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Ys: Oath in Felghana Review for PlayStation Portable (PSP)

Ys: Oath in Felghana Review for PlayStation Portable (PSP)

More Ys Please!

Though the Ys series has been around for decades, I’ll be the first to admit that this great RPG series has flown under my radar. That was, until I played Ys Seven last year and was completely blown away by how well this RPG series brought refreshing depth to the handheld platform. Though the PSP (and the DS, for that matter) are bogged down with plenty of RPGs of questionable quality, Ys Seven proved that there was still room for innovation in this sub-genre.

Unfortunately, it seems that another chapter in the Ys saga is quite a ways off. But like any series that has increased in popularity with subsequent versions, the first few entries in the Ys saga have received the remake treatment. Though Ys: The Oath in Felghana is technically a re-release of the third Ys title (with a few re-worked plot elements), this title feels fresh, and even if you’ve never played a Ys title before, RPG fans will definitely find something to love in Ys: The Oath in Felghana.

Ys: Oath in Felghana Screenshot

The game’s story starts simply, with heroes Adol and Dogi returning home from their latest adventure to what they think will be some nice down time. Predictably, all is not well is their hometown, and the appearance of monsters has our heroes worried. And unfortunately, this is just the beginning of the problems that have befallen the poor citizens of Felghana. An evil government scheme has left many of Felghana’s citizens penniless, and the good mayor of the town has been put in jail in a remote cave. While the story in Ys: The Oath in Felghana starts off predictably, there are plenty of twists and turns, and I was pleasantly surprised by the quality of the game’s overall narrative.

Gameplay is Ys: The Oath in Felghana isn’t good. It’s excellent! Although I enjoyed the story presented in the first hour of the game, it was the action RPG gameplay that really got me hooked. Ys: The Oath in Felghana has an active battle system that allows you to use your equipped sword and slash through enemies with ease. As you mow down your foes, you’ll rack up experience points, and if you can manage to squeeze in some consecutive hits you’ll be able to rack up multiplayer bonuses, which make grinding and leveling-up a breezy and stress-free process. In addition to your standard physical attacks, you can also use magic attacks that you can power-up and improve upon at various pre-determined points in the game. I wasn’t as impressed with the magic component, simply because I enjoyed leveling up my physical stats quickly, and I sometimes felt the magic component was underpowered during early parts of the game.

Ys: Oath in Felghana Screenshot

Still, even with this small complaint, I still found the game’s battle system to be quite engaging, and though it can be tempting to hammer on the attack button, the game does an excellent job of throwing enemies and bosses that challenge you to think strategically about your attacks your way. You must choose the intelligent rather than hasty move. And thanks to a wealth of both drop and purchasable items, the combat in Ys never gets boring; there is always something new to check out. The game nails the action RPG format and is the best example of gameplay I have seen yet from the series.

Ys: Oath in Felghana Screenshot

However, like many handheld games, Ys: The Oath in Felghana is not infallible, and its biggest fault lies in its visuals. Though some of the environments are nicely rendered on the PSP, there was way too much repetition in the imagery, and seeing the same old character silhouettes during plot scenes got old really fast. The game also suffers from a stoic three-quarters camera view, which (to its credit) does get the job done, but also makes the world of the game feel claustrophobic. While the rest of Ys: The Oath in Felghana feels modern, this feels outdated, which is a shame as it is an instant turn-off to what is otherwise a very enjoyable game.

Ys: Oath in Felghana Screenshot

But there is a silver lining as far as technical components go: Ys: The Oath in Felghana has a beautiful score. Though the game never reaches an epic scope in terms of orchestration, the title tune as well as some of the other background music certainly enhance the drama in the game, and there are certainly some memorable tunes in the mix. The music also changes frequently, so you won’t have to worry about one particular song getting stuck in your head while you are in for long, grinding sessions.

Ys: The Oath in Felghana is a superb RPG for the PSP platform, and is certainly one of the best that doesn’t have the words “Final” and/or “Fantasy” in the title. Though it can be hard to wade through the plethora of choices for RPG enthusiasts in the handheld sphere, Ys is definitely a standout title. It will please both longtime fans of the series as well as provide an entry point for those who have never played (or even heard of) an Ys game. Though Ys probably one of the most under-publicized franchises in history, Ys: The Oath in Felghana delivers quite the memorable experience, and is definitely deserving of your time.

RATING OUT OF 5 RATING DESCRIPTION 2.6 Graphics
Repetitive backgrounds and stoic character silhouettes make for bland visual design 4.2 Control
Combat is intuitive and moving around is no problem. 4.0 Music / Sound FX / Voice Acting
There is certainly some great music here. Ys: The Oath in Felghana is definitely a pleasure to listen to. 4.2 Play Value
The game itself is quite lengthy (as any good RPG should be), and once you beat the last boss you can unlock a special game plus mode with additional challenges. 4.0 Overall Rating – Great
Not an average. See Rating legend below for a final score breakdown.

Review Rating Legend
0.1 – 1.9 = Avoid 2.5 – 2.9 = Average 3.5 – 3.9 = Good 4.5 – 4.9 = Must Buy
2.0 – 2.4 = Poor 3.0 – 3.4 = Fair 4.0 – 4.4 = Great 5.0 = The Best

Game Features:

  • A Classic RPG gets a facelift for the PSP. New 3D graphics, new story elements, and fully voiced cutscenes bring the classic to a new generation of fans.
  • New and Improved Action Battle System. All battles now take place in 3D instead of 2D, and the magic and inventory systems have been completely overhauled to streamline play for fast-paced action.
  • Lots of Added Customization Options. Multiple difficulty levels can be adjusted in-game, a new prologue, an artwork gallery, and a movie gallery give players additional options previously not available.
  • Rearranged Soundtrack. Critically-acclaimed soundtrack also gets a full makeover as new songs have been added while original songs have been newly rearranged.

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