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.

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.

Ace Combat 4: The Shattered Skies

More than 15 years after my last time with the series, I finally returned to its modern roots through Ace Combat 4: The Shattered Skies. My earlier experience came from the PSP entries, Ace Combat X: Skies of Deception and Ace Combat: Joint Assault, both of which were highly enjoyable. Coming from those later iterations, Ace Combat 4 doesn’t offer as much in terms of gameplay depth. Still, that shortcoming matters less when the game serves as the origin story of one of the series’ most iconic pilots: Mobius One.

Atelier Iris Eternal Mana Complete

 

Took me a month, but I finally finished Atelier Iris: Eternal Mana, the first entry in the Atelier Iris trilogy! Ever since I wrapped up Atelier Iris 2: The Azoth of Destiny, I’ve been determined to complete the entire PS2 Atelier trilogy which means paying a visit to Eternal Mana.

As expected, Eternal Mana feels noticeably less polished compared to Azoth of Destiny, though the gap itself is not particularly massive. Still, coming from Atelier Iris 2, the missing QoL improvements become quite apparent in several areas. Overall, Eternal Mana is a very traditional old-school JRPG experience: high encounter rates, more demanding use of main gameplay mechanics, and slightly harsher balancing compared to its sequel.

Atelier Iris 2 - Azoth of Destiny Playthrough Complete!

Straight after finishing MS Saga: A New Dawn, I moved on to another PS2 title to finally settle an old “debt” of mine: Atelier Iris 2: The Azoth of Destiny, a JRPG by Gust Corporation. This was another one of those PS2 games I played back in high school, but I never managed to complete it despite being around 75% through at the time.

Now that I’ve actually finished it, I’d describe Atelier Iris 2 as a fairly decent JRPG, one that doesn’t quite have what it takes to stand among the top titles in the genre. Still, completing it carries a particular meaning for me. It marks the third old PS2 game I’ve cleared in succession, a small “hat trick” in working through my backlog.

More importantly, the timing of this playthrough felt oddly serendipitous. Something about encountering Atelier Iris 2 at this point allowed me to better recognize and absorb what truly matters at its core. Despite its shortcomings as a game, it presents a surprisingly deep thematic foundation that only really clicked for me this time around.

MS Saga Playthrough Complete!

Not exactly an easy endeavor, but after finally putting in the grind and picking up where I left off 14 years ago, I can proudly say that I’ve completed my journey with MS Saga: A New Dawn!

With a total playtime of around 50 hours, I’ve finally settled a personal debt that’s been lingering for nearly 20 years.

Without a doubt, MS Saga is truly a one-of-a-kind Gundam game. It had the potential to stand as a great JRPG if it had been completed in its intended form. However, in its released state, it feels like an old-school JRPG that compensates for cut content with brutal difficulty, something that may not sit well with modern audiences. Even as a devoted mecha fan, finishing it would have been a tall order if not for my personal commitment.

MS Saga Revisited

Right after completing my 4th run of SRW Alpha 3, I returned to another PS2 classic: MS Saga! Known in Japan as Gundam Odyssey, it remains one of the most unique Gundam games from the PS2’s golden era. Fortunately, I still have my save file from 14 years ago, letting me pick up exactly where I left off.

SRW Alpha 3 4th Playthrough | Kusuha's route Complete!

I finally wrapped up my fourth playthrough of Super Robot Wars Alpha 3 last week, almost exactly as I predicted when I started this run in late February. It took me around 55 hours over the course of a month to finish, marking my return to the game after a 14-year gap.

To be honest, this kind of commitment isn’t as easy as it used to be. Back in my college years, I could pour endless energy into long RPG sessions without a second thought. That’s no longer the case—but even so, I’m genuinely glad I followed through. This run felt like a proper homage to one of the most legendary titles in the SRW franchise.

More than just a revisit, this playthrough will also serve as a deep refresh of my understanding of Alpha 3’s storyline, something that will be reflected, at least in part, throughout this post.

