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That's actually a pretty impressive number! Good on them!

How very tantalizing!

Thank you, this is very interesting to know! My knowledge of the mobile game is, as mentioned, very base level, so mechanical details are very welcome. To someone with not much any gacha game experience, 600 rolls a year sounds quite generous. Do you have any experience on how well those last the year? I assume it still can't get all content released in a year, but for someone not interested in collecting every single piece of content, can one get a decent amount of unique characters/collectibles?

@@yourpalminsk3997 Ok, so, the draw roulette occurs in December and March (the game's anniversary). Which so happens when most of the powerful characters and summons released time frame Also, you misunderstood. Its 600 draws from playing/grinding + ~1000 draws from both roulette While seasonal characters (yukata, summer, christmas, valentine's day, halloween) are also pretty strong, youre not missing much. I would say these are niche / situational characters Once you got like 3 or 4 meta characters from the free draws, they can pretty much carry you in the early game, even when youre fighting non-advantage element boss (the mobile game heavily discourage you from fighting bosses with incorrect element, unlike Relink) After you exit the early game mode, if you managed to get 10 or so meta characters in every elements, they can last you for around 5 years due to their one-man-army playstyle If you really want a character, you have two options: 1- Wait until Cygames release a 'surprise ticket', which allows you to buy a characeter, except for seasonal characters and really recent ones - Cygames also release a special surprise ticket during the said two month. These allow you to get a seasonal character 2- Trade the item you get from getting duplicate characters for 'Sierokarte Special Ticket'. This one allows you to get any character in the current banner, this includes seasonal characters The only thing youre going to miss is the collab characters. Collab characters are useful for people just started playing for the collab, so theyre not going to shoot you in the foot. Collab characters are quickly replaced by fairly powerful characters _PS. sorry for not answering story related questions. Its hard to answer those without going into deep spoiler territory_ _10 years worth of worldbuilding do be like that_

Excellent, good to know. It sounds like for someone looking to open multiple characters for getting story content, the free draw system is very accomodating, so that's pleasant to hear. It does sound like the gameplay loop itself is quite demanding and the systems mastery requirement is fairly high, so I might have to personally put off on the mobile game and enjoy dipping into the world via Relink for now, though. Still, very interesting to hear that the game features such systems in it!

@@yourpalminsk3997 To be honest with you, you can totally just play the game for the story. The game never lock important lore behind bullshit wall or you dont need proper gear. Story battles nowadays are puzzle you have to solve, so at the very least, understanding how character works is somewhat mandatory While there are no concrete player base numbers, but based on some global player effort events, there are at least over 1 million active players So, there are most likely 3x times the seasonal players (people who only play for the story / login during certain time of the year)

Thank you very much! I know that doing character voices is a divisive choice for a playthrough, so I'm happy to hear that there's also an audience for it. There isn't a whole lot left for Chained Echoes, but I hope the finale remains enjoyable!

Thank you very much!

To add a few things after having seen the review: the artwork really works if you know the story of Alister Vale, the desolate landscape showing just how fucked up the world is. Do their other albums sound like this: Yes and no, some elements carried over but some are unique to the concept of the album as is usual for them. Final Days for example is more sci-fi and thus has more electronic elements, To The End is more folky and contains their standard concert closer: The Things We Believe In. Vale and Easton Hope are more proggy with also mote folk elements, fun facts about this album I can give. Anthem To The Dark Side was originally a song on a 1998 demo album with the same name, it was revamped given some different lyrics to fit the song and boom the old song is reborn. Similarily The Long Darkness was a song originally written for Gunmen but they already had an epic closing track (Finis Coronat Opus, masterpiece of a song) so it was given new lyrics, rerecorded some parts and on The Order Of Fear it goes.

