the Seikens Board

So I'm playing Ys Seven right now... and I've always thought that the Ys games were a bit Mana-ish, but chaulked that up to the fact that they were both ARPGs. Ys Seven makes me feel even more of a Mana feeling because this new Ys game introduces a party system that feels a LOT like Secret of Mana/SD3, but probably only because they are the only two ARPGs I know of that has a three-character party system.

Styleistically, they are very different. Mana goes more for chibi cuteness, Ys goes for more teen/grit. But the stories and themes are similar.

Has anyone else played Ys Seven or any of the other Ys games?

I've played Ys 1 & 2 and wasn't very impressed with the story. The world is quite interesting, but the male-only hero rescuing distressed damsels and saving the world plot I found totally meh So I decided to stop there with Ys.

That said though, Ys III (aka Oath In Felghana) looks really cool (a little like the Crystal Chronicles games). So now I'm kinda undecided about it after all

Oh, for sure, as released back in 1987, Ys I & II are pretty simple, short games. They were actually intended to be much more fleshed out but at the last minute their developer cut out a lot of the script and story (and an entire area in the first game). Don't judge the series by those two games.

Oath in Felghana is amazing. You really should try it. It's actually a complete remake of the SNES game Wanderers from Ys, but absolutely everything has been changed except the basic story and basic ideas for the music and such. Give Oath a shot! Ark of Napishim is also very, very good.

been played Ys: the Oath in Felghana, and yeah, agreed with comrade bastian with this one. well, remembered the old days when I argued with a comrade who wanted that 'Most Wanted' back then. xD
well at last we have both, played both, and both are satisfying.
(satisfying means "This is so AWESOME")

Yeah, Ys: Oath in Felgahana is considered to be the pinnacle of Ys design, before Ys SEVEN came out. I think I like Oath in Felgana a little bit better than Ys SEVEN still. SEVEN is amazing. I really don't understand how Ys can just keep getting better and better with each game, but Mana gets worse and worse. Ys SEVEN is heads and shoulders above Dawn and Children... much, much better ARPG than either. Ah well. Maybe Mana will come back some day. But I have Ys to keep me busy until then.