| Ys is a video game series created by Japanese developer Nihon Falcom Corporation (The Legend of Heroes, Brandish, Dragon Slayer, Xanadu, etc) and is widely considered the Godfather of Japanese Role Playing Games. It stands on a well-aged and respected pedestal along with Dragon Quest (Father of JRPGs) and Final Fantasy as one of the pioneering video games for the role-playing genre, circa 1987. It also pre-dates Final Fantasy by a few months in Japan. Final Fantasy went mainstream, and Dragon Quest is catching up (we wish Square-Enix would promote it more outside of Japan), but Ys is still considered one of the most niche JRPGs to this very day. There are currently 10 canonical games in the series officially localized in English, mostly available on PlayStation platforms and PC. Unlike games like Final Fantasy and The Legend of Zelda, the Ys series follows the adventures of a single character, a boy named Adol as he grows up. |
Final Fantasy [numbered] games are mostly independent stories that may branch out into sequels and spin-offs. The Legend of Zelda series canonically tells the tale of a reincarnated Hero. The Ys series has a single narrative that follows journals written by Adol's hand, with the exception of Ys Origin, which takes place centuries before Adol was born.
Many of the Ys games have been remade and remastered several times. To fully appreciate the series, we recommend playing the most recent versions of each game, which have officially replaced all previous versions rendering past iterations obsolete. However, the older games do have historical relevance and are enjoyable as they are. The following is a chart of the most current Ys games and ways to play them: |
Please note: Ys X releases October 25, 2024 in the west. Ys Memoire The Oath in Felghana releases early 2025 in the west.
What is the appeal of Ys?
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Ys is a series that rewards players with its fantastic lore and action-packed gameplay. Battles are in real time (not turn-based) and are incredibly fast-paced. The games are never met with a rushed development and take months to polish, something that is severely lacking in most of modern gaming development. Ever since Nihon Falcom created the series back in 1987, they've poured every ounce of their energy into its music, story, graphics, art, design and gameplay. Unlike other games, there is not just one or two titles within the series that are praised above all others. Each Ys game is incredibly robust and is favourited across the board by fans around the world. It all comes down to the contents of Adol's journals and the 4th-wall-breaking storytelling that is consistent throughout the entire series. If you missed the monologue on the main page of our website, here it is again: a 3 minute audio drama that serves as an introduction to Ys. We hope you enjoy it:
Edited by Limfinite. Music © Nihon Falcom Corporation. © Digital Emelas. |
I'm new to Ys. Where do I start?
| There are many points of entry when jumping into the Ys series, and there isn't really a wrong game to start with, but we do recommend you begin your journey with Adol's first adventure: Ys I. This is explained in great detail in the sections below. The latest version of Ys I is included in a bundle pack called Ys I & II Chronicles. Although each Ys game is technically developed with a self-contained story, Falcom developed the series with deep lore and overarching narrative that is gradually explained in a very specific order. A player can choose to enter the Ys series with any game, but this decision would ultimately lead to that person either casually liking the series... or fall absolutely in love with it. | Our mission here at Digital Emelas is to spread awareness and optimize one's appreciation for the Ys series. Furthermore, we do not want new players to be discouraged by the difficulty of the first two Ys games. It is imperative to know that it is quite common for players to sample Ys I and quit within the first 30 minutes, passing judgment before actually understanding it. If you're discouraged, try playing the game on EASY first as it does not affect the story in any way. In fact, this rule applies to every Ys game: playing on easy doesn't affect the plot ~ and games are meant to be enjoyed. Another important note about Ys I & II is that you can save at ANY POINT, so take advantage of this. |
In what order should I play Ys?
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It is important to know that Ys games are numbered in the order of when Adol's journals are found, which you see above. These are also game development numbers with the exception of Ys Origin (developed much later). For example, Ys X may be the latest journal recovered, but is actually Adol's third adventure chronologically. Ys Origin is not written by Adol, but is an in-universe book that tells of events 700 years before Adol was born.
