While the main draw of Ys Memoire: The Oath In Felghana is its boss rush ethos, the game is still home to some enjoyable dungeons. There are five dungeons in the game proper, and a few exploration-focused areas that lead into them are heavy on the gameplay enough to be called dungeons themselves.
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Of course, the main reason to make it through Ys Memoire’s dungeons is to get to the boss fights at the end. Just make sure to grind as much as possible while you do so: you’ll need it. Here are the most memorable dungeons in the game.
8
Tigray Quarry
Source Of Raval Ore
This area is your first brush with Ys Memoire: The Oath In Felghana’s dungeon-crawling, hack-and-slash gameplay. You’ll learn quickly to overwhelm enemies before they can get hits in on you. If you’re doing a fresh run, you won’t have any bracelets or special abilities yet, giving you time to get used to the gameplay.
Tigray Quarry ends abruptly after you find a certain key, but it serves its purpose: giving you a taste of the game’s fast pace.
7
lllburns Ruins
Ancient Pagan Site
The Illburns Ruins serve as your first brush with puzzle-solving. Upon obtaining the Ignis bracelet, you’ll notice that certain pathways aren’t open. The solution: lighting unlit torches on the walls using your handy-dandy fireball ring. You’ll also learn what abilities are available to you while jumping and how to time them right.
If you were ready to dismiss Ys Memoire as a low-rent hack-and-slash RPG by now, this dungeon will rekindle your investment. It also ends in a memorable encounter with a character central to the game’s admittedly flimsy plot.
6
Abandoned Mine
The Depths Of Madness
This dungeon might seem unwelcome at first because, having been to the Tigray Quarry already, you might feel that there’s nothing left to explore there. You’d be wrong. The Abandoned Mine provides an extra gameplay challenge due to the darkness therein, while its largely ground-based enemies allow for efficient grinding.
Even after you’re done with this dungeon, you might want to come back once you have the Terra Bracelet. The Abandoned Mine is home to secret treasures that shouldn’t be missed.
5
Elderm Mountains
Largely Undisturbed By Man
Out of the game’s sparse cutscenes, quite a few take place here. You learn of Dogi’s past, meet a hermit who raised Chester, and fight three succubi summoned by a cloaked wizard ninja. All in a day’s work for Adol.
The Elderm Mountains’ true purpose is to prepare you for the Icebound Cave ahead, one of the most dangerous areas in the game. You won’t encounter any slippery terrain in the Elderm Mountains, but you will meet similar enemies as the later dungeon and will know what to expect.
4
Icebound Cave
A Stillness Broken
The Icebound Cave is one of the most difficult areas in the game. In fact, if you’re playing on a lower difficulty, you should turn the No-Fall option on because it’s just less time-consuming that way. The Icebound Cave is filled with dangerous platforming sections, puzzling passages, and dead ends.
Luckily, once you find the Stone Shoes, you’ll have a much easier time exploring. This dungeon also has a veritable smorgasbord of treasures within. It’s very demanding while you’re going through it, but once you’re don,e you’ll feel satisfied.
3
Valestein Castle
Count McGuire’s Stronghold
Out of the non-dungeon dungeons in the game, Valestein Castle is the best one. It has an expansive, labyrinthine design with an ascending central staircase and large drops in-between There is lots of great puzzle-platforming to be had, and the dungeon is designed to make you use all the abilities you’ve learned thus far.
You’ll also encounter NPCs in Valestein Castle. When you find the villainous Count McGuire’s family, be sure to talk to the daughter twice. She will give you a plot-essential item that is never hinted at otherwise. This is a remaster of an old adventure game, after all.
2
Clock Tower
Time To Die
Clock Tower is charming due to its progression-oriented design, where obtaining each statue required for the plot causes a new door to open. It’s largely frustration-free to navigate, although that doesn’t mean it’s easy: your platforming abilities will be tested. You’ll have to pull levers and get cogwheels turning to make your way through.
Clock Tower has some sections that feel like a direct tribute to the Stormy Ascent level in Crash Bandicoot. If it’s an intentional homage, it’s a very clever one.
1
Zone Of Lava
The Escapeless Abyss
Zone Of Lava is the dungeon where Ys Memoire: The Oath In Felghana really comes into its own. It seems like the game designers themselves knew this because all the stars align to create an amazing moment: the story, the music, the environment, and the gameplay.
This dungeon starts with Adol getting kicked off a ledge and falling a long way to the ground below. When he emerges, he’s surrounded by lava and hellish enemies. But does our favorite red-haired underdog give up? No. As if on cue, the invisible rock band that follows Adol around kicks into high gear, providing the perfect heavy metal soundtrack to the best dungeon in the game.
- Released
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January 7, 2025
- Developer(s)
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Nihon Falcom
- Publisher(s)
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Nihon Falcom, XSEED Games
- ESRB
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Teen // Blood, Fantasy Violence, Mild Language, Suggestive Themes
- How Long To Beat
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11 hours
- PS5 Release Date
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January 7, 2025
- Nintendo Switch Release Date
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January 7, 2025
- Number of Players
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1
- How Long To Beat (Completionist Runs)
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19.5 hours
- OpenCritic Rating
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Strong