JRPG Talk | Ys: Lost City of Kefin

Given that my full article on Ys V: Kefin, Lost Kingdom of Sand could not fully explore all of its core ideas for practical reasons, I will be using this JRPG Talk series to expand on its thematic depth. Rather than focusing on narrative summary alone, this piece looks at Kefin as a structural idea within the Ys continuity, one that reflects not just a lost kingdom, but a self-sustaining system built on escalating layers of hidden cost. Despite its uneven execution due to development circumstances at the time, Ys V remains a meaningful entry in the series for those willing to extract its underlying thematic core. Among its most compelling elements is the Lost City of Kefin itself.

Starting Yx IX: Monstrum Nox

 

After finishing my journey through Ys VIII: Lacrimosa of Dana, I immediately continued with its successor, Ys IX: Monstrum Nox. After spending several hours with the game, I have reached a point where I can begin forming some initial impressions.

Considering that Ys VIII elevated the series to a new level for Falcom, my expectations for Monstrum Nox were deliberately modest. So far, those expectations have largely been met. The game's overarching narrative feels noticeably weaker, and the transition from the vibrant tropical landscapes of Seiren Island to the gray prison city of Balduq inevitably feels like a downgrade in terms of atmosphere. Visually, the city's gothic aesthetic sometimes comes across as an unconvincing blend of Persona 5's urban style and Bloodborne's dark fantasy, without quite matching the identity of either.

That said, Falcom has earned its reputation as one of the JRPG industry's most dependable developers, so I remain optimistic that Monstrum Nox will have something meaningful to offer as the story unfolds. The game clearly shows signs of being developed under tighter production constraints than its predecessor, yet I suspect there is more beneath the surface for longtime Ys fans.

One aspect I continue to find interesting is how several of Monstrum Nox's gameplay ideas appear to have anticipated mechanics that later became prominent in Genshin Impact, particularly its emphasis on vertical exploration and character mobility. If a developer like Mihoyo found ideas worth building upon from this title, then Monstrum Nox likely succeeded in doing something right, even if it may not initially leave as strong an impression as Ys VIII.

Ys VIII: Lacrimosa of Dana Playthrough Complete!

For almost the entire span of June, I spent a significant amount of time playing Ys VIII. As expected from a Ys title that has gained strong global mainstream recognition, this entry truly lives up to its reputation. It delivers what feels like a AAA experience for a long-running JRPG series, both in production value and narrative ambition. Without a doubt, it is easily one of the best JRPGs of the 2010s.

Lacrimosa of Dana truly sets a new pinnacle for the Ys series, establishing itself as one of the overall “best” entries to date. Falcom clearly went all in on this project, pushing the production value to a level they can probably only achieve once in a decade.

Ys V: Lost Kefin, Kingdom of Sand

 

The last classic Ys title I completed before resuming my journey into the series' modern iterations. Ys V: Lost Kefin is often regarded as the black sheep of Falcom's flagship franchise, and for good reason. Even in the PS2 remake, many of its flaws remain apparent in 2026. Poor execution and conflicting design ideas prevent Lost Kefin from fully living up to the standards associated with the Ys name.

Yet despite these shortcomings, I do not believe Ys V deserves to be dismissed outright. Those willing to look beyond its rough exterior will discover that the essence of Ys remains unmistakably present beneath its imperfections. While Lost Kefin falls short in execution, its underlying themes, worldbuilding, and narrative foundations reveal a game that still belongs within the greater legacy of the series. This blog post aims to explore that side of Ys V and show why it remains worthy of attention despite its reputation.

Starting YS VIII: Lacrimosa of Dana

After taking an extended detour to wrap up my loose ends across earlier Ys titles, I’ve finally started Ys VIII: Lacrimosa of Dana. Within the first ten hours alone, the game has already exceeded my expectations. Having played Ys: Memories of Celceta on PS Vita about a decade ago, which is the previous entry before Falcom made Ys VIII. Lacrimosa of Dana feels like a significant leap forward in almost every respect.

While Lacrimosa doesn’t fully align with my ideal “pure” Ys experience, leaning more heavily toward systems reminiscent of Monster Hunter and even elements of Trails, Ys VIII nonetheless delivers a production quality and narrative scope that feels distinctly AAA within the series. Falcom clearly pushed far beyond its usual weight class with this entry, and it stands as a culmination of the design direction established since Ys Seven. It’s easy to see why this game became a mainstream breakthrough and a favorite entry point for many newcomers to the series.

For my part, I’m most looking forward to exploring the macro-level worldbuilding and historical layers that Ys VIII had to offer into the broader Ys narrative. That long-form lore and continuity remains one of my main motivations for staying invested in Ys series.