We propose one of the following THREE charts when deciding the order in which to play the Ys series. Refer to the map above and the number, along with the name of each title. The gameplay would be unaffected any way you choose, but players who value a fully immersive and cohesive narrative experience would do well to follow the STORY PATH. Ys I & II is bundled in a single pack called "Chronicles". The Ys IX Prequel story "The Lost Sword" was a novella bundled with the Ys IX Limited Edition. It is a side-story and does not weigh heavily on the overall canon, but does explain why Adol continues to lose his legendary weapons after each adventure. You'll be fine to skip this book if you cannot find it. Lastly, Ys V is the only mainline game that has yet to be officially localized outside of Japan and fans are hoping for a future remake. The events of Ys V does not play a major role in the overall canon. For those wanting to start with the newest entry in the series: Yes, Ys X is an excellent entry point. It is one of the earliest chronological adventures in the series and does not spoil any previous games. |
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The Story Path will gradually introduce you to the lore as you progress through the series. Sit back and enjoy Adol's life as it unfolds. With this route, you will understand all references, world building and character relations. Many of the newer games openly discuss events and characters from canon. For example, within the first 5 minutes of Ys X, characters talk about Adol leaving Esteria (the previous chronological game) and that he's making his way to Celceta (the next chronological game). The story of Ys VIII is far removed from the rest of the series and widely considered the most stand-alone entry. Ys VIII can be played at any time but before Ys IX, while Ys IX itself heavily weighs on knowledge from nearly every game in the series. In fact, many of Adol's past adventures are the DIRECT REASON for the events in Ys IX.
Some would argue that each Ys game has a completely self-contained story. While this may be true for each of Adol's individual journals, there is an overarching canon that spans the entire series because each journal is written by the same man, and is often missed by casual players who do not experience his earlier tales. Since Felghana (Ys 3 remake), Celceta (Ys 4 remake) and Origin were made long after Napishtim (Ys 6), Falcom retconned most of what happened in their original releases and intentionally planned for the games to be played in a NEW chronological order, NOT release order. In our interview with Kondo-san, President of Falcom, he explains that there are usually three people responsible for all the text in a Ys game, with one person in charge of the lore. We're still referencing the material we made at that time when we make a new Ys game." To clarify, the recommended Story Path would be Ys I, II, Origin, Nordics (X), Celceta (IV), Felghana (III), Lacrimosa (VIII), Napishtim (VI), Seven, reading "The Lost Sword" novella (if you have access to it), then Monstrum Nox (IX). You can also choose to play Lacrimosa (VIII) after Ys Seven if you want to play Ys VIII and IX back-to-back. For further details on story, check out our LORE page (spoiler alert!) that explains this in greater detail. |
| The Release Path is the organic way many long-time fans of the series played the games. The events that take place in Ys VI (Napishtim) are referenced in the remakes of Ys III (Felghana), IV (Celceta) and Ys Origin. To clarify: these games foreshadow Napsihtim, and not the other way around. Napishtim is incredibly lore-heavy. Players who choose the Story Path (above) will find a major reveal when they play Napishtim later, which ties every previous game together. Meanwhile, players who choose the Release Path will learn of the lore much earlier, and piece together each story (Felghana, Celceta and Origin) as they continue in the series. Either way is recommended. Hardcore fans encourage this route and we support this opinion. |
| The Action Path focuses on gameplay over story. Play this route if you don't mind spoilers. The #1 rule of gaming is that you enjoy the games you play, so if you're in it to slay beasts and giant bosses, pick a group above and play the games in any order. Furthermore, we recommend playing Ys I, II and Origin in that specific order. |
Can I try Ys? Are there playable demos?