@@alexdoorn234 Very interesting to hear, thank you for the excellent insight! This helps give a fuller picture of the music, as I was listening to the band for the first time and could only give the first impression angle. (Also, I could have looked at more of their past discography to make the gas mask connection, as I did it later in the same video for Sear Bliss' discography - that oversight's on me, my bad). It sounds like the raven motif means that Orden Ogan has plenty of options for album covers with birds, so I'll keep an eye on the band in case I could feature it again on a future episode!

Sorry, I'm afraid the playthrough's already fully recorded, so I don't have a chance to do so! Can you please remind me what the F6 key does in this game?

@yourpalminsk3997 quik save

@@justinassobieskis Ah, right, that makes sense! To be honest, I quite liked challenging myself to just play with the game's autosave checkpoints, since I was fairly confident that I could handle this game. I definitely admit that there was a couple of tricky spots that I did rely on it, though. Here in the Strider fight, I'm not 100% sure if it would have helped, since saving mid-fight might have put me in a really disadvantaged position.

Interesting info, thanks! I know the stop-motion show that you refer to but it didn't air on our TV when I was a kid so I've only seen it in passing. Interesting to know that Snufkin's been portrayed with other instruments in the past as well. Thank you for the comments on the voice! The Finnish voice of Snufkin in the 90s is an incredibly iconic character voice to me, so I did the best I could in imitating it in English.

Bug bait for bug bites!

Thank you very much! This one really is a great game for anyone into 90's era RPGs.

This is definitely a great setpiece in the game. Looking back on it, I love the choice to have it just be an atmospheric climb with next to no action on the first crossing, so it builds up to the return trip which is a crazy shootout with the Overwatch and the gunship.

A reasonable question to ask! The quick answer, of course, is "Because this is way more tubular!" However, I do believe that in-game, the train doesn't spawn until you've driven well along the bridge (and the other parked train on the left is blocking you from dodging). I'm not actually sure if, once the train spawns in and honks, you can reverse and get out of the way in time - this is certainly something that someone could test. But I'm fairly certain that you can't sit at the start of the bridge and wait the train out.

I remember it being a good scare when the train horn goes off but I didn't remember it being seriously this close! It's really wacky!

No, Finnish, actually! My internet handle being the same as Belarus' capital is mainly just coincidence.

Thank you!

Kiitos, on tosiaan hyvä peli. Maybe not amazing enough to pay full price, though, unless you REALLY like historical Japan stuff. Although I bet the gameplay is even more smooth on PS5 than my playing, cause I keep insisting on playing this controller-optimized game on mouse & keyboard!

I'm certainly having a great time replaying it twenty years later!

You know, there are even coop mods available that you can coop replay it now. Makes a lot of fun ;)

Better than moist!

Hah, well, I don't have any social media and I've never really done any promotion of the channel anywhere, so subscribers just sort of wander here out of TH-cam's recommendations. Plus I don't know how popular the format or my presentation style are in general. I do appreciate whoever does enjoy the episodes, of course!

That checks out, I unfortunately have not studied the art of screaming properly!

This is a good question that's dependent on how much fondness a player has for SNES-era RPGs, because this is a massive pastiche of those classics. It also requires a player to like really fiddly versions of those games, because your characters don't level up linearly and you have to put time into choosing and organizing abilities. But I'm in the target audience for those and I think this is a top-tier nostalgia RPG in the current age. If you've had this game described as a spiritual successor to Chrono Trigger, I find that description to be overblown. Gameplay-wise, there's no dual techs or AoE attacks dependent on enemy positions, and thematically there's nothing about time travel. The closest thing it has is the 16-bit pixel art as well as enemies being visible on the field before an encounter, but otherwise it just feels like it takes from a plethora of RPGs from CT's time.

@@yourpalminsk3997 Thanks a lot. Ill definitely watch your walkthrough but I dont think ill buy it then

You're welcome! I'm very happy you've enjoyed the voices!

Ah, I'm sorry to hear that you had the same trouble, but it's good to know that that part was tricky for others, too!

