Bodysuit 23 #584

I have finished Ys IX. I really enjoyed it. Final thoughts: It has the best story out of any Ys game IMO. Not to say that the series has the most compelling stories to begin with. They're usually typical/simple stories that take a back seat for the fast action gameplay. With IX, they did some cool stuff like dealing with the consequences of the Romun Empire (Yes. That's how it's spelled) empire taking over a kingdom with civilians who hold a grudge and attempt an insurrection, with those feelings of hatred being one of the sources of fuel for the supernatural stuff that's going on throughout the game. I still enjoy the characters from Ys VIII more than IX. Not to say IX didn't have some fun characters who I enjoyed being with. But the castaway village setting allowed for much deeper bonds to form with all the side characters, as everyone is putting in their effort in however way possible to help everyone survive and escape the island. The compadres of The Dandelion tavern don't reach that level. Credo never manages to pull a Hummel. He is a lame edgelord throughout the game. Once again, I like the post game saying farewell to everyone aspect that VIII also had. I think I wound up spending about half an hour to 40 minutes just talking to everyone and taking my time before leaving Balduq. Giving time to reminisce on your adventure before you part ways with everyone is a really great way to wind down the game. It was one of my reasons Memories of Celceta disappointed me: the game just ends and left you with "We don't know what happened to everyone". Sure, I don't know what the future holds for those in Balduq, but I at least got to say goodbye and get a small glimpse of how everyone's lives are going after the events of the game. Celceta just boots you the fuck out. While just about every Ys game is standalone and don't require much knowledge of past games, IX is the worst in terms of being a starting point. As not to spoil anything for those who might want to check it out, the game truly is the results of all of Adol's past adventures coming to a head. Sure, the villian isn't REALLY related to anything in the past, nor are there anyone in the game from those past adventures either. But with numerous references, and the game being born out of the fact Adol is an adventurer and had encountered so much crazy shit, it helps to play at least a few of the games. Hell, I wouldn't have even understood the context of this bit with the final battle if not for looking something up and recognizing certain English voice actors. If you don't know anything it's like "Wait, what? The hell is this?" If you're a fan of the series, definitely check it out. If you're any way interested in it, maybe play through VIII first, which is also a very fun game and which IX took its gameplay from.