A classic Ys run, Switch-ready
By Paul Hunter
Ys Memoire: The Oath in Felghana brings one of the PSP's best action RPG throwbacks to Nintendo Switch. Developed by Nihon Falcom and published by XSEED Games, it’s an upgraded version of Ys: The Oath in Felghana, which itself is a 2005 remake of Ys III: Wanderers from Ys.
Ys Memoire is a significantly improved version with enhanced visuals, "refined" character illustrations (but you can swap back to the original artwork if you want), and new recorded voice work for Adol that brings added depth to this iconic hero. It also includes multiple soundtrack versions, all remastered in high-quality audio, and English and Japanese voice-over options. On top of that, Turbo mode is a quick speed-up option for the entire game, useful when you’re retracing steps or just want to move through the game at a quicker clip.
With all these updates, is Ys Memoire: The Oath in Felghana the definitive must-play version of this classic RPG? Let’s find out!
From there, the story turns into a steady uncovering of what’s really driving the chaos. Adol gets answers the old-fashioned way, by meeting the townsfolk, hearing their problems, and following leads that don’t add up. The deeper you go, the more it points to scheming at the top and darker secrets beneath Felghana’s surface. It has that classic Ys vibe where “small town trouble” is the entry point, and then the plot quickly escalates.
The main storyline focuses on a set of statues linked to a seal. Felghana’s ruler is trying to claim them to weaken that seal and release a demon, and Adol steps up in a race to stop it. It’s high stakes, a familiar villain plan, and a clear goal that propels the plot forward. The pacing is actually quite quick with the whole experience wrapping up in around 10–15 hour.
In addition to Adol's standard Slash and Lunge attacks, he can also acquire powerful Elemental Bracelets. The Ignis Bracelet gives you fireballs, which helps when you want range or safe chip damage. Meanwhile, the Ventus Bracelet turns you into a spinning whirlwind, and using it during a jump lets you glide across gaps to reach far away paths. Finally, the Terra Bracelet makes you temporarily impervious to damage and lets you break cracked walls, so make sure to look for weakened walls once you have it. Each bracelet also gets stronger once you slot in a matching gem, and the upgrades are quite powerful.
There's also Boost Mode to factor in, and once your gauge fills, you can trigger it to deal more damage and strike quicker, along with taking reduced damage, and getting a brief invulnerability moment right when it starts. I kept saving Boost for the second half of boss fights, then popped it during a safe opening to deal tremendous damage while keeping myself safe.
Enemies drops affect gameplay as well, such items that temporarily boost attack or defense, healing boosts, and experience bonuses. The item drops rewards an aggressive playstyle to keep the item drops flowing. But don't worry if the challenge gets steep, there are multiple difficulty settings, a no-fall toggle for platforming, and Turbo mode to increase the game speed.
Combat is a big part of the presentation with hit sparks, spell flashes, and item drops filling the screen. I bounced between handheld and docked on Switch, and found that handheld is the best match for this version. The portable screen keeps the image looking crisper. Docked play still looks great, but the repeating textures and background objects are more obvious on a larger display. Performance targets 60fps on Switch and stays smooth most of the time, but there are brief dips when too many enemies and effects fill the screen.
Final Score: 8/10 - Great
Developer: Nihon Falcom
Publisher: XSEED Games
Genre: Action Role-Playing
Modes: Single-player
A key was provided by the publisher.
By Paul Hunter
Ys Memoire: The Oath in Felghana brings one of the PSP's best action RPG throwbacks to Nintendo Switch. Developed by Nihon Falcom and published by XSEED Games, it’s an upgraded version of Ys: The Oath in Felghana, which itself is a 2005 remake of Ys III: Wanderers from Ys.
Ys Memoire is a significantly improved version with enhanced visuals, "refined" character illustrations (but you can swap back to the original artwork if you want), and new recorded voice work for Adol that brings added depth to this iconic hero. It also includes multiple soundtrack versions, all remastered in high-quality audio, and English and Japanese voice-over options. On top of that, Turbo mode is a quick speed-up option for the entire game, useful when you’re retracing steps or just want to move through the game at a quicker clip.
