This is the first Ys game that I play, but I can say that it is worth a try even if you are not so much in this kind of games. Even if there's nothing new in plot and in characters, it all fits well. We have classic jrpg characters (the brave protagonist, the silly little girl, the funny big man, the tsundere, etc...) but they're all well characterized and it's funny to interact with them when you can. One or two moving moments with them are a pleasant adding. It's interesting how the story develops: first you can think it's a story about castaways trying to escape from a little island, but from half of the game it becomes more epic; the Dana of the title become central and this island become little by little the real centre of the world. Nothing new, as already said, but the way all narrations are connected is intriguing and help to maintain the attention high. The gameplay is always funny; fast pace battles and a good system of skills. A little grinding if you want to create all items and powerups, but is never oppressive. Two words on the ending: I found the idea of the ending very good - what you think is right to do maybe it's not really the right thing to do... BUT. I had the impression that the screenplay rushes over the parts that needed more time and explanation (like Dana decision after the "first final boss", and all stuff related to the error of evaluation of the consequences) and lengthens too much the moments you feel a need to close everything (ie: I found the very last boss useless... why put it there? It breaks the immersion of the ending with a thing that has no real use in the plot). So: not perfect, but a game in which you can invest from 20 to more or less 100 hours; thought for a lot of types of gameplay.
Three hours in the game and it's just a meh (I'm hoping the ending will bring some real emotions, but I'm not counting on it...). If the mechanics are very intriguing - using words as platforms and as magical effects in the world to opening paths - everything is just too easy. From the gameplay point of view is incredibly poor. No challenge, no difficulty spikes, no real engagement in the game. So, the devs put all the efforts in an awesome and moving story? No. They tried to, but half failing. Yeah, sometimes the art is good, and all the elements to create a good (disneyish) story are there, but everything is just too predictable from the first five minutes, and then the plot takes the path you already knew an hour ago. Oh, and the protagonist is a bit annoying. No: she's really annoying. She talks too much. She can't stay one minute without saying anything, please give me a moment of silence, no, she evidently needs to express every tought that pass in her mind. Ok, you'll say: it's the story she wrote in her diary. But if this is your intention write a book, not a game. Someone should explain to the devs that images already tell a story, even without speaking. As Gris teach, if you want to create something really emotionally deep, you have to leave most of the story, of emotions, and interpretations, untold, to the player's imagination. And here the imagination could have played a large part (it IS a story about the power of imagination...), but it's killed by too many words. It's a game about imagination without a trace of imagination. Three stars for the few good things. But good for 10-12 years old, at most.
6 hours in game and I have more or less a good idea of what's like. It has all the elements that can make a good (or even great) rpg, but they're not properly mixed and developed. You never feel the environments - cities, buildings, everything - are alive. It's like someone scattered some people in various places and they're there to fill a place. Nothing more. You unlock the possibility to interact to most of characters or places only AFTER you do some things or some missions. Why's that? It's against all logic (and against all past similar rpg). It's like the game doesn't want you to lose time. But... exploring and losing time is one of the best things of RPGs. Like the environment missions are too much guided. It's a blind following the golden arrow ignoring whatever is around you. You never have the impression that you, player, are effectively doing anything (and, moreover, I've seen no map... It is me or there's no really no map?) Combat: interesting but you never feel you have, as a player, a real control on what's happening. It's thought as a tactical combat, but you never use tactics or strategies to win: only improvise and wish in luck (like... when a vital shot at 89% accuracy misses, there is something wrong). You can't even deploy your team, when you have the chance to take the enemy by surprise. So... the surprise attack IS NOT a surprise attack. What the hell?!? Companions are good and well characterized, with good backstories, but the interactions are frankly poor if we compare them to great rpgs without open world such as BG 1-2, Dragon Age Origins and Mass Effect. Story is just... meh. Again, is well thought - and the solid and unusual worldbuilding help to capture your attention at the beginning - but it has not the strength to stick you at the screen until 2 a.m. Some inconsistencies in the plot and in the way characters interact doesn't help to immerse you in what's happening. In the end: it has many good things, and for an rpg fan they're enough, but they doesn't fit very well and are miles away from the masterpieces of the genre.
When I began to play I said to myself: "Oh, no: another metaish game with witty dialogues and parallel universes". Well, it's not that. Sure, it is meta; sure, it has witty and funny dialogues. But all of these things are not the base of the game and are well nestled in the writing. It can be read as a love story of comprehension of the princess partner, or, more metaphorical, as a love story of comprehension of ourservels. It speaks to us, to the players. Every part of the princess that you meet (mirrored in the various personalities of the protagonist), every new beginning, the multiverse structure, everything is there for us to understand one or more part of us that we can't sustain yet. Played in the right way, it's a deep dive in order discover what we hope and fear about love, power, soul, unknown and death. In a word: about feminine archetype.
I'm only three hours in the game but it's already clear which are its strengths and its weakness. It has an unusual worldbuilding, a good replayability and and interesting way of using cards for moving on the map, even to escape from enemies. The concept is very good, and enjoyable. BUT But the con is nearly deadly: There is no deckbuilding. You find cards in each missions but they're discarded at the end. With level ups you only unlock some cards that you will potentially find in the next missions. So, you cannot develop a strategy based on the cards: you only have to hope to find cards that have effects chained to each other when you find them on the maps. This doesn't help to think a complex strategy but rather to get the cards with the simpliest and most immediate effects. So: no deckbuilding, and hope in luck. For a card game is not a tiny problem... Nevertheless, I will not give one star because the rest is very well made (not unforgettable, but well made)
Pretty much like Florence; maybe the art is better (or simply different) but the story is confused, and the oniric setting prevent to identify with the characters and creates some iilarious and nonsensical situations (why the medicines are in a plant vase???). The puzzles are intriguing - and less linear than Florence - but after three-four levels are tiring... something to open with a key, solve some puzzles in the area to find the key. Stop. Even the plot twist is weak: we have a perfect couple with no arguing, no struggling other than illness and death. Romantically forced and idealistically boring. Without conflict there can't be a good story.
I completely agree with @Magnitus' review, so I only add a thought: in the last fifteen years horror movies have become the best ground where directors experiment new ways of delivering metaphorical messages. It would be nice seeing the same direction also in videogames, and I bought this one hoping that. Alas, this is not the case. It's a straightforward, classic horror (both for good and bad things). For those who ate a lot of it, it's nothing new.
