Yeah, I played with a controller. I wrote a review on Steam, but here’s basically the gist:
The new PC version’s main new gameplay features, intended to “modernize” Ys6, are:
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The Wing of Alma, which used to just let you escape dungeons, now lets you warp to any save point. Problem is, it’s missable; I went searching on the internet for why I couldn’t warp by the time I reached the final dungeon, and it was because I missed that item. If this is such a core gameplay change that they’re touting it as a big selling point, then why can you miss it? The localization team can clearly alter item locations, cos they did this extensively with their second feature…
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“Catastrophe Mode”, which is meant to model the gameplay style of Oath in Felghana and Origins. Accessories and equipment are in the same treasure chests as they used to be in, but all healing items are replaced with an item that just heals your status. You can’t stock healing items anymore, and they drop periodically off of enemies, which heal you immediately when you touch them. It’s basically a “you don’t have healing items” mode, which not only doesn’t make any of the gameplay more difficult (except the penultimate boss, which admittedly becomes much, much harder), but you can “DIY” catastrophe mode in any version of Ys6 by just not using healing items.
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Support for many different screen resolutions, including widescreen. …I’m biased; I have a CRT monitor by choice, so I don’t especially care about this feature.
I prefer the 3D models, the new cutscenes, and even the goofy voice acting of the PS2 to both of those changes. I guess there’s a new translation, if you’re really interested in the riveting story of Ys (especially Ys6, whose plot twist was “there wasn’t even a plot to begin with”), but it’s very similar to the PS2 version, so I can’t really say that that’s a huge boon to the PC version, either. If you really want it on PC, it’s not like terrible or anything; I just don’t see much reason to pick it up if you can play the PS2 version. (I don’t own the PS2 version, unfortunately…)

