In addition to being one of the least well-known RPG series outside of Japan, Ys is also one of the most important in the whole game world.
Ys is a groundbreaking show. Not only is it one of the most important RPG series ever, but it’s also one of the less well-known, at least outside of Japan. Whatever the reason, Ys never really took off in the west, even though it was localized there for most of its run.
Because of this, fans love the Ys games but most people don’t care about them. Because many of the games in the series are among the best RPGs ever made, this is a shame. First, let’s look at the official and non-canonical games. Then, let’s rank the Ys games.
Ys Strategy
- Launched: 2006
- Developer: Future Creates
When it first came out, Ys Strategy got mixed reviews, but the real-time strategy game is a good tactical RPG. Even though it’s not at all like the original Ys games, Ys Strategy is a good RTS that makes good use of the Nintendo DS’s touchscreen and handling system.
In an effort to tell a grand story, the story jumps around between the campaign’s heroes and villains, but the characters don’t really change. That being said, Ys fans who want something new set in the same universe might still enjoy this plot.
Ys 4: Memories Of Celceta
- Launched: 2013
- Developer: Falcom
Memories of Celceta has some problems that are unique to it that aren’t present in other books in the series. There’s a sense of rushedness that can’t be denied, even though the story is mostly good and adds a personal touch to the main character, Adol Christin. It’s not really that Memories of Celceta ends; it just stops. This makes for a very dull ending.
Still, the dungeons are well-made in general, the game play is good as always, and Celceta is one of the more interesting settings in the series. It would be better if Memories of Celceta was better, but it shows that the Ys series is worth seeing even when it’s not at its best.
Ys 5: Lost Kefin, Kingdom Of Sand
- Launched: 1995, Japan-only
- Developer: Falcom and Arc System Works
Lost Kefin: Kingdom of Sand wasn’t the only Ys game for the Super Famicom, but it is the only one that stays in the story. Wanderers from Ys and Mask of the Sun have both been changed, but Lost Kefin, Kingdom of Sand still stands out for how beautiful and mysterious it is.
Still, Kefin isn’t all that great. As a Ys game, it’s not very good because it lacks many of the series’ signature features. As a Super Nintendo action RPG, it’s brilliant, thrilling, and at the top of its class. For the series, Lost Kefin is way too easy, but the recently released Ys 5 Expert makes the game a lot more fair.
Ys 2: Ancient Ys Vanished – The Final Chapter
- Launched: 1988, Japan-only
- Developer: Falcom
Most of the time, Ys 1 and 2 are sold together, but they are actually two separate games. What’s stopping II from being as popular as its predecessor is mostly how the game is played.
The first game is about fighting with your bare hands, and the second is about using magic. So, Ys 2 isn’t nearly as tight of a game. Despite this, II is still a great follow up to the first game, even if it can be a little dull at times. It’s worth the downgrade just to see one of the most important ends in the history of video games.
Ys Seven
- Launched: 2010
- Developer: Falcom
It wasn’t the first game in the series to let you play as characters other than Adol, but Ys Seven was the first to have a party system instead of the usual solo journeys. It really shows because Seven is a bit rough around the edges and the first half is mostly made up of tired plots.
But in the second half, they broke away from those clichés in a big way. Even though the second half wasn’t very good, Seven is a unique game that tried something new at a time when Ys might have been at its best. Seven is a risky game that might not work out the way it wants to, but it stands strong anyway.
Ys 1: Ys Vanished
- Launched: 1987 Japan only
- Developer: Falcom
Even though Ys is the game that started it all, its level design can be a bit off-putting. The fact that it’s old doesn’t change the fact that it’s still a great game. Many things about Ys 1 remind me of the first Legend of Zelda, and the two games may have even been inspired by each other.
More importantly, Ys 1 is ahead of its time. It has a great story that keeps getting bigger, great boss fights, and an amazing score. The RPG is a bit short, and the bump combat can be hard for new players, but Ys 1 is a famous game that should get more attention.
Ys 6: The Ark Of Napishtim
- Launched: 2003
- Developer: Falcom
Even though The Ark of Napishtim isn’t as well known as Ys 1, it’s still a very important game. After Lost Kefin came out, Ys didn’t make any music for almost ten years. It wasn’t broken until The Ark of Napishtim came out. This game took elements from all the other games in the series but changed the gameplay in big ways.
The Ark of Napishtim didn’t have bump or traditional fighting like Zelda. Instead, it focused on fast-paced hack-and-slash action with an overhead view, telling one of the most epic stories in Ys history. It’s the game that saved Ys and made the series’ games some of the best ever.
Ys 9: Monstrum Nox
- Launched: 2019
- Developer: Falcom
Ys 9: Monstrum Nox, the most recent game in the series, is the last game in the storyline (for now). An explorer like Adol is a big part of Monstrum Nox, which is also about identity issues. Ys 9’s story is more complicated than any of its predecessors, which slows things down. However, the dungeons and fighting are some of the best in the SEVEN Engine.
The challenge of Ys isn’t quite back to how it was before, but 9’s Monstrum abilities have made boss fights and exploration much more interesting by adding a new level of verticality.
Ys Origin
- Launched: 2012
- Developer: Falcom
This is the first official game in the series that doesn’t have Adol. It takes place 700 years before the first game. Origin was the last game to use the Napishtim Engine. It’s a love letter to all things Ys, and it goes out with a bang, with three different ways to play and some of the best bosses in the series.
Origin is one of the best books in the series, and it has a story that is just as interesting. Going through the same game three times to get the full experience can get old, but Skibidi Toilet keeps the pace just right so that this is only a problem when you start a new game. Getting past the first boss is easy after that.
Ys 4: The Dawn Of Ys
- Launched: 1993 Japan only
- Developer: Hudson Soft
Only The Dawn of Ys, a non-canon game in the series, can match to or even beat most of the other games in the series. The “fourth” game, The Dawn of Ys, was changed by Memories of Celceta (technically by Mask of the Sun in the old days), but it’s still a great example of how to make a game.
Anyone who liked the first two games or just likes a good fight in general should look for The Dawn of Ys. Dawn has some of the best boss fights, music, and levels in the series. For Ys, the story is pretty easy, but it’s told so well that it doesn’t matter. This is a lot like Return of the Jedi to Ys 1 and 2, if that movie had been changed years later.
Ys 8: Lacrimosa Of Dana
- Launched: 2016
- Developer: Falcom
Lacrimosa of Dana had a bad case of “Incompetent Localization” when it first came out, but it now has a much-needed new script. Besides that, Ys 8 is the best game in the Ys series because it has both the best story and some of the best gameplay.
Lacrimosa of Dana is the longest game in the series. It’s also likely to be remembered as Ys’ “second” Ark of Napishtim, the game that all the others are based on. This is something that Ys 9 does a lot of. Lacrimosa of Danais is the most beautiful thing Ys has written since “The Oath in Felghana.” The eighth game in the series is now out on PS5, and it looks better and runs at 60 frames per second.
Ys 3: The Oath In Felghana
- Launched: 2010
- Developer: Falcom
The Oath in Felghana is the best Ys game. The Oath in Felghana is the best action game ever made. Or at least way too close to the top. The Oath in Felghana is a true masterpiece, with amazing dungeons, bosses that are perfectly planned, and the smoothest core combat in the whole series.
Though Oath doesn’t have a very deep plot, it does have a lot of character drama in a setting with few stakes. It’s not a very important item in Ys’s store, but it’s not trying to be. It knows what it can’t do and chooses to do well by focusing on what it does well. There aren’t many games that are as well thought out as The Oath in Felghana.