The oath taken in Felghana was refreshing

Is a Westerner Have fans have definitely become easier in about a decade ago. For a very long time, the odds of any given release in the series receiving a localization were hit or miss. There are actually more misses than hits. That changed during the PSP’s twilight years, when Nihon Falcom partnered with XSEED to bring some of its games overseas. One such title is the PSP version of Ys: Oath in FelghanaGreat remake of the third game in the series. The two companies once again joined hands to bring that game to Nintendo Switch and PlayStation 4/5 Ys Memoir: Oath at Felghana.

The word “remake” is applied in all sorts of ways in this crazy hobby of ours, but Ys: Oath in Felghana would probably qualify as one of its most extreme forms. Essentially, this is a new game that follows the narrative and world design framework of Ys III: Wanderers from Ys. First released on the NEC PC-8801 in July 1989, Wanderers from Ys broke from the model of the first two games by switching to a side-scrolling format. Although the game was well received at the time, it was the only time the game was released Have series will use that style of play.

After release Wanderers from Ys and the departure of series creators Masaya Hashimoto and Tomoyoshi Miyazaki, the series had some very difficult years. Yes IV There are two largely distinct versions, neither of which was developed by Nihon Falcom. Ys V brought the series back in-house but failed to make much of an impact. This is the Super Famicom version released in 1995, so it may not be entirely the game’s fault. Whatever the reason, when Nihon Falcom returned to the series a few years later, it was in the form of a Windows remake of the first two games.

Things are back on track with the release Ys VI: Ark of Napishtim in 2003 for Windows PCs. It’s a powerful new engine and has luckily been picked up for a global release on PlayStation 2 and PlayStation Portable by none other than Konami. The work done on this game has been carried over to another remake, this time Wanderers from Ys. There is a title Ys: Oath in Felghanait was released on Windows PC in Japan in 2005 and PSP globally in 2010, with a global PC release coming in 2012. Although it tells a similar story to Wanderers from Ys and features most of the same locations, gameplay is more in line with the rest of the series, and nearly every aspect of the original is expanded upon.

However, we’re now well past 2012. Of course, that PC version is still in the works. PC games are great that way. Otherwise, you’ll have to dig out your PSP or Vita to play Felghanaa scenario that will become more inconvenient over time. Luckily, Nihon Falcom has ported the game to Nintendo Switch and PlayStation 4/5 in a slightly more enhanced form as Ys Memoir: Oath at Felghana. It appears to use the PlayStation Portable version of the game as a base, which makes some sense. Anyway, that is the latest version as of now. Things have been tweaked a bit visually, and some modest new features have been implemented.

However, the real star of the show here is simply that the game is now available on these consoles. That’s right, now Adol (awkwardly) fills the silence in conversations. You can choose your preferred soundtrack version and switch between the original portraits or some new portraits. Otherwise, you’re looking at all the same content as the PlayStation Portable release. That’s not a bad thing, but if you’re looking for a lot of new extras you won’t find much here. The remake of the remake does not.

With that said, Ys: Oath in Felghana is an excellent action RPG, and that goes for this new version as well as its predecessors. At least for this writer, this era Have hits that sweet spot between previous entries that were a bit thin and modern, character-heavy, somewhat wordy games. The story and characters are relatively basic Felghanabut they are present and help create the feeling of the world being larger than it actually is. Adol and Dogi return to Dogi’s hometown and it turns out that trouble is brewing. Our red-haired hero is tasked with saving the world while Dogi is probably rushing through walls like the Kool-Aid Man.

The town of Redmont serves as your hub on this adventure, with each road leading from the suburbs taking you to a different area of ​​interest. You’ll tackle these areas in a more or less linear order, as opening them is often based on story triggers or abilities you’ll earn in a previous talk. You can return to previously visited areas with your new abilities to score some more upgrades, and the story will sometimes take you back to certain locations to open up a new path. It’s not exactly a huge world, but the areas are just big enough that you need to explore without feeling too overwhelmed.

You’ll return to Redmont frequently, allowing you to take advantage of its shops to pick up useful items and upgrade equipment. You’ll need quite a bit of money and ore to update your equipment, and this will sometimes encourage you to grind a bit. Nowhere near the original Wanderers from Ysbut gold in particular may be scarce as the game continues. Leveling up can also help with the difficult parts, but Ys Memoir: Oath at Felghana Rely more on your reflexes and skills to get the best equipment and high level. The easier difficulty levels give you a good feeling of driving, but even the Normal setting requires some effort from the player. The more challenging difficulty settings are a real test for any action game fan.

Gameplay in Ys Memoir: Oath at Felghana is fast-paced and stressful. You’ll often be surrounded by enemies, and there are plenty of dangers and environmental features to keep in mind when you’re around those hostile forces. Boss battles are thrilling, with lots of interesting patterns to learn and tons of stuff that will keep inattentive players in a hurry. It feels great to be in control of each encounter, because Adol is like a raving fanatic when you’re in control of things. When combined with fast movement speed and outstanding background music, you will easily immerse yourself in this game. It’s a sign of quality Have entrance.

That quick pace results in a game that you can easily finish within ten to fifteen hours, something some players may balk at. I think it’s as long as necessary, with very few unnecessary extras. It also offers some satisfying incentives for replaying on higher difficulty settings, with an exciting New Game+ feature. The game allows you to choose some cheats using points earned based on how hard you beat the game, so if you want the full Tiny God effect, you really need to push yourself to the limit. Big risk, big reward.

For this review, I played the Nintendo Switch version of the game. Overall, it runs well on the platform in both handheld and docked modes. There have been some slight graphical improvements, but at its core this is still the same game from the mid-00s, and the texture maps and geometry generally reflect that. The frame rate on the PSP version can struggle during the busier parts of the game, and while this Switch version is significantly better in that regard, it still drops occasionally when too much is going on. take place. It’s hoped the PlayStation version will solve that problem, but I can’t confirm that. It’s a bit disappointing, but I suspect it will be game-breaking for most people.

The best thing about Ys Memoir: Oath at Felghana it simply brings this incredibly fun action RPG to more modern platforms. The port is solid but not perfect, and not much has been added to this move. I would argue that Oath in Felghana However, there is no need for more than what we have seen in previous versions. I’m not sure if a series will like it Have It’s possible to get away with a game as light and meaningful as this as a completely new installment, but it’s a classic that I’ll always want to have on hand thanks to how fun and satisfying it is to play. A great game then and now.

Ys Memoir: Oath at Felghana will be released on Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4And PlayStation 5 on January 7, 2025.

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