Ys I & II Chronicles+
Useless bit of trivia first.
The amount of times these games have been redone is truly mindblowing, but then again Ys has been around since 1987. What we have here is an enhanced port of a PSP port of an enhanced edition of a windows remake of a combined turbografx-16/pc-engine remake of a pair of games on an ancient japanese pc. Rolls right off the tongue and I’m not even gonna get into how many ports the original games themselves got. I’m fairly certain this won’t be the last remake either.
– Real player with 67.3 hrs in game
Read More: Best JRPG Great Soundtrack Games.
This game screams: Epic. Retro. Action RPG. While we’re at it, Ys Chronicles+ kicks Major Ass (this is an E rated review)! The game mechanics are so simple and so addictive that you can literally spend hours grinding monsters, just because! And then you look at the clock and think, “Holy Pants! It’s tomorrow! …But maybe just a little longer…” and then you turn into a zombie. Yea, this is a hyperbole, but it’s not as much of an overstatement as you might think.
And did I mention that this is a package of two games? Quick history lesson. When Falcom was developing Ys, limitations forced them to split the epic into two, resulting in two games, Ys I and II, collectively called (in this case) The Ys Chronicles (Ys Complete, Ys Eternal, Ys Epic Remake VII, these two games have seen a plethora of remakes, and Ys Chronicles+ is the latest and arguably greatest).
– Real player with 40.6 hrs in game
Way of the Samurai 3
I love the Way of the Samurai franchise, but i think WoTS 3 is the worst game in the series for several reasons.
- Bad Stuff -
1. The job system is one of the most frustrating systems i’ve ever encountered in gaming. I cannot stress how bad this mechanic is - it will be a deal breaker for many players. Most of the job quest involve extreme tedium - for example like finding 3 missing kids (no map markers, can take 10-20 until you memorize the locations), pushing an old lady to the toilet without staggering her, and following npcs around for +5m sometimes till they meow so you can identify them as a robber. Many of the quests involve “finding a person who is hiding” and they can be in crazy places like on the roof, in a tree, or in a patch of ivy you are trying to search at night. Worse, the jobs take place in the same few locations - so you are stuck searching the same few zones over and over again with little variation. Why do these tedious jobs? Well job quests are essential to gain money, collect certain swords, and gain faction rep for certain endings. Finally, to finish a quest and ask for a new quest, you need to submit the quest, walk to leave the zone, get a loading screen, then return to the zone, get a loading screen, then go back to the quest giver to get a new job. Overall, i feel like this game completely disrespects your time with pointless tedium. You aren’t a samurai, you are playing where’s waldo for most of the game.
– Real player with 41.6 hrs in game
Read More: Best JRPG Action RPG Games.
IF A KUROSAWA FILM AND A CHOOSE YOUR OWN ADVENTURE BOOK HAD A BABY TOGETHER
PROS:
–combat seems simple, but is deceptively fun and addictive
–15 different endings based on player choices
–lots of interesting and idiosyncratic characters
–character customization
–skin swaps for said character customization (can play as any NPC in the game)
–Story and character interactions are highly enjoyable
–replay value for days
CONS:
–dated graphics
–movement in and out of battle has probably not aged that well (shouldn’t be that much of a problem though)
– Real player with 40.0 hrs in game
Way of the Samurai 4
Mmmm… good
– Real player with 164.3 hrs in game
Read More: Best JRPG Historical Games.
Makes prison seem enticing
– Real player with 95.5 hrs in game
Fallen Legion: Rise to Glory
Without a doubt this game was a pleasant and enjoyable surprise! While it was obviously apparent that the title had similar styling and game-play flow to something like “Valkyrie Profile”, the challenge and combat balance proved to be of sufficiently stiff level. Make no mistake, even on the default difficulty setting before any NewGame+, this game can be HARD. After having completed both story paths it’s become apparent that besides the aforementioned NewGame+, there’s a One Life Mode available with options to upgrade your party members to their highest potential. The narrative is pretty deep for a game of this 2D style. The devs even include a nice card based bonus system that adds some flavor to the story that has you making decisions that shapes the unfolding tale. Sadly, these decisions don’t lead to vastly different endings for both characters. As for the audio, the soundtrack is sparse in terms of the number of distinct tracks, but absolutely brilliant. There are certainly some adrenaline pumping tracks on here when fights get dicey. The game also has some voice acting that is generally well done and in keeping with the fantasy story on show. To elaborate, the game’s lore has many words some which seem Celtic in tone and spelling which,when pronounced, coincide with the real world Welsh (the male Laendur’s voice actor brings this out well I think) and Irish (probably what the accent the female voice actor playing Cecille was going for). A very fitting and appreciated bit of effort in my opinion.
– Real player with 26.6 hrs in game
Definitely recommended! Lots of frantic action, split-second guards, diverse enemies, skills, combos, boosts, cancellations, one-shots, mass wipes, restarts, read again, ‘lots of action’.
No direct control over character movement, but full control over attacks and positioning. Little custimization in shape of gems (three at most), and a way to influence heroes' growth. Very indirect and totally obscure but nevertheless quite pleasant.
Hidden skills, New Game+ with Even More Punishment™, S-ranks to obtain, etc, etc.
– Real player with 23.5 hrs in game
Sonzai
Sonzai is a 2d, action-brawler platforming RPG. The town of Kumotoshi holds secrets. A new life, new people, new spirits. What are the threads that bind people together? What is the nature of magic?
