Ys VI: The Ark of Napishtim PS2 Playthrough, Part 1 (Konami Cutscenes / JP Voices)
1This isn't quite technically a first playthrough, but might as well be, as it's been 10 years since I played the PC version, and I've intentionally chosen to play the PS2 version, which includes content I've never seen.
The PS2 version, handled by Konami, is actually the first opportunity that anyone outside Japan had to experience Ys VI, as it did not release worldwide on PC until XSEED's localization a decade later. Unlike XSEED's localization, Konami's included full voice acting in both Japanese and English - although these can't be selected in the options, as a reasonable person might expect; non-English voices or text need to be opted into via the cheat room, also exclusive to this version.
I will say that I found plenty of instances where I suspect Konami's translation to be a little wonky; I took notes throughout my playthrough, with the intention of replaying XSEED's PC localization afterwards to compare.
Konami's release also includes CG FMV cutscenes, as opposed to Falcom's anime cutscenes (and again, both can be selected from the cheat room). This immediately got my attention, as Konami's opening cutscene actually provides a lot of context that makes an event halfway through the game make a heck of a lot more sense (though I have to wonder if Falcom intended for that to be more of a surprise, as it was in their version).
Unfortunately, the trade-off here is that if you opt for Konami's cutscenes, you lose out on the Falcom OP, which might be the greatest of all time in the series, especially considering it was the first Ys game to ever release on a system where it could realistically have one. The other unfortunate trade-off is that Konami's CG cutscenes involve some of the most awkward Ys character renderings I've ever seen, especially for Olha, Isha, and Adol himself.
Ys VI for PS2 also included an optional feature called Alma's Trials, which amounts to several gauntlets/arenas that the player can undertake at certain points of the game, which effectively amount to fighting familiar enemies (and midbosses) with the option of receiving gold, emel, experience, or nothing in return. I was immediately curious whether choosing nothing would amount to anything; initially, it seems not to, but it did seem interesting that we see different responses each time...