I like knighthood. Yes, it is a statement I have written a thousand times in various articles. The reason this is written is due to the influence of Ys 3: Wanderers of Ys, which was released on the Super Nintendo and Sega Genesis back in the early 1990s. I remember enjoying it, despite all of its flaws. It is also the one Ys game I keep going back to whenever I play a new installment in the series. As such, you might be able to imagine my excitement when I finally got to play its modern incarnation: Ys: The Oath in Felghana.
Ys: The Oath in Felghana has most of the same plot points as the game it is inspired from. The main reason remains mostly the same: Dogi and Adol become inspired to travel to the land of Felghana (originally just known as the area surrounding the town of Redmont) when a fortune-teller predicts something foul is going down. As they arrive, a young woman by the name of Elena is attacked by some wolves. Adol rescues her and then gets “roped” into saving some of the villagers in a mine. From there, the heroics slowly mount forward until he saves the day.
In many ways, this plot is an improvement over the original. This time, the characters play their roles in a more vibrant manner, thus allowing for their personalities to shine. Adol is still as quiet as ever (I miss his chattiness), Elena is seen as more of a waif, Chester’s deviousness is louder and Dogi is still a grounding force in the plot.
Gameplay still works like a hack-’n’-slash. Adol’s sword is still his preferred manner of attack — a five-slashlong combo, upward slashes and downward stabs. Unlike the original that had Adol using rings to augment his strength, this time he uses bracelets. This allows him to use magic; fireballs, spin attacks and bash attacks allow some variety in his repertoire.
Boss battles are also a mixture of old and new. The majority of them are for the better as they have been completely remixed. The blue statue in the bottom of the mines requires Adol to fireball her to death, an ice dragon needs his claws to be stomped and the old fire dragon needs a sword in her chest when she blasts up the walkway.
Do not think Ys: The Oath in Felghana is easy as there are no healing items in sight. There are two ways to restore health: Engage in overdrive mode, which uses the hit counter as the rate of healing, or escape to a healing shrine. There is a relic that will revive him upon defeat, but it is deathly expensive. Ravel, a special type of ore that is only found in the Felghana area, is used to augment his equipment. It is rare but prevalent enough to max out all pieces by the end of the game.
Graphically, the game looks awesome. It is anime-inspired but looks much more realistic. The ocean ebbs and flows, monsters are menacing, characters gesture and emote, the mines are full of menacing creatures and the incredible waterfall from the original has been lovingly recreated. The town of Redmont feels much more realized than its humble Genesis/SNES beginnings. The castle is much more labyrinthine in nature, complete with traps. That is definitely the theme for the level design and looks: realized.
Ys: The Oath in Felghana has a downright beautiful musical score. From the mellow wood winds to its rocking boss battles, it is just amazing. Sometimes, it is a bit difficult to recognize the tunes from the original. In its defense, the original was completely synth-based while these tunes are more organic in nature. Coupled in is the choice between old computer-styled music and that of the consoles of yesteryear. Although this nifty little feature is something most gamers will ignore, it is an excellent opportunity for purists, nostalgia and audiophiles to discover a great soundtrack for back in its day. And how can I forget the strong voice acting? Elena’s strong-willed yet naïve nature is present, Chester sounds even more devious than ever and the final boss is as ominous as ever. However, it is not completely perfect, as one woman is downright annoying, and the narrator ruins the “living legend” motif the series is known for portraying.
Ys: Oath in Felghana is a prime example of what a great remake is supposed to do: take what was liked about the original, be faithful to its original feel and bring something that’s completely old school into the modern gaming era. For about a $35 admission fee, Ys: The Oath in Felghana lasts about 10 or so hours (depending on skill level). And it is a blast while it lasts. This is definitely one of the better games I’ve played on a portable system this year. If you have the money to spare, this is one game you should not miss.
