Review: Ys Seven, a PSP title well-worth owning

Ys Seven is the latest iteration of the Japanese computer and console action-RPG series that dates back to 1987. Ys Seven was developed exclusively for the PSP, which is apparent with when you pick up and play the game: the loading times are virtually nonexistent, the game looks great in motion, and the controls are tight and responsive. But is it worth the purchase? Read on to learn more.

Unlike the Zelda series (which Ys resembles to a degree) Ys has remained faithful to it's 2D roots: the games still adopt a top-down view of the environments, and action and dungeon crawling are still the focus of the games. Ys Seven continues in this tradition, though (much like every other game in the series) it also contributes to the formula, adding new gameplay mechanics to enrich the experience.

Gameplay:

Gameplay is what Ys is known for: fast paced hack-and-slash action against fantastic monsters in beautiful environments. Ys Seven definitely delivers here. The combat is fast and smooth, with a heavy emphasis on defense and evasion, like any action game worth it's salt should do. While some enemies pose a serious threat (especially later in the game), combat in the overworld and within dungeons is a bit on the easy side. On the flipside, the boss battles in Ys Seven are some of the most challenging and engaging of any action game in recent memory. The bosses are the true test of a player's skill, so expect to die a few times per boss as you get the hang of their attack patterns and telegraphs.

Yet Ys Seven wouldn't be all that outstanding if it didn't throw new gameplay elements into the mix, and it certainly does so.Ys Seven is designed around hectic combat with three party members. That's right, the famed Adol Christin isn't exploring and fighting alone this time. Enemies are weak to one of three different attack types (slash, strike, and pierce) meaning that players will want to form a party with all three attack types present. Switching between party members is as easy as pressing the O button. In execution, this feels very much like weapon-switching in action games like Devil May Cry: it's instant, on-the-fly, and seamless.

Every playable character has a unique combo of attacks that they can use, and weapons players acquire all posses a special attack that can be used by said characters in combat. There are over a dozen of these special attacks per character, and each special can be leveled up. At level one, the character learns the attack permanently, which means they can use that special regardless of the weapon they have equipped. With every subsequent level, the special is improved with either increased damage, effect, or range. Up to four special attacks can be equipped per character. And if that wasn't enough, every character also has a super move, called an Extra, which deals massive damage to targets. All of this adds up to a very robust list of attack options available to players as they wade through hordes of enemies.

Story:

Taking place some six months or so after Ys VI: Ark of Napishtim, Adol Christin and his traveling companion and close friend Dogi have arrived at Altago, a nation on the northern coast of the continent "Afroca" (the official website describes Altago as the Ys world-analog of Carthage). As you can imagine, our red-haired adventurer gets into trouble extremely fast, and becomes entangled in a cyclical prophecy that will bring about the destruction of himself and the region should he fail. Their only salvation comes in the form of Altago's five Dragon Gods, who can bestow their power onto him and his party.

The story itself is good. The plot twists are what make the story stand out among other JRPGs, not because they are mind-blowingly original, but because of the way the game presents them. Of course, I wont spoil them, so you'll have to play the game to see exactly what makes the twists enjoyable. However, as a whole, the story is very straightforward. It is very slow to start, but once you learn of the central plot of the game, Ys Seven sticks to it to the end. The characters themselves don't get much in the way of characterization either (except maybe Aisha) so expect a fun, but simple and clear-cut story. The game will average at about thirty hours long, plus an extra hour or three for boss retries.

A neat feature worth noting is the fast-forward option Ys Seven gives you: should you find yourself above such petty things as short and straightforward cutscenes, you can speed through them by pressing and holding the O button. Sure, it's not a scene-skip option, but it's definitely a plus on subsequent play-throughs.

Music:

No Ys review would be complete without discussing the music of the game. As you may or may not know, the Ys series is acclaimed for it's musical compositions. The Falcom sound team is pretty much legendary (or at least, they should be), and Ys Seven is no slouch in the musical department. In truth, I could recommend this title on the musical score alone, it's that good. Even the most forgettable tune in Ys Seven is hummable, and some of the better tracks will have you scouring Youtube for another listen.

Flaws:

Graphical prowess is not Ys Seven's strongest point: it's character models in particular have an early-PS2 quality, to be quite honest. However, the excellent speed, and non-existent slowdown and loading make up for this, as does the fact that the game really does look better in motion.

No, the only real "flaws" with Ys Seven are more personal peeves. I thoroughly enjoyed the Boss-rush option in Ys VI, and was disappointed to find the option missing from Ys Seven. No doubt balancing the mode, which would entail assigning the actual party members and the skills they would be equipped with, would have been a programing time-sink for Falcom. Still, such an option would have extended playtime by quite a bit.

I also would have liked a sound test, but since no Ys game I've played has ever come with one, I can't really complain too much. If you really do want to get ahold of Ys Seven's music, you can pick up the Collector's edition, which comes with a soundtrack with a 20+ selection of music from the game, along with other goodies. (All the good tracks are on it, trust me).

Conclusion:

Ys Seven introduces a lot to the classic Ys formula that genuinely reinvigorates the series and makes it stand out as a triple-A PSP title. The party system and seamless character switching, the special abilities that compliment the fast paced melee combos, the excellent boss battles, fantastic music, and straightforward story all add up to an outstanding game. Highly recommended.