Ys: The Oath in Felghana Review Summary

Challenging fair bosses and excellent music are let down by sparse save points and a story that's weaker than later entries, though high difficulty may frustrate.

Challenging fair boss design: Many reviews describe boss fights as well-designed with varied mechanics and patterns, being both challenging and fair. This high-frequency feedback highlights bosses as a key strength of the game.

Comparable to Ys series: Many players favorably compare this game to other Ys titles, especially Ys Origin and Ys VI, considering it among the best in the series. This establishes strong brand identity.

Excellent music and soundtrack: The soundtrack and music receive consistent high praise, often called phenomenal, stunning, and memorable. This is a standout aspect of the game for many players.

Interesting story and characters: The story and characters are generally considered good, with some noting simplicity but effectiveness. Characters have personality and depth.

Engaging fast-paced combat: Combat is described as fast, fluid, hack-and-slash, with tight controls and satisfying feedback. The pace and responsiveness are major positives.

High difficulty frustrates players: The game is widely reported as very hard, with many players finding normal difficulty excessively challenging, often comparing it to very hard modes. This extends to both general gameplay and specific bosses.

Story is weaker than later Ys games: Players consistently compare the story unfavorably to titles like Ys I+II, Origin, and later entries, describing it as shallow, predictable, and cliched. Many consider it the weakest narrative in the series.

Save points are too sparse: Save points are often placed far apart, causing significant progress loss upon death, especially during boss fights. This is a major frustration point, as players must replay large sections.

Limited combat mechanics: The absence of dodge, block, or guard mechanics, along with no usable healing potions, makes combat feel restrictive and unfair. Players find this contributes heavily to the difficulty.

Lack of side content and exploration: The game offers very few side quests and a limited world to explore, which reduces replay value and depth. Players feel the world is too linear and sparse.

Action RPG core: The game is primarily an action RPG with fast-paced hack-and-slash combat and platforming elements. This is the most frequently described aspect.

Boss pattern learning: Boss fights require pattern recognition and learning attack phases. Multiple reviews mention distinct gimmicks and strategic approaches to defeat bosses.

Similar to Ys Origin: The combat and top-down gameplay are frequently compared to Ys Origin and Ys VI: The Ark of Napishtim. It uses a similar engine and combat system.

Multiple difficulty levels: The game offers a wide range of difficulty levels from Very Easy to Inferno, accommodating different player skill levels and providing replay value.

Remake of Ys III: This is a remake of Ys III: Wanderers From Ys, updated with improved systems and remixed tracks. It is a significant entry in the Ys series.

Excellent performance across hardware: Many players report no performance issues, achieving high framerates like 240 FPS at 4K and smooth 90 FPS on Steam Deck. It runs well on both modern and very old hardware like Nvidia Geforce 710GT.

Great Steam Deck support: The game runs fantastically on Steam Deck with correct resolution settings, achieving 90 FPS at full options using only 3W power. Linux support is also good, and using GE-Proton is recommended for video playback.

Unlocked framerate with caveats: The PC port has an unlocked framerate, but some players note a V-Sync optimization issue, suggesting the game is designed for lower FPS. Despite this, high refresh rates like 240 FPS are achievable.

DX9 mode not working: Some players find that DX9 mode does not work, requiring the use of DX8 mode instead. This is a compatibility issue for certain setups.

Easy configuration tool: The configuration tool is straightforward to use, making it easy to change controller bindings and set up the game quickly.

Strong series recommendation: Many reviews specifically recommend this game to Ys fans and those interested in the series. It's seen as a classic Ys experience that both newcomers and veterans can enjoy.

Starting point debate: Opinions differ on whether this is a good starting point for the series. Some recommend it as an introduction, while others suggest playing Ys 1+2 or Ys Origin first for better context.

Action RPG appeal: Reviewers consistently recommend the game to fans of action RPGs and challenging combat. It's described as one of the best action JRPGs with great music and gameplay.

Buy on sale: Several reviewers advise waiting for a sale before purchasing. The game is considered good value at a discount, with mentions of specific price points like 3.6 Euros or $15 being reasonable but better on sale.

Difficulty advice: Many reviews discuss the game's difficulty and recommend appropriate settings. Common advice includes playing on easy or normal for first-timers, especially those unfamiliar with bullet hell or grinding.

Community fair range: $12.00 - $15.00.

Game completion: 14.0h.

Story completion: 5.0h.

The game provides an enjoyable experience in its first few hours with satisfying combat and progression, but later becomes frustrating due to difficulty spikes and tedious level grinding, causing a drop in enjoyment.

Friction: Difficulty spike in final dungeon; Level system becomes tedious; Unclear required level; Grinding required to progress; Scarce save points in late game.

Ys Series Veteran: Methodical, willing to grind for levels, adjusts difficulty to match previous series experience, and enjoys boss-heavy gameplay. Motivation: Continue experiencing the Ys series with refined gameplay and challenging bosses. Stance: buy.

Challenge Seeker: Aggressive, pattern-learning, embraces grind as part of improving, often starts at higher difficulties. Motivation: To overcome brutal boss fights and experience rewarding difficulty. Stance: buy.

Time-Constrained Casual: Plays on lower difficulties, minimizes grind, focuses on story and exploration, values efficiency. Motivation: To enjoy a short, tightly-paced action RPG without filler content. Stance: buy.

Steam Deck: Ys: The Oath in Felghana generally runs well on Steam Deck, but a significant number of users report that default Proton fails to play cutscene videos, requiring the installation of GE-Proton to fix this. Overall performance is good, but the need for a custom Proton version edges the experience into the 'tinkering required' category.

Linux and Proton: The user reviews indicate excellent Linux/Proton compatibility. One review suggests using the latest GE-Proton to ensure the ending video plays, but confirms no issues until the end after that. Another review states the game works great out of the box on Steam Deck, including the previously problematic movie. No major Linux-specific problems are reported.

Nostalgia skewed rating: A reviewer noted that their rating was heavily influenced by nostalgia for the game. This suggests the game may not objectively meet modern standards but appeals to sentimental players.

Chinese translation patch at Keylol: A Chinese translation patch is available on the Keylol platform. This is useful for non-Japanese players who want to experience the game in Chinese.

Request for Memoire PC upgrade: A user requested that the Memoire feature be upgraded or made available to PC players. This indicates a desire for improved or additional content on the platform.

Japanese voice patch compatibility issue: A Japanese voice patch exists but cannot be used simultaneously with another patch, likely the Chinese translation. This creates a limitation for players wanting both voice and text localization.