SRW Alpha 3 4th Playthrough Begins!

It’s hard to believe that it has already been 15 years since I first picked up Super Robot Wars Alpha 3. I last stopped my journey in 2012 during my third playthrough with Cobray Gordon’s route.

Fast forward to 2026 after a rather strange chain of events, I find myself returning once again to this legendary title in the Super Robot Wars series on PS2. Over the past 15 years, I’ve changed several laptops, yet somehow my Alpha 3 save file has survived. That alone feels very meaningful in a way. With my progress data remained intact, I can finally resume my α3 journey without having to start from scratch. 

Mobile Suit Gundam vs Zeta Gundam

Reminiscing about a classic game from my teenage years, Gundam vs. Zeta Gundam played a major role in shaping my perspective of the Gundam series. While I might have first extensive exposure of Gundam through PSX Battle Assault 2, it was this PS2 title that truly left a lasting impression. I spent countless hours playing it with neighborhood kids, and the memories remain vivid.

Gundam vs. Gundam Maxi Boost still commands a strong presence in Japanese arcades, but if one wishes to trace the origin, Gundam vs. Zeta Gundam represents one of the earlier iterations of the series’ humble beginnings. Compared to the later, fast-paced Gundam vs. Gundam games, GvsZG’s combat is slower, fitting the early Universal Century timeline.

Despite lacking flashy modern mechanics, GvsZG boasts a respectable roster spanning the One Year War and Zeta Gundam era, including protagonist mobile suits and even ZZ Gundam as a secret unit. My personal favorites were RX-78-2 Gundam and Gaplant. RX-78-2, when equipped with the Gundam Hammer, could devastate enemy mobile suits in just a few well-placed hits, and could even take down massive mobile armors like Psyco Gundam by exploiting their blind spots.

The PS2 version also included a story mode, allowing players to explore the One Year War and Zeta Gundam storylines through the perspectives of featured characters. While the gameplay could become repetitive, players had the opportunity to unlock alternate storylines by saving characters who were supposed to die in the original timeline. Another impressive detail is the roster’s customization: mobile suits retained their faction-specific color schemes even when used outside their original teams, such as a Titan-colored Zeta Gundam.

Truly, Gundam vs. Zeta Gundam is one of the many hidden gems of the Gundam video game series during the PS2 era, combining nostalgia, strategy, and a deep appreciation for the Universal Century timeline.

Starting SRW Z 2nd Playthrough

 Wow it has been like almost six years since the last time i played SRW Z! I guess i was in the mood to play this game once again as a preparation for the SRW V arrival and hopefully managed to finished it before i got my copy. Since i used Setsuko for my first playthrough, this time i used Rand who pilots Gunleon which Gaogaigar would look like if he changed job to healer. For the second playthrough basically my units roflstomped anything that they encounter so far due to generous amount of carryover money. To this day i still wonder why Banpresto decided to abandon such nice platoon system that SRW Z had.

Another Century Episode 3

 Rewriting the article since i think the article was a pile of mess when i wrote this back in 2010 and feels that the game needs better treatment that it deserved. In any case i always held Another Century Episode 3 with high regard as it was the game that opened my eyes to mecha series other than Gundam before i get serious with SRW. As of now i have played my 3rd Playthrough on the game and unlocked most of the units already. I will be highlighting the best things that come out from this game in this article.

Super Robot Wars Alpha 2 Arado's playthrough Complete!

 Looks like it took me 3 weeks to complete my SRW@2 second playthrough which is not that bad considering my procrastination habit on SRW. Back then before i begin my first run on Alpha 2, i promised myself to do Arado Balanga's playthrough at very least since Wildwurger was one of my favorite SRW Original. Compared to Ibis playthrough Arado's was much more a breeze obviously with NewGame+bonus which i got 6 Million cash and proceed to curbstomp everything with my Upgraded units. Compared to my First playthrough however, Arado's playthrough is slightly boring early on since he is stuck with mediocre Huckebein MkIII in the first half of the game and frankly speaking Arado is rather mediocre Pilot with crap original Seishin pool. But still he is one of my favorite guy with his Happy-go-lucky attitude.

