It might not be as well known as some of the more recent games, butThe Oath in Felghanais one of the more highly-regarded entries among Ys fans.Ys: The Oath in Felghanawas originally released for PC in Japan in 2005, and was ported to America some years later onPlayStation Portableand PC. It’s a remake ofYs III: Wanderers From Ys, which turns the 2D side-scroller into a 3D isometric view and greatly changes the experience from the original.Ys Memoire: The Oath in Felghanais a remaster of the remake, bringing one of the lesser-known Ys games to modern platforms.
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 Felghanais one of Adol and Dogi’s earlier adventures, but games likeYs X: Nordicshave pushed it into the middle of the timeline. Set three years after Adol left his hometown to begin life as an adventurer, it takes place betweenYs IV: Memories of CelcetaandYs V: Kefin, The Lost Kingdom Of Sand, the latter of which never saw a western release or remake. Adol and his companion Dogi are returning to Dogi’s hometown of Redmont, a place Dogi has not seen for eight years, but things have taken a turn for the worse in Dogi’s absence.
His childhood friend, Elena, informs him that the Trigray Quarry, the basis of Redmont’s economy, has been closed by Lord McGuire. Elena’s brother Chester, who was also Dogi’s friend, has not been seen in six months either. What should have been a joyous homecoming has become anything but. But Adol and Dogi are not known for having an abundance of idle time. After spending a night in the inn, the two set off to investigate everything that has been transpiring in Redmont.
Ys Memoire: The Oath in Felghanagreatly expands on the original story inYs III: Wanderers From Ys. The core problems troubling Redmont remain the same, as does the progression through the different locations adjacent to Redmont. The basic story, however, has been fleshed out in much more detail, and there are numerous added and expanded cutscenes that help describe the events going with Chester, Lord McGuire and what exactly transpired on Genos Island.
Old School Ys
Unlike the more recent Ys games, this is an adventure where the player only controls Adol. There are no other companions on his journey, though Dogi may make appearances to provide NPC help every now and then. The gameplay is more akin to what we played inYs OriginandYs: The Ark of Napishtim. It’s an isometric view where Adol primarily fights with his sword and the few magic spells he acquires on the way. The platforming and combat feel less refined and polished compared to the new games, but it’s still a fun and fast-paced battle system. There’s enough variety in standard enemies to keep things interesting, while the varied bosses require specific strategic approaches to come out victorious.
Weapons and armor can either be found or purchased, and one of each type is available, so if it can be bought, that’s the only way to obtain it. Weapons and armor can be upgraded by collecting materials and gold, though the value of doing so doesn’t necessarily seem worth it at face value. Upgrading gear can be costly and provides a rather low stat bump, but can be a valuable investment if one is planning on using the New Game Plus feature for multiple playthroughs.
Review: Ys IX: Monstrum Nox
Ys IX: Monstrum Nox is a must play for Ys fans and worthwhile for action RPG fans in general.
Ys Memoire: The Oath in Felghanahas many difficulty levels. Whenever the player beats the game, they’ll be given a certain number of points based on the difficulty level. These points can be spent when starting a fresh playthrough in New Game Plus. They can be used on perks such as keeping weapon upgrades and increasing the limit, keeping accumulated gold or keeping experience levels to name a few perks. Multiple playthroughs on more challenging difficulty levels can allow the player to unlock more perks, making completing the Inferno difficulty level seem more feasible.
Still Holds Up After All These Years
Ys Memoire: The Oath in Felghanamay be a remaster of a 20-year-old remake of a 35-year-old game, but it’s still plenty of fun today. While the gameplay and story may be simplistic compared to the more recent entries in the franchise, it’s still engaging enough to hold the player’s interest through its relatively-short play time. The platforming sections and enemies provide a decent challenge that never feels unfair, at least on the normal difficulty setting. The expanded story fills in a lot of gaps that were in the original, while the reworked soundtrack breathes new life in the old chiptune soundtrack, with the theme of Valestein Castle being a standout track.Ys III: Wanderers From Yswas much likeZelda II: The Adventure of Linkwhere an overhead adventure game experimented with side scrolling. It was a fun game in its original incarnation, butThe Oath in Felghanaremake made it an overall better experience, and brought its gameplay more in line with the otherYsgames.Ys Memoire: The Oath in Felghanaadds just enough polish to make it feel at home on modern platforms.
Ys Memoire: The Oath in Felghanamay be a remaster of a 20-year-old remake of a 35-year-old game, but it’s still plenty of fun today.
Ys Memoire: The Oath in Felghanaseems like a faithful port of the earlier version with a few updates. The resolution has been increased for modern standards, and the player has a choice when it comes to character illustrations. The Refined option will use new illustrated portraits for characters whenever such things are used, and the Classic style will use the portraits from the earlier versions ofThe Oath in Felghana.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. The original release ofYs IIIhappened in 1989 and was ported to numerous platforms in the subsequent couple of years. I couldn’t tell you which specific platforms these two mixes originated from, but they do sound like video game music from that era. The Original option 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. The numerous difficulty modes make this an accessible title for any skill level, whether someone simply wants to waltz through the game or face the ultimate challenge. Turbo mode allows the player the ability to experience every difficulty level over a shorter period of time.
Closing Comments:
Ys Memoire: The Oath in Felghanamay show its age with its mechanics, but still holds up surprisingly well. It lacks many of the standard features of modernYsgames, such as multiple playable characters, minigame battles and homebase building, but still provides the same story-driven adventure with fast-paced action combat. It’s a relatively short adventure that can be completed in around ten or twelve hours, but none of that time is wasted with unnecessary filler. Between the charming visuals, enjoyable gameplay and amazingly-reworked soundtrack,Ys Memoire: The Oath in Felghanais a great action RPG that should be experienced by all fans of the genre and a must-play for fans ofYs.
Ys Memoire: The Oath In Felghana
Version Reviewed: Nintendo Switch
Originally conceived as a reimagining of the 16-bit console classic Ys III: Wanderers From Ys, this fan-favorite entry returns, newly remastered for the Nintendo Switch™ system as Ys Memoire: The Oath in Felghana. Nearly 15 years after its previous release, longtime fans can look forward to numerous improvements and upgrades, including an all-new voiceover for legendary protagonist, Adol Christin. With remastered high-definition visuals and music, the epic adventure has never looked or sounded better.Additional features include multiple versions of the sweeping soundtrack, accessibility options, and brand-new character illustrations, making Ys Memoire the definitive edition of the acclaimed masterpiece.Classic RPG Excitement RemasteredExperience the old-school action RPG combat the Ys series is known for, with added difficulty options and quality-of-life enhancements like “Turbo” mode, as you fight your way through a memorable fantasy world.Refined Visual VarietyYs Memoire features all-new “Refined” character illustrations throughout the game, but players who want the original experience can switch to the “Classic” versions at a whim.A Silent Protagonist No LongerNewly recorded voice acting for Adol Christin, including an opening narration that sets the stage for adventure, gives new depth and gravity to the famous hero.A Sweeping Soundtrack RebornWell-regarded for its outstanding soundtrack, this version features three different iterations of the epic score (Original, PC-8801, and X68000) for players to choose from, all remastered in high-quality audio.