Returning to Ys VI: Ark of Napishtim After Fifteen Years

 

 Back in 2011, I began my journey with the Ys series, with Ys VI: Ark of Napishtim being my first stop. Fast forward 15 years, and before setting forth to tackle Ys VIII–X after finishing Ys V, I decided to revisit Ys VI once again. Of all the available versions, I picked the PS2 release, which, as expected, delivered a rather mixed gameplay experience.

The first time I played Ys VI was actually on the PS2 before eventually finishing the game on PSP. Because of that, I chose to revisit Napishtim through the PS2 version, a decision I slightly regret. Among the various releases, the PS2 version has one of the more awkward localizations of Ys VI. I do not know if it was entirely Konami's fault, but the PS2 port added many unnecessary elements, with the 3D CGI scenes being the most notorious example. 

I suspect it had something to do with the localization mindset of the era, which often carried an anti-anime sentiment common in parts of the American entertainment industry during the 1980s and 1990s. As a result, the game was altered in an attempt to appeal to a broader mainstream audience without properly understanding the source material. In hindsight, this is rather tragic, as it was poor treatment for a relatively important milestone in Falcom's history.

Ys VI: Ark of Napishtim is more than just another iteration of Falcom's flagship franchise. Not only was it a proper revival of the Ys series after the commercial disappointment of Ys V, it was also the lynchpin that gave Falcom a second chance during its dark age. The game's success helped usher the company into its renaissance period and set the foundation for its rise to greater prominence. Had Ys VI failed back then, we might never have seen the Trails series evolve into the top-tier JRPG franchise that demonstrated what Falcom was truly capable of achieving.

Despite the PS2 version of Ys VI being something of a question mark in Falcom's history, and my disdain toward its unnecessary and shallow localization makeover, I was still able to relive the core Napishtim experience, which is ultimately what matters most. At the very least, Falcom would go on to work with better international publishers in later years. If I ever revisit this game again, I will probably stick with the PC or PSP versions. That said, I am fairly confident Falcom could produce a remaster of Ys VI in the near future given the series' legacy, perhaps around the game's 25th anniversary.

Ys V: Lost Kefin playthrough complete!

 

It has been roughly a decade since I last set out on a journey with the Ys series; Memories of Celceta was my last stop. For various reasons, the timing feels right to pick up the mantle of Adol Christin once again. With my fist stop being Ys V: Lost Kefin, Kingdom of Sand.

Back when I was deep into my Ys phase, I skipped Ys V entirely due to its reputation as the series' "dark horse." Having now played the Lost Kefin PS2 remaster, I can verify the reputation does live up to the infamy.

Without a doubt, Ys V stands as one of the weakest entries in the franchise, reflecting the "dark age" period of Falcom. The production values feel visibly hampered by the growing pains Falcom experienced during the transition from the 16-bit to 32-bit era. Even with the "remaster" treatment, this chapter struggles to hold its own. It is genuinely perplexing how the PS2 version feels so lackluster, especially considering it was released after The Ark of Napishtim and The Oath in Felghana, the titles that had already redefined the Ys experience for modern consoles.

To be blunt, I didn't find the gameplay or the music score of Ys V to be any particularly remarkable. Yet, despite these glaring weaknesses, Ys V remains an essential thread in Adol Christin’s tapestry. This adventure, which takes Adol to the Afroca continent in search of the utopian kingdom of alchemy, serves as a necessary building block for the series' worldbuilding, even if it is poorly fleshed out. I plan to write a more in-depth post in near future to dissect the "essential" narrative elements that can be salvaged from this entry.

If you are a completionist intent on playing Ys V, I recommend the PS2 version, largely thanks to the existence of a high-quality fan translation. Just go in with managed expectations: do not expect a standard that approaches any modern Ys title.

With Ys V now cleared, I have officially finished the main run of Ys I through Ys VII. I am finally ready to move on to Lacrimosa of Dana, a title I’ve anticipated for years, given all the praise it has received. However, before I dive into that, I think I will likely do a short revisit on Ys VI: The Ark of Napishtim.

Ys vs Kiseki: Alternative Saga

 

The PSP era saw a surprising number of crossover party brawlers and fighting games, and Falcom joined the trend with its own mash-up between its two flagship series; Ys and Trails in Ys vs. Kiseki: Alternative Saga.

Released around the peak of Ys Seven, the project also served as a push to spotlight the Kiseki (Trails) series, which remains one of Falcom’s strongest JRPG pillars. The result is a 3D arena brawler that brings together characters from Ys and Trails in the Sky, running on a system clearly derived from Ys Seven’s engine and combat feel.

