I'm going to try and start doing a pseudo-segment titled like the above post headline where I play a game for approximately 60 minutes and give my play by play as well as a quick takeaway.
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So I just slid Ys Seven into the PSP (I've not played any other titles in the series but have been a little excited for this one ever since I came across a GI review for it. I'd share a link but it doesn't seem to be online).
The game starts on a boat with a silent protagonist eye-balling a strange off-in-the-distance island, some jib-jab ensues, and then title and anime montage of characters unfolds before dumping me off in a port town for me to "check out shops and things." I can't wait...
Why is it that characters always roll faster than they can walk/run? No idea, but here I am rolling around city streets just like the good old days. What's this? A flower girl tries to panhandle me one of her blossoms? Don't mind if I do.
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Apparently I killed enough time tumbling from street corner to street corner. Now some blond haired Gaston is doing his thing. I better get some action fast. Where is my "in medias res"?
Dialogue boxes with green text keep popping up. I think they are narrating to me. The game is seriously describing what's happening on screen...
"That red hair...you must be from Europan." HAHAHA seriously!? Nihon Falcom apparently has it in for the gingers (that or the genre seriously needs to invest in some better translators).
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Alright, so prison cell to king's throne room to underground temple. Must say I like the feel of the battle, though I'm curious to see if it gets much beyond button mashing (not that applying repeated pressure to the plastic X on my PSP isn't fun in its own right).
Just killed by a giant, duel-headed stone turtle thing (actually looks like it'd make a better pokemon than half the ones getting leaked recently).
So the hour's up. I quickly dismissed this most recent title in the Ys series but am having second thoughts. So what's my bottom line impression? That the battle mechanic is simple (at least for now) but fluid and well paced, even if the rest (music/dialogue/etc.) is a drag.