Ys Origin is a solid RPG which all fans of Anime and RPG genre should get and enjoy!
Genre: RPG-Adventure
Developer: Nihon Falcom
System: PC (Steam)
Total Score: 91/100
Value Score: 9.1/10
• Story: 9/10
o Ys Origin takes place 700 years before the events of the other Ys games, the game explains the story of three individuals and how they shaped their own futures and the future of the people in Ys and the goddesses who govern the land. The storyline is different depending on which character you play as but all lead to the same path and to the whole overall point of the storyline. The Solomon shrine which became the official land for the people of Ys sent forth a search party when the goddesses which govern the land went missing, the search party confronts a couple of figures who threaten not only their existence but the existence of their goddesses, it will be up to you the player to find the goddesses and to prevent a great evil from unleashing.
• Characters: 9/10
o There are 3 characters you play as in Ys Origin: Yunica who is the daughter of a great swordsman who wants to be a official Holy Knight and loves the goddesses, Hugo who is the son and next heir to the Fact House which is the most powerful house of the Solomon Shrine, and Toal Fact his brother who threw away his knighthood for pure power. Each character has their own storyline, background and their reasons and goals for what they have to do in the storyline, along the way they encounter several characters, both good, evil and monsters. The cast of characters although outside the player's circle seem a bit generic but that is not saying much due to the fact of the style of game that is Ys Series, the character development for most of the characters arent as good as the development for the main heroes or main villains but they do add to the storyline. The supporting characters to the storyline however that drive the storyline are well made and quite memorable with each of them having their own role and place in the storyline depending on who you play as. Throughout the three storylines, you will see different sides to each character. The monsters and enemies in the game however vary and have their own unique design and appearance, no one enemy looks like the other like in other RPGs.
• GamePlay: 10/10
o Ys Origin's gameplay is a hack and slash adventure game, it has similar elements to a typical dungeon crawler but can be seen as a fast paced Kingdom Hearts or Mana style game. You choose 1 out of 3 characters for the storyline (with only 2 available in the beginning), each of the playable characters have their own fighting style, their own specific strengths and weaknesses in stats and their own special abilities and equips. Yunica Tovah is a mid range fighter who uses an axe and later on a sword which is swappable, Hugo Fact is a Long range magician who uses defensive spells and Toal Fact is a short range and the fastest out of the three characters who uses his speed instead of magic. In Ys Origin you scale a gigantic tower that houses about 25 floors and a side tower. There are about 3-4 floors per section and at the end of each section is a boss in which you will fight, along the way there will be instances where you might end up fighting a certain mid boss which can be as hard as a normal boss battle. Each character can find 3 artifacts which give them a unique ability, which can either be used a mobility skill, one can be seen as a obstacle breaker and another can be used as a means to light up torches. Players can find various equips which is divided between Body armor and Leggings which can be upgraded via the goddess statue/demon statue. Weapons can be upgraded via finding a item called Cleria Ore. Players will find various statues depicting a goddess or a demon depending on who you play as, which can be used as means to save and to power up certain abilities such as resistances, armor power ups or giving exclusive abilities to that certain character. In return however it is required you have a certain amount of SP which is a type of currency found after killing monsters. The battle system in Ys Origin is like a action RPG where everything is Free time and has no delay unless you are using a special. When killing monsters, they may drop herbs which automatically heal you, potions which give you buffs or increase timers for modifiers such as the EXP gain.
• Graphics: 9/10
o Ys Origin's graphic style is similar to a PS1 classic, more specifically like Final Fantasy Tactics and Breath of Fire. The Sprites are animated 2D while the surrounding areas are rendered in 3D. The CG Cutscenes are all in Anime style like a Tales or Star Ocean game. The animation from attacks and specials and the movement of the characters are fluid and quite amazing.
• Sound: 8/10
o Ys Origin's sound effects sound like a typical action packed side shooter from a Japanese Arcade. This is a good thing however those who were expecting a traditional RPG, they'll probably be disappointed. Along with that, although previous Ys Games did include voice overs especially on the PSP and PS2, the PC version and Steam versions of Ys Origin do not include voice overs.
• Music: 10/10
o The Ys series is best known for its quite upbeat and action music, mostly using rock, techno and orchestral style, Ys Origin's OST includes a unique collection of tracks which is simply breathtaking and will help the mood for the player especially during a battle.
• Length: 7/10
o Ys Origin's main storyline should take you no more than 30 hours. There are 3 characters you play as and if it is your first playthrough of the game, it may take you 5-8 hours to finish the storyline once you get used to the gameplay style of the game. However if you played Ys before and are used to the gameplay style, the game might only take you about 4-5 hours at the most.
• Replay Value: 9/10
o Ys Origin includes many replay value elements not seen in other RPGs. The game includes different difficulty options ranging from Very Easy, Easy, Normal, Hard, and Nightmare. The differences are that the AI of the enemies, the amount of exp, the chance of item/bonus drops, the damage counter for both character and enemies. Players may want to play different difficulties to see the different styles of AI from enemies as it truly is like a different experience, along with that to push forth the replay of the difficulties is the Achievement system in the Steam version of the game which rewards players the achievement in completing the difficulty. Along with that, when you complete one storyline in Ys Origin, you automatically unlock "The Claw" storyline which is the true storyline and leads you to the true final boss. The game also includes a boss trial mode which you can fight all bosses and compete for the best time which is automatically recorded in a competitive charts for the game.
• Player Value: 10/10
o Ys Origin is an amazing game in which all RPG players must get, if you are new to the series, Ys Origin is the best game to start at since it's a fully fledged prequel which explains to you the origins of the upcoming games. The gameplay and music will keep you hooked into the game and the amazing replay value and difficulty will bring appeal to players who usually dont enjoy RPGs or usually shy away from RPGs most of the time. Ys Origin is a true masterpiece with its nostalgic graphic style and well made art style for the character designs and environments. Both RPG and anime fans will surely love Ys Origin. Get it now on Steam as it is available!