Ys vs. Trails in the Sky: Alternative Saga Review

Nihon Falcom is a company that has been around for a long time. Getting its start in 1981, it would eventually go on to develop a series by the name of Dragon Slayer. With the success of the first game, Dragon Slayer II: Xanadu would release the following year, and then in 1987, yet another new series would be born—Ys.

Unlike Dragon Slayer, which was a turn-based RPG, Ys focused on real-time "bumper car"-styled combat and was unlike anything else the world had seen at the time. Progressing from here, Ys would continue to evolve and become a lot more action-heavy, and Dragon Slayer would go in a completely different direction—they would release Dragon Slayer: The Legend of Heroes. Over the next few years, both The Legend of Heroes and the Xanadu side of Dragon Slayer would see multiple releases, with the original three Legend of Heroes games forming what is known as the Gagharv. Following the third game's release, however, the next title would be none other than Trails in the Sky—forming yet another sub-series that has spanned thirteen mainline titles to date.

On the other side of things, Ys has also continued to go strong. With eleven mainline entries, multiple remakes, and enhanced editions, the series has really made a name for itself. Due to the titles' unique story focusing on the adventurer Adol, each entry can be a starting point for a new fan, as they are all simply stories out of his book, and told out of order. However, after the release of Ys Seven on the PSP in 2009, something unexpected happened. Rather than jumping to Ys VIII, Falcom took a step back and reused what they had done with Ys Seven for a different project: an Ys fighting game that would also feature characters from their Trails series.

In 2010, Ys vs. Trails in the Sky: Alternative Saga was released as a Japanese exclusive, and now fifteen years later, it has finally made it overseas. Thanks to the translation group Geofront, which released its translation as a fan patch for the PSP version, and refine/games, the game has now been officially released in English, complete with dubbed voice acting and quality-of-life improvements for modern-day hardware. While it is in fact the same title that released in 2010, it is no doubt the game in its best form, and it finally allows the masses to experience this forgotten piece of Ys and Trails in the Sky history. No having to track down a Japanese copy of the game, no modding a PSP, and no having to apply Geofront's translation. Just purchase the game, and you are good to go.

With all of this being said, however, what exactly is the game, and is it worth playing to begin with? Was there a reason Falcom didn't bother bringing it to the West, or was it simply another one of their hidden gems that didn't invite us Westerners to the party? Well, that is going to depend on who you are and what you are looking for.

The Story:

Ys vs. Trails in the Sky: Alternative Saga's story brings us back to the world of Xanadu and once again focuses on none other than the Dragon Slayer—a legendary weapon.

Heroes have been summoned to this world to once again defeat the evil Galsis. Upon arrival, however, the heroes discover their friends have, in fact, been brainwashed by Galsis and must defeat them one by one to return them to their normal state. Thanks to a mysterious talking monster named Lappy, which guides each character on their quest, the chosen hero of the player's choice overcomes each challenge along their way and progresses towards the final showdown. But is that truly the end?

To be perfectly clear, this title is in fact a fighting game using the Ys gameplay as its core. The story is completely told through selecting stages on a mini world map and watching cutscenes before and after each fight. There is no exploration, no talking to NPCs, and everything outside of battle is handled via menus. On the other hand, there are multiple characters to select from in story mode, and each faces opponents in different orders, with different lines of dialogue to accompany them. To see the complete story, one must play through all routes, and only then can the game be completed.

One interesting thing of note is how the game handles Adol, the protagonist of Ys, himself. Similar to the main Ys titles, he is mostly silent; however, players have the ability to select his lines of dialogue. Once selected, Adol will physically read the lines out (or rather, Bryce Papenbrook will), and the other characters will respond. This is not the case for other characters, as they have speaking roles within their original stories.

On a side note, players should be aware that the game does in fact contain spoilers for Trails in the Sky. This comes in the form of spoken dialogue, the character's themselves, and even "minor" details such as outfit changes. While it does not ruin the outcome of the series, those hoping to play through all three titles blind should be aware that this title will not make that possible for you.

The Shop and Customization:

Before stepping into the actual gameplay of Ys vs. Trails in the Sky: Alternative Saga, one of the biggest aspects of the title is none other than its customization; something that allows for nearly infinite possibilities.

By simply playing the game, points are earned which can then be used to purchase weapon and armor upgrades in the shop, accessories, and extra "for fun" unlockables. It is the accessories, however, that offer a wide variety of options, as they not only increase character stats but add additional effects as well. These include elemental effects and other passive abilities that can greatly alter how a character plays. In addition to this, every character has a set of equippable attack skills to unlock and upgrade, which further allows players to customize their characters. This effectively means, despite using the same character, no two players will ever be exactly the same.

To further expand on the customization, free matches allow specific rules to be set, and you can also determine the level of the characters. Characters can also be individually buffed or debuffed when selecting them, allowing you to challenge yourself or give yourself more of an advantage against your opponents.

