Having started all the way back in 1987, the Ys series has grown into a massive series in its own right, and has only gone from strength-to-strength in more recent years. Spanning over ten mainline entries, myriad remakes and a decent few spin-offs, there’s a lot to sink your time into.
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All Ys Games Listed In Chronological Order
The Ys series remains a popular, but well-kept secret in the JRPG game world. Here’s how every game fits into the series’ timeline.
But as with every long-running series, the first question on your mind is probably about whether the Ys games are all one big story, or something more of an anthology akin to Final Fantasy. It’s a slightly complex question made all the more complicated by a changing story focus as the games have progressed.
Is Adol The Main Character In Every Ys Game?
The first step in understanding the Ys games, is in understanding Adol Christin, our red-haired protagonist. In just about every Ys game there is, Adol not only appears but is the protagonist of the adventure. In fact, Adol is the only playable character in many of the games.
The protagonist since the very first game in the series, Adol is often positioned not as some individual of great importance, but just a noble adventurer wanting to see the world and help those he comes across. And that is mostly the case. Most games are introduced to you as simply another tale in Adol’s grand adventure, no string tying them together.
This is not, however, always true. In Ys Origin, released in 2006, we see a world long before Adol Christin. This game was the first to put a greater emphasis on the greater setting of the Ys games since its introduction. Since then however, be it mainline or spin-off, Adol has appeared as the main character. Just not always in chronological order.
Adol does actually appear as a playable character in Ys Origin, though this is a bonus feature and is not canonically accounted for.
How Many Ys Games Are There?
At the moment, counting only specific games, including remakes but not remasters, there are around 17 games. This isn’t an exact number, as many of the remakes have also been remade. For example, 2005’s The Oath In Felghana is a remake/reimagining of Ys III, but then it was remade again for the PSP in 2010, though with more minimal changes.
To that end, we are counting the original games, and then the most current remake of them. So approximately 17 games. Another slightly confusing fact is that there are two Ys IV games, Mask of the Sun, and The Dawn of Ys, both released at the same time. The storylines of both these games was combined with Ys: Memories of Celceta, another enhanced remake.
As you can likely tell by all this, following a strict chronology gets slightly difficult as it may change as soon as a game is remade, the story changing with it.
Is Every Ys Game Part Of The Same Story?
eSo that leads us to the big question: are all the Ys games a single continuity? Yes! In the sense that every game takes place in one timeline and everything co-exists, the game’s are one big, cohesive story. However, the game’s don’t actually follow a single plot. In that regard, they are more akin to an anthology series.
You can pick up any Ys game in any order you want, and they will give you enough of a synopsis at the beginning to let you fully appreciate the current game’s story and characters. There are some exceptions, though. Ys I and II are direct sequels. The original Ys III, which later got the Oath in Felghana remake, also informs you it is a sequel to the original two games, though more loosely connected.
Ys IV however claims to be set before Ys III, and from this point on the chronology of the series is no longer linear, and with it the need to follow the story in any specific order.
Excusing some references in other games and the very rare appearance of a previous character, the games mostly stand independently of one another. That means it’s pretty easy to jump into any game you want, even if there is technically a chronology to worry about.
Despite being called Ys Origin, it is more literally about the origin of the world itself, and pulls heavily from the story of Ys I and II. So probably not the best starting point.
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Ys Memoire: The Oath In Felghana – New Game Plus, Explained
The Oath In Felghana’s New Game Plus works a little differently than you might be used to. Here’s everything you need to know.