>>3653679
>I am not sure if e.g. Weathervane Hill (since you brought up VIII) is better than some optional islands in X.
Yeah I can explain. If Weathervane Hill was an island in Ys X it would be quite lame, but since Ys 8's world is entirely connected, the weaker areas don't feel weak specifically because they are connected. It's kind of a placebo effect maybe, maybe not? Like for example if you're playing a level in Sonic Adventure and the whale chase part in Emerald Coast was the whole level, it would feel kind of short and lame, right? But since it's part of a larger level, the whale chase part alone doesn't have to carry the entire level since there's more before it and after it. When you design a world like Ys X you basically do what I described with the whale chase.
Individually, the fields in Ys 8 aren't that special, but altogether, they create a cohesive world that's fun to explore, and it also helps that you can see your destination sometimes way out in the distance, something that can't be achieved if each area is a small islet, it built a kind of narrative through its world design. A lot of people don't always realize just how good Ys 8's world design is.
And btw, Ys 8 has a great gameplay loop that rewards exploration with more exploration; finding a castaway by exploring will eventually open a new path for you to explore more. It was a very rewarding gameplay loop, and it helps that the game has metroidvania elements like you described, something that Ys 9 and X (kinda) did away with for no reason even though the abilities you get in those games are perfect for a metroidvania-like progression.

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WHAT A THRILL!!The English version of Ys X releases today.https://youtu.be/uIlf678b_e8There is also a demo available on Steam.

WHAT A THRILL!!
The English version of Ys X releases today.
https://youtu.be/uIlf678b_e8
There is also a demo available on Steam.