Went back to Ys X Proud Nordics. The game itself isn't anywhere near bad, but I also kinda don't see the draw in this game that I had with older Ys titles, and I'm not talking Ys IX here, more like the first 3D Ys titles, like Ys VI, Ys Oath of Felghana and Ys Origin. I didn't even mind the first "Ys Party" games, as I call them, Ys Seven and Ys 8, but with the last two titles, I feel that Falcom is just losing on what makes Ys actually work. There's way to much story nonsense that gets in the way of just having fun. In Ys X it takes hours and hours and hours before you have your first proper dungeon. And now the first boss encounter, a big worm thing, feels just clumsy. Nothing that feels like challenging your skills, just an exercise in using the right tools. There's so many gimmicks with Ys X. Gotta have a skateboard thingie, and a hookshot and more and more stuff you gotta keep in your head.
I kinda wish Falcom understood the meaning of "less is more". You'd think given how their whole thing is releasing games quickly, they'd embrace minimalism, but no. Ys X feels like the game equivalent of a Turducken.
