EPT
![[image loading]](http://i.imgur.com/H85GE.jpg)
Introduction
This game is hands down the best Action RPG I have ever played.
Published by Falcom in 2006, this game is part of their popular Ys series. If you've never heard of this game/series, it's honestly not too surprising - most of Falcom's works are only released in Japan, though some of them have been localized into English by other companies. Personally, I'd never even heard of Falcom until last summer, but their name actually hangs alongside the likes of Square and Enix as one of the most influential figures in the RPG genre.
In the case of Ys Origin, there is no official English release. However, the series is popular enough that it has a complete fan translation.
Story
There are three playable characters in YsO, each with their own storyline/route. The stories in the first two routes are nothing special. However, the third character's story in YsO is amazing. The story itself doesn't have any significant twists, but it is very, very well executed.
Chronologically, the story of YsO is a prequel to the first two entries in the Ys series (Ys I and II), but don't worry - you don't need any prior knowledge to understand what's going on.
Gameplay
This is the area in which YsO really shines.
Each of the three characters in this game has their own unique playstyle. Hugo is a mage, and thus uses ranged attacks. Yunica is a warrior, so her style is centered around melee and speed. And the third character, Thor, is pretty much a more extreme version of Yunica.
As you progress through the game you will find items that bestow grant your character spellcasting abilities. Each character has a total of three spells, and these spells are unique to that particular character. This helps keep all three playthroughs of the game a fresh experience.
The mobs of enemies you encounter in each level aren't particularly noteworthy, but it is worth mentioning that some of them are reasonably difficult to defeat. If you're not careful they can occassionally kill you outright. But the real reason you play a Ys game is for the boss battles.
Boss design in YsO ranges from good to spectacular. Most of the non-humanoid bosses were unique in concept and were pretty fun to fight.
Probably my favorite boss design in YsO
For me, the biggest draw of the boss battles was the difficulty. Most of them are difficult. And it's not "fake" difficulty either. Each boss has a variety of attacks they will execute, and usually, they aren't that great in number. It's pretty easy to recognize them as they come out. In addition, the game controls are very responsive. Thus, whenever you take damage, it is entirely your fault as the player. Heck, even the final boss' OHKO move is telegraphed far in advance and is entirely avoidable. Still, knowing what to do and actually executing it are two very different things. During my playthrough of the game, it sometimes took me dozens of retries before I was able to defeat a given boss, but the feeling of accomplishment I got at the end was well worth the effort.
Kishgal is an asshole
Oh yeah, and you can't heal during boss fights. The game doesn't even let you access the inventory screen during that time. Successfully killing bosses comes down to being able to dodge their attacks and counter during their short periods of vulnerability.
I feel obligated to mention how awesome Thor's playstyle is. He already starts out pretty fast and has sick dps, but his first spell essentially grants him a dash. This dash basically teleports him a short distance away in the direction he's facing, so it's very useful for dodging attacks. Dashing around the battlefield like a madman is incredibly satisfying.
Thor is also the only character to lack any sort of ranged attack. Even Yunica has a spell that gives her a pretty good ranged attack, but Thor has no such spell to fall back on. And since some bosses enjoy spamming projectiles and AoE attacks, this can make life difficult sometimes.
In short, Thor is a baller.
You know you're awesome when your name is Thor
Music
The music in YsO is top notch. Much of it is an interesting blend of violin and synth, but when it comes time to take it up a notch, you can usually count on the electric guitar kicking in.
It's probably best to let the music speak for itself
Visuals
Characters are represented ingame by cartoony looking sprites. The environments themselves are fairly well crafted. The best looking part of the game, however, has to be the special effects. Yunica's phoenix attack in particular is gorgeous.
There are one or two movies shown to you in the game, but they aren't really anything special.
Conclusion
If you're into Action RPGs and enjoy a challenge, I really suggest you try this game out. It is honestly one of the best games I've played recently. In fact, I liked it so much that I'm currently playing Ys I and II to get the continuation of the story (these two games have aged pretty badly, by the way). My current goal is to get to Ys: The Oath in Felghana so I can fight this guy:
Things get scarier when he's at half health
Have fun!
Edit: In the event that you're actually reading this blog months after I first wrote it, Ys Origin and Oath in Felghana are now both for sale on Steam.
