At long last, I finally beat Ys II! The review of the first game was written last April (I switched blogs), and I intended to write the review for Ys II not long after. But here we are in February of 2021. Looking through my old posts, I originally started the game around the time I posted the Monument Valley: Forgotten Shores review. Because many things have happened in my life since May, I stopped playing and didn't pick it up again until November. Even though I didn't get far the first time, I restarted the game to remember everything.
Ys II is a direct sequel to Falcom's Ys I, immediately picking up after Adol's escapade in Darm Tower. The red-haired swordsman wakes up on the floating island of Ys, where he is found by Lilia and nursed back to health in the nearby village. A little bit similar to how the first game began with Adol washed ashore. When you regain consciousness and talk to Lilia's mother, Banoa, we learn that Lilia is sick, and she gives you your first quest: deliver a letter to Lance Village's doctor. The doctor is missing and trapped in a dungeon, so it is up to Adol to rescue him. Fetch quests like this one are what you do for most of the game. It's a little bit of a step up from going town to town in the first game. It isn't a complaint from me, especially when most games from the time were like this. There isn't much I can say about the plot without spoiling anything. All I can really tell you is that Adol's quest is to rid Ys and Esteria of evil (what Wikipedia says).
When you go to the Ruins of Moondoria to look for the doctor, you find out that the bump system is still here. Personally, I like the bump system. There is something new to combat this time: magic! There's a variety of spells Adol can learn, ranging from fireballs to stopping time. Your only offensive spell is your fire magic. The two other spells you'll be using a lot are return magic and alter magic. Return magic teleports you to towns, which is a step up from having to backtrack or use a wing, like you did in the first game. Alter magic transforms Adol into a Roo, a kangaroo-like monster. As a Roo, enemies won't attack Adol. In regular combat, I didn't really use magic unless I felt like I had to, but boss battles make full use of it. The boss battles are like bullet hell games this time around versus the first game where you had to dodge attacks and wait for an opening so you can land a few hits on the boss. I would say boss battles are easier in Ys II than Ys I, but you still have to avoid being hit while you're shooting fireballs at the boss.
You can also do more with villagers this time instead of just talking to them for information and adding them to your notes. Villagers now give out side-quests, have a gifting system, and have unique dialogue. Shooting villagers with fire makes them say various different things. Roo are friendly monsters, but not everyone thinks so. If you transform into a Roo and talk to some villagers, there are a few that freak out because of your presence. As a Roo, you can also talk to enemies, so even they have their own lines of dialogue! It was funny going in the Shrine of Solomon and having the guards wonder how I got out.
If you give a character enough gifts, you get a keychain of them. The keychains are just the character's sprite hanging on your screen. I didn't care about that, though, since you start the game with keychains from Ys I. One of them being Feena. After noticing that, I chose Feena and never looked back.
Pros:
+ Fast-paced gameplay.
+ Great soundtrack!
+ Replayability from different difficulties and Time Attack mode.
+ Wellmade boss battles.
+ Easter eggs.
Cons:
- Again, even though I like the bump system, not everyone will.
- A little bit grindy sometimes.
- No map.
Final Thoughts:
Ys II is bigger and more refined than its predecessor. It took what I loved from the first game and made it better. The story was more fleshed out (for 80s RPG standards) this time around and added new things I enjoyed, like magic. I recommend this game a lot! If you played Ys I, then you should play Ys II to finish the story. If you're looking to get into the series, I'm unsure if this would be a good entry-level installment. For me, it's fine, but most people aren't really into the bump system. It isn't hard to get the hang of, though.
Rating: 9.5/10
I'm happy I finally had the time to finish the game. After beating Ys II, I remembered that there's an anime of the first two games. I'll probably watch it, and if I care enough, I'll write a review of it. I want to post more often again, but who knows if that'll work out... Anyway, see you in the next review.
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