Tuesday, April 11, 2006

YS V PS2 REVIEW



I am currently playing the Ys V remake for the PS2 (Japanese only) and I had to review it. I am only about three hours into it right now, but I think this one is better than Taito's Ys IV PS2 remake.
I base that on a single factor: The music, which is much better and much more faithful to the original than Taito's previous remakes of Ys III and IV.
The characters look exactly the same, the gameplay is basically exactly the same, however the backgrounds do show improvement from the last title.
For me, the music is making this a much more enjoyable experience. I have been an advocate the the Ys IV PS2 remake is a lot better towards the end, and I know the harsh criticism that game has gotten.
I am keeping my fingers crossed that this game too will lose some of it's poor traits as you get further into it.

Once again, there is poor dungeon design though. What doesn't help is a little automatic 90 degree turn at certain parts in the dungeons that will get you lost immediately, because all the environments in the dungeons look exactly the same.

I can't be too hard on it, because I really like the playful look of the characters and the portraits are treated with respect as well.
For now though, it is what it is, I still look for a day when the game will be remade by Falcom for PC. There is just so much more that could have been done to make this game better, but at least they gave it a shot, it is a lot of fun to play.

I would still recommend this game to anyone, but if you have the chance play the original Ys V first. Here are my scores for Ys V PS2:
Graphics: 6.5/10
Music: 8/10
Gameplay: 5.5/10
Fun Factor: 7/10

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