Ys I & II Chronicles+ Review Summary

Exceptional and iconic soundtrack: The music in Ys I & II is consistently lauded as outstanding, with many players calling it iconic and a masterpiece. The remastered versions, offering various arrangements, are particularly appreciated for enhancing the game's atmosphere and battle sequences.

Ys I & II are excellent classics: Players widely praise Ys I & II as fantastic action RPG classics, noting their significant role in the series' origin and overall quality. Ys II is frequently highlighted as a substantial improvement over Ys I, enhancing gameplay, story, and world-building.

Modernized visuals and quality-of-life: The remastered versions are highly valued for their enhanced graphics, reorchestrated soundtracks, and modern gameplay options. Players appreciate the updated pixel art, detailed environments, and overall polished presentation that revitalizes the classic experience.

Accessible and satisfying difficulty: The games offer a manageable learning curve and various difficulty settings, catering to both new players and those seeking a challenge. Boss battles are noted for requiring strategy and providing satisfying victories, even on higher difficulties.

Short, sweet, and great value: Players appreciate the concise length of both games, finding them short enough to not overstay their welcome while still offering a complete experience. The bundle is considered a great value, especially when on sale.

Excessive Boss Difficulty & Design Flaws: Many players found boss battles, especially the final boss (Dark Fact) and the bat boss (Vagullion), to be extremely difficult, unfair, and often reliant on luck rather than skill. Issues include high speed, unavoidable projectiles, poor hitboxes, and mechanics tied to frame rate, leading to frustration and burnout.

Outdated Gameplay & Mechanics: The 'bump' combat system, lack of diagonal movement, and overall simplistic gameplay feel dated and unrewarding to many modern players. The game's design, including limited quality-of-life features and basic story, is seen as archaic and not comparable to contemporary ARPGs.

Technical Issues & FPS Dependence: The game suffers from significant technical problems, particularly with frame rate. Higher FPS makes certain bosses, like Dark Fact and Vagullion, disproportionately harder or even unplayable due to increased projectile speed and boss recovery, often without in-game warnings.

Confusing Navigation & Backtracking: Players frequently got lost in labyrinthine dungeons, especially Darm Tower, due to repetitive layouts and a lack of clear guidance. This is compounded by extensive backtracking requirements, making progression feel tedious and frustrating.

Early Level Cap & Progression Issues: The level cap of 10 is reached relatively early in Ys I, often halfway through the game. This halts player progression and makes later encounters, particularly in the final dungeon, feel pointless or overly difficult without further strength gains.

Evolving Bump Combat System: Ys I features a unique 'bump combat' system where players attack by colliding with enemies, ideally from the side or back to avoid damage. Ys II significantly improves upon this by adding diagonal movement, magic spells, and ranged attacks, making combat more fluid and varied.

Ys I & II as a Combined Story: Ys I and Ys II are presented as two halves of a single, continuous narrative, with Ys II directly following the events of Ys I. Ys I often serves as a prologue, setting up the world and story that fully develops in Ys II, which is generally considered the superior game.

Challenging Boss Battles: Both games feature challenging boss battles, with some in Ys I being particularly difficult and requiring specific gear or even frame rate adjustments. Ys II bosses are often described as bullet-hell-like, requiring skill and pattern recognition, though some players found them more manageable than Ys I's.

RPG Progression & Grinding: The games feature traditional RPG elements like leveling up and acquiring equipment, which are crucial for progression. While Ys I has a low level cap (10) reached quickly, Ys II expands on this with a higher cap and more varied equipment, though both games can involve grinding.

Lack of In-Game Map/Guidance: Both Ys I and Ys II lack an in-game map, which, combined with complex, maze-like dungeons and vague objective hints, can lead to player disorientation and a need for extensive NPC dialogue or external guides for progression.

Manual FPS/Refresh Rate Cap Needed: To mitigate the frame rate issues, players must manually cap the game's FPS, often to 30 or 60, using external tools like graphics card control panels or by adjusting monitor refresh rates. The in-game frame limiter is reported as ineffective.

Modern PC Configuration Required: The game requires players to 'mess with graphics configuration' to be playable on modern systems, especially concerning refresh rates and V-Sync settings, to avoid bugs and unintended difficulty.

Resolution and Display Limitations: The game's resolution cannot be changed in-game and must be configured externally. Some players note that the game's visuals are not designed for modern high resolutions, appearing as an enlarged low-resolution image.

Windows 11 Compatibility Issues: Players on Windows 11 experience significant issues, including green corruption in cutscenes and black screens after initial dialogue. Updating Intel drivers may resolve some black screen problems.

Steam Features Included: The Steam version of the game includes modern features such as cloud saving, achievements, and ranks for Time Attack mode.

Accessible Entry Point: Despite its age, Ys I & II Chronicles+ is frequently suggested as a good starting point for newcomers to the Ys series, particularly for those who appreciate classic JRPGs or action RPGs. However, some suggest starting with Ys Origin or Ys VIII for a more modern experience before diving into these older titles.

Essential for Ys Fans: Ys I & II Chronicles+ is highly recommended for existing Ys fans, especially those curious about the series' origins or Adol's early adventures. It's considered a must-play to understand the franchise's roots and is often seen as an essential part of the saga.

Difficulty & Boss Fights: The game, particularly Ys I, can be challenging, with some boss fights being notoriously difficult. Players are advised to adjust difficulty settings (often recommending Easy or Normal) and to save frequently, especially before boss encounters, to mitigate frustration.

Strong Music & Story: The games are praised for their memorable stories and incredible soundtracks, which significantly contribute to the overall atmosphere and player enjoyment. These elements are often cited as reasons to play the games, even if other aspects are dated.

Consider Purchase on Sale: While generally recommended, especially for fans of the genre or series, many reviewers suggest purchasing the game during a sale. This makes the experience more worthwhile, particularly for those curious about JRPG history or the Ys series' origins.

Classic ARPG Foundation: Ys I & II are considered foundational classics of the ARPG genre, laying the groundwork for the entire Ys franchise. These modernized versions remain faithful to the original 1987/1988 releases, introducing key characters, lore, and gameplay elements that persist throughout the series.

Simple, Engaging Adventure: Ys I & II offer a simple yet captivating hack-and-slash action-adventure experience with a classic fantasy story. While short and straightforward, the games provide an epic journey that evokes nostalgia for retro RPG fans and introduces Adol Christin's first adventure.

Enduring Retro Appeal: These games are highly regarded as great retro titles that have aged well, appealing to an audience that appreciates old-school gaming. They offer a wonderful piece of video game history, maintaining the charm of older games despite their age.

Inspires Series Exploration: Playing Ys I & II often motivates players to delve deeper into the Ys series, with many purchasing subsequent titles. This suggests a strong introductory experience that encourages further engagement with the franchise.

Controller Recommended: Players recommend using a game controller for an optimal experience. It is also advised to adjust sound, video, and button settings in the configuration menu before starting gameplay.