Also I have Tokyo Xanadu but haven't gone past the second chapter it's on my backlog on PS4. I know it's not Ys but the combat reminds me a lot of it. Is it any good?
I went into Ys VIII (roughly 30 hours into it right now) after completing Tokyo Xanadu Ex so here are my ramblings. Note that I picked Hard mode in both cases.
Overall, I like the gameplay in Tokyo Xanadu better. It is a bit slower but feels more deliberate (and closer to golden age Ys than the modern Ys games), while Ys 8 can feel chaotic at times. This is in part due to not having as many mobs ganging up on you, but also thanks to the control scheme which has less overlapping commands:
-In TX, while your 'element' (equivalent to slash/pierce/blunt) somewhat matters, it's more important that you master your attack types (normal/flying/projectiles) which are roughly all assigned to one specific button.
-In Ys VIII, you just switch characters and spam your attack buttons.
Also in Ys VIII, I often find myself switching characters, targeting enemies on/off, or using the super by accident. I guess the downside is that you don't get to customize your characters with skills in TX, but it's not really that much of a problem as the cast feel sufficiently diverse mechanically. Plus, the orbment system makes up for it.
Ys VIII also feels less lenient when it comes to perfect dodging attacks, but I guess that could be a point for it if you're into more difficult games.
On the characters, I feel indifferent about the main Ys VIII cast so far. They feel really troppy, and there isn't much I can say about them. There were some surprises with some NPCs, but overall, I don't feel like it's a strong point of the game. TX's main cast, while still full of tropes, was more likeable to me, but I suppose your mileage may vary depending on your tolerance for high school kids. Also they rely wayyy too much on the power of friendship and I know that by the end of it, I was begging the game to stop with this nonsense. A lot of the NPCs felt like recycled Cold Steel characters, but there were some good ones here as well.
I guess where Ys VIII excels is the exploration part (and you won't get much of that in TX outside of the dungeons, which are straightforward in most cases, but at least come with interesting puzzles). Haven't gotten bored with it so far, which is more than I can say of Celceta / Seven. However, I'll note that I dislike the portions where you need to run away from overpowered enemies. Feels a bit pointless in an action game.
tl;dr I personally liked Tokyo Xanadu better.
