Import Review: "Ys: The Oath in Felghana"
Note the absence of an apostrophe between the Y and the s. That's how it's done, kids!
Japanese developer/self-publisher Nihon Falcom has had relatively little exposure in North America. This is a downright shame, as they tend to make some of the best fast-paced Action RPGs in the world. Chief among them is their Ys series (note: "Ys" rhymes with "niece," and sounds nothing like the word "wise"). It was in 2005, right after they resurrected the series by adding YS VI: THE ARK OF NAPISHTIM to the fold (almost a decade had gone by without a new game in the series by that point), that Falcom decided to create a remake of YS III: WANDERERS FROM YS. This was a black sheep in the series, mostly because it attempted to switch from top-down to side-scrolling; the remake, YS: THE OATH IN FELGHANA (sometimes referred to as "YsF"), went back to the traditional top-down view, using the graphics engine they developed for The Ark of Napishtim as a basis.
The Oath in Felghana never came to North America. A popular fan-translation patch exists, and I have no qualms advertising such a patch (since it works just fine with legally purchased, import copies, and doesn't exist merely for pirates). Using said patch, I've spent the last few weeks enjoying (obsessing over) this game.
The background story goes like this: after returning from the ancient, mythical land of Ys (see parts I and II in the series), the red-haired Adol (that's who you control) and his blue-haired pal Dogi return to Dogi's homeland of Felghana. Dogi's been gone for eight years, and at the time of his return, he learns that Count McGuire of Valestein Castle has made it his priority to make the lives of everyone else on the island suck. And that's not the bad news. It seems Dogi's old friend, Chester, is now a top knight in league with McGuire, and has abandoned his little sister Elena back at the town of Redmont.
The story quickly spirals into a "save the world from gigantic demon-thing" plot, but the path the developers took, and the sections of story and character development they chose to flesh out for the remake, definitely saved the game from having what I would consider a mediocre storyline. There are some powerful, emotional moments that play out in this game: at least, moreso than in The Ark of Napishtim.
Now, like the rest of the games in the series, Felghana is a relatively short game. It takes eight to ten hours to clear the game on "Easy" or "Normal" mode. But the game is supremely challenging. Ys games are known for their epic boss battles, and Felghana took things another step in the right direction for the series. Fortunately, unlike in Napishtim, the option of level-grinding is a fair solution if you're stuck on a boss. One level makes a big difference, and the few extra HP might be all you need to survive. Of course, that's no solution if you're playing the bonus "time attack" mode, in which you
The platforming works surprisingly well for a PC game, and I never struggled too much with difficult jumps. The dungeons are well-designed, and the path for inventory growth (new weapons, armor, and shields) is laid out masterfully. Also, big props to Falcom for letting you warp to any save point (as they are remarkably few and far between throughout dungeons).
The only other thing I have to mention is the game's music. Falcom is still practicing anonymity by using the name "Sound Team jdk," but we all know at this point that Yukihiro Jindo does the new compositions and arrangements for the company. Jindo is a fantastic arranger, and what he did with Mieko Ishikawa's original melodies is nothing short of miraculous. Also, if you're a big history buff, know that you can hear Ys III's music go through a series of progressions, arrangements, etc by busting out the eight disc soundtrack box that comes with the import game. Yeah, that's awesome.
Now to tack on some stars. OF COURSE I'm giving this game a 5 out of 5! My OCD-driven list of ranked RPGs just got a serious upset, since I had to work this game into my personal top 20 (out of over 150). I haven't had this much fun, or been so willing to take this much punishment, from an Action RPG in years. Thanks Falcom. Now just get your games on Steam and hire someone to do a legit translation, and I'll really be happy.