With all these updates, is Ys Memoire: The Oath in Felghana the definitive must-play version of this classic RPG? Let’s find out!
Story and Narrative
Ys Memoire: The Oath in Felghana wastes no time putting Adol and his friend Dogi in the middle of a crisis. They arrive home in Felghana, expecting a warm homecoming, and instead find a region under threat. Monsters are roaming near town, the volcano has kicked back to life, and the forces of Valestein castle are extorting the locals with zero shame.From there, the story turns into a steady uncovering of what’s really driving the chaos. Adol gets answers the old-fashioned way, by meeting the townsfolk, hearing their problems, and following leads that don’t add up. The deeper you go, the more it points to scheming at the top and darker secrets beneath Felghana’s surface. It has that classic Ys vibe where “small town trouble” is the entry point, and then the plot quickly escalates.
The main storyline focuses on a set of statues linked to a seal. Felghana’s ruler is trying to claim them to weaken that seal and release a demon, and Adol steps up in a race to stop it. It’s high stakes, a familiar villain plan, and a clear goal that propels the plot forward. The pacing is actually quite quick with the whole experience wrapping up in around 10–15 hour.
Gameplay and Mechanics
The gameplay in Ys Memoire focuses on quick melee combat where you’re always mixing attack combos, jumping strikes, and magic spells. Jump attacks are crucial to master since they hit harder and can stun enemies, which makes hopping in and out of range a main part of your offence. Spells have regenerating MP, so you’re free to cast often instead of hoarding points for later.In addition to Adol's standard Slash and Lunge attacks, he can also acquire powerful Elemental Bracelets. The Ignis Bracelet gives you fireballs, which helps when you want range or safe chip damage. Meanwhile, the Ventus Bracelet turns you into a spinning whirlwind, and using it during a jump lets you glide across gaps to reach far away paths. Finally, the Terra Bracelet makes you temporarily impervious to damage and lets you break cracked walls, so make sure to look for weakened walls once you have it. Each bracelet also gets stronger once you slot in a matching gem, and the upgrades are quite powerful.
There's also Boost Mode to factor in, and once your gauge fills, you can trigger it to deal more damage and strike quicker, along with taking reduced damage, and getting a brief invulnerability moment right when it starts. I kept saving Boost for the second half of boss fights, then popped it during a safe opening to deal tremendous damage while keeping myself safe.
Enemies drops affect gameplay as well, such items that temporarily boost attack or defense, healing boosts, and experience bonuses. The item drops rewards an aggressive playstyle to keep the item drops flowing. But don't worry if the challenge gets steep, there are multiple difficulty settings, a no-fall toggle for platforming, and Turbo mode to increase the game speed.
Presentation and Audio
Ys Memoire presents its world through an isometric 3D camera similar to classic RPGs like Secret of Mana and Illusion of Gaia. Dungeons are compact, so you’re rarely far from the next door, floor, or arena. Character models use a chibi style, and there's a good amount of variety across towns and dungeon to keep anything from blending together.Combat is a big part of the presentation with hit sparks, spell flashes, and item drops filling the screen. I bounced between handheld and docked on Switch, and found that handheld is the best match for this version. The portable screen keeps the image looking crisper. Docked play still looks great, but the repeating textures and background objects are more obvious on a larger display. Performance targets 60fps on Switch and stays smooth most of the time, but there are brief dips when too many enemies and effects fill the screen.
The Verdict
Ys Memoire: The Oath in Felghana is a natural fit for Nintendo Switch. It’s a classic action RPG adventure with a great story, thrilling action, and there's virtually no padding. The Memoire upgrades are also nice because they give you more control over how you experience the game, plus extra presentation choices that are fun to tinker with. If you want a classic Ys games that still hits hard today, you’ll have a great time here.Final Score: 8/10 - Great
Ys Memoire: The Oath in Felghana details
Platform: PS5, PS4, Nintendo SwitchDeveloper: Nihon Falcom
Publisher: XSEED Games
Genre: Action Role-Playing
Modes: Single-player
A key was provided by the publisher.