Adol Christin has a bit of a problem with shipwrecks, but his luck with video game remakes is actually incredible. If you grew up playing RPGs in the mid-2000s, you probably remember when Falcom dropped the original The Oath in Felghana on the PSP or PC. It was fast. It was punishing. It was, honestly, one of the tightest action games ever made. Now we have Ys Memoire: The Oath in Felghana, and it’s doing something a lot of modern remasters fail to do: keeping the soul of the original while fixing the stuff that actually aged poorly.
You’ve probably seen the "Memoire" branding and wondered if this is just a lazy port. It isn't. But it’s also not a "from the ground up" remake like Final Fantasy VII Rebirth. It sits in this weird, comfortable middle ground. It's basically the 2005 cult classic wearing a much nicer suit, featuring high-definition visuals, fully voiced dialogue, and a "Refined" art style that swaps out the old character portraits for something a bit more modern.
Why Ys Memoire: The Oath in Felghana Hits Different
Most modern action RPGs feel like they’re trying to be movies. They have twenty-minute cutscenes and skill trees that require a PhD to navigate. Ys Memoire: The Oath in Felghana doesn't care about any of that. It’s about movement. It’s about the "bump" system’s evolution into a whirlwind of slashes, jumps, and elemental magic.
The game is a reimagining of Ys III: Wanderers from Ys. Back in the day, the third entry was a side-scroller, which was... divisive, to say the least. When Falcom rebuilt it using the Ys VI engine, they created a masterpiece of isometric combat. This "Memoire" version brings that specific magic to modern consoles like the Nintendo Switch and PlayStation 5, and it’s a reminder of why top-down action feels so satisfying when the frame rate is locked and the controls are responsive.
One thing you’ll notice immediately is the speed. Adol moves like he’s had six espressos. There’s no stamina bar holding you back from sprinting across the screen. You just go. This creates a rhythm where you’re constantly weaving between enemy attacks, charging up your magic bracelets, and hoping you don't fall off a narrow ledge in the Illburns Ruins.
The Refined Art vs. Classic Style
Falcom knew people are nostalgic. They’re smart like that.
In the settings, you can toggle between the "Refined" illustrations and the "Classic" ones. The new art is cleaner and fits the HD resolution better, but if you’re a purist who misses the chunky, detailed aesthetic of the mid-2000s, you can switch back instantly. It’s a small touch, but it matters. The same goes for the music. You get three different versions of the soundtrack: the original PC-8801 sounds, the X68000 version, and the arranged PC/PSP score.
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Honestly, the soundtrack is the real star here. Falcom Sound Team jdk is legendary for a reason. They don't just write "background music." They write high-tempo power metal and synth-heavy anthems that make fighting a giant fire-breathing dragon feel like the most important thing you’ve ever done. "The Boy Who Had Wings" is still a top-five track in all of gaming. No debate.
Combat Mechanics: Simple But Brutal
If you're coming from Ys VIII: Lacrimosa of Dana or Ys IX: Monstrum Nox, the combat here might feel a bit stripped back. You don’t have a party of three characters to swap between. It’s just Adol. You have your sword, and you have three elemental bracelets: Fire, Wind, and Earth.
- Fire (Ignis Bracelet): Good for lighting torches and sniping enemies from a distance.
- Wind (Ventus Bracelet): Allows you to glide across gaps and perform a spinning attack that hits multiple times.
- Earth (Terra Bracelet): Essential for breaking through shields and dashing through obstacles.
That’s basically it.
But don't let the simplicity fool you. The bosses in Ys Memoire: The Oath in Felghana are notorious for being some of the hardest in the series. They are "bullet hell" bosses in a 3D space. You will die. You will die a lot. But the game lets you restart right outside the boss room instantly, so you’re never more than ten seconds away from trying again. It’s that "one more try" loop that makes it impossible to put down.
