Review for Ys Origin. Game for PC, PlayStation Vita, PlayStation 4, Xbox One and Nintendo Switch, the video game was released on 21/12/2006 The version for PC came out on 31/05/2012 The version for Nintendo Switch came out on 01/10/2020 The version for PlayStation 4 came out on 21/02/2017 The version for Xbox One came out on 11/04/2018
Despite being one of the pillars of the JRPG genre, at one point Ys had risked disappearing from Western markets. Fortunately she intervened XSEED Games, which in this decade has located five titles (six, to be picky, since one of them is a collection containing Ys I and Ys II) belonging to the series, before passing the baton to NIS America, who will deal with Ys VIII: Lacrimosa of Dana.
Among these games also falls Ys Origin, released at home at the end of 2006 and arrived in the West only in 2012, again on PC.
DotEmu has seen fit to bring the game to PlayStation 4 and PS Vita (the latter version will be available from next May 30th). The software house has already worked on Ys, creating the iOS and Android versions of the first two chapters of the saga.
The origins of evil
In the Ys timeline, Origin takes the top spot by serving as a prequel to Adol's adventures: a rather distant chapter, since it narrates events of seven hundred years prior to the events of Ys I: Ancient Ys Vanished, the progenitor of the series.
The land of Ys is threatened by an invasion of demons, then the two goddesses Feena and Reah decide to use the enormous magical power of the Black Pearl to bring the Temple of Solomon, where the population has taken refuge, to heaven. The demons for their part do not stand idle on the contrary, they begin to build a tower to reach the humans. The events start from the disappearance of the two goddesses and the Black Pearl: the alarmed inhabitants of Ys set up a search team that has the very dangerous task of returning to the surface of the earth to bring home the goddesses and the magical object.
The player is asked to choose between two characters, both belonging to the above team. This obviously involves a certain differentiation of the plot even if the main joints are the same. Not that the plot constitutes one of the major attractions of a series that has never liked to get lost in chatter, especially up to the seventh chapter; anyway, Origin provides interesting background information on the world of Ys (Darm Tower, Black Pearl and twin goddesses, in particular), which fans are sure to like.
A game that has aged well
Despite the years on the rump, Ys Origin has aged very well. Obviously, this does not mean that it is a splendor to the eye, still being a title (certainly not a high budget) from over ten years ago; in particular, the low-resolution FMV sequences appear rather clumsy. With the above statement we were referring instead to the gameplay, which has always been the most refined aspect of the series.
Controls and battle system closely resemble Ys VI: The Ark of Napishtim and Ys: The Oath in Felghana, which not long preceded the release of Ys Origin, but the variety is guaranteed by the multiple characters, each of which has peculiarities in plot point (even some bosses differ), moveset, skills and equipment. The first two characters, Yunica and Hugo, can be selected from the beginning, while a third is unlocked after beating the game with the other two (small difference compared to the PC version), but this requirement shouldn't scare you, since one playthrough can last less than eight hours. Indeed, it is possible to get extra versions of the three characters and even Adol (Napishtim version and Felghana version), but only to play in the Arena and not for the main quest. All this post-game greatly benefits longevity, offsetting the limited length of the story.
The elements of item management and character development are minimal, as tradition dictates. Each hero will have only one weapon, six armor and six low protections available during the game; they can be enhanced, but this only affects the single attack or defense parameter - the only ones existing on the other hand - without adding any bonuses. Typical items that crowd JRPG inventories (such as potions) can only be picked up from the ground and used instantly, but cannot be forfeited.
There are no skill trees or other abstruse development systems: the bonuses - let's take some examples: increase in speed, lower MP consumption - are conveyed by blessings, which can be unlocked from the save points by spending the appropriate SP points. Attack skills are also reduced: in addition to attacks, whether physical or magical, there are three skills linked to as many objects and nothing else. Ys Origin, like all its predecessors, aims at a simple but challenging gameplay (excluding from this discourse the difficulty levels below the normal one), especially in the battles against the massive bosses.
What is rewarded is not so much the perseverance of those who train and upgrade their equipment (even if increasing the attack power of the weapons is essential in order not to stretch the boss battles excessively), but the dexterity of those who are able to assimilate patterns quickly and processing the appropriate countermeasures just as quickly.
The porting
This version of the game was made by DotEmu based on that release on Steam in 2012, so it includes widescreen, high definition and gamepad support (of course ..., Ed), the Trophies (not perfectly coinciding with the Steam Achievements), all the additions of the expansion released in 2007 and the English translation of (rectius, purchased by) XSEED Games.
The only significant addition is that of the German, French, Spanish and Italian translations, most likely made from the English one and not from the original Japanese script. The writer has tested only the Spanish translation, which seemed to us free of unforgivable errors (I put my hands on: as a "veteran", every now and then I skipped a little bit ..., Ed).
The quality of the port is not excellent: in a dozen hours of play we have not encountered major technical problems - if not a freeze after a game over and the classic character that gets stuck in a corner, but it was enough to teleport with the Crystal to remedy the problem - even if we have to give account of reports from the web concerning other bugs, sound problems and some drop in frame rate.
Considering that the launch price (€ 19,99) is a little higher than that of the PC version - especially the Steam one, which costs € 15,99 - it was reasonable to expect something more, but DotEmu is working on an update.
Despite carrying ten years on its shoulders, Ys Origin is still very enjoyable, thanks to its classic and frenetic gameplay, which seeks a greater variety than in the past thanks to the three playable characters (plus a fourth secret…). However, the PS4 version suffers from imperfect porting and a slightly higher price point than the PC version, so it is only recommended for those who are PC gaming junkies.
► Ys Origin is a JRPG-Adventure type game developed by Nihon Falcom Corporation and published by Nihon Falcom Corporation DotEmu Marvelous USA for PC, PlayStation Vita, PlayStation 4, Xbox One and Nintendo Switch, the game was released on 21/12/2006 The version for PC came out on 31/05/2012 The version for Nintendo Switch came out on 01/10/2020 The version for PlayStation 4 came out on 21/02/2017 The version for Xbox One came out on 11/04/2018