The roster on the Ys side is somewhat underwhelming. Much of it leans heavily on Ys Seven, with only a few unexpected inclusions like Chester from Ys III. As a small consolation, the twin goddesses Feena and Reah appear as support characters, complete with some striking artwork that adds a bit of charm for longtime fans.

By contrast, the Trails in the Sky side fares much better. Fan-favorite characters are fully realized in 3D for the first time, which at the time was a major draw. The inclusion of Lloyd, protagonist of Zero no Kiseki, as a playable character is another highlight that broadens the crossover appeal beyond just Sky.

Despite being a Japan-only release, Ys vs. Kiseki: Alternative Saga stands as a strong piece of fanservice for Falcom enthusiasts. Its recent re-release on modern platforms, including the Nintendo Switch, also raises some interesting questions—particularly whether it brings meaningful improvements or remains largely a preservation of the original experience.

Trails in the Sky Revoltech Estelle Bright

 

 Kaiyodo has been especially active with its anime portfolio lately through the Revoltech lineup. Not long after Adol Christin from Ys joined the series, Estelle Bright, the main heroine of Trails in the Sky, quickly followed reuniting the Ys vs. Kiseki duo once again. Scheduled for release in December 2026, Revoltech Estelle Bright will retail for 11,000 yen.

This Revoltech release clearly coincides with renewed attention on Trails in the Sky, especially with Good Smile Company also contributing its share of merchandise. While the accessories are largely similar to her Nendoroid counterpart, it’s worth noting that this marks Estelle’s first 1/12 scale action figure—long overdue for the lead heroine of one of Nihon Falcom’s most beloved JRPG series. There’s also a good chance that Joshua Bright will follow to accompany her.

I’ve been wanting to get back into the Trails series myself, but with a growing backlog, I still need to figure out where I can fit the time in.

Ys Revoltech 1/12 Adol Christin

I can’t overstate how thrilled I am about this development! What fans have been waiting decades for has finally arrived for the Ys series. The legendary JRPG’s one-man hero, Adol Christin, is getting his very first action figure on the courtesy of Revoltech. Based on his appearance in Ys I & II Chronicles, the figure will retail for 9,000 yen and is set for release in June 2026.

For Adol’s first dedicated action figure, Revoltech did a fantastic job bringing this iconic red-haired hero to life. The figure comes with a generous selection of accessories, including his classic sword and shield set and a fire magic rod. While this version would have been perfect if it included the Silver Sword,  Adol’s signature weapon from Ys I but the long-awaited release makes that forgivable. Hopefully the next iteration will add it.

Personally, I think a Ys VI rendition would be an excellent follow-up. Still, Revoltech’s current design captures the definitive look of Adol, and it’s a truly exciting moment for long-time fans.

Legend of Heroes Gagharv Mobile Master Archive

 
 Took me more than a month to complete this project since Gagharv Mobile global server closure but I am putting my personal project into a wrap with this Master Archive post. I suppose the delay has to be blamed to my current hectic worklife which does not deliver the most optimal outcome for this game but at very least I am happy that another project from Realm of Darkness conclude properly.

This Master Archive contain links for all Gagharv Mobile hero roster archive for Global server separated by regions: El Phildin, Tirasweel and Weltluna region. This post will also contain my final roster list in Gagharv Mobile Global server. Gagharv Mobile might have rather awkward way for re-entry into Video game market, but the Korean Devs, Fowgames did try what they could do with their limitations since Falcom appear to give up upon Gagharv as well, at least at this moment.

Therefore as a reciprocation method, this small project is one thing that I could give to repay for the opportunity given to Gagharv Trilogy by Fowgames. 

• Gagharv Mobile Hero Archive - El Phildin
• Gagharv Mobile Hero Archive - Tirasweel
• Gagharv Mobile Hero Archive - Weltluna

LOH Gagharv Mobile Hero Archive - Tirasweel

  Finally fulfilling my end of bargain for Gagharv Mobile after the global server inevitable closure. Tirasweel was supposed to be the last part of Gagharv Trilogy to be finished for Gagharv mobile but alas, economic reality of gaming industry does not allow the dream to be completed.

Tirasweel Chapter is the representation of Prophecy of Moonlight Witch which was chronologically the first of Gagharv Trilogy released by Falcom but took place in the later part of the trilogy timeline, much akin to Star Wars IV to Starwars I-III. Personally POTMW is the title from the trilogy that I am least attached to due to the most barebone series considering it was the first of the trilogy. Nevertheless I still respect the series that I finished the complete game back when I had PSP despite the glaring flaw.

