I enjoyed it a lot, but mostly because I didn't give a shit about the story and characters, and played it to completion as a podcast game. I definitely could do without the raids.
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Ys VIII was horrendously mediocre, inconsiderate of my time and my biggest disappointment of the gen. Rant thread.
- Thread starter DominicanGlory
- Start date
If you disliked it that much, I'm not sure why you kept playing for 40 hours. I'd have abandoned it way before the end.
Anyway. I don't disagree with most of your issues, but I still found the game pretty good. The story is rubbish*, the characters are lame, it's got the typical cringy animu tropes that need to die in a fire already, and there's some bloat, but the moment-to-moment gameplay is really fun. I enjoyed exploring the island and fighting off monsters. I played on the 2nd highest difficulty (I think -the one below Inferno?) and found it pretty challenging.
* But then again it's always been rubbish in every Ys game, kinda, so whatever. I don't play Ys games for their stories or characters at all.
Anyway. I don't disagree with most of your issues, but I still found the game pretty good. The story is rubbish*, the characters are lame, it's got the typical cringy animu tropes that need to die in a fire already, and there's some bloat, but the moment-to-moment gameplay is really fun. I enjoyed exploring the island and fighting off monsters. I played on the 2nd highest difficulty (I think -the one below Inferno?) and found it pretty challenging.
* But then again it's always been rubbish in every Ys game, kinda, so whatever. I don't play Ys games for their stories or characters at all.
Wat
While I agree on the characters and story not being great (although it's still one of the better Ys stories), I disagree on pretty much everything else. I really disliked the party system in Seven and Celceta and consider them just "good", but VIII is up there with Oath and Dawn of Ys as one of the best games in the series. Gameplay and music are fantastic and I happily spent close to a 100 hours on my first playthrough on inferno. It's a shame IX is gonna be a letdown.
Blame Era and its hyperbole. It's a mediocre effort with low production values from a small studio, but if you were to believe Era, it's one of the best JRPGs of the gen. People keep pretending the music and gameplay are second to none in this game, but the former is just fine and the latter is nothing more than mindless button smashing. Yeah, you switch characters between your button smashes, but that's still all it is, button smashing.
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Speaking of being inconsiderate of time...
I really hated how you get to a new save crystal, and the game then cuts to a very extended cutscene with Dana with the next nearest save crystal in sight. It got to the point where I dread finding the next save crystal, despite being really beat up.
Other than that, I thought the game was largely find. Sahad had a decent amount of interesting things about him, roughly on par with the NPC campers. Dana more or less stole all the time for characterization, though.
Why was Ys IX disappointing?
I really hated how you get to a new save crystal, and the game then cuts to a very extended cutscene with Dana with the next nearest save crystal in sight. It got to the point where I dread finding the next save crystal, despite being really beat up.
Other than that, I thought the game was largely find. Sahad had a decent amount of interesting things about him, roughly on par with the NPC campers. Dana more or less stole all the time for characterization, though.
Why was Ys IX disappointing?
Counterpoint: YS8 is a top 15 game of the generation.
It's just pure, hammy fun with a novel setting to facilitate that fun.
It's just pure, hammy fun with a novel setting to facilitate that fun.
I played it earlier this year after loving Oath in Felghana years ago, and I stopped after 25 hours, because I realized I was only about 60% through the game. It's such a long game that seems to have a number of layers, which although they seem like they add a lot to the game, don't actually change what you're doing in the moment to moment gameplay. I was doing the same thing at hour 15 as I was at hour 25 - except with even more interruptions for the bad tower defense sections - and I dropped it.
I never got around playing this game, Memories of Celceta was really good tho, its a shame this one wasnt
I was planning on making a topic about YS 8 but im going to take this opportunity to bust out a shortened version of my thoughts.
Ys 8 is a great game. Not terrific, not good, but great. The combat is excellent, the music is terrific, the plot is serviceable and the npcs and set pieces are good. A big problem with it is that it is a bit uneven in the beginning. I actually put it down but came back to it after a few months and found that once i got a decent way in, it picked up speed just like 7 and oath did.
