Ys vs. Trails in the Sky: Alternative Saga Reviews
It’s amazing that Nihon Falcom has released Ys vs. Trails in the Sky: Alternative Saga for their fans. But longtime Trails and Ys fans will find a lot of their favorite characters missing. Hopefully Nihon Falcom will make a proper Ys Seven modern console port soon.
Ys vs. Trails in the Sky: Alternative Saga is a fighter brought back from the era of the PlayStation Portable. A lot of the enhancements are great but it doesn't stop it from feeling like its still from a handheld from that era.
Ys vs. Trails in the Sky: Alternative Saga is a fun crossover game, but limited as a fighting game in 2025. Still, for fans of the franchises, the RPG systems the game brings are functional and the fan service is pretty nice.
Review in Portuguese | Read full review
Fun fighting game crossover between the Ys and Trails in the Sky series
A wild Nihon Falcom mash-up that brings the hype, the heart, and the classic soundtrack magic!
Ys vs. Trails in the Sky: Alternative Saga is a curious piece of Falcom's history that finally comes officially to the West. Though it has some quirks that may keep it from what people expect of a competitive fighting game, it's a consistently fun game that's worth exploring, especially for the fans of the Japanese developer.
Review in Portuguese | Read full review
To summarize: my experiences with Ys vs. Trails in the Sky: Alternative Saga were pretty positive all around. With the game offering it's crossover nature that can please both fans of the Trails franchise such as myself, and also the Ys fans as well; with a high dosage of fanservice and respect for Nihon Falcom's intellectual properties. If you're looking for a fighting game, however, I wouldn't recommend this game, as it's RPG mechanics make it a hard sell. Although, if you just want a really good action game, the game delivers just that!
Review in Portuguese | Read full review
Ys Vs Trails in the Sky: Alternative Saga isn’t going to be the next big competitive fighter at EVO. It’s a playful, nostalgic crossover that celebrates Falcom’s legacy with a wink and a grin. The combat takes some time to understand, and the story won’t win any awards, but there’s genuine fun to be had once it all clicks. Fans of either series will love the nods and references, while newcomers can enjoy a surprisingly deep action RPG brawler once you get into its rhythm. It’s scrappy, it’s strange, and it’s kind of wonderful that this odd little crossover even exists in 2025.
Add in some truly ugly upscaled backgrounds, an absolutely forgettable story, and pretty grindy gameplay loops to get anywhere with unlockables, and while you have a decent port job here, this is still one of Falcom’s weakest games at the end of the day.
Ys vs. Trails in the Sky: Alternative Saga is a crossover game that combines the fast-paced action of Ys with the narrative of Trails in a fighting game with an RPG soul. The remaster modernizes graphics, sound, and multiplayer, while respecting the foundation of the PlayStation Portable original. A recommended title for fans of Nihon Falcom and those looking for strategic combat in action-packed arenas.
Review in Spanish | Read full review
Ys vs. Trails in the Sky: Alternative Saga isn't a big-budget remake or a complicated fighting system for esports. It's a party. A time capsule from 2010 that fans who grew up with Adol's adventures and Estelle's journeys through Liberl will love.
Ys vs. Trails in the Sky: Alternative Saga is an interesting crossover JRPG attempt. It stays true to the roots of both series while adding new features and a story that flows together in a way that pleases both old and new fans. The pace is just right, the characters are memorable, and the two types of games make for a truly unique experience.
If a few years ago someone had told me that in 2025 we would be playing an official version of Ys vs. Trails in the Sky, with functional online play, available on multiple platforms and with a great PC port, I would have called that person crazy. It's a very strange game that represents an era of Nihon Falcom that we are unlikely to see again. The crossover between the company's two flagship series works better than it should, resulting in a very fun fighting game with great interactions.
Review in Portuguese | Read full review
The biggest barrier to recommending Ys vs. Trails in the Sky: Alternative Saga is not really a functional one. The game wasn’t made to be the most balanced experience and it has many of the issues that typically limit crossover titles in their ambition, but it’s still made with the goal of fun in mind, and it’s chock full of goodies. This is also far from a rush job of a port to modern systems, as refint/games did a lot to make the game play well and feel fitting among these franchises’ existing western releases, given the game featuring dual audio, maintaining a consistent English voice cast, and the work that went into its online features. Indeed, as someone who played the original PSP title many moons ago, this is more than I could have hoped for with a 2025 rerelease of this title. Some minor hiccups aside, it is a genuinely excellent remaster of a rather niche game. Rather, it’s the fact that this game conceptually feels made for a fairly small number of people. This one is for Falcom fans specifically, and there’s a lot of appeal to them here, even if it doesn’t break a ton of ground for either series. For anyone outside that space, it’s significantly harder to recommend this game. Which is a bit of a shame, because this game is genuinely quite fun for what it is. The implementation of 3D Ys mechanics into a fighting game works better than it perhaps should, given this is a company not known for making fighting games, and it has perhaps the best assembly of music of the company’s illustrious catalog. If you aren’t already a fan of Ys and Trails, this game can be a tougher sell, much as I recommend getting into those series already with all my heart. If you are a fan of Ys and Trails already, this is a worthy title to fit into your collection. It’s a neat little time capsule of Falcom’s history, and a fun experience on its own for what it is.
Ys vs. Trails in the Sky: Alternative Saga is a fun arena fighter that successfully blends the hectic boss fights the Ys series is known for with classic player-versus-player action. No two fights will ever be the same thanks to the game's vast customization options, and being able to play as fan-favorite characters is a real treat. The game will not be for everyone, but those who are fans of both series and are itching for something different to play should look no further. There is a learning curve to overcome, but once you climb that hill, you will be in for a great time.