I'm looking to buy Ys vs Sora no Kiseki...

[Sarthraa]

...but I want to know just how text-heavy the game is. If it helps at all, I don't know any Japanese, but I was able to figure out the Japanese demo for God Eater Burst without too much trouble...well, the menus at least (and that's not too light on the menus, that's for sure).

I love the looks of the game, and it seems like something that I would just fall in love with when I play it, but I have no idea just how much Japanese there is and if it would hinder the fun of the game.

I realize that I may have made a thread or a post like this before, but it's been so long since I've been on here that I didn't even remember the last thing I posted.

Any help would be appreciated, though it's not urgent since there will always be copies on Ebay and Amazon, and I'm in no rush to buy the game, anyway.

[Este]

Well, the gameplay is pretty easy to figure out, and if you've played Ys Seven, it's almost identical. I don't know any japanese either but managed to play all of the story-modes and achieved most of the rewards. The only thing you'll miss out on is the dialogue/plot.

Also, the equipment is totally in japanese. It doesn't matter for weapons/armor because the system involves paying money to upgrade to the next equipment level... they don't give you a lot of choice in that regard. There are a shit-load of accessories though, and being able to read a little japanese probably helps. For this, I'd just go onto one of the websites online to find out what everything is.

Edit: I used this page
ysvssora.wikia.com/wiki/Ys_vs._Sora_no_Kiseki:_Alternative_Saga_Wiki

Edit: Erm, copy that whole line into the URL bar, including everything after the colon. I guess colons break off the link.

Mod Edit: Fixed.

[Sarthraa]

You are officially awesome. Thanks so much for that information! I think you just made me decide to buy the game, seriously.

On a side note, is buying a game (Ys vs. Sora no Kiseki) on Ebay that's shipping from Japan to the United States a good idea, and are there any customs/duties that would be involved? I don't wanna buy the game and get slammed with like, $50 of duties for some odd reason (no, I really don't have a clue about this stuff, but I've heard stories). Thanks again!

[Mizu]

I've bought games from ebay (shipping from Japan to the U.S.), and I've never been slammed with customs/duties before.

[Sarthraa]

Alright, thanks again guys! I definitely see a copy of Ys vs. Sora no Kiseki in my future, now.

[Este]

On that note, someone around here was talking about setting up a way of doing multiplayer via the internet. If that comes (or already came) to fruition, then you could try the multiplayer with people here at ALoY.... which is good, because the game is primarily meant for the multiplayer function.

[Mizu]

Really?! That would be awesome. Beating up on (not that smart) computers gets kind of boring after a while, you know?

[Sarthraa]

Yes, multiplayer via internet would be AWESOME. Any names of projects, or is it against the rules to post something like that? ^^;

Ruthless AI...sounds like a good thing to me! Makes you feel like a pro when you start to annihilate them...they they send you're confidence crashing down when you start getting nailed again. LOL

[Mutagene]

I tried playing a 1v3 match against Nightmare AI.

Guess how long I lasted.

[Este]

Yeah, the AI gets pretty tough to deal with. I've never tried the hardest ones because I die pretty fast in 1v3 matches when they're not that smart.

I should really pick that game up again.

[Mizu]

Really? I dunno, I've never had a problem with the AI :/ Though I do play this game a ridiculous amount.

[yotaka]

Does that include the 3 on 1 Fight of Overdosed Infernal Agony against your avatar and his companions? That was just about as painful as I thought it would be when we first saw hints that it would happen in previews, especially in Alternative Mode.

To answer the original question a bit more, you won't be missing much by not understanding the story. It's not canon to any of the different universes that are included and it's not that much more than an excuse to bring everyone together for a fight. You'll miss some fun interaction (especially seeing Olivier trying to out-ham himself) but story-wise there's nothing much.

Of course, it does clearly reference events in the Sora trilogy so there's some spoiler potential there if you haven't played them, though if you've cruised the official site in any detail you've already seen everything that you could figure out in-game without reading Japanese anyways so it's not much of an issue. Oddly, while the game states right out that the events of Ys Seven and Sora no Kiseki The 3rd have happened, the game doesn't always act like the implications of that being the case apply to Alt Saga.

Spoilers for both universes

SPOILER: Click to show

Primarily, the fact that nobody reacts to Chester or Loewe as if they were, y'know, supposed to be dead.

[schlagwerk]

Spoiler for the Ys universe

SPOILER: Click to show

Adol knew all the time, but the narrator never said he said anything and thus went unheard

[Sarthraa]

Thanks again, guys! I went ahead a purchased it, but I went with a US seller on Amazon instead. My parents didn't really go along with the idea of ordering something from Japan, but they said they'd pay the difference in price, so it's a win-win for me haha. I'm looking forward to playing it!

[Red Hairdo]

Wonder what's wrong with ordering from Japan for them.

[Red Hairdo]

It all depends on the answer for one question: Why?

But anyway, I guess I'm being nosey. xD *stops*

[Sarthraa]

Well, first of all I don't mind you asking one bit...I left the door open to questions by saying that, anyway. XD We actually buy stuff online a lot, and quite frequently. The thing is, they worry that I may never get my item if it's shipped overseas.

I really don't get it either...they should worry about USA purchases, too, because it's the same thing, just without the Pacific Ocean involved.

[Este]

I like ordering things from Japan. They come with cool packaging.

[Sarthraa]

Alright, new question! After you go into battle in Free Mode and after you select the stage, what do the menu options mean? I know the second option mas to do with the characters' levels, right? I also know what the BGM option is (thankfully I could figure that one out XD). What are the 1st and 3rd options? So far that's the only thing I can't figure out.

[Sarthraa]

Bump.

Okay, I figured out my last message. Now I have a different one...how do I use Joshua's 45 SP skill? I can only do a single slash, but I know there should be more to it.