Ah, that's unfortunate to hear! I don't know if I just got lucky (there's a couple of close calls and awkward angles) or if the mechanic just clicked for me, but I did indeed have a much better time than you did. For me, this was comparable to Fallcrush as a chill interlude level between some more demanding sections.

Thank you very much! I was simply trying an approximation of what the 90s Finnish dub voice of Snufkin might be like in English. Charles Dance would be an inspired voice for Snufkin, though!

That makes a ton of sense, when you put it that way. Since you're constantly descending deeper into the lake, it only makes sense that the meter keeps increasing. In hindsight, the second dive later in the game doesn't have an oxygen limit either so I suppose it makes sense not to have one here either - I did appreciate the added tension at the time when I didn't know that, though!

That is an interesting observation! They are delightfully animalistic, when put that way!

Ah, that's unfortunate that I missed that, then! I seem to recall that I did try to check on him a couple of times after the witches left Deadwell, but I must have timed it wrong.

@@yourpalminsk3997 Great playthrough! Loved your commentary and impressions at the end.

Thank you for watching! I'm happy to hear that it was an enjoyable series!

Excellent intel, thank you! I'm actually happy to report now after this playthrough wrapped up that I've arranged a week's trip to Vienna later this autumn, so I will be getting some Alps vibes after all! Alas, my broader hope of driving around the mountains will have to wait for another day, as there simply isn't time on this trip. Still, I hope to make a daytrip to somewhere in the foothills to at least get a first feel for the region. I've read that the hill of Leopoldsberg on the Viennan outskirts is considered sorta kinda the northeastern terminus of the Alps, so I will be sure to make time to walk up it so I can at least say I've been to the Alps once!

I looked up an interview with Welmu and can confirm that he has a very classic accent. It was an interview with him and one other guy; I skipped ahead in the video and could immediately tell which of the interviewees was the Finnish guy.

Hello! I hope you're enjoying the series as we plunge towards the finale!

@@yourpalminsk3997 I'm surprised this channel only has around 100 subs! The quality is pretty good at this standard

Thank you very much! Well, the production quality on this channel is at rock bottom, and I really don't do any self-promotion, so that all means that channel growth is rather small. Northern Journey hasn't gotten a lot of views, but it's gotten very consistent likes per episode, so ultimately I'm glad that the series is entertaining someone even if it's not a big hit!

Ah, whoops, well spotted! That's a numbering error, I will fix it in a jiff!

Oh dear, it's been years since I recorded this so I'm afraid I can't quite recall what I did at this part. I found a GameFAQs thread by a user named Zechs01 who seemed to be in a similar predicament to you. They received the advice: "If you're uncertain as to what you need to do first, remember that you need to go to the Lezareno company in Altamira, and you need to go to Heimdall (which first requires you to meet with the king in Meltokio)." I believe you're supposed to get a Zircon Ore from Lezareno before you can access Seles at the abbey. Please check if you've done those steps - I hope this helps!

@@yourpalminsk3997 thanks a Lot, it worked!! I completely forgot the Zircon quest in Lazarenos

Unfortunately, I got close to the needed amount of flasks, but couldn't quite reach 40 flasks! And I have to admit, had I known about the secret prize beforehand, I don't think I'd have had the patience once the map was open to find the final flasks, so sadly this one fell out of my grasp.

Interesting observation, I hadn't considered that!

