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Ys SEVEN similar games & best alternatives

Ys SEVEN

PC (Microsoft Windows), PlayStation Portable • 2017

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Quick resume

Experience the first “modern-era” Ys game, now off the small screen for its worldwide PC debut! Features a full party system, dozens of unique combat skills, and a massive overworld to explore. Uncover the secret of the Five Great Dragons, and help Adol Christin save the day once again!

Global score

92/100

Genres

Action, Role-playing (RPG), Adventure

Similar games

    Pros

    • Fast and fluid combat
    • Engaging boss fights
    • Great soundtrack
    • Deep character and skill customization
    • Long playtime with exploration

    Cons

    • Dated graphics from psp origin
    • Some ui and control quirks
    • Party ai can be unhelpful
    • Skill leveling and crafting can be grindy
    • Story pacing slow in first half

    Analysis

    A very typical example of its motivational profile. Motivations that often define this kind of title include Fellowship, Cooperation, Leadership, Violence. Here, the score leans higher than usual among comparable games on Cooperation, Leadership. It leans lower than usual among comparable games on Creativity.

    How to use the graph
    Similar games map

    Each dot is a game. They are arranged from the same motivation profile as in the “Motivations” section below. Closer dots usually mean more similar reasons to play (exploration, competition, relaxation, etc.)—not that one game is “better” than another.

    • Larger dot with a light outline: the game you are viewing.
    • Colour: groups of games with comparable motivation patterns (statistical clusters).
    • Hover a dot to see the game name; click to open its page.
    • Scroll or double-click the chart to zoom out and see more games.

    Why don’t the axes read like a score? This view uses t-SNE: it only keeps who is close to whom. The scales are not “good to bad” or hours played—they separate groups on the map. Read distance between dots, not the axis numbers.

    Motivations

    • Autonomy
      4

      "Players can freely switch between multiple characters and choose skills and equipment, with some crafting and exploration freedom."

    • Competence
      4

      "Challenging boss fights requiring skillful dodging and guarding; skill leveling and equipment crafting add complexity."

    • Competition
      -3

      "Focus is on personal progression and story; no evidence of PvP or ranked modes."

    • Continuation
      3

      "Players report long playtimes, engaging story and gameplay encourage extended sessions."

    • Cooperation
      -2

      "Party members are AI controlled; player controls one character at a time with limited interaction with others."

    • Creativity
      2

      "Players can customize skills and equipment, and craft items, but within predefined systems."

    • Domination
      -4

      "No evidence of exerting control or superiority over others; gameplay is single-player focused."

    • Escapism
      4

      "Players use the game for immersive fantasy adventure and stress relief."

    • Expectation
      -4

      "Players engage voluntarily out of interest and enjoyment, not obligation."

    • Experimenting
      3

      "Players try different characters, skills, and strategies; some grinding and exploration involved."

    • Exploration
      3

      "Game features large maps with dungeons and secrets to discover."

    • Expression
      2

      "Character customization through equipment and skill choices allows some self-expression."

    • Fantasy
      5

      "Strong fantasy setting with dragons, magic, and heroic adventure."

    • Fellowship
      -3

      "Minimal social interaction; mostly single-player experience with AI companions."

    • Growth
      4

      "Skill leveling, equipment upgrading, and story progression provide learning and development."

    • Health
      -5

      "No physical activity involved; typical sedentary gaming experience."

    • Idle
      -4

      "Requires continuous attention and active engagement during combat and exploration."

    • Intimacy
      -4

      "Limited social or emotional connections beyond story characters; no multiplayer intimacy."

    • Leadership
      -3

      "Player controls one character; AI controls others; no leadership over other players."

    • Progression
      4

      "Strong emphasis on leveling up characters, acquiring skills, and crafting better equipment."

    • Relaxation
      2

      "Some players find the gameplay flow relaxing, though boss fights add tension."

    • Sensation
      3

      "Enjoyable music and fast-paced combat provide sensory stimulation and excitement."

    • Status
      -4

      "No social status or recognition systems evident; focus is on individual play."

    • Story
      3

      "Engaging narrative with character interactions and plot twists, though somewhat typical JRPG."

    • Strategy
      3

      "Combat requires timing, pattern recognition, and party composition strategy."

    • Thrill
      3

      "Boss fights and combat provide suspense and excitement."

    • Value
      4

      "Players report good value for time with long playtime and engaging content."

    • Violence
      3

      "Combat involves fighting monsters with weapons and magic; typical fantasy violence."

    • Survival
      2

      "Players must avoid damage and manage resources to survive challenging encounters."

    Where to buy

    Come talk about it on Discord!

    Last update: 29/04/2026