I played the PS4 version via PS5 backwards compatibility, and it looks like it might be the worst version because it kept crashing on boss retries...and I played on the highest available difficulty "Hard" only to realize that there is an even higher difficulty "Nightmare" that I can't find in my version :( but no one on the internet talks about this so I don't know what's going on. Another problem I had is one boss glitching a minute into the fight. He just stood watching and let me beat his ass. Restarting didn't fix it.

Ys is like Resident Evil to me in that I wish both stuck to their "semi 3D" perspectives, or at least continued to make spinoffs with these styles.

What a game though:

https://youtu.be/o33465CE_Y0?si=CAEZTRWi_mteyL1S

The giant centipede fight just carved this music into my soul. So sick.

I had no issues with Origin on PS4 but I played it on PS4. Maybe it's a BC emulation issue. Does PS5 give a warning it might have issues? PS5 gives me that warning for some PS4 games.

I didn't get any warnings but yeah they probably are emulation issues. One time speech texts showed gibberish and random symbols and the game had visual breakups/artifacts.

Does your PS4 version have Nightmare difficulty? I doubt that has anything to do with emulation lol.

Ys games of that era have Nightmare, but I can't remember if it occurs after you beat the game or not.

I looked it up but someone said you have to beat the game with all 3 characters to unlock Nightmare (but this was on the Vita version).

I dont remember if Nightmare was unlocked or needed to be unlocked on the PC version (its been almost 15 years since I played the PC version lol).

The emulation issues could be the result of DOT EMU who are the ones who did the porting. The PC version was done by Falcom themselves.

I am also an isometric Ys truther. Their size and scope is perfect while the combat is the tightest its been.

That said, give some time for Ys 8 to grow. Maybe the transition is too sudden without playing 7 and Celceta. 7 introduced the party system and the current combat but the camera was semi-locked from a perspective and Celceta followed that style too. 

Most people consider 8 the best of the party-era Ys games but the budget does betray the scope much more than 7 or Celceta. 9 is kind of in between as they went with a less sprawling approach to map design.

Oh and I think the PS4 version of origin has the problems even when not playing on PS5. I had more than a couple of crashes on PS4 and while that doesn't sound like too much, messing up a boss try on Nightmare or a boss rush stays with you.

BTW, if you have it in you, do the other path on Origin as well. Or at least look up what can be unlocked. As far as I am concerned, it is worth it.

Got the plat for Dreams. Probably wouldn't have been possible so quickly without Tren tbqh. My kid loves this game and even started trying to make their own level (but its super haphazard lol).

I've said it before, and I'll say it again: but I really hope MM's new game is a full-on Tren sequel (with Train driving simulation and city management added to it) while still allowing ppl to have access to Dreams creation tools.

I'd be hyped for that.

Looks like Age of Empires will be the next to make the PS jump. Starting with 2.

Although this was reported by Tom Warren months ago, "As part of Project Latitude, Microsoft has also been considering launching Age of Empires II: Definitive Edition on rival consoles in early 2025, and its upcoming remastered spinoff, Age of Mythology: Retold, could come, too."

Not sure if anyone but @the-pi-guy might care though

Gradius V for PS2 came in the mail. Fucking hell this game is amazing! I know it had hype but sometimes you don't buy it until you um...buy it lol. Needs an HD port. Like Ikaruga it may not be pushing the hardware it's on but the type of game it is and art style this game is gorgeous even now.