Interesting, this seems like a fairly balanced roster! Raideen, Daimos and Turn A have been neglected for a while now, and Demonbane could definitely have another go in SRW. And J-Decker has been very pleasant based on the two missions I've played in SRW 30, so I would be happy to see it show up again. The final Rebuild of Evangelion is definitely a shoe-in for a new SRW. They've already tried to adapt 3.0 but it leaves itself so massively open and needs the final part that they don't do anything with the story in SRW. Gridman seems to be working super well here in SRW 30 so later parts in the series being in future SRW also makes a lot of sense (though I confess I haven't watched the later series, but I'm sure they would be fine in Super Robot Wars). I realize that this list is your wishlist and not meant to be an actual prediction. That said, it seems almost a given that Witch from Mercury has to be in the next SRW installment. It's been the biggest blow-up for Gundam in ages, and so many people are clamoring for it and its inclusion in SRW that the developers have to be aware of it. Similarly, speculating on a likely actual roster, I too would love for Macross Delta to be represented, but I just don't see it possible with the existing Macross/Robotech licensing issues. Now that SRW is doing so well internationally (with a Steam version legally purchasable in Europe!), I can't see them risking that issue before the rights are resolved. I would be extremely happy to be proven wrong on this matter, however! Assuming that Macross Delta is a no-go, I think this roster could use one more series that's a more modern real robot series and isn't Gundam. I don't think Eighty-Six has been in SRW yet? But I think the plot of Eighty-Six would work so well with Code Geass that in that case I would also vote for something to be replaced by Code Geass in the roster.

I'm afraid I'm not sure - the context seems to imply "a bit crazy." It just sounded like a delightfully old-timey phrase when I heard it in the game, good enough for the episode title!

Thank you, I'm happy to hear that this was an enjoyable playthrough! Thanks for putting in the time to watch and for your insight! Unfortunately you are correct in that if I play the next Trails in the Sky installment and avoid any other Falcom games in the interim, it could well be a year or two before I get around to another Ys. I'll have to do some contemplating on the matter when the time comes, I suppose, so we'll see how it goes! I didn't think to comment on Phantom Gruda's relative ease as a final boss during the recording, but you're very correct that he was a pretty simple encounter. But I would concur that it's a common trope in video games that I think works pretty well, where the final-final battle is a bit of an easy wrap-up to sort of provide closure after a more climactic battle earlier. I think it ties a little bit to my comparison to e.g. Metal Gear Solid, where after the big giant robot fight there's a one-on-one fist fight that's less extravagant but feels way more personal (although a lot of those MGS duels can actually be properly challenging). Is it appropriate for a more arcadey action game like Ys? I can't say for sure, but as someone invested in the story threads, I'm fine with it! I think what stings most about the lack of closure for all the characters at the end is, of course, that this is likely the last time we see a lot of these characters. It hurts in any story if the experiencer is invested in the cast to then have to say goodbye at the end of it, so Celceta is no different (I've heard Persona players describe the ends of the games as feeling like saying goodbye to real schoolmates at the end of your school life). Maybe the fact that you keep playing as the same character in Ys means it chews at you a little bit more to not know what's going on with past characters? I feel this needs to instead be thought of as an opportunity to meet fun new characters in the next installment. I'm sure I'll be happy with the next game's cast to the point that I won't be looking back on this or the other Ys' casts at the moment, even if I'll later think of them all fondly. I do think I'm sticking to Ys VIII this time for realsies as my next Ys game after my last-minute switcharoo here with Celceta (if for no other reason, the song Sunshine Coastline is a certified banger). Terribly sorry for you and everyone else championing Ys Origin - I don't mean it as a slight against Origin, I'm sure its reputation is well earned too! I dunno though, what I might do actually as a lead-up is maybe play I & II real quick, maybe while still playing Trails in the Sky, since they're both rather quick affairs and I could finally note them down as experienced as well. We'll have to see - thankfully, none of my claims of future plans are legally binding, so I can be pretty soluble and only my credibility as a committed person suffers!