| Ys VIII: Lacrimosa of Dana, Ys IX: Monstrum Nox, and Ys X: Nordics all have playable demos on PS4, PS5, Nintendo Switch and PC. It is worth noting that Ys X has the lengthiest demo clocking at a solid 6-8 hours, and your save file can be transferred to the full game. Ys Origin also has a playable demo on PC via Steam. Furthermore, game sales are frequent on every platform so its a good idea to add each game to your wishlists. |
The importance of Ys Origin & VI
| Ys Origin was written to be an emotional story that builds itself through character development and is based on themes of love and prophecy. It is recommended that you play Ys Origin before or after Ys I & II, as long as I & II are played back-to-back (which is why the games are often bundled together). Many long-time fans encourage Ys Origin to be played after Ys I & II. Please remember that Ys Origin has three campaigns, with the third "unlocked" character telling the true canonical story that lead to the events of Ys I. This is explained in greater detail below. | Many on our team recommend playing Ys VI: The Ark of Napishtim after completing Ys Origin, Ys I & II Chronicles, Ys: Memories of Celceta, and Ys: The Oath in Felghana. Think of Ys VI: The Ark of Napishtim as "The Avengers" of the Ys series, not by a reunion of characters, but from a culmination of lore that is finally explained. The Avengers can be enjoyed as a stand-alone film, but a viewer with no previous knowledge of the events in the first five films (Iron Man, The Incredible Hulk, Iron Man 2, Thor, and Captain America) would be less immersed compared to someone who had invested the time learning the origins of each character. |
Ys Origin has 3 Campaigns?
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Ys Origin has three playable characters with two accessible from the start. The third character is unlocked by completing the campaign with one character on the PC version or with both characters on the PS4, Vita, XBOX and Switch versions. The first two characters, Yunica and Hugo, offer loose character development that introduce the family traditions passed down by both houses. The unlocked character is the TRUE canonical story that leads to the events of Ys I. Each of the three campaigns can be completed within 5-8 casual hours, with each play-through easier and quicker as you better understand the game (down to 5 hours on the final play-through). Yunica and Hugo's campaign progress very similar, while the unlocked character has a quite different route and experience, with many incredible surprises. We recommend playing all three campaigns with the unlocked character last.
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Why is V skipped on the list?
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How does Ys play?
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Please refer to the following chart numbered by game to match with the system below.   The Bump System plays similar to a Rogue-Like where you push into your enemies to attack. There is no attack button. Imagine bumper cars, but rather than simply bouncing away, you leave a trail of monster blood and guts spilling out behind you. The strategy is to attack off-center. A direct face-to-face confrontation with an enemy would cause Adol damage. This may seem simple at first, but will increasingly become more challenging as enemies become smarter and move faster. This addictive battle system has a casual learning curve of around 1 minute, but please heed the advice of the townsfolk in Ys I: do not confront enemies until you've reached the second town. And remember to save frequently, at any time. Ys II introduces magic such as the ability to shoot fireballs.
 This style of play began with Ys VI: The Ark of Napishtim and was later adapted in the remake of Ys III (The Oath in Felghana) and eventually used in Ys Origin. The game progression plays similar to the top-down Zelda adventures but with the ability to jump and attack in the air. As you progress through the game, you learn spells and find items to defeat bosses. You then use said items to access previously blocked locations on the overworld. Sound familiar, Zelda fans?
 This style of play began with Ys Seven and was later used in the remake of Ys IV (Memories of Celceta), Ys VIII: Lacrimosa of Dana, and Ys IX: Monstrum Nox. Gameplay is incredibly fast-paced, semi open-world, and uses a tag-team party system. Players have multiple attack buttons and variations of each attack, in addition to launchers, juggles and super moves, providing an endless opportunity for combos. As with most open-world games, you begin in a smaller area and gradually gain access to larger portions of the world map.
 This style of play was introduced with Ys X and plays similar to the Party system above, but is shared between two characters rather than a larger party. Cross Action introduces a new mechanic where you can control both characters at the same time.
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The Legend of Ys
The place, not the game
| Have you heard of Atlantis, the lost continent that sunk in the Atlantic Ocean? What about El Dorado, the lost city of gold in South America? There have been many video games based on these mythological locations. However, not many people have heard of the legend of Ys. It is a city from French folklore on the coast of Brittany, France, that was swallowed by the ocean. Have you ever noticed that the introduction of Ys Origin is voiced in French? For more information, check out the Wikipedia page to learn more on the legend. |
How can I help
spread awareness of Ys?
| Buy the games. Play the games. Live the games. Tell your friends about Ys. They'll likely ask you similar questions that were answered on this page. Invite them to visit this website, DigitalEmelas.com, and tell the world how amazing Ys is. If you want see more, follow us on X / TWITTER for all the trivia, art, giveaways, and endless content. If you enjoyed what you read on this page, please let us know! |
