Ys V: Lost Kefin, Kingdom of Sand (SNES, 1995)
Graphics-8 Sound-8 Control-7.5 Challenge-5.5 Story-6.5
Level Design-6.5 Frustration-6.5 Fun-6.5 Originality-5.5
Overall Score-6.5
+
Diagonal movement
Jumping
Good art direction and use of color overall (similar to Chrono Trigger at times)
Fairly expressive sprites
Control config (can't use the l/r buttons though which would've been perfect for blocking)
Avatar color options
Quicksave
Sometimes interactive dialogue (can ask bartenders stuff)
Menu and life bar options
Manual blocking
Buy and sell gear
Decent intro and pretty nice ending cutscenes
Combine elements for different spells/spell crafting (charge up attack)
Less intrusive HUD
Craft spells (fluxstone system)
NPC encounters in dungeons
Quickly switch between 3 selected spells using the L button
A few decent puzzles (switches)
Some good storytelling techniques (shows some events to the player that the hero doesn't know about)
Winged Boy remix (only used for the ending though)
+/-
Almost completely linear structure (can sidetrack for some shopping and grinding at times)
Ditches the bump style combat for a more traditional style
No animated artwork for cutscenes
Shows the exact damage done with each attack next to the enemy
Can't move while attacking (somewhat worse flow)
Can't use magic during boss battles (can use items)
More wordy story than in Ys 1-3
Can only regenerate health in combat areas not connected to a dungeon? (also need to enter a town area's house before regenerating when at a combat area connected to a dungeon - the HUD disappears as you enter the town area so you can't see your HP being regenerated there)
Short knockback when hit
Narrator text kicks in whenever the main char is supposed to speak
-
Some control and interface issues (can't buy more than one of an item at a time, can't see a piece of gear's stats or if you have it in the shop, can't equip a bought piece of gear from within the shop menu, can't jump diagonally nor control jump height, no mid air control, can't end dialogue with the cancel button, some very slow text that can't be sped up (reading notices, finding items)
Some enemies take too many hits to kill considering their patterns
Mostly uninteractive environments (and there are hidden items here and there with no visual or other clue)
Pointless of the game to let you go northeast of the first town for several screens only to walk into a dead end
Invisible walls here and there
No jump sfx
Fake dialogue choices
Can't ask Niena about the medallion before it's stolen (only look at it)
Plot oddities (why does the woodcutter chief go with the medicine when you're the one who agreed to help?, villain gives you a hint on how to get to her after she takes the crystals)
Mostly ineffective spells (some very slow spell readying animations and charge times, some with poor range)
Some slowdown
Some bosses go down too quickly
Short invincibility time and sometimes no knockback (fire snake boss) when hit
No strafe/dodge or run moves
Sometimes unforgiving hit detection
No dungeon maps
Some backtracking (no wing item)
Difficulty dips (easy earth crystal boss, south tower and Baruq)
Somewhat generic regular enemy designs overall
No alternate sword attacks or combos
No sense of urgency in the escape from the collapsing temple segment
Unskippable in-game cutscenes
Repeats some enemy types too many times
Most dungeons lack puzzles
So-so directions before the hall of judgment (supposed to go to the inn to trigger going into the hall - not go north of the western area as mentioned)
Overly cheap healing potions (at least there's a carry limit but they're still too good vs. bosses)
Level Design-6.5 Frustration-6.5 Fun-6.5 Originality-5.5
Overall Score-6.5
+
Diagonal movement
Jumping
Good art direction and use of color overall (similar to Chrono Trigger at times)
Fairly expressive sprites
Control config (can't use the l/r buttons though which would've been perfect for blocking)
Avatar color options
Quicksave
Sometimes interactive dialogue (can ask bartenders stuff)
Menu and life bar options
Manual blocking
Buy and sell gear
Decent intro and pretty nice ending cutscenes
Combine elements for different spells/spell crafting (charge up attack)
Less intrusive HUD
Craft spells (fluxstone system)
NPC encounters in dungeons
Quickly switch between 3 selected spells using the L button
A few decent puzzles (switches)
Some good storytelling techniques (shows some events to the player that the hero doesn't know about)
Winged Boy remix (only used for the ending though)
+/-
Almost completely linear structure (can sidetrack for some shopping and grinding at times)
Ditches the bump style combat for a more traditional style
No animated artwork for cutscenes
Shows the exact damage done with each attack next to the enemy
Can't move while attacking (somewhat worse flow)
Can't use magic during boss battles (can use items)
More wordy story than in Ys 1-3
Can only regenerate health in combat areas not connected to a dungeon? (also need to enter a town area's house before regenerating when at a combat area connected to a dungeon - the HUD disappears as you enter the town area so you can't see your HP being regenerated there)
Short knockback when hit
Narrator text kicks in whenever the main char is supposed to speak
-
Some control and interface issues (can't buy more than one of an item at a time, can't see a piece of gear's stats or if you have it in the shop, can't equip a bought piece of gear from within the shop menu, can't jump diagonally nor control jump height, no mid air control, can't end dialogue with the cancel button, some very slow text that can't be sped up (reading notices, finding items)
Some enemies take too many hits to kill considering their patterns
Mostly uninteractive environments (and there are hidden items here and there with no visual or other clue)
Pointless of the game to let you go northeast of the first town for several screens only to walk into a dead end
Invisible walls here and there
No jump sfx
Fake dialogue choices
Can't ask Niena about the medallion before it's stolen (only look at it)
Plot oddities (why does the woodcutter chief go with the medicine when you're the one who agreed to help?, villain gives you a hint on how to get to her after she takes the crystals)
Mostly ineffective spells (some very slow spell readying animations and charge times, some with poor range)
Some slowdown
Some bosses go down too quickly
Short invincibility time and sometimes no knockback (fire snake boss) when hit
No strafe/dodge or run moves
Sometimes unforgiving hit detection
No dungeon maps
Some backtracking (no wing item)
Difficulty dips (easy earth crystal boss, south tower and Baruq)
Somewhat generic regular enemy designs overall
No alternate sword attacks or combos
No sense of urgency in the escape from the collapsing temple segment
Unskippable in-game cutscenes
Repeats some enemy types too many times
Most dungeons lack puzzles
So-so directions before the hall of judgment (supposed to go to the inn to trigger going into the hall - not go north of the western area as mentioned)
Overly cheap healing potions (at least there's a carry limit but they're still too good vs. bosses)