Review: Ys: Memories of Celceta

I struggled for hours with Ys. It took all of my will-power to stay away from the vast hallways of knowledge that is the Internet but eventually I simply could not take it any longer and I cracked. Opening Google, I was able to find my answer – Ys is indeed pronounced ‘ease’.

There, I said it. Now we can actually move onto the game.

Memories of Celceta is the fourth game in the Ys series – but actually, it isn’t. The original creators of the franchise, Falcom, initially didn’t make a Ys IV. Instead they farmed out the projects after Ys III to other developers who created their own versions of the title. Now, Falcom have finally got around to creating a new game of their own and it has come to the little handheld that could… do with more good games.

As you can tell from my opening anecdote, I do not have much experience with the franchise. This didn’t impact my enjoyment though as the game starts with the series’ main character, Adol, stumbling into a town, suffering from amnesia. The gaming clichés don’t stop there however. After recovering in the town’s hotel, Adol is informed of a monster outbreak in the nearby mines. Feeling a sudden burst of courage, he enters the tunnels to face the danger (displaying some of his former character traits, apparently).

An old acquaintance of Adol’s, Duren – an information dealer by trade – accompanies him and after defeating the creatures and saving the trapped miners, the two heroes are granted an audience with the area’s leader, Griselda. They are offered the quest to create a map of Celceta – the dangerous nearby forest that Adol was found stumbling out of. With the chance to regain his memories, and for Duren to make some money, they set off – not to save the world but to become cartographers.

The structure is relatively formulaic – you enter a town to pick up supplies and information, movie into another area of the forest, eventually find a dungeon or cave to explore and conquer, before finding another settlement to call home for a while. Along the way, you will encounter a large variety of enemies and an eclectic mix of allies too. Seeing as you are encouraged not only by the rewards you get but the story itself to explore the various regions, the game-world and characters are interesting enough to keep the experience fun.

To be honest, the visuals are not exactly mind-blowing. The character art seems to be quite low on the polygon count, at least compared to other games on the system. Regardless, the game still looks good with its vibrant colour palette and lush environments. The anime aesthetic and character design also make each ally and enemy distinctive and interesting.

Being an action RPG, combat is an important aspect of the game-play. Here, Falcom have made some really good design decisions. Firstly, you have basic attack and combos moves, known as Skills, which are easy to pull off. Then, there are certain attack types which have varying success against different enemies – Slash, Strike and Pierce. The game is very clear and concise about telling you exactly what works and what doesn’t, allowing you to change tactics quickly and maintain the fast-paced combat. Finally, you have EXTRA moves, specific to each ally, which can decimate your opponents (so they are best saved for boss battles or larger enemies).

While attacking is important, defence is vital to progression. Dodging enemy attacks takes skill, as timing it just right opens them up for even more damage. Some of the bigger foes also release some devastating moves which can ruin your day so constant movement and selecting the best equipment can help you immensely.

One of the weaker aspects of the gameplay is actually not in your control – specifically the ally AI. There are times when they make some decisions in combat that are truly infuriating but that is only the case because the combat is so good in the first place, even minor mistakes can mean you lose. The game is also not revolutionary in any way. From the story to the exploration mechanics, Memories of Celceta never steps out of its comfort zone. These are minor quibbles but they exist nonetheless.

While it doesn’t trump Persona 4: Golden in the ‘best game’ on Vita stakes, Ys: Memories of Celceta is certainly good enough to rank highly in the list. Though it won’t win any ‘most innovative’ awards either, what it does, it does well.

If you own a Vita and feel like having an adventure, this game is for you.