Ys I & II Chronicles

Minor spoilers for Ys I & II Chronicles

Every once in a long while, the right game finds you at just the right time. Ys I & II are by no means masterpieces, and their stories are about as simple as a JRPG can get, but my recent intimate experience with these titles is one that reminded me exactly why I love this older style of game.

Ys I: Ancient Ys Vanished initially released on the PC-8801 in 1987, with Ys II: Ancient Ys Vanished – The Final Chapter coming out the next year. These games received a variety of ports, but the most relevant is Ys I & II Chronicles on PSP. This version is largely untouched compared to the PC-Engine (TurboGrafx-16) release, with the visuals and control scheme being the only major differences I noticed, especially if played with the "complete" soundtrack on PSP as I did. Though I'll be talking about this remake, most of what I say still applies to older versions. For the sake of simplicity, I'll be referring to Ys I & II Chronicles as "Ys Chronicles" and each game in the collection individually simply as "Ys 1" and "Ys 2."

In late september of this year, I quit my job to focus on school full-time and bought a used PlayStation Vita (post likely coming soon) to refurbish for myself as a reward for sticking it out for so long through some tough times. I'm a huge fan of softmodding, and I knew that getting into a system with such an active scene was exactly what I needed at the time. I played around with a variety of titles for the first few weeks, trying to find the right one to commit to as my main portable game to chip away at. Eventually I saw a clip of one of the Ys games (probably Origin) with someone praising the boss design. The music and short explanation convinced me to check it out, and after some research on the series I decided it was exactly what I was looking for.

Ys 1 is a hard sell to most people. The "bump combat" it employs definitely turns a lot of people off before they ever get their hands on the game. For those unaware, combat in Ys 1 plays out by simply bumping into enemies, with no attack buttons whatsoever. This sounds boring and janky on paper, but I assure you it's shockingly fun in practice. In Ys 1, bumping into enemies head-on will damage both you and the enemy, so you're encouraged to always bump off-center to avoid taking damage. This sounds easy at first, and by the end of the game it will be, but due to a combination of tight hallways and quick enemies it can take a while to get a handle on. This combat system is made up of simple pieces, but ends up with a natural system of risk and reward that feels great to master and makes for a quick and easy grind once you do. Unfortunately, the bosses are nothing special in this first entry. Some of them are extremely difficult, bordering on unfair (looking at you, Vagullion), but are otherwise not really noteworthy outside of working with the bump combat better than one would expect.

The combat is a fun change of scenery compared to other games, but what I think really makes Ys 1 click is its pacing. With an extremely short runtime and plenty of dialogue and item descriptions to make sure you always know where to go, Ys 1 goes by fast. A max level of 10 means that every level up is a huge leap in power, and a steady stream of items and upgrades ensures that nothing ever overstays its welcome. In my opinion the dungeons aren't great, but they're over before you know it. This brisk pace makes sure you never get tired of anything and can only really be left wanting more.

This is where Ys 2 comes in. If Ys 1 left you wanting more, Ys 2 is exactly that. It's a much more polished and complete product overall with better location variety, a more involved story, a new magic system, and tweaked combat. The bump combat is largely the same, but now the most consistent tactic is to bump enemies diagonally. This makes combat much easier overall, cutting down the time it takes to grind and get through each area. Decreased difficulty might sound like a point against Ys 2, especially in such an action-focused series, but I found the swift experience more conducive to simply enjoying the ride.

The story of Ys Chronicles is really nothing special on its own; it's the execution that makes it great. The story and world of Ys 1 is best described as functional and foundational. It does just enough to set up the world for the series, although its character-centric focus is impressive considering its age. Ys 2 doesn't have a particularly involved story either, but for the time it came out it's mind-blowingly fleshed out. Some of these elements are still compelling 36 years later. The variety in locations and boss battles are a huge step above the Ys 1, and are impressive in their own right. My favorite story element was probably the introduction of the magic that turns Adol into a Roo, allowing you to speak to demons. The vague way Roos are explained adds a lot to the feeling of a realized world, and being able to talk to every enemy in the game is a huge deal. While they may not have a lot to say, implying the individuality of demons adds a small layer of maturity to the game's tone that goes a long way. The final sequence might be as expected from a short JRPG from around this time, but the way it ties into Ys 1 is a satisfying cap on this arc of Adol's story.

As much as I'd love to cover these games play-by-play one day, for now I really just wanted to put down my general thoughts after having a great experience with these games. For now, my intent is just to pitch them to anyone who might read this and in case it might be their cup of tea. Their brisk nature and unique strategies to learn were exactly what I needed during a time in my life where I felt like I was drowning. Being able to finish an adventure in just a day or two while seeing constant progress helped me convince myself I could accomplish something when I was despondent from feeling like I couldn't put a dent in any of my work. I'm still not entirely through it yet, but I've been doing a lot better now.

I intend to continue chipping away at the Ys series for the foreseeable future. In the time between finishing Ys Chronicles and posting this, I've already finished Oath in Felghana and started Memories of Celceta, so I think I'm moving at a good pace. I know I'm not playing them in any of the recommended orders from Digital Emelas (effectively the English ambassadors for Ys) but YOU'RE NOT MY DAD I CAN DO WHAT I WANT. I've been really enjoying my time with these games so far, and I'm excited to see where they continue to take me.