One of the big problems in Ys 8 is that it is relentlessly fucking depressing in the beginning and that is actually the overarching theme of the game in the beginning. You're trapped on an island, people are lost, your shit is fucked, youre a weak baby and it feels like at any moment you can get your shit pushed in. Unlike in other Ys games, it takes a while both in game mechanics and in the story for you to actually feel strong. In this way, the early part of the game suffers even more because you feel that depression and you just think, fuck it ill play something else.
The game actually uses verticality to reinforce this message. In the beginning you only run side to side on the beach and don't really feel like youre going anywhere. Then you progress to a forest which is a big fucking slog and probably the worst part of the game. Then you get stuck in the swampy jungles with a murderer and it just feels like holy fuck give me a break. Then finally you literally start moving up hill, only to be rebuffed. There is a chasm and you can't cross it. Even at this point I was like give me fucking something, anything.
Finally you cross the chasm and you go through a miserable spooky cave. Then you scale a fucking mountain all while dinosaurs much on your ass, and even though the combat has now improved, it still feels like youre stranded in the story. You're doing all this shit, but it doesnt feel like youre actually getting closer to getting off the island. The only thing that has happened is youve saved a bunch of people and gussied up your camp a bit (this game really would have benefitted from cosmetic decoration of the campsite, this would have lifted some of the bad feeling).
Ok now finally you hit the top of the mountain, and what are you greeted with? the biggest fucking dragon youve ever seen in a type of horizontal combat that is not what youre used to. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UE9AOlrL_To&list=PL3hOqGZMjs46WBmdLbkNeFe-7r4dB45Jt&index=11
FINALLY you beat the fucking dragon and then, you get this.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UE9AOlrL_To&list=PL3hOqGZMjs46WBmdLbkNeFe-7r4dB45Jt&index=11 - skip to 17:28
here is the sound track play it along side https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6K4Ad5XCxlI&list=PLzFTGYa_evXi6iVzAPRg4_kkNphkGXG7c&index=29
You have finally beaten this fuck huge dragon, and finally you are going down hill. You are building momentum, you feel strong, the music is fuckin blasting, shit is exploding in front of you, everything is dying because you are now a combat god, and finally, you actually come across something that truly isnt about getting off the island, its some ancient civilization thing that actually opens up the air in the narrative and lifts that relentless malaise that had been haunting you until this time. After this, you get more of the Dana narrative and the story finally enters the second phase in earnest.
I think about the moment above all the time. Its perfect thematically and musically, I still play this song when i want to get pumped and I still think about that feeling of momentum and how the game worked so hard to get to that moment. If you stick it out that long, you truly get rewarded.
So yeah, there are a lot of outside factors that make the game hard to enjoy in the beginning, but once you hit this point, its all down hill from here (in a good way)
Ys 8 is a great game. Not terrific, not good, but great. The combat is excellent, the music is terrific, the plot is serviceable and the npcs and set pieces are good. A big problem with it is that it is a bit uneven in the beginning. I actually put it down but came back to it after a few months and found that once i got a decent way in, it picked up speed just like 7 and oath did.
One of the big problems in Ys 8 is that it is relentlessly fucking depressing in the beginning and that is actually the overarching theme of the game in the beginning. You're trapped on an island, people are lost, your shit is fucked, youre a weak baby and it feels like at any moment you can get your shit pushed in. Unlike in other Ys games, it takes a while both in game mechanics and in the story for you to actually feel strong. In this way, the early part of the game suffers even more because you feel that depression and you just think, fuck it ill play something else.
The game actually uses verticality to reinforce this message. In the beginning you only run side to side on the beach and don't really feel like youre going anywhere. Then you progress to a forest which is a big fucking slog and probably the worst part of the game. Then you get stuck in the swampy jungles with a murderer and it just feels like holy fuck give me a break. Then finally you literally start moving up hill, only to be rebuffed. There is a chasm and you can't cross it. Even at this point I was like give me fucking something, anything.
Finally you cross the chasm and you go through a miserable spooky cave. Then you scale a fucking mountain all while dinosaurs much on your ass, and even though the combat has now improved, it still feels like youre stranded in the story. You're doing all this shit, but it doesnt feel like youre actually getting closer to getting off the island. The only thing that has happened is youve saved a bunch of people and gussied up your camp a bit (this game really would have benefitted from cosmetic decoration of the campsite, this would have lifted some of the bad feeling).