Compared to other region, Tirasweel's roster is the most barebone because it was still in rather incomplete state before Gaghar Mobile's global server met its demise last month. Some of the key characters like Badat and Durzell haven't even made it before the unfortunate circumstances fall on the game which I did look forward to even if POTMW is not my favorite. At very least Tirasweel got one UR, Queen Isabelle and I am happy that I purchased her skin which gives her quite high waifu aura as opposed to her original rendition. Overall Tirasweel fared quite solid at Tank and DPS department though support might be rather lacking compared to other region.

With El Phildin, Weltluna and Tirasweel roster completed, all left is to create master archive for Gagharv Mobile and I would consider my obligation with this gacha game completed.

LOH Gagharv Mobile Hero Archive - Weltluna

 
 It has been around 3 weeks since Gagharv Mobile global server has totally closed down. I had planned to finish this personal project of mine for this Korean Gacha Game of Classic JRPG series to be finished before the server closure but ultimately unable to do so due to hectic work life. Even so, I will still commit to compete this personal project of mine which should be completed within October including master archive and here I present Gagharv Mobile - Song of the Ocean hero archive.

Song of the Ocean might not be my personal favorite title of Gagharv Trilogy, but I will respect the merit of the series in its great contribution for playing important role in worldbuilding of the trilogy. Due to the focus on music as its theme, Weltluna rosters lack heavy hitter unit and notably defender class. In turn, Weltluna roster have plenty of Magical, Support and Ranged units which are some of the best in its category.

Interestingly during the end days of Gagharv Mobile on Global server, Weltluna end up to be the recipient of the last roster units with UR Leone and SSR Aida Alter. With Weltluna roster finished, all left is Tirasweel and a master archive to conclude this short homage project of unsung reboot for Falcom hidden JRPG gem.

LOH Gagharv Mobile Hero Archive - El Phildin

 
 The fate of Gagharv Mobile has been set and in 2 weeks, the Global server will shut down. As such I feel this is the right time to start the project of archiving the Gacha game version of Falcom Classic JRPG. I will archive the heroes featured in this series sorted by the original Gagharv Trilogy series following the release order of the storyline in Gagharv Mobile, starting with El Phildin! the region belong to Tears of Vermilion. 

To this day, Tears of Vermilion is still my personal favorite despite Song of the Ocean plays more important role in the overarching storyline. TOV storyline might be old school by JRPG standard but there is always a charm in seeing the sheer will of humanity to defy against the fate ordained by ancient gods and an unbreakable bond of friendship that transcends the depths of hell.

In this hero archive post, I will sort the Hero rarity starting from the highest, starting from main character then move onto UR and until R rarity hero. Considering El Phildin is the first part that Fowgames worked on Gagharv Mobile, bulk of the Hero characters belong to this region. Despite the inevitable tragic fate, I salute Fowgames Dev team tremendous effort for Gagharv mobile even if it is not reciprocated properly in financial term. 

But at very least Fowgames efforts until the end of Global server resonated with me and as such I present this homage! Apologies in advance if I am rather subjective with the list since I will make the entry of the character based on their debut in chronological timeline.

Legend of Heroes Gagharv Mobile Global Server EOS announcement

 Well, the inevitable fate for Gagharv Mobile has finally arrived. Yesterday Gagharv Mobile dev announced the End-of-Service notice for this game's global server after running for one year. Gagharv Mobile will officially close the Global server on September 24th 2025. After the closure, Gagharv Mobile will only focus on Korea and East Asia server and apparently Global server players have the option to migrate to Korea server with their existing account.

Gagharv Mobile: Song of the Ocean Story Complete!

 Early this year on January, Gagharv Mobile has completed their adaptation for Gagharv Trilogy Song of the Ocean Chapter. As the Dev managed to put enormous effort complete Weltluna's storyline within 3 months, I picked up the slack and marathon Gagharv Mobile's take on Song of the Ocean over past few days. Translation issues from rushjob aside, as expected, revisiting this last part of Gagharv Trilogy once again proves to be a very fruitful journey and Fowgames certainly put their effort to give best respect they could afford for this Falcom's classic JRPG title.

Gagharv Mobile: Tears of Vermilion Chapter Clear

 It has been about a month since I picked up Gagharv Mobile. Some rough landing in the early parts aside, Gagharv Mobile is actually quite a pleasant ride for Old-Time Falcom fans who wish to revisit the classic trilogy storyline. Few days ago I have managed to complete the Tears of Vermilion storyline and overall I am quite pleased with the end of my journey. At first I have my misgivings for relatively obscure Japanese JRPG IP to be picked up by a Korean Dev but for the Tears of Vermilion storyline, It turns out to be quite a faithful adaptation of the series as the key moments are executed exactly the same way with the PSP version.