 In Alpha 2 Arado get his Wildwurger around stage 30 and then Seolla joins with Wildfalken after few stages. Compared to Hyperlion it lacks ALL or MAP attacks which make Arado hard to rack up Kill Counts. In exchange Wildwurger is better Boss Killer compared to Hyperlion though probably not as strong as Daizengar. Once fully upgraded, Wildwurger and Wildfalken are probably some of the best support units in the game as both Arado and Seolla got Support Attack Lv4. Put them nearby Tough enemies and let other Unit take a dip on the unit first while either of the Twin Birds support them and you will find those unit will die in no time since they are quite capable of providing 30k worth of damage from support in a single turn once fully upgraded. On top of that Arado's route is the only route where you gets upgrade carried over for Viletta and Ratsel's Huckebein if you upgraded Arado's early on which means Two Solid Support Units

Super Robot Wars Alpha 2 thoughts

Shooting Star cut through the night!

Another Century Episode 2

 Another Century Episode series is always one of my favorite Mecha Simulator games, while not as hardcore as AC series, this is the only game that provide solid crossover mecha action experience. I used to play this game as a teen back in high school but never managed to finish the game unlike ACE 3. Out of 5 entries to the series, most of the fans who had gone through most of the games will agree that the only solid games of the series were 2 and 3. While the first one was riddled with issues as From tried to figure out what works and what doesn't, on ACE 2 they begin to find the working formula to the series. I will try my best trying to give the necessary coverage of the game in this post.

We Love Katamari

 Katamari series is one of the most original stuff i have seen in gaming world in my opinion and playing the game is just another whole different experience. Since i get PCSX2 running again obvious i give the series a try again from the original platform and play the 2nd Title of the series; We love Katamari. My first Katamari was the Me and My Katamari which is on PSP and made me instantly fall in love with the series. We love Katamari was kinda different than i expected, while i though it has bigger scale Levels, turns out it is not but at least you get to roll the Sun in this game! 

 Rolling things to oblivion surely lighten up your mood for some reason and Katamari is one of the better choice to unwind things from a bad day. Music plays really important part in Katamari since they contribute to the game that makes the experience of playing Katamari become such an Acid trip and We Love Katamari got some of the best song of the series. While the newer titles of the Katamari were disappointing especially the Vita one, at very least the PS2 Generation ones are undisputedly good games and doesn't really age.

Armored Core Nexus

First time i wrote full blown opinion of this series which i should've done a long time already being a big fan of the series. I've had plan back then to play Armored Core Nexus ever since i finished Last Raven on my Vita (and i have beaten final pulverizer too) years ago, but my laptop at that time was too weak to run the game. As of now i have finished my first playthrough and i kinda see how Nexus attract many haters due to some flaws. As for me i find the game to be still decent but kinda lack of punch, the one that makes AC3, Silent Line and Last Raven more memorable. Also in this post i will share some of my opinion about what makes this series so appealing.

Now playing MS Saga

If you ask me which Gundam games is the most unique, i would say MS Saga. Out of all Gundam Games that Bandai have released on PS2, This game is really makes itself different compared to others both good and bad. MS Saga is a classic turn based RPG with Gundam Theme where you pilot MS from multiple Gundam series fighting against generic bad guys. I have played this Games few years ago which i was halfway through the game but somehow i left the game unfinished. Last week i started playing MS Saga again and i still find the story and character design are terrible as always. However the gameplay is still pretty good and one of the few Gundam games that you can mix and match MS parts creating your own style of MS. This game also offer pretty hardcore difficulty since the enemies are really strong and makes you have to grind at some point. Currently i just got Hyaku Shiki and probably will get the Zeta Gundam really soon. I already got Marasai and this is what i can get closest to my Karaba version of Marasai.

So anyone have played this game before?

SRW Original Generations Gaiden Review

Onore Dark Brain!!!!!!!!!