Ys: Memories of Celceta (PS Vita)

Very rarely are us westerners gifted the opportunity to play an up-scaled re-imagining of a Japan only title. Through Nihon Falcom, and XSEED though this rare chance was made a reality with the release of Ys IV's reinvented successor "Ys: Memories of Celceta". The game itself was recreated from the bottom up in order to bring a wholly unique action RPG experience to those who have followed the series since it's early days. Along with the 'Ys IV' back story comes Ys 7's menu system, and combat mechanics. Fans of both previously released Ys installments will no doubt feel right at home with the unique mixture of gameplay features regardless of the altered graphics, and applications. Locales from the past installments will make their way back into the picture as you follow a man of legend named Adol Christin on a journey of discovery. Adol himself stumbles onto the scene, and out of the fabled forest of Celceta with no recollection whatsoever as to how he got there, or who exactly he is. Through an epic quest, and formidable peril you will take on the role of Adol as he, and his companions try to sort things out, and unravel the mysteries at hand.

When you first access the "Ys: Memories of Celceta" game on your PS Vita handheld console you'll be greeted by some amazing music as well as an anime themed intro that acts as a hint of the things to come. Both the music, and the accompanying video intro give the game it's proper pre-game hype, and in turn sets the gamer up for the pleasant gaming experience before them. Both Falcom, and XSEED truly went all out to impress with these pre-game bobbles, and it shows. After you're through enjoying the intro you'll be taken to an in-game cutscene in which the game's main protagonist, Adol Christin is stumbling heel over foot into a town that he does not remember. His previous trek through the fabled forest of Celceta has left him disoriented, and lacking of past knowledge. After being beat down by a fellow citizen in the town the confused Adol awakes in an Inn where his tale slowly begins to make more sense through various character interactions.

It is at this point that you, the gamer are properly introduced to Adol, and his predicament as well as those who claim to be his allies in this now foreign land. Like any true RPG experience Falcom eases the gamer into things by following up the dramatic entrance with a tutorial of sorts including onscreen dialogue, various menu based interactions, and combat oriented interactions. You'll become well acquainted with the townsfolk, and main characters as you continue to carry on conversations with them. Staying true to Adol's "Iffy" tale you'll be able to choose your desired reply to certain questions during one-on-one talks. These replies will range from flat-out lies to blunt in-your-face insults. As such each answer will set the tone for your future relationships with those that you meet.

Along with the meet, and greet with the townsfolk you'll also be privileged to test out the combat early on as you go on a combat based rescue mission in which Adol, and his supposedly known friend are to save some soldiers, and miners. Through the initial town, and cavern gameplay you'll begin to understand what exactly your role entails. Things like taking on requests via the town bulletin board, and traveling back into the great forest of Celceta in order to map out what lies therein will become the focal points of your recently appointed adventure. As you do what is expected of you you will also be unraveling the mystery of Adol's mysterious amnesia, and will in turn find out exactly who's who, and what is what in this plot of deception, and mystery.

In the town where Adol lands so abruptly you'll find access to various points of interest which will allow you to advance the plot, upgrade your hero's equipment, and wheel & deal for cash, or items. The Inn where Adol first awakens, for example houses some persons of interest which often times have requests for you to do. It is also where the request bulletin board is housed. The armory is another source of character related requests as well, but houses more venues, and persons of interest than those associated with weapons dealing. In the armory you'll be able to trade gathered materials (Think "Monster Hunter") for better materials, or cash for spending. You can even use certain improved minerals to add bonus effects to your weapons, and armor through yet another nearby vendor. The service of material "Exchange" is free of charge, and is done through the Goldsmith" located in the downstairs portion of the building. You will find that Adol, and his party members will be gathering plenty of materials (beasts, plants ...) as you kill off monsters, and knock down certain structures so going here to pad your pockets, and upgrade your current equipment will be a routine thing.

