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GAME TITLE
:
Ys: The Oath in Felghana
PLATFORM
:
Steam
DEVELOPED BY
:
Nihon Falcom
TRANSLATED BY
:
XSEED Games
PUBLISHED BY
:
XSEED Games
ENGINE
:
Napishtim Engine
RELEASE DATE
:
March 19, 2012
Reflections of Ys
By Jessie Cooper

By the time I played The Oath in Felghana I was already thoroughly enthralled in the Ys series. Loading up Felghana had the same amazing thrills of each game before it, and those that would come after. The point of high excitement hit me early when I realized Dogi had finally gotten a more substantial role in the story. If you played the games chronologically in the order of Adol's age (I, II, Celceta, Felghana), you'd share my sentiment. I immediately noticed Felghana had the amazing musical scores, stunning visual storytelling, action-packed gameplay, and the same rewarding sense of accomplishment I had come to expect from a Ys game.

It's worth noting that the two versions of The Oath in Felghana (PlayStation and Steam) have one major difference that may be a deciding factor for most players: voice acting, which is exclusive to the PlayStation port. If you are planning to play Felghana for the first time, I personally recommend going with the PlayStation version (cross-buy for PSP, Vita and PSTV). Felghana on Steam has its high perks, such as high definition visuals, but the... dare I say... FANTASTIC voice acting is not to be missed. Some would argue the performance, but I, along with many others, absolutely loved the voice acting. My only gripe was Margo's voice, which sounded very out of place and somewhat cringe-worthy. Luckily she played a very minor role. Although the Steam version was released two years after the PSP release, the original Japanese PC version predated both and did not have voice acting. This Steam port was based on that original Japanese release, which is why it didn't support voice. For the very same reason, the Steam version does not have the boost ability (super attack), which is available only on PlayStation. This also makes the Steam version much more challenging in comparison.

There are 30 achievements exclusive to The Oath in Felghana on Steam. I don't recommend viewing the descriptions until you're in New Game+ as they may include potential spoilers. The biggest perk of the Steam version is the ability to play in high definition. When I booted up the game, I immediately set the graphics to match the resolution and size of my screen. The visuals were stunning and the game quality never failed to impress me.

The Oath in Felghana was the second game to use the Napishtim engine, which meant I was collecting items, using them to enhance my gameplay, and constantly trying to see where I could and could not jump or fall. I love the expanded movement that the Napishtim engine allowed, compared to the linear side-scrolling gameplay found in the earlier renditions of Ys III (Wanderers of Ys). Much like when I played Ys Origin for the first time, which shares the same engine as Felghana, I spent a lot of time intentionally pushing across or down pits in the terrain to see what I could find. I was equally invested in the story, the conversations I was having with each NPC, and my ability to traverse the map to places unknown. The Oath in Felghana is another amazing installment in the Ys series, especially if you're a fan of Dogi. It was also really interesting to study even more lore that tied to the Eldeen and the monstrosities created by Ash Emelas.








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