This effectively allows everyone to customize the game and its characters to their own liking, with CPU-controlled players also having randomized equipment. Just because you are fighting Agate twice in a row, don't expect the same fight out of him. One round you could be on fire, while the next you are poisoned—this helps keep every match fresh and exciting, and that can ultimately evolve into full chaos.

The Gameplay:

The core gameplay of Ys vs. Trails in the Sky: Alternative Saga is, in fact, Ys Seven. What this means is, gameplay features a fixed camera angle, and the characters themselves can use a basic combo attack, dodge and dash out of harm's way, block, jump, and use one of four equipped special attacks. Additionally, characters can have a support character equipped to them, which provides buffs and other perks once activated, and use an "ultimate" E-Burst attack once it has been charged up.

Combat itself is, in fact, very hectic, and there is a learning curve that comes with the general gameplay. Ys titles are known for their challenging boss fights that require nearly perfect reflexes and pattern memorization, and that gameplay style has been successfully ported over into an arena fighter—it’s just the so-called "boss" is now another player or CPU-controlled character. Rather than memorizing attack patterns, it is a psychological battle that pushes players' skills to the limit as well. You have no idea how the other player will react, and the countless customization options available mean there are countless unknown factors. It is by allowing the battle to play out that you can learn from your opponents and adapt your strategy as needed. With battles allowing up to four players at a time, with multiple team options allowed, pretty much anything can happen.

Putting aside the customization options, the game features 17 playable characters, and each one is unique. While Adol and other Ys characters retain their gameplay styles and attacks from their original series, the Trails in the Sky characters have been fully adapted to fit an action combat system. They retain their iconic moves and attacks from Trails in the Sky, but with some alterations to further expand their move set. Just like in both series, however, neither set of characters can freely use special attacks, as they require a set amount of energy to use. This bar can be filled faster by performing charge attacks, but it also increases from general actions and picking up items on the field of battle. Until these abilities can be used, however, characters are limited to their main attack, which includes both an on-ground and an in-the-air set of combos.

As for the battlefields, the game pulls from various iconic locations from both series. Some stages have gimmicks such as hazards to avoid or shortcuts to take, but for the most part, they are pretty straightforward arenas, with just enough room to get a break from the action when needed. One battle arena was actually a tease at the future of the Trails series, but now knowing that future, its inclusion is more of a blast of nostalgia. It is also one of the larger maps in the game, with multiple "layers" to fight on.

This general gameplay is what is carried out through the entire game, and it does not change between modes. Story Mode, Free Play, Arcade Mode, and Multiplayer all focus on fighting; it's just the format is slightly different between them all.

From PSP to Modern Platforms:

Playing Ys vs. Trails in the Sky: Alternative Saga on modern hardware is a real treat. The game runs at a solid frame rate, the visuals have been enhanced for higher resolutions, and the controls simply feel so much tighter than they did on the PSP—mainly due to the form factor and not having to use the PSP's analog stick. These changes alone already make this the definitive way to experience the title, but there is still much more to it than that.

Hearing the English voices that many of us have come to associate with these characters helps enhance the story mode, and the inclusion of online play (with cross-play) is the single "must-have" feature this version of the game added. Fighting games tend to live or die thanks to their community, and Ys vs. Trails in the Sky is no exception. There is only so much content in the main story, and players can only go up against the CPU so many times before their interest dies out. Having human opponents to fight against is a completely different experience, and thankfully now everyone will have that option.

When it comes to the single-player offerings themselves, the title still does offer a decent amount of content. Each character's story mode will only take a couple of hours to complete on average, but the challenging arcade mode will take a lot more time depending on your own skill. Typically, these too can be completed in twenty minutes to half an hour, but multiple retries can greatly extend that time—especially with the later fights. In addition to this, there is a rather large roster of characters to level up and unlock abilities for, and there are countless customization options available. This allows every character to be unique and keeps the fighting fresh even if you've already fought the same character a dozen times over. It does take some grinding to be able to purchase and level up everything, but the vast majority of it will come from simply completing the game's main content.

In addition to all of the "useful" unlockables, one of my own personal favorite extras is none other than the Wallpaper gallery. As someone who has used Trails-themed backgrounds on all of my devices for years, Ys vs. Trails in the Sky offers dozens of free unlockable ones that can be saved to your device and used on basically anything you want. It doesn't serve a purpose in-game, outside of giving you some nice artwork to look at, but it is something you can take with you and use as a part of your digital daily life.

With all of this being said, those looking to experience the game should understand what they are getting into, and they should not expect a full RPG experience out of this one. Ys vs. Trails in the Sky is in fact a pure arena fighter, except with some RPG elements mixed in.

Overall, Ys vs. Trails in the Sky: Alternative Saga is a fun arena fighter that successfully blends the hectic boss fights the Ys series is known for with classic player-versus-player action. No two fights will ever be the same thanks to the game's vast customization options, and being able to play as fan-favorite characters is a real treat. The game will not be for everyone, but those who are fans of both series and are itching for something different to play should look no further. There is a learning curve to overcome, but once you climb that hill, you will be in for a great time.

VERDICT: Recommended
Reviewed on PlayStation 5
Review Copy was Provided