It seems that more and more, RPG’s in particular seem to be more about high end graphics and hour long cutscenes as opposed to strategic and challenging game play. Enter Ys I & II Chronicles, the recently re-released classics that have been brought over to the PSP. Even in its heyday, Ys managed to be a unique title in the growing RPG genre that still feels unique to this day. Most importantly, it’s a reminder of when game play was king and all the bells and whistles came second. But as it also proves, the old school had its own share of problems.
Ys puts you in control of a lost adventurer who awakens in a small village after washing ashore from an apparent shipwreck. The townsfolk speak of a growing amount of monsters keeping them trapped in their small square of map. As usual, it turns out that a great evil is sweeping the land and a series of events prove that you’re the only one who can stop it. Now it’s up to you to banish the evil and save the day.
As I mentioned, Ys is a bit untraditional despite being about two decades old. It’s pretty much one of the first examples of an Action RPG. Outside of communicating with NPC’s to buy items and equipment, there aren’t many menus that control the game. So how’s one supposed to fight without words, menus and customizable borders to tell them what the character will do? Ys makes you dive in head first… Literally.
Enemies appear on the world map and wander around aimlessly. Attacking is done by running into them. It’s as simple as that. Hitting them head on does damage to both of you, but brushing up on their side or attacking from the back only hurts the enemy. So just keep ramming away until the opponent explodes into a pile of limbs! Of course, it would be hard to call it an RPG without magic, so you can eventually cast spells, but c’mon! Why not just headbutt everything to death? It might just be the remedy for gamers who feel RPG’s are too slow, since running full speed at whatever dares stand in your way is the best way to advance. That is, if you can manage to advance at all.
For all of the nostalgia releases like Ys can bring, older RPG’s such as these usually share one big flaw, and this title is no exception. Back in the NES days, it wasn’t uncommon to find 1-900 numbers on the back of the booklets. No, phone sex wasn’t included with every copy of the newest title, but the numbers were for tips on how to get through games, and it’s easy to see why it was needed while playing Ys. Rarely does the game give you any clue on what you’re supposed to do. Villagers are no help either, since usually they’ll tell you to talk to someone without knowing who that person is. After many wasted minutes, you’ll be lucky if they say anything that gives you the slightest hint of how to advance. So if you plan on finishing both games, good luck! Be prepared to spend hours wandering around like an amnesiac anime warrior until you find where you were supposed to be.
Even without this huge flaw, you can’t help but feel like you’re playing an outdated game. The story is pretty simple and there aren’t any memorable characters. It’s about as basic as you can get. Even with the addition of a handful of cutscenes, optional updated art, a remixed sountrack and a new translation, there’s little here to justify playing through if you’ve experienced these games in the past, and new players might be put off by the rough patches that aren’t found in newer RPG’s.
It’s not the best example of a classic role playing adventure on the PSP, but if you’re feeling a bit nostalgic or want to experience the early days of gaming before online guides and in game tutorials, this collection is a lengthy experience that is worth a look. It’s hard to complain about two full RPG’s in one package, which are sure to keep the patient gamers out there occupied for a long while. Just be ready to have most of that time spent running in circles.