Ys: The Oath in Felghana is an action RPG driven by fast-paced combat and paired with an intricate puzzle-filled world.
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Every time I’ve beaten an Ys game I’ve been a little more enraptured in the series. This one, for me, has all the charm and wonderful gameplay of Origins but in the mainline Ys format (it’s a remake of the 3rd game). I don’t normally put a lot of stock into the story but the ending for this one was uniquely moving and beautiful. One of several titles worth playing on Vita (even tho its a psp game) if you can swing it.
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Ys: The Oath of Felghana is an amazing game. From start to almost finished I was invested in the characters stories and the gameplay equally. In the end the gameplay left a sour taste in my mouth because the final boss is downright awful. The story has many twists and turns and the characters are all well written. The overall lore is slightly expanded and this story holds a place in my heart. Definitely a 9/10 game.
The highlight of Adol Christin’s PSP adventures, Felghana offers the perfect blend of action, platforming and story to make it a true classic.
Developer Nihon Falcom Publisher
Nihon Falcom; XSEED
Franchise Ys Genre Action; Role-playing PSTV Yes PSN EU/NA
World-building & Story
On a trip to regular travelling companion Dogi’s hometown of Redmont, flame-haired adventurer and drama magnet Adol Christin quickly finds himself embroiled in events that have repercussions throughout the land of Felghana.
Each of these plot threads leads into the overarching story of Oath in Felghana, which is very stereotypical but provides an interesting enough narrative thread to make exploring this land an outright joy. You’ll cross paths with numerous villains including the mysterious Dularn and power-hungry Lord Maguire, explore hidden ruins to find long-forgotten statues with immense power and eventually tackle a resurrection plot decades in the making. None of it surprised me, but it’s all compelling.
Presentation & Sound
While you can tell that it isn’t quite of the same generation graphically as some other PSP JRPG’s, Oath in Felghana has moments that stand out and overall, the presentation is more than good enough for the type of game it wants to be.
It’s environments that are lacking here. Redmont is a cosy and quaint town to start in, but things like caverns and mines generally feature boring textures and nothing to really make them stand out. They’re all based on tropes such as fire or ice too, but at least Felghana makes the most of this with environmental hazards to avoid and there are moments of beauty like when you’re running across the rooftops of Valestein castle at sunset. I would highlight that boss battles are always an incredible spectacle that look better than anything else – they play with perspective in interesting ways too.
Soundtrack highlight – Seal of Time
Gameplay & Content
Mixing action and platforming in a way that I’ve seen few JRPG’s attempts and even fewer pull off, Oath in Felghana is a wholehearted triumph and I do have to say that I really miss this era of Falcom design as it is generally unmatched in the modern market.
See, as you quest you’ll unlock brackets which can be equipped (and changed with R) allowing you to chuck fireballs, unleash a wind-attack spin or an earth-powered charge (or powered-up versions of the above). Utilising these well is essential and both normal mobs and bosses will require you to weave these in to beat them. For example, a mob may be immune to all damage other than fire or have a shield you need to break with your charge, so you’ll need to be on your toes when fighting.
It’s worth noting that the difficulty level in Oath in Felghana is on the higher side, but in a very good way. Every attack from enemies is visually shown before it comes and you’ll always have the tools in your kit to defeat them, but figuring it out can be half the battle. The boss design is very much built around learning their patterns then repeating and thankfully you’re given the option to restart them if you fail – meaning no boring backtracking from save points.
You’ll find that magic factors into this too as the whirlwind spin can be used to get extra distance across a jump which you’ll need at various points to progress, or you might need to use the charge to get more vertical height to scale a wall. I loved this and it does factor into boss design too – one slams the ground which launches platforms in the air and using the spin can get you closer to him to attack, while the charge gives invincibility frames that can be used to dodge floor hazards if you’re struggling. Everything here feels incredibly well thought out.
Defeated enemies drop things like exp boosts as well as gold, which in turn can be spent on new weapons and items. There’s not a tonne of nuance here but an item called raval ore can be used to upgrade armour and the base town of Redmont has side quests that give various rewards. There aren’t a tonne of these though, as it only took around ten and a half hours to finish my first playthrough of Felghana.
Conclusion
Among the best games Falcom have ever released (which in itself is a high bar to pass), Oath in Felghana is the apex of their platformer-RPG design. It features some intense boss battles, brilliant combat, intricate dungeons and a story that’s easy to digest. If you love the series on Vita, please make sure you don’t miss out on this backwards-compatible PSP gem.
How long to beat Oath in Felghana?
When focusing on the main objectives, Ys: The Oath in Felghana is about 11 Hours in length. If you're a gamer that strives to see all aspects of the game, you are likely to spend around 18 Hours to obtain 100% completion.
What is the plot of the oath in Felghana?
Essentially, The Oath in Felghana retells the story of Adol journey to Dogi's home village of Redmont, and his entangling with the darling Elena and her insidious brother Chester. While the basic plot is exactly the same, it's fleshed out much more to make it fit in better with the world of Ys.