Rating: 4.6/5
If you've not heard about Ys (pronounced "ees"), this is a great place to start. This is the beginning to Nihon Falcom's flagship series, and argueably the best version of it. The Ys games are set in a fantasy realm and are classified as action rpg's. Book I and II use the classic "bump" system for combat, in that there are no attack buttons, so if you attack an enemy dead center you'll recieve damage, but if you attack slightly off center you'll take them down. Once you get used to this style you'll be able to mow through enemies at great speed. Besides a refreshing combat experience, this game sports an amazing soundtrack composed by Yuzo Koshiro and arranged by Ryo Yonemitsu. It's comprised mainly of synth-rock with some incredible guitar samples. Though the first "Book" is rather short, perhaps less than 7 hours, the second more than makes up for it in content and in length. Both are great games in their own right, but together they form a unique and satisfying style of gameplay.
You also need an emulator to run this game. To grab one quickly, please check out our PCECD emulators section.