Post by Bytor on Jun 18, 2011 11:20:32 GMT -5
-Visuals- 8.2/10
The colors are certainly vibrant and crisp but the visualizations are certainly not just old school but to coin a phrase, it is what it is. Don't expect next-gen graphics or even last stage to be honest. I mean, after all the graphics for the PSP port are in essence the exact same graphics as were released for the original port of the game in 2001, and while thus admitted some graphics did push the boundaries Ys certainly wasn't one of them. Having said that, it's not as if they look horrible, they simply do appear dated and somewhat not up to the standard we expect in current video games. But, all things said I kinda enjoyed the "nostalgia" look of the game. And yes, this is , as will pretty much the rest of the review a copy and paste of the review for the first installment.
-Sound- 9.5/10
The game is what all, and I mean all games should aspire to sound like. It's a mix between techno, Jap pop, and straight out rock and it absolutely shines. Even on the PSP this soundtrack will absolutely blow you away. Very few PSP games will make you wish for surround sound pumping out of a 100 watt system...this one will, whether you play the 2001 mix or the current remixed music it simply rocks!!
-Gameplay- 8.5/10
It really doesn't get much simpler than this. You have an inventory of items which are not actually useable in battle but may be equipped and then used during battle with the triangle button. Various armor and weapons are equipped before battle as are accessories, although these are interchangeable during battles using the shoulder button, but, none of these various items are interchangeable during boss battles, in other words, what you enter the battle with is what you end the battle with. Battles themselves are simply an issue of interaction with enemies, in other words, run into the enemy and you are attacking/defending. So, if your weapons and armor are stronger than the enemies then you will do damage, otherwise you will receive damage. there is a "cheat" though. If you attack straight ahead you should expect to incur damage, attack from behind and you should expect to inflict damage, BUT, attacking from behind is often very hard to do, however, attack from an angle and you are almost invincible and it is very easy to inflict damage, the problem is accomplishing this attack. It's not really tough as Adol is really fast but it will take some practice to get the timing exactly right, especially as different enemies will have different speeds and movements. Overall it is a simplistic battle system, although boss battles do require more strategic movement and attack modes, and yet it's still a fun and challenging system without being, for the most part a silly hard system. Now, there is one major upgrade to the first installment and this is the ability to use magic, so now long range attacks are possible, and actually a necessity in some boss battles, pretty much without the fire attack one of the bosses cannot be defeated. This addition adds more complexity to the battles and while not necessary in normal battles it does give you the option of playing the game a tad differently. Once again overall the game is somewhat linear, in a way. Here's the issue, you will be forced to traverse the same areas again, and again, and again and again, and even after (seemingly) twenty visits to the temple area I still found myself lost constantly and would spend 30 mins simply trying to get from point A to point B, that should have taken me 2 mins. It doesn't detract overly much but it does affect the gameplay. Obviously the gameplay is somewhat dated but having said that I think it stands up to the test of time and is loads of fun and rewarding in it's challenges without seeming too dated or too obscure, so while it might not be as complex as many next-gen games it's still really fun.
-Story- 8.5/10
Adol is still the lead character, and actually a few NPC's from the first installment make a recurring appearance as well. In this game Adol awakens and finds he has been transported to Ys, which rose into the air over 700 years previously. The story unfolds with the land, and especially the Temple being overran by demons who are being led into a diabolical plan to take over all of Ys and eventually the rest of the world. As in part I the story unfolds through interactions with the various NPC's and once again, while b=not a huge story it does unfold well and does have a really nice culmination.
-Overall- 8.6/10
Volume II shows some slight improvements over the first installment. And while there really aren't any glaring weaknesses in either game there also isn't (other than the music) any overwhelming great strengths. The game is what it is, a relatively simple RPG which can, understanding it's limits, provide a few hours of somewhat challenging fun. I imagine if you don't have unreal expectations and can go into the game with an open mind you will, as I did, find the game to be a fun diversion with many solid aspects.