This article will serve as afterthoughts covering the finale part of Gagharv Mobile adaptation of Tear of Vermilion chapter as well as highlighting some of the moments in the storyline which I consider noteworthy from this classic JRPG. So I would recommend fellow readers to stay away if you are still interested to witness the journey of this particular Chapter of Gagharv Trilogy for yourself.

The Legend of Heroes : Gargharv Trilogy

 Legend of Heroes Gagharv Trilogy was one of my favorite JRPG series when I still had my PSP. Consisting of Tears of Vermilion, Prophecy of Moonlight Witch and Song of the Ocean, this particular Falcom JRPG series had very good worldbuilding story even if the pace started out as rather slow and Bandai Namco Localization butchered plenty of things in the game instead of elevating it. Then almost 20 years since the western release of PSP Ghargharv Trilogy, out of strange turn of event the series made a comeback somehow as Mobile Gacha Game! By the way if anyone interested with the original PSP Gargharv Trilogy, I had made articles for Prophecy of Moonlight Witch and Song of the Ocean which you can check it out. These two are over 13 years old but still quite solid ones for the older articles in this blog.

Ys Origin Myethos 1/8 Feena

 The classic JRPG series Ys haven't got any merchandise in ages and now Myethos making a surprising entry with one of the Ys Twin Guardian Goddess, Feena! The figure company gave a rather luxurious treatment for Feena, using her Ys Origin version posed in her Angelic form holding Black Pearl artifact. Feena's Ys Origin figure will be sold for 18800 Yen price tag with 2021 June schedule release.

 No doubt this figure rendition for one of the Ys most famous heroine is gorgeous, but Myethos is taking rather big gamble on this one. From a first glance, i think the figure will have some stability issues as the Wings would be rather heavy for the figure's supporting stand. Then for Ys Origin, Feena is not particularly the best choice since she plays rather minor role on that game and her older sister Reah actually suits better as she is the one who played the Main Heroine part. But I guess Myethos picked Feena as their choice for figure since she is one of Adol's major romantic interest and still probably the strongest one until this day. I think there were some plan to release the Twin Goddess figure as a set but the price tag would be too expensive for not so mainstream series so Myethos shoved the plan and make Feena instead.

 For the Ys series itself, i think Falcom is rather clueless on what to do with the series at the moment  probably because the writers who are responsible in building up the Ys series lore are likely had left the company. Ys is one of the few series that had the potential to stand among the Pinnacle of JRPG with Rance series, but it is not going to reach that position anytime soon with its current situation.

 As for Feena herself, she still remains one of the best Heroine from JRPG series when it comes to her niche. Up to this day Feena is still the exemplary paragon of Timeless Divine Beauty. I have seen plenty of good Pure Maiden designs but it is simply very hard to compete with a Goddess. Feena's Ys Chronicle version depicts this particular quality the best since her simple village clothing does not reduce her Peerless Beauty any less. For such top tier heroine, i am willing to wait for this particular version of her figure made as well as a proper conclusion of her story with Adol.

February 2018 Loot

 Last month got plenty of generous promotions in Tokopedia with Chinese New Year within the month. Since i got some pocket money, i went on quite crazy shopping spree around this time and bought stuffs off my wishlists. Saved myself around $100 through the generous promotion by Tokopedia which 8 out of 9 included Cashback Promotions. Through the shopping spree i got myself couple of rare stuffs whether it is Model Kit, Action Figure or Figurine.

Finally I bought myself Shinguji Sakura Figurine which is a must have as a Sakura Taisen Fan despite Sakura is not my favorite Heroine, As for Tieria Erde i decided to get her just because she is 50% off with further cashback some more. I also bought a second copy of VAH Rahxephon which i regretted not buying it earlier and hopefully i can get Raideen as well. For a long time already i also have been eyeing Kotobukiya's Black Sarena, because Sentinel's will definitely cost an arm and a leg despite looking promising. As i find SRC to be decent lineup to invest on, i decided to complete Big Order Room Set now as i got Hyoryu and Enryu, i still got two left and it is the hardest part to complete i would say. From GSC Product i got myself Nendoroid Estelle, Figma Caster and Parform Momohime. I think it is one of these days for me to complete Sora no Kiseki and Figma is probably the best lineup to invest for FGO despite they cost almost $100 nowadays.

I think it will be a while again before i am pulling off crazy shopping spree like this again but this time it is mostly too secure stuffs for my collection before they go out of market.