Episode 64: Ys: The Oath in Felghana

Ys: The Oath in Felghana is a remake of a beloved NES title - Ys III: Wanderers From Ys. Oath takes the essential story beats of the original, but the gameplay has received a radical transformation, in almost every way. The original 2D sidescrolling has been expanded into the realm of 3D, and even swaps to a full-on isometric view in parts of the dungeons and most boss fights. Healing items drop from enemies instead of being inventory items, attacks combo and stunlock enemies, and platforming is now a significant part of the experience. The game now plays like a mixup between Diablo and Furi, with fast combat and a light RPG touch.

But can this curious blend still be fun to play all these years later? Do the RPG systems add anything substantial to the experience, or is it just leftover baggage from the original game? And can boss fight design more than 15 years old possibly stand up to Pat and James’ modern standards?

On this episode, we discuss:

• Ys: Oath of Felghana has some basic RPG systems - levelling up, and acquiring new gear to become stronger. Do these systems add anything to the gameplay experience, or would the game be better with it completely removed?
• Oath has simple, but fast and fluid combat. Is it fun to mow down hordes of enemies, or does it sink into being repetitive?
• We take our time breaking down some of our favourite and least favourite boss battles. What is it we like and dislike about Oath’s boss fights, and what do modern games have to learn from them?

We answer these questions and many more on the 64 episode of the Retro Spectives Podcast!

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Intro Music: KieLoBot - Tanzen K

Outro Music: Rockit Maxx - One point to another

Oath OST: Mieko Ishikawa and Yukihiro Jindo (Arrangement)

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Is Ys: Oath of Felghana the best of the entire Ys series, or are we neglecting the early era classics? Are our criticisms of the RPG systems justified, or do we just need to git gud? What is your favourite or least favourite boss, and do you agree with our selections? Come join the discussion, and let us know what you think on our community discord server!