Ys: The Oath in Felghana is a 2005 action role-playing game developed by Nihon Falcom. An installment in the Ys series, it is a substantially reworked version of Ys III: Wanderers from Ys, retaining its characters and Felghana setting while replacing the original side-scrolling gameplay with the three-dimensional action system introduced in Ys VI: The Ark of Napishtim.
The story follows adventurer Adol Christin and his companion Dogi as they return to Dogi's homeland of Felghana, where monsters have appeared, the local volcano has become active, and Count McGuire has imposed increasing demands on the town of Redmont. Compared with Ys III, the remake expands the scenario, redesigns the environments and bosses, and introduces new dialogue and events while retaining the principal conflict involving Chester and Elena Stoddart, Count McGuire, and the ancient evil sealed beneath Felghana.
Falcom first released the game for Windows in Japan in June 2005. A PlayStation Portable version followed in 2010 with full voice acting, additional difficulty options, and selectable arrangements of the music from earlier versions of Ys III. Xseed Games published the PSP version in North America and Europe and released an English Windows version in 2012.
An enhanced remaster, Ys Memoire: The Oath in Felghana, was released for Nintendo Switch in Japan in 2023 and for PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 5 in 2024. The remaster adds high-definition graphics, new character illustrations, newly recorded dialogue for Adol, a high-speed mode, accessibility options, and three selectable soundtrack arrangements. Xseed released all three versions internationally on January 7, 2025.
Plot
Three years after the events of Ys I and Ys II, Adol Christin and Dogi travel toward Felghana after hearing reports of trouble in Dogi's homeland. On the road to Redmont, they rescue Elena Stoddart from monsters and learn that dangerous creatures have appeared throughout the region, the dormant volcano Mount Vesuvius has become active, and Count McGuire has placed increasingly severe demands on the townspeople.
Dogi leaves to visit his former teacher, while Adol agrees to investigate the disturbances. He explores the nearby mine and encounters Elena's brother Chester, who disappeared from Redmont after entering McGuire's service. Chester refuses to explain his actions and warns Adol not to interfere.
Adol learns that McGuire is searching for four ancient statues connected with Genos, a hero who sealed the demonic being Galbalan beneath Felghana. McGuire's bishop, Nicholas Garland, has encouraged the search and intends to use the statues to restore Galbalan's power. Chester has infiltrated McGuire's organization because he believes the count was responsible for the destruction of his and Elena's home village.
As Adol obtains the statues, he discovers that Garland has manipulated both McGuire and Chester. Garland abducts Elena and uses the statues to break the seal containing Galbalan. Chester attempts to stop the ritual but is unable to prevent the demon's return.
Adol enters the sealed structure beneath Valestein Castle and defeats Galbalan. Chester sacrifices himself to contain the remaining destructive power, saving Felghana but leaving Elena without her brother. After peace returns to Redmont, Adol and Dogi leave the region to continue their travels.
Gameplay Ys: The Oath in Felghana is an action role-playing game presented from an elevated third-person perspective. The player controls Adol Christin while exploring towns, fields, mines, ruins, mountains, castles, and other areas. Enemies are encountered directly in the environment and fought in real time.
The game replaces the side-scrolling platform action of Ys III: Wanderers from Ys with a revised version of the three-dimensional system used in Ys VI: The Ark of Napishtim. Adol can perform a sequence of sword attacks, jump, attack while airborne, and use a downward thrust. Combining movement and attacks allows him to reach elevated platforms, cross gaps, and damage enemies from different positions.
Adol obtains three elemental bracelets that provide magical attacks and traversal abilities. The fire bracelet launches projectiles and can ignite certain objects; the wind bracelet produces a rotating attack and allows Adol to remain airborne or cross wider gaps; and the earth bracelet generates a powerful short-range strike and enables him to break specific obstacles. Each bracelet can be upgraded, increasing the power or utility of its associated Ring Art.
Defeated enemies can drop temporary bonuses that restore health, replenish magic, increase attack or defense, or raise the amount of experience earned. Continuing to defeat enemies before the effect expires extends the bonus and increases its level, rewarding the player for maintaining combat momentum. Unlike Ys VI, the game does not allow the player to stockpile healing items for use during boss battles; healing instead depends primarily on drops, checkpoints, or restarting an encounter.
Equipment consists principally of swords, armor, and shields. Weapons and armor can be reinforced using Raval ore, a material found during exploration or obtained from enemies. Additional items provide permanent abilities or passive effects, including protection from environmental hazards and improved movement.
Boss encounters emphasize pattern recognition, positioning, jumping, and the use of the bracelets' offensive and movement functions. The game includes multiple difficulty settings, with higher levels altering enemy strength and attack behavior. Completing the game unlocks additional modes and features, including a boss-rush mode in later versions.
The PlayStation Portable version added a double-boost system. After filling the boost gauge, Adol can temporarily increase his combat abilities; activating a second stage provides further benefits, including gradual health recovery. The PSP release also added a lower-difficulty mode intended for less experienced players.
