Games

Best of 2009 | 08 |07 | 06 | 05
Advanced Search

Stars indicate the most critically-acclaimed games.

Legacy of Ys: Books I & II

EMAIL PRINTds

7.2 User Score:

Mixed or average reviews

Based on 18 critic reviews
How did we calculate this?

Based on 4 votes
Read user comments
Rate this game >

Game Info

Publisher: Atlus USA

Developer: Falcom

Genre(s): Action, Role-Playing Game

Players: 4

ESRB Rating: T (Teen)

Release Date: February 10, 2009

Summary

One of the most heralded action RPG franchises of all time, Legacy of Ys: Books I & II delivers the first two epic adventures of the famed saga on one cartridge, presented with a series of never-before-seen enhancements. [Atlus USA]

Cheat Codes & Hints: Cheat Code Central

Also On The Web: Official Website

What The Critics Said

All critic scores are converted to a 100-point scale. If a critic does not indicate a score, we assign a score based on the general impression given by the text of the review. Learn more...

RPG Fan

In the end, Legacy of Ys made the transition to DS well, presenting an enjoyable experience even to those who have played the games to death.

Read Full Review >

NintendoWorldReport

Legacy of Ys: Books I & II is truly an old-style game with a modern coat of paint. Though some aspects of the gameplay are primitive, there is no denying how genuinely fun both games are.

Read Full Review >

Nintendo Power

Not everyone will appreciate Legacy of Ys's retro charm, but if you're looking for a solid adventure not bogged down by needless convolution this one fits the bill. [Feb 2009, p.90]

GameCritics

If nothing else, Legacy of Ys proves that revisiting your roots (or exploring them for the first time...) is a trip well worth taking. It's hard to know where we are if we forget where we came from and how we got here.

Read Full Review >

Worth Playing

Retro gamers will likely get more mileage out of Legacy of Ys: Books I & II than anyone who expects this to redefine the way that action RPGs are played on the DS.

Read Full Review >

ZTGameDomain

The most important thing to remember about all of this though is that this collection was intended for the fans. Much like Atlus’ other efforts delivering this title the way it was intended in the beginning is likely an event for fans of the original games.

Read Full Review >

Gamervision

Overall, Legacy of Ys: Books I & II is a great value and will offer many hours of gameplay, but its appeal is limited.

Read Full Review >

GameZone

Legacy of Ys: Books I & II is a great deal for fans of the original series and old-school RPG fanatics, but likely will be far too outdated and traditional for many RPG players.

Read Full Review >

Cheat Code Central

The inclusion of both Ys I & II along with multiplayer functionality gives players a good bit to wade through. Although, the simplistic action-RPG mechanics aren't compelling enough for a second playthrough, even though multiple difficulty levels are offered.

Read Full Review >

GamePro

An RPG classic revitalized and re-engineered from the ground up, this decades-old adventure holds its own in this remarkably solid remake.

Read Full Review >

Thunderbolt

If you feel like dragging your friends into the maw, then the four-player-co-op is always open - just don’t expect anyone to last long.

Read Full Review >

Gaming Nexus

While Legacy of Ys is a solid remake of the 16-bit classics, that doesn't mean it holds up particularly well. The unique gameplay keeps the action fast and exciting, but the cliché story and silly cinemas leave a lot to be desired.

Read Full Review >

IGN

Legacy of Ys: Book I & II is a basic, aged, budget remake of a classic RPG franchise, but it’s also a fun game at heart. True, you’ve done most of what the two games offer, but this is also a “roots” series, and as such some players will love going back and hearing the new music, seeing the animated cut scenes, and playing through the slightly updated design. For others though, the game’s more archaic elements will quickly add up, and make this one little more than a bragging rights piece of software or act of loyalty to the series.

Read Full Review >

G4 TV

The only real downside here is the presentation – the updated art and menus are garish and much of the writing feels dashed off. Good thing Adol isn’t exactly the chatty type.

Read Full Review >

RPGamer

Legacy of Ys provides a peek at what might have been for JRPGs had Dragon Quest and Final Fantasy not run away with the genre. Ironically, the gameplay in Ys has aged better than these ultimately more successful series originals.

Read Full Review >

1UP

Despite being a botched rendition of a pair of classics, Legacy of Ys is nevertheless a pair of classics, and that's what ultimately redeems this package -- that and Atlus's meticulous care with the localization.

Read Full Review >

Games Radar (in-house)

Ultimately, Ys feels incredibly unneeded. Its play style is too archaic and too boring, even for old-school fans. The story and dialogue may have once been impressive, but are now just empty and laughable. And the real joke is that this is being sold at full price.

Read Full Review >

Game Informer

Legacy is a little too "classic" for its own good; it needs more than a facelift to appeal to the modern gamer. [Mar 2009, p.95]

Read Full Review >

What Our Users Said

The average user rating for this game is 7.2 (out of 10) based on 4 User Votes

Note: User votes are NOT included in the Metascore calculation.

Steve K gave it a9:
I was very wary of buying this game, considering the mixed reviews it was receiving. The game has 4 difficulties, and I began playing on Normal. After half an hour or so, the game just felt very easy, so I switched to Nightmare, the hardest difficulty. After this, I really began to enjoy the game. The storyline is dated but I've seen much worse in the past. The graphics look odd at first, but after a while you get used to it and the gameplay begins to fill out. Boss battles can be tough but the added touch to strategy is what make action RPGs so great. It is true that from one level to the next, you can go from hitting an enemy for 4 damage and receiving 50 damage, to hitting for 20 damage and receiving 10. This is kind of annoying and some better balancing would be nice, but the justification to keep leveling is very apparent. Overall, with the lack of good Action RPGs on the DS, Legacy of Ys game makes a very good attempt to fill that niche.

Games

Sony

Microsoft

Nintendo

Other Platforms

Upcoming &Recent Releases

Legacy of Ys: Books I & II

Game Info

Summary

What The Critics Said

What Our Users Said

Upcoming &
Recent Releases