Remember Your Oath! Ys Memoire: The Oath in Felghana Hands-On

It’s a great time to be a fan of Ys. With Ys X: Nordics arriving a couple months ago, Nihon Falcom decided it’s also the right moment to take a trip into the chronicles of Adol Christin’s earlier adventures. Tracing its origin back to Ys III: Wanderers from Ys over 35 years ago, Oath in Felghana is coming to consoles outside of Japan for the first time (after previous stops on PC and Sony PSP) as Ys Memoire: The Oath in Felghana. I got a chance to check it out early and see how one of the series’s most popular entries holds up in this latest form. 

Oath in Felghana doesn’t get the full remake treatment, though it does boast a few new additions from the previous version. The additions hit you immediately with a new intro scene, offering a friendly introduction into the world of Ys and the ongoing narrative of Adol’s adventures for the uninitiated. Adol, previously a completely silent protagonist, now has a voice, though he hasn’t had that much to say so far in my playthrough. Finally, the portraits get an upgrade from the “of-its-time” 2005 release, now sporting a more hand-drawn appearance. The classic look is still an option, and though I wouldn’t have complained if that were the only option, the new portraits are an upgrade that fits with the game’s overall storybook tone. 

On the Switch, Oath in Felghana feels right at home. Though performance issues are common these days on Nintendo’s system, this game doesn’t miss a beat. It also holds up well in handheld mode, and since this version was previously a PSP game, it actually looks sharper when played handheld as opposed to on a big screen. The Wireless Pro controller feels like a natural fit, and you can select between full-360 degree and 8-direction controls. If you have any concerns about picking this up on the Switch, not only can I lay those to rest for you, but in fact, I might recommend it over Sony consoles, especially for those who prefer to play in handheld mode. 

The Ys series is all about the action, and the action in Oath of Felghana is supremely satisfying, in part because of how it incorporates basic combat. You can wail away on the attack button to dispatch enemies, but you can also get fancy and incorporate stronger jumping attacks into your repertoire. The defining feature of this entry is racking up bonuses as you hit enemies and stacking those into even better bonuses. The more hits you land, the more your experience bonus increases (and they don’t even need to be consecutive hits). You also pick up temporary bonuses from defeated foes, so there’s an emphasis on continually pressing forward to maximize your effectiveness. So far, I’ve also picked up fire and wind spells, which have their uses for dealing with specific enemies, and I can see more magic is coming my way. Bosses are the highlight of combat, and those tests have pushed me to figure out how best to put Adol’s abilities to use. There is always a trick to defeating them, but part of that is being precise with attacks and jumps to do more damage and avoid getting hurt. There’s an overall classic feel to the action that puts Oath of Felghana among its older action RPG peers like the Mana series. 

The level design is also impressive. Ys III was a side-scroller in its initial release, and while Oath in Felghana’s environments are more open, you can still see how it would have been laid out in its original 2D form. There are plenty of nooks to explore and discover; often, you can find vital items when traveling out of the way. Though I’m not a huge fan of the platforming elements here, it’s reassuring to know that accidentally falling while trying to leap over the wide gap is sometimes exactly what you need to do next.  

Oath in Felghana’s story is also on the simpler side but is lifted by the charm and attention to detail in the characters and world with the typical high level of quality expected from Nihon Falcom. While you operate out of one town that essentially serves as your home base, you become close to a small cast of characters whom Adol has pledged to help, because that’s what he does. It should be fun for newer Ys fans to dig into the backstory of Dogi, Adol’s much more talkative friend. As happens so often in RPGs, Adol’s offer to help out a town beset by the growing threat of monsters seems to turn into an epic journey to save it and perhaps the entire world from even more sinister threats. I believe everything will work out for the best in the end. 

While I’m not the biggest fan of Falcom’s sprites from this era, it’s still a sharp-looking overall package when you get into the action. Especially if the general 3D PSP style is your thing, you’ll feel at home with Oath in Felghana. The soundtrack is also full of quality tunes, which have been remastered for this release. There aren’t many better things in life than slashing away at enemies with invigorating metal blasting in the background.  

I’ve had a lot of fun with Adol so far, and I’m predicting even more fun in my future as I continue my journey. Ys Memoire: The Oath in Felghana is shaping up to be an excellent addition to the Switch’s incredible RPG library. For those who can’t wait to dive into more of Adol’s adventures, there are only a few weeks to go before greeting the new year with the newly Refined Edition of Oath in Felghana, which releases on the Sony PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, and Nintendo Switch on Jan. 7. Keep your eyes on RPGFan for a full review and everything Ys-related. Now, go forth and have an adventure!