Yshas been enjoying a surge in popularity with western audiences lately. The more recent games, starting withYs VIII: Lacrimosa of Dana,have been hitting larger audiences and have been favorably reviewed by critics. Some of the earlier entries have been completely remade to have a greater appeal to modern audiences, such asYs: Memories of Celceta.Ys III: Wanderers From Yswas also such a game. Originally released on 16-bit platforms as a side scroller, it deviated from the overhead perspective of the original twoYsentries. It was remade in an isometric style with expanded story content asYs: The Oath in Felghanafor PC and PSP. Given the renewed interest in the franchise, the opportunity to revisit Felghana has come to modern platforms with another remaster titledYs Memoire: The Oath in Felghana.
Review: Ys X: Nordics
Ys X: Nordics chronicles Adol’s latest adventure as he embarks across the sea.
Wanderers From Ys
Ys Memoire: The Oath in Felghanatakes places three years after Adol left his hometown to see the world as an adventure. His swordsmanship skills surpass his young age of nineteen, which has helped keep him and his traveling companion Dogi safe during their travels. Their current destination is Redmont, Dogi’s hometown. But upon their arrival at Redmont, a run in with Dogi’s childhood friend Elena suggests that things have gone downhill during the eight years Dogi has been gone. Lord McGuire has closed the Trigary Mine, the town’s main source of income. Elena’s brother Chester, who was also Dogi’s childhood friend, hasn’t been seen in about six months. What should have been a peaceful homecoming for Dogi has turned into the discovery of a diabolical plot, which Adol needs to swiftly address, something fans ofYsknow is a common theme for these two.
Ys Memoire: The Oath in Felghanais an isometric action RPG, which is a drastic change from the 2D platforming that was in the originalYs III: Wanderers From Ys.The player controls the red-haired Adol Christin, who relies on his sword and magic abilities that are acquired through bracelets to put a stop to the monsters Adol encounters on his journey. Players who were introduced toYsthrough the later games may be surprised at some of the gameplay elements. The play style is similar toYs Origins,and Adol will be entering into battle solo, which in later entries the player can switch between him and his companions. There’s also no real dodge or parry option either, as those elements were also introduced in later games.
What’s New Old Friend?
Ys Memoire: The Oath in Felghanais a remaster of the 2005 remake, which already added a great deal of new content to the story. There are several difficulty levels, catering to all skill levels, ranging from those who want almost no risk of deafeat to those seeking the greatest challenge. Adol is known to be a silent protagonist, but he’s given a voice in this updated version. The story of his adventures is given a greater introduction in the opening narration, which helps newcomers get acquainted with Adol’s adventuring spirit.
Aside from the higher resolution,Ys Memoire: The Oath in Felghanalooks like a faithful port. One graphical area that was updated was the portraits for character illustrations. The new portraits are in the Refined style, which provides a new look for everyone, but those who prefer the past illustrations can switch to Classic. There are three settings for the soundtrack. PC-8801 and X68000 are the original music tracks taken from different versions of the 16-bitWanderers From Ys, which is a good option for those who want a nostalgia fix. Original is a modern rerecording of those tracks, which is a nice orchestral mix that includes overdriven guitars, much like the music that’s heard in modernYsgames.
Our Time In Redmont
Having spent a few hours in Felghana, we can say we’ve enjoyed Redmont’s hospitality thus far. Redmont serves as the central hub of operations, where Adol can purchase and upgrade equipment. This is where most of the story advancement happens, as Adol will be given the location of his next objective by talking to the various townsfolk. Some of them will give him the necessary item to enter the next area, while others may be a source of useful items or gold through taking on a side quest, so in the spirit of classic RPGs, it’s advisable to talk to everyone.
It does play like a 20 year old game (because it is) but the first few hours in Felghana have been a reminder that games don’t have to be modern to be fun.
The adventure begins in Trigray Quarry, where an accident has left the mayor trapped. It’s up to Adol to go through the mine, slaying the monsters and rescuing the mayor. It’s through this that the greater plot of Lord McGuire is revealed, and before long Adol finds himself fighting for his life in abandoned ruins and traveling to snow-covered mountains. There’s a fair amount of story development, but compared to many modern RPGs the pacing is rather fast, and Adol gets himself in a great deal of trouble in a variety of environments rather quickly. It does play like a twenty-year-old game (because it is), but the first few hours in Felghana have been a reminder that games don’t have to be modern to be fun.
The brief time we spent getting acquainted withYs Memoire: The Oath in Felghanahas been enjoyable. The classic game has received a few cosmetic and quality-of-life upgrades, but it still remains the frenetic action RPG we remember from the PSP and later on PC.Ys Memoire: The Oath in Felghanais scheduled to launch early next year on January 7, and will be available on PC, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5 and Switch. Stay tuned for our full review closer to the release date.