Ok now finally you hit the top of the mountain, and what are you greeted with? the biggest fucking dragon youve ever seen in a type of horizontal combat that is not what youre used to. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UE9AOlrL_To&list=PL3hOqGZMjs46WBmdLbkNeFe-7r4dB45Jt&index=11
FINALLY you beat the fucking dragon and then, you get this.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UE9AOlrL_To&list=PL3hOqGZMjs46WBmdLbkNeFe-7r4dB45Jt&index=11 - skip to 17:28
here is the sound track play it along side https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6K4Ad5XCxlI&list=PLzFTGYa_evXi6iVzAPRg4_kkNphkGXG7c&index=29
You have finally beaten this fuck huge dragon, and finally you are going down hill. You are building momentum, you feel strong, the music is fuckin blasting, shit is exploding in front of you, everything is dying because you are now a combat god, and finally, you actually come across something that truly isnt about getting off the island, its some ancient civilization thing that actually opens up the air in the narrative and lifts that relentless malaise that had been haunting you until this time. After this, you get more of the Dana narrative and the story finally enters the second phase in earnest.
I think about the moment above all the time. Its perfect thematically and musically, I still play this song when i want to get pumped and I still think about that feeling of momentum and how the game worked so hard to get to that moment. If you stick it out that long, you truly get rewarded.
So yeah, there are a lot of outside factors that make the game hard to enjoy in the beginning, but once you hit this point, its all down hill from here (in a good way)
This is where I've been already, particularly for Japanese games in general really. My one recent lapse in judgment has been listening to people who said Chaos;Child was good (I fooled myself into thinking I'd like it because I liked Chaos;Head).
That said, based on your assessment, I can pretty much guarantee that you would hate Trails of Cold Steel.
I think some people on here end up praising a game if it just has a slightly addictive gameplay loop and is long as hell
I would urge anyone who likes Celceta to play Ys VIII. I played them in the opposite order, and it was mindblowing how much Celceta appears to be a "rough draft" for VIII.
I'm definitely in the same camp. I played and almost finished it on the Switch but yes the graphics, especially in the Switch port, were awful at times. I ended up buying it on sale on Steam. Might go through it again on PC when I get the time
I've played a couple YS games and it's always fun, and I find the story interesting enough to keep me playing until the end, but looking back, I always forgot about the story and characters to the point I'm mixing up characters and plot from various YS games. like when I see a YS character I'm not sure which games that character come from, or what's the story detail of 6, 7, etc.
1 thing going for YS8 for me is the island setting and playable Dana make it more memorable to me than any other YS game. it's been a couple years, but I still remember the story of YS8, the twist, the ending, etc
1 thing going for YS8 for me is the island setting and playable Dana make it more memorable to me than any other YS game. it's been a couple years, but I still remember the story of YS8, the twist, the ending, etc
Series peaked with Felghana for me. I don't think any of the games that came after it are bad (though I can't speak for 9, as I won't play it until it releases in English) but, to me, it's the best representation of Ys gameplay. I hope they decide to revisit it someday.
This. It is just a solid ass video game, which somehow comes together as more than the sum of it's parts. Reminds me of the kinds of RPGs we used to get back on the PS2.
The idea of gradually exploring this mysterious island, while rescuing survivors and building up a settlement, which helps you to explore further, is a great foundation - like a cross between Dark Cloud and Subnautica.
It's fair to say the game didn't live up to expectations.
It's fair to say the game didn't live up to expectations.
I mean, it is. Most JRPGs are garbage, though. :P
Not on Harder difficulties it ain't. You'll get destroyed if you just mindlessly button mash.
It's easily the best party based game they've made. Doesn't reach Oath or Origins but I'd put it firmly at 3 and nothing else comes even close.
That being said, Falcom is getting too long winded in all their games now. You have a mute sword boy for a hero, just get on with it.
That being said, Falcom is getting too long winded in all their games now. You have a mute sword boy for a hero, just get on with it.
Saying YS VIII music is "just fine" is wrong on a hundred different levels.
Like what.