Sonzai is an innovative hand-drawn action-RPG about life, magic, and relationships. The town of Kumotoshi holds secrets; a new life and new people. What threads bind these people together? What is the true nature of magic? Thrown into a new town, form relationships with people around you. Sonzai is the debut game by trailblazing video game duo 2 Odd Diodes, hailing from Kolkata, India, and published by New York-based Top Hat Studios, Inc.
Taking place in a dynamic, living town filled with unique characters, each with their own lives and stories. The game embraces social links and relationship building that affect both the course of the story and the scope of the player’s skill. Visceral character-action combat with RPG mechanics means Sonzai brings customizable “rune” abilities and weapon load-outs to the table. Thus accommodating vastly different fighting styles along with the game’s more traditional life sim elements.
The game is wrapped in a beautiful, inky minimalist art style with precisely choreographed animations (every single animation frame hand-drawn), complementing a thought-provoking narrative about existence and magic, within a vast world filled with hidden lore to discover. While getting tangled in the lives of a colorful, diverse cast of characters.
Discover the secrets of a magical world
Explore a vast world.
Whether it is a burning town right beside Kumotoshi or a civilization underground.
Each new area has its own aesthetic and beings who reside in them.
Discover its rich history while also managing your high school life.
Engage in viseral character-action combat
Experience combo based action with deep customization.
Passive Runes give you strength if you can fulfil its conditions.
Actives Runes are devastating spells that you unleash on your enemies.
Modules are modifiers that you can mix and match, to fine tune your loadout
Form Relationships with the townsfolk
Each character you meet may or may not like a new face in town.
Form bonds with them and get tangled in their stories.
Get stronger through your relationships.
Kumotoshi is a magical town; a hub for young mages. Its outskirts are a dangerous place - infused with dangerous magical energy. As you arrive, in town as a new student, you find yourself ready to begin a new life. New opportunities and new friends await. However, what secrets lay in the shadows?
Blazing Aries
“Blazing Aries” is an ARPG game developed by Kuroto Zakka, and published by OTAKU Plan.
STORY
The game tells the story of a new adventurer named Aries.
She visits all kinds of cities, travels around the unknown world, fights against the “Calamities” that spread all over the world.
This game’s core is the orthodox action fighting mode!
Players will use all kinds of skills to adapt to the situation in battle, and fight against various enemies.
Enjoy the experience of refreshing and unrestrained battle!
FEATURES
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Orthodox Japanese ARPG
-
Combat mode with great pleasure
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Rich skill Combo
Juno
Don’t try to save the world, try to save a city instead!
Juno is an RPG game named after its main character who lives in Nexus City, a peaceful city in most circumstances until events happen which make it a… not so peaceful place.
The pace of progression is completely determined by the player. How events occur and when is determined by the speed at which the players clear those missions. Clearing missions unlock scenarios which progress the true story of the game.
Despite being made with RPG Maker MV, Juno does NOT use turn based combat. Instead, it uses a rather active form of strategy combat in which you must navigate around attacks, pace your resources and combo skills for devastating effects!
Combat navigation allows for moving, regular attacks, special skills, guarding and evading.
Combining certain skills unleash a combo finisher which has boosted power, limited invincibility and amazing effects.
The game is not all about combat as missions can only be taken once a day, players can spend that down time clearing realms for crafting resources or taking part in certain special events.
Crafting in Juno is not like other RPG Games in which you simply collect the items on a list, press OK and then BOOM, you get the item. Juno has an optional Match3 style crafting system in which players can take part in for additional crafted items.
The game possesses a unique character customization feature in the form of [Soul Board].
The soul board allows you to fit runes based on level and shape. There are certain penalties and benefits runes can give with some penalties causing catastrophic penalties once certain lower limits are exceeded.
Shrine’s Legacy
Restore the Sword. Reunite the Elements.
Shrine’s Legacy is a SNES-like action adventure RPG where you’ll wield elemental magic to explore the nooks and crannies of Ardemia and battle a rising evil. Play single player or with a friend in co-op!
Shrine’s Legacy lets you harness elemental Gemstones to cast spells in real-time both to defeat foes and remove obstacles! Meet intriguing characters along the way as the two heroes journey to restore the Sword of Shrine.
The Guardians of Peace
This is an interesting game. Had fun playing so far! Lots of story and mix of meditation. Its definitely unique!
– Real player with 0.5 hrs in game
Ys IX: Monstrum Nox
Ys IX - Monstrum Nox does not reach the level of masterpiece that is Ys VIII - Lacrimosa of Dana, but it is still a solid, great fun adventure to dive in, and a good stopping point to look back, reflect on how far the series has evolved before the next stage.
For newcomers, I think you should wait for sales, for the price to properly reflects its quality, as you pay more than VIII yet receive lesser. But Ys fans? Well, it’s up to your generosity whether to hit it now or later.
Final Score is 8.5/10 – Great
– Real player with 200.1 hrs in game
I cannot not recommend this.
1- It’s a Falcom Game and all their games are labours of love.
2- It’s the next installment of the Ys franchise and Ys is the Gold standard for Action-Adventure Games. That means it’s got fast-paced combat, exploration and a ton of quality of life stuff to keep you from getting bored.
3- The Falcom Sound Team jdk have another fantastic music score, check out their Youtube channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCz7eke4JGlbtc11_6mmA7ew
As for things more specific to this game in particular:
– Real player with 94.9 hrs in game