Post by elfmo on May 18, 2014 6:15:59 GMT -5
(Spoilers, if you haven't played that much of the series)
So, to be fair, I'm new to the series. I've always read about it, and I thought that the idea of a guy who just sails around the world, having adventures, battling demons, exploring ruins, and generally not minding his own business was thrilling to me. I finally put the first foot forward and started playing them last month. So far, I've played Ys I&II (Whichever version is on Steam), Oath in Felghana (also Steam version), Mask of the Sun, Dawn of Ys, Kefin, and Ark of Napishtim (PC version).
But, there's been something bugging me about the series, the more I play it.
In Ys IV, we learn about the Winged Ones (or Eldeen, whichever), an ancient civilization that did cool stuff (paraphrasing, here!). We learn that the trouble stirring in Celceta is thanks to the last of the Eldeen, who wishes to get his hands on...artifacts, or something, to raise the ancient golden city that I don't remember having a name (I played Mask of the Sun and Dawn of Ys in succession, and VERY quickly, I might add, so I have trouble remembering the specifics on how this played out in either game). We also find out that their technology/magic/etc. is responsible for the Black Pearl, and the Eldeen indirectly become catalyst for the entire plot of the first two Ys games.
...Okay, neat. Personally, I am not a big fan of plot inventions like this; however, Ys IV took place chronologically in a short time after the original Ys games, giving it a sort of elegance. It made it like a trilogy, of sorts (while also distancing itself from Wanderers From Ys by trying to invoke memories of the first games...something Dawn might have taken too far).
But THEN, I played Ark of Napishtim. It is discovered that Napishtim (or the Ark, or is Napishtim the Ark? It was unclear to me whether or not there were two different "things", here) was created by the Eldeen, albeit for benevolent purposes...although having a built-in "Human Eradication Mode" on a weather device was a strange design choice. THEN, in a sort of lame way, the penultimate boss hastily ties Galbalan to the Eldeen by explaining that it's some sort of Eldeen creation or some such nonsense.
Even moreso...Ys Origin deals with expanding the lore on the Darm Tower, making it related to Ys I/II, and thus, the Eldeen. I've read enough about Ys Seven that I know the Eldeen indirectly have a hand in things that happen in THAT game, as well. That leaves Kefin as the only game in the series that isn't tied...except, apparently, the PS2 remake shoehorns the Eldeen into the backstory of Kefin, as well.
Does anyone feel like the Eldeen somehow having a hand in everything makes the series less fun? It was more fun for me to imagine Adol as a sort of "swords and sorcery" cross between Tintin and Indiana Jones, sailing around, finding all the mysteries and adventures the world has to offer, all the while being smart, cool, and charismatic. Before Ys VI, I thought, "I wonder what kind of adventure I'll have this time?" Now, I feel like going forward in the series (whenever the eighth installment happens, in any case), I'll be thinking, "I wonder how the Eldeen are going to be responsible for THIS adventure?" The sense of wonderment is just not there when I know "The Eldeen did it", I guess.
Sorry - I know this is very, very rambly. No one I know has ever played - much less even heard - of Ys, so I've had all these thoughts in my head that I can't relay to anyone, cos they would have no answer! There are, naturally, other thoughts I have (mainly "I wonder why people think Dawn of Ys was better than Mask of the Sun" and "I wonder if the PS2 translation of Ys VI is more clear than the PC Version", but those are veering way off-topic); but, this is the big one. Any thoughts?
So, to be fair, I'm new to the series. I've always read about it, and I thought that the idea of a guy who just sails around the world, having adventures, battling demons, exploring ruins, and generally not minding his own business was thrilling to me. I finally put the first foot forward and started playing them last month. So far, I've played Ys I&II (Whichever version is on Steam), Oath in Felghana (also Steam version), Mask of the Sun, Dawn of Ys, Kefin, and Ark of Napishtim (PC version).
But, there's been something bugging me about the series, the more I play it.
In Ys IV, we learn about the Winged Ones (or Eldeen, whichever), an ancient civilization that did cool stuff (paraphrasing, here!). We learn that the trouble stirring in Celceta is thanks to the last of the Eldeen, who wishes to get his hands on...artifacts, or something, to raise the ancient golden city that I don't remember having a name (I played Mask of the Sun and Dawn of Ys in succession, and VERY quickly, I might add, so I have trouble remembering the specifics on how this played out in either game). We also find out that their technology/magic/etc. is responsible for the Black Pearl, and the Eldeen indirectly become catalyst for the entire plot of the first two Ys games.
...Okay, neat. Personally, I am not a big fan of plot inventions like this; however, Ys IV took place chronologically in a short time after the original Ys games, giving it a sort of elegance. It made it like a trilogy, of sorts (while also distancing itself from Wanderers From Ys by trying to invoke memories of the first games...something Dawn might have taken too far).
But THEN, I played Ark of Napishtim. It is discovered that Napishtim (or the Ark, or is Napishtim the Ark? It was unclear to me whether or not there were two different "things", here) was created by the Eldeen, albeit for benevolent purposes...although having a built-in "Human Eradication Mode" on a weather device was a strange design choice. THEN, in a sort of lame way, the penultimate boss hastily ties Galbalan to the Eldeen by explaining that it's some sort of Eldeen creation or some such nonsense.
Even moreso...Ys Origin deals with expanding the lore on the Darm Tower, making it related to Ys I/II, and thus, the Eldeen. I've read enough about Ys Seven that I know the Eldeen indirectly have a hand in things that happen in THAT game, as well. That leaves Kefin as the only game in the series that isn't tied...except, apparently, the PS2 remake shoehorns the Eldeen into the backstory of Kefin, as well.
Does anyone feel like the Eldeen somehow having a hand in everything makes the series less fun? It was more fun for me to imagine Adol as a sort of "swords and sorcery" cross between Tintin and Indiana Jones, sailing around, finding all the mysteries and adventures the world has to offer, all the while being smart, cool, and charismatic. Before Ys VI, I thought, "I wonder what kind of adventure I'll have this time?" Now, I feel like going forward in the series (whenever the eighth installment happens, in any case), I'll be thinking, "I wonder how the Eldeen are going to be responsible for THIS adventure?" The sense of wonderment is just not there when I know "The Eldeen did it", I guess.
Sorry - I know this is very, very rambly. No one I know has ever played - much less even heard - of Ys, so I've had all these thoughts in my head that I can't relay to anyone, cos they would have no answer! There are, naturally, other thoughts I have (mainly "I wonder why people think Dawn of Ys was better than Mask of the Sun" and "I wonder if the PS2 translation of Ys VI is more clear than the PC Version", but those are veering way off-topic); but, this is the big one. Any thoughts?
