GDwarf wrote:However, Ys VII and Celceta aren't available on PC, so unless the LRR crew possesses a method to stream PSP or PS Vita games they'll have to stick with the others.
Since the order of games is a bit confusing (most of the titles have been remade multiple times, and the remakes sometimes drop the sequence number) the release order (with remakes being placed where the original game would be) is as follows:
Ys I
Ys II
Ys: The Oath in Felghana
Ys: Memories of Celceta*
Ys: Kefin, The Lost City of Sand**
Ys: The Ark of Napishtim**
Ys Origin
Ys Seven
*Apparently there are multiple games that were originally called Ys IV, but this is now the canonical one.
**Not released in English, so far as I'm aware.
The in-game chronological order is, I believe, identical to the above, so long as you move Ys Origin to the first slot, as it's a prequel. That said, it's full of references to Ys I and II, so it doesn't really make sense to play it first. Confused yet?
That said, the games are pretty plot-light, so the above list doesn't really matter.
TL;DR: Ys games are fun Zelda-like action-adventure RPGs that don't get anywhere near the attention they deserve, and four of them (I, II, Origin, and Oath in Felghana) are available on Steam for not very much.
Ys: The Ark of Napishtim was released in English on PS2 and PSP but I think the PS2 version is rare and therefore expensive so it might be the same problem as IV and VII. I've also heard that VI isn't as good though, especially on the PSP, which is unfortunate as I like the lore behind the Ark.
Also if you're just getting into the series it does make some sense to play Origin first as it is possibly the strongest entry in the series; as a recent entry it's very well polished. As far as story goes, yes it makes sense to play at least some of the others first, but Origin is the only one that you don't play as Adol so I think it's weird to sandwich it in-between the others. Ultimately, if you, or anyone, is only planning to play one of them, I'd recommend Origin, if more than one are planned then at least I & II first.
For streaming though, realistically, Chronicles (I & II) and Origin are great. The others are also good but playing all of them (or all but IV, VI, and VII) on stream would be a bit much, though I and II are also much shorter.
And there's a considerable amount of lore in Ys, but it isn't all delivered without extra reading and it's spread across eight games so it can be hard to keep track of everything without referring to the wiki.