ideas or they'll probably find a way to do that in a future game.
Speaking of which, while they're not recreations of literal prior bosses I get the feeling that Falcom planned Malefious and the Cursed Norn to be similar to Origin!Velagunder and Ligaty respectively.
After taking a break for a couple days I'm now back to my own run again and I'm at the Chapter IV dungeon. The character interactions this chapter have been golden.
Beat the game!
I'm curious who the souls that speak to Adol are supposed to be. Clearly Dana and I'm guessing one or both of the sisters, but as for the males I'm kind of stumped who'd be noteworthy enough. Raba? I defintely didn't a Geis vibe from them, though, that's for damn sure.
Very happy with them letting you have a mini farewell tour of Balduq before the ending. It made me think of how Celceta just kinda...stops very abruptly, so this was great.
Overall, I definitey would rank this up there for my favourite Ys games. Certainly of the party-based ones, though I do wonder if we're due for a bit of a shake-up again. It'd feel almost weird if the next one was another similar game, but without all the wild movement abilities. At the same time, I sort of hope they don't try and come up with some contrivances as for why Adol can now grapple and glide in future games. I could maybe see it as him using Zelda-esque tools that allow for similar abilities, I guess?
Random thought: it feels kind of big that we've, in a way, met the Romun Emperor. I wonder if the "real" one will be quite as agreeable as his copy! Given how amusing Adol's dialogue sometimes was in this (the line when he gets his ultimate weapon got a hearty laugh from me), when they do finally meet, I hope there's a cheeky line about having killed him before lol.
Oh I was curious: in English, Yufa has a thing where I guess she can't remember gift names, so, for example, she'll just yell "something line!" when using Adol's, which never got old for me. Was that present in JP?
Beat the game!
SpoilerI veeeeery nearly didn't notice the Feena/Reah/Black Pearl imagery in the final boss, since I was so busy trying to figure what I was supposed to be smashing, but I caught it! Very nice touch. Was there anything else in there? It was all I managed to pick out, anyway.I'm curious who the souls that speak to Adol are supposed to be. Clearly Dana and I'm guessing one or both of the sisters, but as for the males I'm kind of stumped who'd be noteworthy enough. Raba? I defintely didn't a Geis vibe from them, though, that's for damn sure.
Very happy with them letting you have a mini farewell tour of Balduq before the ending. It made me think of how Celceta just kinda...stops very abruptly, so this was great.
Overall, I definitey would rank this up there for my favourite Ys games. Certainly of the party-based ones, though I do wonder if we're due for a bit of a shake-up again. It'd feel almost weird if the next one was another similar game, but without all the wild movement abilities. At the same time, I sort of hope they don't try and come up with some contrivances as for why Adol can now grapple and glide in future games. I could maybe see it as him using Zelda-esque tools that allow for similar abilities, I guess?
Random thought: it feels kind of big that we've, in a way, met the Romun Emperor. I wonder if the "real" one will be quite as agreeable as his copy! Given how amusing Adol's dialogue sometimes was in this (the line when he gets his ultimate weapon got a hearty laugh from me), when they do finally meet, I hope there's a cheeky line about having killed him before lol.
Oh I was curious: in English, Yufa has a thing where I guess she can't remember gift names, so, for example, she'll just yell "something line!" when using Adol's, which never got old for me. Was that present in JP?
- We were debating this for a while but Falcom has actually provided the answer for us.
- Yeah, the chance to walk around part of Balduq and talk to everyone really was a great touch to the ending. Ys VIII did it too, but the circumstances of that game made it almost inevitable. Here it feels like something they did on purpose to let you end the game at your own pace.
- The Gifts were explicitly set up to take the place of the various relics that allowed for Igavania-style progression in past games, so most likely we'll see those return in future games.
- They're definitely building us up towards visiting Romn firsthand and that's going to be an interesting meeting. Of course, we also know some of Marius/Marcus' family too, so I'm sure that would make for an especially fun conversation. 'Oh hey Griselda, how've things been since we were on that deserted island together? By the way, I shanked a copy of your brother, hope you don't mind. Oh hello Marius, nice to meet you again for the first time...'
Actually, that conversation will still probably go better than Adol meeting Geis again and mentioning that he's met the latter's almost sister-in-law. Speaking of whom, did you spot him in the ending?
