10 Best YS Games That You Should Know Update 04/2024

best ys games

Ys is a very interesting show. It’s not only one of the most important RPG franchises in the whole world, but it’s also one of the least well-known, at least outside of Japan. For some reason, Ys didn’t really take off in the West, even though it had a lot of localizations through most of its run.

Fans love these games a lot, but most people don’t care about them. This is a shame, because many games in the series are some of the best RPGs ever made. It’s time to play every Ys game that’s worth playing. Only the canonical games (with one very important exception) should be looked at first.

Memories Of Celceta

Memories Of Celceta

Memories of Celceta has some problems that other games in the series don’t have. It tells a good story, but there’s a rushed feel to it that can’t be ignored. It adds a layer of intimacy to the character of the main character, Adol Christin. Memories of Celceta doesn’t end as much as it stops, which leads to a very boring ending.

This isn’t to say the dungeons aren’t well-designed. The gameplay is as solid as ever, and Celceta is still one of the best settings in the game. This shows that even when the Ys series is at its worst, the games are still worth playing.

Lost Kefin, Kingdom Of Sand

lost kefin, the kingdom of sand isn’t the only ys game that was made for the super famicom. It’s the only one still in the canon. Ys and Mask of the Sun have been changed, but Lost Kefin still stands out in its glory.

Then again, Kefin isn’t all bad. As a Ys game, it’s not very good. It doesn’t have many of the things that make the series great. When it comes to action RPGs made for the Super Nintendo, this is one of the best. Lost Kefin is ridiculously easy for the series, but the new Ys V Expert helps a lot.

Ys II

Ys II

Ys I and II are often thought of as a duology, but they are very different games. The main thing that stops II from being as popular as its predecessor is how the game is played.

The first game is all about fighting with your hands, and the second game is all about magic. So, Ys II isn’t very close. It’s still a good follow-up to the first game, though, even if it doesn’t live up to the first one at times. If only to see one of the most important endings in video game history.

Seven

In Ys Seven, you can play characters who aren’t Adol. It was the first game to have a party system instead of the single-player adventures the series was known for. There are a lot of flaws in Seven because it spends the first half focusing on a plot that’s been done before.

Only in the second half did they break away from these clichés in a big way. In the end, it doesn’t make up for the bad first half. Seven is a unique game that tried something new at the time when Ys was thought to be at its best. Seven is a risky game that may not do well in all the ways it wants, but it still stands strong.

Ys I

Ys I

A lot of people don’t like Ys I because of how old its level design is. But that doesn’t mean it isn’t a great game that has been around for a long time. In many ways, Ys I is very similar to the original Legend of Zelda, and it might even have been inspired by the Nintendo classic, too.

Ys I is also ahead of its time because it has a well-written story that grows in scope, great boss fights, and an amazing score. Legendary game Ys I should get more attention. The RPG is short and bump combat can be hard for new players.

The Ark Of Napishtim

The Ark of Napishtim might not have as much history as Ys I, but it’s still very important. For nearly 10 years, the series didn’t do anything. It was only broken with the release of The Ark of Napishtim, a game that took ideas from every single game in the series while making a huge change in gameplay.

Zelda games usually have bump fights or traditional fights. Instead, The Ark of Napishtim had a lot of high-octane hack and slash action with an overhead view. It also had one of the most epic stories in the series’ history. I think it’s the game that saved Ys and led to a golden age of gameplay for the game.

Monstrum Nox

Monstrum Nox

The most recent game in the series, Ys IX: Monstrum Nox, is also the last game in the series in order of when it was released (for now). Monstrum Nox focuses a lot on Adol’s reputation as an adventurer, as well as themes about who you are. Even though the story in Ys IX is more detailed than in any of its predecessors, the dungeon design and combat are some of the best in the SEVEN Engine, which is why the game moves so slowly. Ys still isn’t as hard as it used to be, but IX’s Monstrum abilities have added a level of verticality to boss fights and exploration that has changed the franchise’s gameplay loop for the better.

Origin

This is the first and so far only game in the series that doesn’t have Adol in it. It takes place 700 years before the first game. Origin is a love letter to all things Ys. It was the last game to use the Napishtim Engine, and it goes out with a bang. It has three different play styles and some of the best bosses in the series.

Origin is one of the best games in the series, and it has a great story to go with it. You might get tired of playing the same game three times to get the full experience, but Origin manages this well enough that you only have to deal with it when you start a new playthrough. As soon as the first boss comes, it’s easy.

Ys III: Wanderers from Ys (1989)

Ys III Wanderers from Ys (1989)

Some things Adol Christin is good at.

In trouble. It’s a good thing to do. And they changed the rules of the game, too!

When the game comes out, one of the main characters from Ys is shown. It also has a story about Dogi, Adol’s friend who is always working hard, and another one about a great evil that is threatening the world again.

I have to admit that the story isn’t very original.

But Wanderers from Ys makes up for it with new ideas. The game doesn’t have the top-down camera view like its predecessors did, which makes it more interesting. Now we have a side view camera, like in platform games of the time.

This slows down the fight, but it also makes it more methodical.

The experiment was a risky thing to do, though. Because of the controls and physics, it didn’t work very well. So it was up to the amazing remake to show the world how Adol defeated the mighty Galbalan and saved the world for the second time in his life.

Ys IV: Mask of the Sun (1993)

Sometimes, they return. Get ready to bump into people again.

When you fight baddies in Ys IV, you’ll be able to do it in the same way you did in the first two games.

In Mask of the Sun, on the other hand, the system is a lot more harsh. So if you don’t want to get lost in the land of Celceta, you’ll have to be in the right place.

The Magic system from Ys II also comes back, but it’s not as good as it was before.

It’s almost like the whole game: Even though it’s not very bad, it’s the worst version of Ys IV ever made.

This is not just about porting, but new takes on the same plot and setting. Talk about a mess!