[#23] [PCECD] Ys Book II

 

Platform: PC Engine CD
Release date: December 21, 1989
Developer: Alfa System
Publisher: Hudson
Genre: Action RPG
Battle System: Real time bumping
Difficulty: Normal
Setting: Fantasy

 

 

Great follow up and direct sequel to YS. Again, despite both games being merged in one, I count them as separate games.

 YS II takes place immediately after YS I. As Adol defeats Dark Fact, he gets transported to the land of Ys itself. There he was found by a girl named Lilia who brought Adol to her village where he finds out about Lilia's illness and that dr. Flair who got lost in mines might cure her. Adol's new adventure starts with rescuing Dr. Flair and later turns into traveling to the core of Ys to defeat Darm, demon who was sealed here for thousands of years and now broke free.

 Gameplay is mostly similar to the first game but with one big addition - magic. You can now use magic to throw fireballs, see secret passages, teleport to other places and even become invincible (though you get last one just before last boss). Most bosses here feel like it's a shoot em up game, they're constantly throw a lot of projectiles at you and can be damaged only with fireballs. 

Because YS II is bundled with a first game, graphics are very similar. Boss design though, can be describes as nightmare fuel sometimes, like that giant undead head that reminds me of final boss in Splatterhouse. Music is as awesome as in first game, and new tracks here are even better (but Darm Tower theme is still my favorite). Since this compilation is on CD, of course it has 90s corny voice acting and while I always play jrpgs with original Japanese voice over, there is no undub for YS I & II so I stuck with it :) but it's definitely not on the level of Dynasty Warriors 3 voice over so no "feeling the power of my ma-a-a-a-a-agic" here.

Ys I & II are both great games and should be played together like in this compilation because Ys I is only the prologue. You even keep your level and exp from Ys I once you get to II. Some bosses here felt a bit too tanky but nothing too impossible. Of course I would still prefer PSP remakes but they actually provide quite different experience from originals. There's also a strange DOS port of Ys II that I haven't played and, most likely, never play but it's a completely different game just with the story based on Ys II. My overall verdict: definitely worth playing through. Both PCECD and PSP versions.

Final Stats:

Game playtime: 5h 59m
Total playtime: 15d 3h 09m