Ys Seven Message Board

This is a column by Kat Bailey dedicated to the analysis of the once beloved Japanese RPG sub-genre. Tune in every Wednesday for thoughts on white-haired villains, giant robots, Infinity+1 swords, and everything else the wonderful world of JRPGs have to offer.
A PlayStation Vita will be arriving on my doorstep some time on Thursday. It will be arriving courtesy of Amazon rather than Sony, in case you're wondering, so I did in fact spend money on the thing. I do not, however, plan to purchase any games for it. At least not yet.

As I perused the list of PSP games available for download, I realized that I already had quite a few titles to choose from. So rather than try to justify spending money on Lumines or Uncharted -- both fine games but not my cup of tea -- I decided I would revisit some of my favorite PSP RPGs on the Vita's big, beautiful screen.

It's really a pity the PSP never experienced the renaissance over here that it did in Japan, since it means quality RPGs like Valkyria Chronicles 3 may never be localized. It's only thanks to XSEED that Legend of Heroes: Trails in the Sky ever saw the light of day in the US, as well as Vanillaware's coming North American launch for Grand Knights History. A select few have made it stateside, and I'm happy to see them available on PSN. Here are the ones that will be making their way to my Vita, and to yours as well, I hope.

The journey through Altago begins.

A traditional adventure with a serious sense of speed.

First title in famed Ys action RPG series created exclusively for PSP arrives in North American stores and the PlayStation Store.

Greetings again from Cafnoria (note: the Ys world map has never stretched that far west, so I’m just guessing on this one!). XSEED’s resident Falcom fanatic is coming at you once again for another peek at Ys Seven, the most spectacular game to hit your PSP since Brave Story: New Traveler!

Today, our focus will be on the game world as we reveal to you all the Seven Wonders of Ys Seven — seven locations that help define the game and keep its story moving. So sit back, relax, take in the new trailer and enjoy!

1. Altago City

The centerpiece of the game’s story. This is where Adol and Dogi first make landfall in the Altaginian countryside. And, unlike most of the cities they’ve visited over the years, it does NOT offer them a particularly warm welcome. Still, that doesn’t make this trade capital any less impressive! Not only is the city a real sight to behold, it also includes a sprawling port for some of the largest naval vessels in the world. Its sheer size and magnificence makes it one of Ys Seven’s wonders, and its seedy, intricate history makes it a true contender for the #1 spot.

2. Shrine of Origins

Unearthed only recently, this mysterious cave contains artifacts from a distant time, featuring unknown markings. A sense of mystery pervades every last crevasse, and to any travelers who dare traverse its darkened spirals, I can offer only one piece of advice: LOOK UP!!

3. Ancient Tree of Shannoa

Arguably the largest tree in the world, with sap that can purify water and make plants grow instantaneously. As a result, its girth is constantly increasing, and its life-giving properties have brought hope to the humble Shannoans for generations. Though healthy, its inside does seem to be hollow, and many rumors have been spread as to what one may find therein. The truth, however, is far more intense than any could have possibly predicted.

4. Flame Shrine of Segram

No one knows exactly when the Flame Shrine was built, but the Segramites would not hesitate to tell you why: It exists to honor the Great Flame Dragon, whose endless supply of lava and brimstone has become a valuable resource to all those who dwell within the desert. Sure, it may not sound like much, but the fire guarded within this sanctified place is eternal, and its power has been known to ward off evil and burn contaminants from the air.

5. Holy Precincts of the Wind

This multi-tiered structure seems to defy gravity, floating in mid-air in a most impossible manner. Built to honor the Great Wind Dragon, these Holy Precincts serve as a place of worship for the mysterious Kylosian people, who are known to don sacred capes and ride its wind currents all the way to the blessed tower in its center. If you’re afraid of heights, though, this may be the scariest wonder of them all!

6. Ruins Island

TRULY a wonder, this island seems to have once held a thriving city, but all of that now lies at the bottom of its many sunken ruins. Those who draw near find their compasses spinning wildly, and have been known to lose all sense of direction. As a result, this wonder is currently forbidden — off-limits to all by order of Altago’s regent, King Kiemarl. Still, just because it’s off-limits to locals doesn’t mean it’s off-limits to visitors, right…?

7. ???

To even say the name of this final wonder would be most inconsiderate of me! Indeed, even revealing its exact location would ruin the surprise of discovering it on your own. But trust that this is, without a doubt, the greatest wonder of them all — and truly, it is unlike anything else in the world…

Want to learn more about Altago? Perhaps you’d like to know about the Cave Byway, or the Moonlight Path, or the Desert of Despair… or maybe you’d like to hear about the Dragon Sanctums, or the lake beneath the Altaginian Highlands?

Well, tough luck! I’m not about to spoil the whole game for you. You’ll just have to pick up your own copy of Ys Seven on Tuesday, and find out for yourself what’s happening in the land of Altago! And believe me, you won’t be disappointed. This may be an action-packed title driven more by its gameplay than its story… but there are still plenty of people to see, places to go, things to do, and monsters to eliminate (or be eliminated by!).