- Yeah, Yufa does that in Japanese too and it's hilarious. xD
Either I'm missing something, or Adol and I remember Dark Fact very differently! The rest of those make sense, though. Also, it didn't occur to me that the petal girl actually had all those people speaking through her and not just Dana.
Yeah, I was very confused by that point as well.
As for Dark Fact, he became an implied tragic character after Ys Origin but Falcom hasn't really had a chance to explore that in great detail, though they slipped a few nods to it in the official site (which shows him pre-corruption) and manual for the I-II Chronicles rerelease. He also gets an appearance in the OVA adaptation of Ys II as a ghost, helping Adol. I imagine they'll remake the first two games one of these days (but hopefully only after remaking Ys V which needs it more...) and they'll go into some more detail on him as a character when they do. Falcom has already hinted at changes they're going to implement whenever V gets its remake (the fact that VIII confirms Dogi was present for Adol's adventure in Kefin is huge) so nothing really new about it.
I wonder how they'd approach a remake of 1&2. Combine them into one game? Go back to a solo adventure? Looking at the Ys games of recent years, they'd probably need to expand on them a lot to get that hour count up. Also, I really really loved Chronicles' OST (my GOD, Palace of Destruction is out of this world), so I would kind of side eye a rearrangement. Of course I'm sure fans of the original probably felt the same about the Chronicles music when it came out.
I wonder how they'd approach a remake of 1&2. Combine them into one game? Go back to a solo adventure? Looking at the Ys games of recent years, they'd probably need to expand on them a lot to get that hour count up.
I imagine they'd at least release them together since the games are bundled that way now anyways. Ideally to me, they would take a page from Ys II Special and turn the idea of returning the Books of Ys into a long-running section of the game instead of something you do in the first hour of II, with additional dungeons for each priest. Moondoria and the mines could still be the introductory dungeon, but you can't get into Toal's Sanctuary (for thematic reasons) until you've returned the other five books at new areas spread around the land. That would give you some reasons to backtrack as you open up areas.
Falcom could also easily add some length by introducing (more) optional quests to the various settlements in Esteria and Ys and in the former case especially, they could make them rewarding without necessarily needing to throw money or items at you. Picture this, you do quests for Jeba or Luta and learn more of the Tovah and Gemma family backgrounds, or townsfolk talk about the Facts. It could be a neat way to connect things from Origin to the present-day.
Come to think, I don't believe we got anything specific in Memories of Celceta but it would be a nice touch if Falcom revealed that she's the one who instigated the Clan of Darkness' shift towards the stance the majority of their descendants have in the present, having seen firsthand what happened when they tried grabbing at Eldeen power and failing (again).
SpoilerYs IX endingI have now headcanon'd that the final boss is structured like a tower of body parts and stuff as a reference to Darm tower. The only thing missing is the annex, I suppose.
Don't worry, I've got that one covered.
Yeah, after playing Origins, getting more focus on the descendants of the people who stayed behind would be great. I'd be really interested to see how they'd reimagine the Dark Fact battle. I'm sure it wouldn't be quite as rough on my scalp what with all the hair pulling I did back when I played Chronicles, but I'd like it if he was at least 10% of the sonofabitch he was back then!
Also, I recall Kondo mentioning in that post Ys IX interview that every time they think of involving the Eldeen, they back off because its stuff from the older games and they don't want newer players to be confused or whatever (Celceta wasn't THAT long ago). Well, remaking this would be a great way of reintroducing them to newer fans, I guess.
Oh and there should totally be a bump combat option.
I kid!
Don't worry, I've got that one covered.
Spoiler
Dang, I can't remember anything specifically, but was it really there? I feel like if I saw it I'd remember if I did or not.
I mean, Celceta kind of had a bump combat option with the one relic that makes you run super-fast... but yeah, I imagine they'd rebuild the combat system entirely but maybe have some similar item to let you bump enemies to death for fun.
And yes, it's there. I forget exactly where but it's somewhere in the gallery. xD
Since this is the Ys thread, there is a very important question that needs to be asked.
Is Adol Santa Clause?
Facts,
1. Adol disappeared in the North Pole
2. Santa lives in the North Pole.
3. Adol has red hair
4. Chris Kringle has red hair as a youth in the old puppet movies.
5. Adol likes adventure
6. Santa goes on an adventure around the world every year.
Coincidence?
