Lol, the link to the Shop Page links to the Game "Sparklite" ^^
Don't get me wrong, i liked Sparklite but its no Ys IX . :D

The Link in the post is going to the game Sparklite.

Fuck yes! :) ... Although I don't expect it to get the PC release until after ToCS 4. =/

Here's the correct link: https://www.gog.com/game/ys_ix_monstrum_nox

Hopefully NIS doesn't bork the port as badly as they did for YS VIII.

I'm surprised Falcom stuck with them after that debacle.

WOW, It looks pretty cool, to my wishlist you go!
It's very nice from NISA and Falcom to bring their games on here at release, some other publishers could learn some good things from them... and I'm looking at you, Idea Factory/Compile Heart, will you ever release Death End;ReQuest 1 and 2 (and the other Nep games) on here too?

Some important considerations:

1- As the "MischiefMaker" said, I am also surprised that Falcom has kept NISA responsible for the series after what happened with the disastrous launch of Lacrimosa of Dana. Xseed did a MUCH better job with the series. I still don't understand why they changed representatives.

2- In this specific case, NISA does not deserve credit for the simultaneous launch, this has to do with the philosophy of Falcom.

Falcom is a company that was born creating games for PC. It has always been their main operating platform, so they have a deep respect for computer gamers, and REQUIRES that their games be launched in as many PC stores as possible. This information was once shared by an Xseed employee on a Reddit forum. It is a contractual issue. This proves how Falcom is a respectful company, and also the reason why its games are always available on GOG.

3- YS is an EXTREMELY wronged series, and deserved much greater popularity. In addition to impeccable games, it was the series responsible for creating an "Action RPG" genre. Therefore, for those who have never played a title in the series, now is the time to fix this injustice. In particular, I always recommend The Oath in Felghana to be introduced to the series, but it is up to each one.

Must buy. No doubt.

Agreed, Oath is the best of the series overall, but Origin is the peak of Ys gameplay (meant to be played by Oath veterans).

this will be an instabuy for sure.

Since you seem experienced in the series, I could use your advice :)

*long post incoming*

See, I bought a bunch of Ys games a few years back (I, II, Ark, Oath, Origin).

Back then I completed I & II because I needed to scratch that SNES-y Zelda feeling and get to know the series of course. Then I entered the 3D era with Ark or Oath (unfortunately I can't remember which one exactly), but I quit before mid-game.

I found them more or less grindy, which was not such a major inconvenience, but the main problem was that very often I had no guidance at all so the game was too hard. To be clear, I don't want the game to hold my hand gently up to the end. I will mention a couple of examples to be more precise.

1. I remember being stuck some times because I did not have a specific item sold/found at a very specific place without indication of its importance to the flow of the game. I know, it's not a very precise description but it's been a few years!

2. Due to the open-ness of the world, I was able to enter caves/dungeons too early. As a result, I could not survive for more than 2-3 minutes, because either I had to grind and level-up multiple times or obtain a specific weapon elsewhere that was the appropriate one to beat the enemies in that area.

I know for some people these may seem natural "features" of such a game, but I'm not a seasoned RPG/ARPG gamer so I was discouraged from continuing with the series.

Is there anything I missed or didn't "get" while playing this series? Is specific knowledge of playing style or progression pattern required to enjoy Ys?

Sorry for the long post, but I really want to regain interest and get back to the series at some point!

Just a reminder that Ys VIII is in a stellar state, now. NISA got Durante and his studio for Lacrimosa of DANA's latest update, and the game is extremely well optimized, it runs smoothly even on toasters (I can attest to that, as I'm replaying all the GOG Ys games -- getting ready for Ys IX -- and I'm replaying through VIII right now).

Yes, the launch was completely botched, but the game is in a very good state, now, and I honestly feel like I owe NISA an apology, because I was a douche when the game was first released on PC. Ultimately, they did a great job, and I'm confident they'll do it again for Monstrum Nox (especially since Durante's studio, PH3, is mentioned in the game page as one of the developers).

So, ultimately, it doesn't really matter who holds the publishing rights for Ys in the West, just get Durante for the PC release and you're golden.

It sad, but I think that not buying these games it's a mistake. It is an economic question, if the effort is not profitable, they will not do it. If you allow me a suggestion, I think it is better to buy it and complain publicly on their social networks. I think it is better to try to embarrass them publicly, than to give them the reason that it does not pay off for the extra effort to add compatibility with the Galaxy API. Even as small as that effort can be for a professional development team. I will buy it here, although it is one of the few sagas that I do want to play with achievements.

Thank you Falcom and NISA for not forgetting about GOG!