Review of Ys Memoire: The Oath in Felghana for PlayStation 5

Ys Memoire: The Oath in Felghana, brought to us by Nihon Falcom and released through XSEED Games and Marvelous, steps into the spotlight as the latest installment in this cherished gaming saga. This version revives the Ys III remake originally seen on the PSP back in 2010, but with some modern flair. If you’re already a fan of this legendary franchise, stick around because this review will take you on a journey to uncover all that’s fresh and thrilling about this release!

Returning to its roots while embracing the possibilities of modern gaming, Ys Memoire: The Oath in Felghana reimagines the 16-bit classic Ys III: Wanderers From Ys. Designed for PlayStation 5 and 4, this newly remastered edition lands almost 15 years after its prior iteration, delivering delightful enhancements like new voiceovers for our legendary hero, Adol Christin. With revamped, high-definition graphics and an updated musical score, this epic adventure has never been more breathtaking.

This version comes packed with features, including multiple soundtrack options, improved accessibility, and fresh character artwork, cementing Ys Memoire as the ultimate edition of this acclaimed game.

In this newly polished edition from Nihon Falcom, and published by XSEED Games and Marvelous, you’ll get a fresh take on the 2010 PSP version, Ys III. This upgrade delivers elements like fresh voiceovers, polished graphics in HD, and trophy support. Join Adol Christin and his trusty sidekick Dogi as they delve into new adventures across Felghana. As someone who’s been a longtime admirer of the Ys series, I couldn’t wait to explore one of the chapters I’d previously missed.

The early Ys titles have always centered on action and exploration, pulling players into the heat of battle right from the get-go. In comparison, entries like Ys VIII: Lacrimosa of Dana, which holds the spot as my personal favorite, Ys IX: Monstrum Nox, and its sequel Ys X: Nordics lean heavily on narrative, often setting the stage over a few hours before the action picks up. Ys Memoire: The Oath in Felghana styles closer to Ys Origin, both in its gameplay dynamics and overall atmosphere.

And oh, what a thrill the gameplay in Ys Memoire: The Oath in Felghana brings! The action is fast-paced and arcade-like, demanding you stay sharp with agile button-mashing for both ground and air attacks, as you quickly dispatch your foes. Offering a layer of strategic depth are magical bracelets—Fire, Wind, and Earth—each bringing unique abilities for puzzle-solving and adding layers to combat, particularly against enemies resistant to certain elements.

The controls remain faithful to the original Japanese design, which can feel a bit clumsy at first. Luckily, you can customize them in the settings, and I suggest doing so for a smoother ride—assigning jump to X, attack and interact to Square, and accessories to Circle makes everything flow more intuitively. A persistent hassle I ran into was the shared function of the no-fall power-up and the fast-travel ability, both mapped to the touchpad requiring a switch each time, breaking the immersion. Separating these functions with the additional buttons available on the DualSense could have been an easy fix.

The level design in Ys Memoire: The Oath in Felghana draws from old-school charm, with paths that entice exploration and no maps to guide your journey. Despite a world that feels compact, housing only a few distinct locales, the dungeons are expansive and dominate your playtime with their intricate, non-linear pathways, encouraging repeated exploration as you hunt for elusive items or secret passages essential for advancing. It’s a stark reminder of gaming’s past before linear paths and hand-holding mini-maps were standard.

Challenging right from the normal difficulty setting, these dungeons press you into fighting every enemy in sight to steadily build your level, while each boss serves as an imposing challenge, compelling you to grind a few levels before each encounter. Finding it too tough? Swing by the town to upgrade and enhance your gear. Although it might feel painstaking, gaining merely a couple of levels transforms what seemed formidable into a conquerable victory, leaving you with nearly full health when you finally overcome that boss.

Operating on a 3D engine akin to what we’ve seen in Square Enix’s HD-2D games, the environments here maintain a low-poly count, adding a nostalgic retro charm, while 2D characters animate smoothly at 60 frames per second. Despite attempts at upscaling, textures and models retain a visible low-resolution fidelity. Dialogue scenes present character portraits alongside, offering the choice between original PSP graphics and their updated counterparts. While I gravitated toward the latter’s contemporary artistry, the classic anime aesthetic of the PSP version might better tickle your fancy if you’re nostalgic for early 2000s design.

Ys Memoire: The Oath in Felghana allows for either English or Japanese voiceovers, giving players a choice based on preference. English voice acting impresses, with familiar voices such as Patrick Seitz as Dogi delivering a robust performance that fans will warmly recognize, alongside Heather Hogan’s stellar contribution as Elena. The auditory journey includes three soundtrack options—Original, PC-8801, and X68000—though the music, while good, doesn’t quite match Falcom’s finest. While I was fond of the Overworld tune, other tracks like those for the deserted mines fell short of expectations.

This release features a trophy-rich list with 59 achievements in total, broken into 52 Bronze, 6 Silver, and 1 Gold. When gunning for these, you’ll find they span from natural story progression to completing no less than six different playthroughs—yes, six! Fortunately, the first run on Normal spans roughly 12 hours, followed by a far shorter Very Easy playthrough, allowing subsequent runs to fly by in under an hour each. The game also supports Cross-Buy, letting you own it on both PS4 and PS5, each with its own trophy lineup and Platinum trophy.

Ys Memoire: The Oath in Felghana proves a delight as an action RPG, especially rewarding when one missed the PSP remake. This polished edition rings true to its origins, offering versatile music options alongside the hyper-paced gameplay fans expect. The level design can be a puzzle initially as the layouts and objectives aren’t obvious. The normal difficulty level requires patience and grinding, particularly if your eye is on the Platinum trophy—and this is the way the game was originally meant to be experienced. Available on both platforms via Cross-Buy, your $29.99 purchase secures downloads of the title for both PS4 and PS5 at no extra charge.

Disclaimer: This review of Ys Memoire: The Oath in Felghana is built on a PlayStation 5 copy generously provided by XSEED Games.