With Ys Seven in your UMD tray (or on your Memory Stick), you’ll never be bored — no matter where you go or what you do, there’ll always be a whole world for you to explore at ludicrously high running speeds, right in the palm of your hand!

Greetings from well beyond the “dangerous sea area” west of Canaan! I’m XSEED’s resident Falcom nut and one of their localization specialists. I’ve been bugging Ken at XSEED via email for years now to localize games from Falcom’s extensive catalogue of awesomeness, and was always really pleased with the detailed responses he’d send back. Our emails bloomed into entire conversation threads, and eventually, once XSEED and Falcom established their partnership, Ken offered me a job — which I gladly accepted! Now all your Falcom scripts are belong to me. Mwa ha ha!

Ys Seven will be the first game released as part of the XSEED/Falcom partnership (aka the GREATEST TEAM-UP EVER), and is currently scheduled to ship on August 17th, 2010. In North America, three versions of the game will be available: the UMD version ($29.99), the PSN download version (also $29.99), and of course, the faaaaabulous limited edition box-set version ($49.99), which will include the game on UMD, a ludicrously gorgeous cloth map of Europe (the Ys series Europe, which is pronounced “eh-ROH-pay”), a one-disc “Ys Seven Musical Selections” CD, and a 60+ page art book containing various works from Ys Seven, Ys: The Oath in Felghana, and Ys I & II (as well as a brief cameo by some Ys VI characters).

Ys Seven will also be available in Europe, but only as a PSN download, and I’m afraid the price is yet to be determined. Sorry, European fans! (Europan fans?)

Now, the all-important question: Why should you buy the game?

Well, how about because it’s AWESOME?!?! Seriously, if you’ve never played a Falcom game before, you’re about to be blown away by this one. Falcom games, and especially Ys games, are generally characterized by three things:

• Insanely fast-paced, action-packed gameplay. Turn-based? HA! Ys eats turn-based RPGs for breakfast, then regurgitates them and launches them at beings of ancient evil just because it can.
• 80s power rock- and metal-inspired soundtracks. These are often performed in the studio by Falcom’s in-house band. I dare anyone to hear the riff at the beginning of Ys Seven’s main boss theme “Vacant Interference” and NOT get totally pumped for the battle ahead!
• “Less is more” storylines. This means a greater focus on fun gameplay and interesting, well-developed settings than on plot twists and epic ironies (Going along with the music, think of Ys as the rock opera to every other RPG series’ novella!)

With nine playable characters (in parties of three at a time), 98 unique skills (84 of which have unique variations apiece — and these skills aren’t just for show), a robust crafting system (that will keep you searching every nook and cranny of every dungeon), and a story that will last you anywhere from 30 to 90 hours (my final playtime was 72 hours, but I’ve been playing a lot since then to level up my skills and craft the best armor for everyone, putting me well over the 80-hour mark, with tons more yet to do), Ys Seven is easily the best portable game on the market… or will be, once it ships in North America on August 17th.

Get yourself ready to finally play an Ys game straight from Falcom’s own studio rather than a third-party interpretation of an Ys game, which is all we’ve ever gotten in English until now). And put in your orders for the LE box ASAP, since they may sell out once everyone in the world realizes this game is awesomeness incarnate and rushes out to buy it.

Finally, that 12.5" x 34" space in the "cloth map" area of your room can be filled. XSEED has announced the release date for the beautiful collector's edition of Falcom's action RPG Ys Seven -- as well as the PSN version, for those of you whose walls are already completely occupied by cloth maps.

Get ready to feed your PSP some new Ys.

XSEED's recent deal with Nihon Falcom means a truckload of role-playing games on PSP for us. The flagship product of the partnership is Ys Seven, the latest game in the long-running action RPG series and the first to be designed specifically for PSP. As someone whose experience with the Ys series can be described as "casual" at best -- I played the original Ys on a few different platforms -- I was pleasantly surprised to see the game evolve from the clumsy bumping-into-monsters adventure I remembered into an action RPG game that seems more than competent in the action department.

In North America, XSEED is releasing a bunch of Nihon Falcom PSP games, including Ys Seven and several The Legend of Heroes games, on UMD, with Ys Seven getting the full limited-edition treatment. XSEED is also planning to provide Europe with a bumper crop of Falcom games -- in a convenient format. A comment left by XSEED on its Facebook page reveals plans to release the games in Europe as PSN downloads. The XSEED rep said that the releases would occur "shortly after the North American release, but a UMD release is unlikely in Europe."

Unfulfilled desires for cloth maps aside, the PSN distribution method means a lot of new RPGs for Europe, and it means that XSEED is less likely to go bankrupt getting them there. The first game in the XSEED/Falcom partnership, Ys Seven, arrives in North America late this summer.

Beware: this game could be dangerously addictive.

A chance for players to get their name in the game.

Strategic deal reflects bringing the popular Ys and The Legend of Heroes series to North America.