Ys Origin

I don’t know whether to feel happy or a little melancholic now that I’ve finally caught up with most of the older Ys games. As someone who adores old school action RPGs and holds a deep love for the early 2000s era of Ys, I know I’m going to miss the simplicity and atmosphere of these games dearly. I adored Ys I & II, and Oath in Felghana was so addictive that it quickly became one of my all time favorites.
Ys games just have a gentle, simple, and nostalgic charm that never fails to captivate me. In a way they feel reminiscent of the pre-BOTW Zelda games, and I genuinely can’t think of higher praise than that. They embody the pure feeling of adventure, and the simplicity of the gameplay only enhances that. Ys Origin is no different. If anything, it’s a huge step up from The Ark of Napishtim, and I couldn’t be happier about it. There are no overly complex combat mechanics or convoluted upgrade systems, just a beautifully streamlined experience that hits the perfect balance between exploration and action. You’re not mindlessly running in a straight line, but you’re also never overwhelmed by aimless wandering. This simplicity is what makes the game so enjoyable.
The movement is fast and fluid, making even the act of engaging in combat incredibly fun. Every attack flows seamlessly into the next, slashing through hordes of enemies is endlessly satisfying, especially with an awesome soundtrack that takes the experience to the next level.
After loving most of the older Ys games, I can say without a doubt that the Ys games from the 2000s are among my favorite games. I can only hope that the later entries manage to capture the same magic that made these classics so special.

Very enjoyable gameplay and story with GREAT soundtrack. Works great on Steam Deck without any tinkering.

This game is AWESOME. It tells an amazing 700 year prequel story to Ys I, with fantastic protagonists and moments throughout all three routes. I love the gameplay a ton, this is one of the most fun dungeon crawlers I've ever played. The music is so so so excellent, as well.

I got the game while on sale so it was a great deal imo.
The game is pretty old but i think its still fine to play.
I just have a few bosses I hated not because its difficult but its just annoying.
In fact, I think the majority of bosses are kinda annoying in a way that
you cant just dps them but have to follow their patterns no matter what.
But I understand the game is old so there is no variation in gameplay.
Still it was decent.
I'm ready for the full series train run c:

I went into this game expecting a fun action combat gameplay experience. I came out with more than just that. This game brought out some emotions I thought I wouldn’t have going into the fairly dated Ys games, and I loved it.
I have been replaying the Ys games in canonical order based off the Digital Emelas site, as I played most of the games without too much thought on the lore behind it when I was younger, especially the older Ys III games which are apparently not canon anymore. This decision came after I introduced myself to the Trails series in 2023 and have since been absolutely immersed and almost caught up with that series. I figured Ys would be an enjoyable pure gameplay experience in between Trails games. I didn’t think I’d be so invested in the lore for this series as well, and especially after Ys Origin.
With the release of Ys X: Nordics, I decided that after I finished that game, I would go through the Ys games to understand Adol’s journey a little better and the world itself overall. Ys Origin is the latest completed Ys game I’ve played, following Ys I and II Chronicles, and man, I did not expect a story that would get me emotional haha.
While I am not a fan of having to go through THREE playthroughs to experience the story bits in its entirety, I highly recommend it, maybe not all in one sitting like I did, but perhaps 1 playthrough here, and the other 2 in separate sittings in between other games. My reason for this is how repetitive it is. You are essentially going through the same tower, with a different character and their point of view, and apparently only the third character’s playthrough is the canon route. This much was clear when you go through the second playthrough because certain moments in the game didn’t line up with the previous playthrough such as interactions on certain floors and who obtained the Ys artifacts. I thought it would be something similar to NieR Automata, in which each character’s interaction with each other happens at the same time on all the playthroughs but how they navigated the tower was different, providing a very different gameplay experience on top of their battle styles.
This is probably my only issue with this game, but otherwise, I absolutely love a well done and written narrative that is also simple enough to understand. Not only that, it is definitely a bonus to have played Ys I and II to understand the full picture. I highly recommend it, if you can get over how dated those games are.
It made me look forward to seeing the rest of Adol’s journey. Part of me only wishes we got to see the rest of the lives of the characters in Ys Origin, as this game takes place way before Adol’s journey even begins.

7/10
I wanted to play a Ys game, but I wanted to play as a magic user... so I guess this is my only option! Good early impressions. Good for short-to-medium play sessions as a palate cleanser between other games. Gives heavy Shining Force Neo vibes, which I guess makes sense as it's from the same era.
Pros:
- Music is very good. Not quiiite as good as more modern Ys soundtracks that I listen to on Spotify, but still... Falcom Sound Team ftw
- Combat is fun. It's old school JRPG action, like Secret of Mana or whatever. Kind of addictive to explode enemies and pick up shiny bits they drop
- You can choose between 2 main characters to start with, which I guess is twice the choice you usually get
Mehs:
- Keyboard controls are horrendous. You pretty much have to use a controller, but I expected that to be the case
- Pretty much an endless string of JRPG tropes but almost all JRPGs are. At least I don't have to play as a spiky-haired swordsman in this one
- Power attack is slightly difficult to time correctly. I got used to it, but it also feels like it shouldn't be so wonky
Cons:
- Game could really use a minimap
- Voice acting isn't in English
- Can't skip cutscenes

If you want to just unwind for 30 minutes after work before your workout, this is your game. Just download the community control configuration that gives you auto fire and go to town. I rarely play games a second time but I will certainly finish with all three characters.