Ys Memoire: The Oath in Felghana review

2025 is getting off to a good start if you’re an action RPG fan, thanks to a remaster of a classic Ys title landing on PS4, PS5 and Switch. Ys Memoire: The Oath in Felghana updates the original game, which was itself a reimagining of 16-bit classic Ys III: Wanderers from Ys, with remastered high definition visuals and music, making it look and play better than ever before. But that’s not all it offers for fans of the series.

As remasters go, Ys Memoire: The Oath in Felghana is pretty generous to be honest. In addition to the enhanced audio and visuals, character portraits have been redrawn, and voice acting has been added for Adol Christin, the usually silent protagonist. These updates are optional, however, and there are also multiple versions of the soundtrack to choose from.

The gameplay has been on the receiving end of some enhancements, too. There are quality of life improvements, such as being able to change certain items on the fly which makes switching spells and other effects a cinch. Difficulty options have also been added, making Ys Memoire: The Oath in Felghana much more welcoming to players of all skill levels.

As much as Ys Memoire: The Oath in Felghana has been improved, however, it remains a relic of the past. Combat is very basic, with just one button to mash to strike out with your equipped weapon. And while you always have a shield equipped, there’s no way to block or even dodge incoming attacks other than to jump. The most complex things get here is making use of the various magic spells you learn as you play.

It makes for a game that can feel overly repetitive at times, with you making your way from one screen to the next just to simply hammer away at the attack button to obliterate yet another group of enemies. Thankfully there’s the occasional puzzle to solve along the way which adds a little variety, and some enemies can only be damaged with certain attacks which forces you to switch up your tactics a little.

Regardless, Ys fans will surely have a good time with Ys Memoire: The Oath in Felghana, even though it does feel basic in the modern age. There’s plenty of adventuring to be done, and completionists will want to track down all the items available to Adol and upgrade them wherever possible. They’ll be keen to take on any side-quests that they can discover by talking to townsfolk as well.

The biggest issue with Ys Memoire: The Oath in Felghana for some will be the difficulty spikes when it comes to facing off against its many bosses. While encounters with standard foes are generally a walk in the park, the game’s bosses can put up a challenging fight even on the game’s easier difficulty levels. You can’t even use healing potions to top up your health mid-fight.

Despite the introduction of multiple difficulty levels, then, some might find themselves becoming frustrated with Ys Memoire: The Oath in Felghana. But fans of the series and those who don’t mind a challenge will still get lots of fun out of it. It’s a meaningful update of a classic, and while it might not hit the same notes as one of the most recent entries in the series, spending more time with the red-haired Adol remains a treat.