Ys Origin
Bastion, except with an anime flair by a Japanese studio. The impossible to pronounce name (it’s “eese,” like geese or fleece), Ys Origin takes punishingly difficult, fast-paced, movement based hack-and-slash and dungeon crawling to the extreme. Tremendous and challenging bosses are coupled with a combat system that relies on precise slashes and movements will have you pulling your hair out and coming back for more.
And, of course, a fantastic story comes with the Ys series. The entire series is worth your time, and brings on the nostalgic feels by the bucketload. But Ys Origin is particularly exceptional for its fluidity and bullethell styled bosses. The climaxes near the end of the narrative are remarkable, and the surprisingly deep and moving story will have you experiencing all the feels by the end. Also, yes, for you masochists out there, there is a Nightmare Mode difficulty.