The Difficulty Spike Problem
Let’s be real for a second: the scaling in this game is tight. If you’re one level below what the game expects, you’ll do 1 damage to a boss. If you grind for ten minutes and gain one level, suddenly you’re doing 15 damage. Some people hate this. They think it feels arbitrary. I kind of love it. It gives your equipment upgrades and levels a sense of tangible weight. When you finally buy that Broad Sword or Plate Mail, you feel like a god for about twenty minutes until the next area humbles you.
What Actually Changed in the Memoire Version?
Aside from the visuals and the music options, the biggest addition is the voice acting. Adol Christin, who is traditionally a silent protagonist (mostly just "Adol nodded" or "Adol explained the situation"), is now fully voiced by Yuki Kaji (English players might know him as Eren Yeager from Attack on Titan).
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Hearing Adol shout during combat adds a layer of energy that was missing before. Every NPC is voiced too, which makes the town of Redmont feel much more alive. Dogi, Adol’s massive blue-haired best friend, finally sounds as boisterous as he looks.
They also added a "High-Speed Mode." This is a godsend for backtracking or grinding. You can toggle it on to zip through the map at 2x speed, which makes the occasional fetch quest much less of a chore. If you're playing on the Switch, the performance is remarkably stable. It's 60fps, which is non-negotiable for a game this fast.
The Story: Small Stakes, Big Heart
The plot isn't about saving the entire universe from a cosmic deity. Not yet, anyway. It’s a personal story. Adol and Dogi arrive in Felghana, which is Dogi’s hometown. They find the land plagued by monsters, a corrupt Count, and a mysterious childhood friend named Elena who is caught in the middle of a brewing political and supernatural disaster.
It’s a "save the village" story.
Because the scale is smaller, you actually get to know the residents of Redmont. You care when things go wrong. The rivalry between the knights and the local miners feels grounded. It's a classic hero’s journey that doesn't overstay its welcome. You can beat the whole game in about 12 to 15 hours. In an era where every RPG wants 100 hours of your life, a tight 15-hour experience is refreshing.
Is the "Oath" Still Relevant?
You might hear people say this is the "best" Ys game. That’s a bold claim, especially with Ys VIII being so beloved. But in terms of pure, distilled gameplay, it’s hard to argue against Felghana. It represents a specific era of Japanese game design where every mechanic was polished to a mirror finish.
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There are no microtransactions. No live-service elements. No "battle pass." It’s just a really good action game that respects your time.
Actionable Tips for New Players
If you’re picking up Ys Memoire: The Oath in Felghana for the first time, keep these things in mind so you don't throw your controller across the room:
- Don't ignore the crystals. You need Raval Ore to upgrade your gear. If you see a sparkling rock, hit it. If you find a chest, open it. Your stats matter more than your skill 90% of the time.
- Learn to air-dash. The Wind Bracelet isn't just for puzzles; it's your best defensive tool. Using the spin-jump can get you out of the way of sweeping boss attacks that are impossible to dodge on the ground.
- The "Inferno" difficulty is a trap. Unless you are a literal masochist or have beaten the game five times, start on Normal or Hard. The jump from Hard to Nightmare is steep, and Inferno is basically a different game.
- Talk to the townspeople after every major event. The dialogue changes constantly. If you want the full story and some hidden items, don't just rush to the next dungeon.
- Use the Map. The "Memoire" version has a decent map system. Use it to check for missed chests. Completionists will want those Spirit Elixirs to boost Max HP.
The Final Word on Felghana
This game is a relic, but a shiny one. It’s a testament to the fact that good game feel is timeless. While the graphics might not compete with a modern AAA title, the way Adol moves and the satisfaction of a perfectly timed jump-slash haven't aged a day.
If you want a game that gets straight to the point, rewards your reflexes, and features a soundtrack that will stay stuck in your head for weeks, this is it. It’s the definitive way to play a legend.
Go to the Nintendo eShop or PlayStation Store and grab the demo if you’re still on the fence. Check the settings immediately to pick your favorite music style. Start your journey in Redmont and don't look back. You've got a lot of monsters to slay and a soundtrack to vibe to.