@@yourpalminsk3997 Of course!! I'm actually getting into Trails myself, so I will be happy to swing by your Trails let's plays once I'm far enough into the franchise too :) No need to feel pressured to get to another Ys very soon or anything, of course! I guess Ys is best known for its gameplay than its narrative (though I love both), so maybe that's why a few people found Phantom Gruda's difficulty strange? But I definitely agree with you, I think it works. I've seen someone compare it to a similar fight in DMC before as well, though I haven't played the series myself. But yeah, it was definitely a narrative thing, especially with the little sequence before it where everyone's jumping in and splitting off from Adol to help out. Going out with a bang, so to speak. I agree with you about the ending, it obviously sucks to not really know what those characters are doing--though I think it's easy to make guesses for a lot of them based on the conclusions of their arcs, which was another reason it didn't bother me that much. But yeah, Adol's adventures are about moving on and seeing new places and meeting new people! You'll be meeting a new, fun party of characters in Ys VIII, so I hope you are indeed excited about that! And on that topic, no worries lol, I was mostly just plugging Origin for after you've finished VIII anyway, not before. (And believe me when I say VIII has sooo many more bangers outside of Sunshine Coastline.) Playing I&II on the side before that doesn't sound like a bad idea honestly, they're both very short games, around 8 hours each. Super simple affairs. Whatever you do and whenever it is, I look forward to it!

Ys IV: Mask of the Sun stuff under the cut... . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . So, in both original versions of Ys IV, there's always some element of Gruda not truly being loyal to Eldeel/planning to betray him or something similar to that. (The villains are also a little more intertwined in these versions, though it's still the same idea: Gruda's trio allying up with Eldeel.) In Mask of the Sun, Gruda reveals his true motives to Adol, and then Adol's like, "what's wrong with you" and beats the shit out of him in a boss fight. And that's kind of it. It's right before the final boss, so once you beat Gruda, you just move on to the final boss, which is... still Eldeel. I have mixed feelings about this because Gruda's reveal was pretty fun in that moment but basically amounted to nothing in the sense that he doesn't... *do* anything more. *But,* I do think this game made the *order* of Gruda-first-then-Eldeel work, and this order is still better than if they'd done it the other way around. Eldeel's character is simultaneously more evil yet also more tragic in this version of the game, so having him as the final boss as a more emotional final confrontation just... makes sense. Gruda's reveal also adds to the stakes of this fight because you learn that Eldeel was being used by his allies this whole time, and now it's led him to do these evil things and you have to stop him before it's too late, do you know what I mean? So it does work, if the narrative is slightly different. I think it could've even worked in Memories of Celceta if they added more emotional stakes with Eldeel and more focus on Leeza, but yeah. The game is a lot more interesting with the added layer of Gruda's betrayal, which also works best by actually changing the order of the bosses.

I'm unlikely to ever get a chance to play the previous versions of Ys IV, so perfectly happy to have the extra viewpoint in the separate comment, cheers!

Truth be told, I forgot about this conversation pretty quickly since it turned out not to have anything to do with this installment. It being a reference to the another Ys game does explain a lot, though!

Interesting stuff, thank you for these notes! Those moments between Guren and Gruda are definitely something you only really pay attention to on a second playthrough. The foreshadowing of Remnos' true intentions in the flashback with Leo is more obvious, but I think I overlooked it because I thought the scene was meant to foreshadow Leo as more competent than he appeared, so the Remnos side of it flew right over me!

@@yourpalminsk3997 Oh, yeah, for sure. I already knew about the Duren/Gruda connection because I'd played one of the old versions of Ys IV, so I was on the lookout for that stuff lol. That's totally fair about Remnos though, Leo was showing a new kind of competence that you hadn't really been shown before. I guess the scene was meant to show a little bit about both of them! :)

Hah, yes, this is definitely one of my bigger egg-on-my-face moments. I suppose I really should have waited until the very end to launch out such comments, but ah well, it's funnier this way. To the game's credit, the volcano area later on is just an actual volcano and not a wacky giant field of lava and brimstone, so that's pretty good! The snowy area's a little harder to sell, even if we buy that Mt. Vesuvio's elevation is high enough to have snow year round, but it's not anything particularly offensive.

Thanks, I'm glad to hear that!