Video by Matt S. Ys IX: Monstrum Nox is the latest in a long-running series of action JRPGs that I have had a complex relationship with over the years… but this one? Wow, do I love this one. Nihon Falcom has knocked it out of the park and then some.…
Read MoreThere’s a literary device called the Deus Ex Machina (no, the game series didn’t invent that cool-sounding word), which describes when an author uses a plot device to solve a seemingly unsolvable problem in a story. It’s possibly the most difficult literary device to use, since, if you calibrate it…
Read MoreThe Legend of Heroes: Trails through Daybreak II is the second game in a trilogy; the trilogy is part of a long-running RPG series, The Legend of Heroes. The Legend of Heroes: Trails through Daybreak II follows a great game, so anticipation is building over its launch next Friday, February…
Read MoreIf I were to create a laundry list of what I look for in a JRPG, the simple reality is that the Ys series doesn’t tend to check many of those boxes. They’re not known for in-depth narratives, iconic characters (aside from the series protagonist, Adol, who has a very…
Read MoreStarting a game in the middle of a story arc often means remembering details from predecessors. Some people remember every single major or minor plot point, while those like me may only remember a handful of the major plot points and almost no minor ones. NIS America is solving the…
Read MoreWelcome to Digitally Downloaded’s weekly catch-up news feature, the catch-up coffee. I will bring you the best news you may have missed with each issue. Grab the biggest mug you’ve got, fill it with your favourite brew, and catch up with us (and our favourite news anchor, Dee Dee)!…
Read MoreYs isn’t the oldest JRPG property out there, but it’s one of them, and it’s also one of the most prolific. If you ignore all the re-releases and just concentrate on the main series, there is just one period where there was a substantial hiatus (1996-2002). Otherwise, the longest fans…
Read MoreWhen The Legend of Heroes: Trails through Daybreak launched in the West earlier this year, DDNet’s Editor-in-Chief Matt described the JRPG as “a new starting point for a new, epic arc.” That arc has already continued in Japan with The Legend of Heroes: Trails through Daybreak II when the people…
Read MoreThe basic concept of Tokyo Xanadu is “Nihon Falcom make an action version of Persona. Oh, and it looks like the Trials of Cold Steel games.” None of this is a bad idea by any means, and Tokyo Xanadu has been around for quite some time now. We published our…
Read MoreThe Legend of Heroes series turns 35 this year, and with 21 titles in it, it is inarguably the most ambitious and largest-scope JRPG property in existence. Unlike Final Fantasy or Dragon Quest, The Legend of Heroes is constant, with every game taking place in the same universe, sharing a…
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