Across from the "Goldsmith" you'll also find the "Blacksmith" who can augment your weapons, and armor with exchanged materials, and a certain amount of in-game currency. As such your dealings with the "Goldsmith" will often times coincide with your dealings with the "Blacksmith". The two services definitely go hand in hand in that respect. Another vendor downstairs is a man who has a couple of high cost metal items. You'll be able to afford these relics later on, and can apply them to your weapons/armor once you've obtain them. Along with these three vendors also comes the main man himself who deals specifically in arms, and armor. As with the Goldsmith, the Blacksmith, and the relics dealer the weapons & armor vendor can be found in the same building, only in the upstairs portion of it. It is here where you can spend currency for the latest equipment, and sell off your old equipment that is no longer useful.

Another building of interest which has a sign with a potion emblem up front houses all your healing potions, and anti-effect remedies. As with the arms dealer you can buy items, or sell them at your convenience. While these two main houses of resources will help you on your outings the main person of interest lies within the castle-like structure in the middle of town. It is here you'll find the female general who has recruited you to map out the forest of Celceta. Her leader, or king has ordered her to find out what lies within the forested terrain in order to gain access to the gold, and resources contained within. Early on in the game your meeting with this general will pave the way for one of your main objectives, which is basically the mapping of Celceta. As you head back into Celceta, and make your way through it you will map out the various areas contained within by treading them on foot, and will report back to this general for your rewards. The higher the percentage of area that you cover, and document the more you will be rewarded. At the same time you will also be seeking out your memories which are contained within hidden balls of light. These glowing spheres will serve as memory flashbacks giving Adol a better understanding of his past, and present dilemma. Things like childhood memories, and memories from his time in the Celceta forest will return to him in visual, and audio fragments.

The more you progress through the story the more places you'll discover, and the more vendors you'll run into. The game is massive in scope, and contains hours upon hours of gameplay content. During your playthrough you'll find that Adol and his many allies will often times partner up to solve problems, and puzzles that happen in and around the forest of Celceta. Some allies will be good for certain situations while others will be better suited for other tasks. Finding out who's good for what is a small part of the journey ahead. There's definitely plenty to do in this uniquely inspired RPG experience, and if you're good enough you might just come out on top of things with loot to spare. 

About the gameplay ...

'Ys: Memories of Celceta' is more, or less an action RPG with a deeply involved plot. It's something along the lines of a 3D "Legend of Zelda" game, or even (in a more slight manner) the previously mentioned "Monster Hunter" series. As you take your adventures on the outskirts of town, and into the forest of Celceta you'll be able to utilize the various tools at hand. Things like combat, interactions, and item usage will be made available through both button presses, and touch screen applications. The combat system which plays a major role in the game uses the "Left Thumbstick (For Movement) along with the four basic buttons. The "Triangle" button will allow you to block against attacks, and even perform a "Flash-Guard" if pressed at the correct time. You'll also find that the "Square" button doubles as your method of attack, and item interactions. In order to switch between party members you'll simply need to press the "Circle" button. The last of the face buttons, which is "X" is a dash & roll button that allows the currently chosen character to perform evasive maneuvers similar to the Flash-Guard. If timed right you can dodge an attack leaving the enemy who dealt it in a slow, and vulnerable state. This tactic comes in handy against the larger, more stronger foes.

Aside from the four basic face button functions you'll also find that the "Right Shoulder", touchscreen, and back console censor are all used in the combat, and field scouting gameplay. For example, when you press "RT" along with one of the four face buttons (SQUARE, TRIANGLE ...) you will use your characters SP to perform a set skill. Skills as you might imagine are more powerful attacks that are unlocked as you level up from monster kills. You can then assign chosen skills to any of the four face button combos via the "Skill" section of the "START" menu. It makes for ease of access on the go when you need to deal that extra powerful strike. You'll find that each character in the game has his/her own unique skills, and that the said skills will come in handy in certain combat situations.

The touchscreen is an entirely different beast in itself when it comes to combat, and interaction based functions. You'll find that your console display contains several unique gauges. The characters each have their individual life, and SP meters that switch out as you switch between characters. You'll also find an image at the bottom right hand of your PS Vita screen that houses your currently set skills as well as a daylight/evening timer, and a quick access button for the start, and item menus. While some of these functions are not totally necessary the ease of access that comes as a result of using them makes the features a more viable function rather than a merely optional one. There's also the matter of the back console censor pad that functions as a way to order your accompanying partner to either defend, or act in an offensive manner. By sliding your forefingers inward together on the back pad you'll dish out one order type, and by sliding your forefingers in a separating outward motion you'll order your party member to do the opposite. While it is a neat feature I find that I often times give orders without realizing it. My hands, as large as they are make this function a bothersome one.