I just got the final party member and I would say I love this game if not for the raid and hunt battles. They are just the peak of bad padding and I don't get why they felt the need to put them in. Music, art, story and combat I love but by god is the game trying to get me to quit whenever one of those come up either through the story or as a side quest.
The craziest part of this thread is that someone actually liked Ys Seven. Which is easily the worst moden Ys game
Yeah same boat. I play Ys because the gameplay is crazy fun and the music slaps. If I want a good story from Falcom i'd play Trails.
I also disliked it.
I played it on switch though and the port was a mess.
Empty and bland environments, meh music (the first overworld music is just bad imo) uninteresting characters... This game just isn't for me.
Must be really better at 60fps though...
I played it on switch though and the port was a mess.
Empty and bland environments, meh music (the first overworld music is just bad imo) uninteresting characters... This game just isn't for me.
Must be really better at 60fps though...
This is where I stand on modern Falcom games. I much prefer the SNES/PSP/2000s era Falcom games.
I'm extremely wary of resetera recommendations for Japanese games. Trails of Cold Steel (which, I agree with others, I think you'll hate) is genuinely just the most mediocre JRPG I've ever played and I tried it after seeing everyone sing it's praises. It's bloated and slow and just terribly written. The characters are awful.
People also praise Xenoblade 2's story and characters when those are...not well written. They're fun! But they're not good!
I've also seen Judgment praised to high heaven when I found it to be awfully boring and just deeply misogynistic. Be very wary of Era recommendations imo.
I dipped from Ys VIII 20 hours earlier than you. I really wanted to like it, but no, even when it came to gameplay I felt bored out of my mind, let alone with everything else. Still, Trails is also by far my favorite JRPG series of all times, it became my personal #1 just after 2nd game in the series back in 2015 overcoming other favorites of mine like SMT/Persona, Suikoden, Grandia. And that feeling didn't change with Cold Steel even though I have some problems with it too. Overall I'd rate Trails arcs as: Sky>CS>Crossbell - so I don't consider CS games lowest point of the series and even Crossbell games were at least 8/10 to me.
Ys 8 definitely overstays its welcome. Game could have been half as long but still be an amazing game
I played through the polished PC version earlier this year. I loved everything about it. I had so much fun exploring and battling across the island. What an adventure! 10/10 game.
The only part that sucked was the slow, boring beginning on the ship. It nearly put me off the game, but I'm obviously glad I persisted.
The only part that sucked was the slow, boring beginning on the ship. It nearly put me off the game, but I'm obviously glad I persisted.
The resourcefulness of storytelling in YS games is really impressive which I think balances out the usually generic overarching stories. You always know what you're doing and why
One of the best adventure games of this gen. Shame it was held back by the PS Vita the way it was. The adventure aspect was the best part about it as well as unraveling the mystery of Dana and her people. It's a shame you didn't like it OP, it's one of the few games of its type still around.
Don't know why people call it a JRPG though. It's very clearly an action adventure the whole way through.
Don't know why people call it a JRPG though. It's very clearly an action adventure the whole way through.
Ngl I really enjoyed it, it was my first Ys however so perhaps the others are even better.
I liked the chilled out nature of the first half, thought the characters were ok, music was great; and overal enjoyed the cartography.
My only main complaint would be that imo the ending sucks, I understand however that 8 takes place before other games in the series so they basically had to clean the slate unceremoniously.
I liked the chilled out nature of the first half, thought the characters were ok, music was great; and overal enjoyed the cartography.
My only main complaint would be that imo the ending sucks, I understand however that 8 takes place before other games in the series so they basically had to clean the slate unceremoniously.
Disagree on most points, aside from the characters being paper thin. Then again, I don't expect it to be more.
Played it day 1 and it left a big hole in my heart.
Played it day 1 and it left a big hole in my heart.
I really loved it and completed it on Switch. I loved the cast, the setting and even the story. I've played some entries in the Ys series albeit not all of them and Ys VIII is easily one of the best times I've spend with Adol and his friends.
Totally agree with you OP. It was boring at the best of times and eye-rollingly tedious at the worst, with no respect for the player's time.
Disagree, it was my favorite in the series. Looking forward to IX even though most impressions I've seen said it was worse than VIII.