Ys Memoire adds a high-speed mode that increases game speed, accessibility options that reduce the penalty for falling from platforms, and the ability to switch between newer and original character illustrations.
Development and release
Background and redesign The Oath in Felghana is Falcom's second interpretation of the story originally depicted in Ys III: Wanderers from Ys. The 1989 game departed from the overhead contact-based combat of the first two entries and used side-scrolling action, jumping, and manual sword attacks.
Falcom rebuilt the game using the action framework established in Ys VI: The Ark of Napishtim. Xseed later described Ys VI as the foundation upon which both The Oath in Felghana and Ys Origin were developed. The remake retains the Felghana setting and principal characters of Ys III but reconstructs its maps, combat, progression, and boss encounters for an elevated three-dimensional perspective.
The developers streamlined several systems from Ys VI to keep the emphasis on continuous action. Stockable healing items were removed from combat, and temporary health, attack, defense, magic, and experience bonuses were instead dropped by enemies and activated immediately. The game also replaces the three elemental swords of Ys VI with bracelets whose Ring Arts support both combat and environmental traversal.
Falcom expanded the scenario with additional conversations, events, and character development. The central story involving Adol, Dogi, Elena, Chester, McGuire, and Galbalan remains based on Ys III, but the remake provides further context for Chester's actions, Redmont's history, and the relationship between Galbalan and the ancient hero Genos.
The Windows version was released in Japan on June 30, 2005. Earlier that year, Taito had published a separate PlayStation 2 remake of Ys III under the title Ys III: Wanderers from Ys. The Taito game was independently developed and is unrelated to Falcom's production of The Oath in Felghana.
Mobile adaptation Taito released a licensed adaptation of The Oath in Felghana for compatible Japanese i-mode mobile phones on December 18, 2006. The mobile version retained the story and principal systems of the Windows game, including jumping, aerial movement, and the fire, wind, and earth Ring Arts, while adapting the presentation and controls for mobile hardware.
PlayStation Portable version Falcom released a PlayStation Portable version in Japan on April 22, 2010. It added full voice acting for event scenes, an additional introductory sequence, a new double-boost system, and an easier difficulty setting. The Japanese cast included Yuki Kaji as Adol, Tessho Genda as Dogi, Ai Nonaka as Elena, and Kentaro Ito as Chester.
The PSP version allows the player to select among the rearranged soundtrack from the Windows game and newly recorded renditions modeled on the PC-8801 and X68000 versions of Ys III.
Falcom also produced the drama CD Another Theory: Another Felghana Adventure, which was packaged with a limited Japanese edition. The recording presents an additional story involving the 19-year-old Adol and a warrior from ancient Felghana.
English localization and Windows rerelease Xseed Games released the PSP version in North America on November 2, 2010 and in Europe in January 2011. The North American premium edition included a calendar and the soundtrack compilation Ys: The Oath in Felghana Musical Selections.
To reduce localization costs, Xseed licensed an existing English fan translation of the Japanese Windows version and edited it for the official PSP release. The arrangement represented an unusual instance of a commercial publisher formally acquiring a fan-produced translation.
Xseed released the English Windows version through digital storefronts on March 19, 2012. It was based on Falcom's original Japanese Windows release rather than the PSP port, but incorporated Xseed's English script and added achievements, online leaderboards, and compatibility work for contemporary computers.
A free update released in February 2020 added the English voice recordings produced for the PSP version. It also added selectable versions of the PC-8801 and X68000 soundtracks.
Ys Memoire Falcom announced Ys Memoire: The Oath in Felghana for Nintendo Switch in December 2022. The company described it as a high-definition remaster of the 2005 game with additional audiovisual and accessibility features.
The remaster includes higher-resolution textures and interface elements, redesigned character portraits, and an option to use the earlier illustrations. Adol received newly recorded Japanese dialogue and opening narration performed by Yuki Kaji. The soundtrack can be switched among the 2005 arrangement and the PC-8801- and X68000-style versions.
Falcom also added a high-speed mode, an option that reduces damage from falling, and other adjustments intended to make the game more accessible without replacing its original difficulty settings. The Nintendo Switch version was released in Japan on April 27, 2023.
PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 5 versions were released in Japan on May 23, 2024. Xseed released the Switch, PlayStation 4, and PlayStation 5 versions internationally on January 7, 2025. The international edition includes English and Japanese voice tracks.
Music The music of The Oath in Felghana consists principally of new arrangements of compositions written for Ys III: Wanderers from Ys. Yukihiro Jindo served as the principal arranger, reworking the earlier melodies with rock, orchestral, electronic, and acoustic instrumentation.
Falcom released the two-disc Ys: The Oath in Felghana Original Soundtrack on September 23, 2005. The album contains 33 tracks from the Windows game and an additional bonus track.