Ys Chronicles 1

Ys Chronicles 1 for AND and iOS is a mobile Japanese RPG in fantasy settings developed by Nihon Falcom’s team. It is an enhanced version of Ys I: Ancient Ys Vanished, which is the first entry in series that started in 1987 on PC-8801 computer and then was released on many other platforms. The mobile edition is based on remake made for PC and PlayStation Portable console.

Plot

The original Ys Chronicles I was one of the first jRPGs to emphasize on plot. The story takes place in magical fantasy world, with players taking control of a young swordsman named Adol Christin. The campaign starts when he reaches the kingdom of Esteria, which has been targeted by demonic invasion. Quite obviously, Adol will be the one to rescue country’s inhabitants, which can be only achieved by finding six holy tomes. Those contain history of mythical land of Ys, including the way to stop forces of evil. Protagonist must get first tips about holy tomes from aunt Adola, who lives in Zepik village, which will be the first place players will travel to.

Game mechanics

The game uses camera located high above and behind hero’s head. The rest is a classic jRPG, as we explore the world, engage in dialogues, developer character’s statistics and fight enemies. Only, the latter is rather different from typical Japanese RPG of 80’s, as there are no turn-based battles. Instead, an unusual mechanic forces players to collide with enemies by basic movement system, the result of such attack depending on direction from which we hit the target. Colliding head on will make a hero take more damage then he dealt, so it’s necessary to just graze enemies. This unique feature works surprisingly well in practice, and has been carefully adapted to touch screen of modern mobile devices.

Technical aspects

Ys Chronicles 1 for AND and iOS uses virtual gamepad, though it also supports external controllers. The game offers vastly improved two-dimensional visuals compared to original 1987’s release, but it also has option of changing to original, 8-bit graphics for those looking for 80’s feel.

Last updated on 06 May 2015