Character swapping also plays a huge role in the combat based gameplay. You'll find that certain characters in the game can kill certain types of enemies more efficiently as well as perform individually unique tasks. There's only one way to tell if you are using the correct character for the combat situation though, and that is to pay attention to the hit damage numbers popping up around the currently attacked enemy. As you are striking an onscreen enemy with your current character's weapon the hit damage number will appear in one of three colors. If the hit damage numbers appear white that enemy is vulnerable to any kind of attack. If it's blue that means the current character you are playing as isn't as effective as another character would be. A character suitable for attack will dish out strikes that result in the display of yellow, or golden numbers. If you successfully kill of an enemy using the proper character you'll get a special onscreen message saying that you just executed a "Excellent Kill". By doing so you'll also be rewarded with better coin payouts, and better dropped materials. You can also mix things up by finishing a weakened enemy off with an applied SP Skill. If you land a Skill attack for the killing blow you will be praised with an onscreen message saying "Skill Finish". It definitely pays better to kill your enemies with a Skill, and the appropriately chosen character.

While skills add that extra edge to the individual characters in combat scenarios another item of interest known as an "Artifact" will also lend a helping hand in other collectively important ways. Later on in the game you'll gain access to an "Artifacts" section which house the artifacts that you'll find during your map coverage. Artifacts each have a universal effect on all current party members, and will come in handy at certain points during your playthrough. As you collect one an instructional screen will pop up explaining exactly how to use it, and when to use it. If you ever need to go back, and reference any of the game's info including that of the artifacts you can do so through the "Journal" section of the "Start Menu". The journal houses everything from tutorial explanations to a bestiary of the beasts that you have encountered as well as gathered memories/flashbacks, and even typed journal entries describing recent encounters. It's your one stop shop for all things about the game.

Mapping & Navigating Celceta ...

The mapping process in "Ys: Memories of Celceta" is a simple one. By traveling through the 3D maze-like landscapes you'll reveal the findings of each location on your onscreen map. Things like material resources, and treasures will all be marked for later reference. You'll even find the warp stones associated with quicker travel marked with icons on the map as well as camp sites where you, and your party can recover from health loss, and negative status effects. Accessing the map, and it's recently discovered areas is an easy task that is done by simply pressing the map icon at the upper right hand top of the screen. By viewing it you will gain a visual perspective of your current progress as well as points of interest that you have marked with notes, and pins.

By bringing up your map you can add a pin to a particular desired destination. This helps you keep track of important discoveries as well as areas that are worth returning to. You should also keep in mind that your map coverage doubles as a means to fulfill your duties to the general as well as a means to move the story forward. Going from the forest of Celceta to town, and back again will become a routine thing in which your map access will most definitely prove useful.

Graphics & Sound ...

This latest re-imagining of 'Ys IV' is a vast improvement over XSEED's recently released "Valhalla Knights 3". The character design, and overall display definitely looks like that of a modern-day game. As you go from locale to locale you'll find delightfully well-rendered creations in the form of creatures, lands, and characters. Even the buildings, and town structures seem to be of "current-gen" quality. As far as vastness goes the lands of Celceta are kept to a minimal size. Often times it'll feel more like you are passing along paths more than you are traveling across a vastly undiscovered terrain. The monsters/creatures which look good in their own right are scattered about in small groups offering that much needed combat engagement. At the same time you'll also find that the selection of enemies come in a small, and somewhat limited variety which change in selection the further you travel into the forest of Celceta.

As far as the audio is concerned it is impressive enough. The anime inspired music is strong, and it often times sets the mood for what is currently happening in the adventure. Things like the music video intro add that certain something special to the already noteworthy in-game soundtrack. You'll even find that some of the characters in the game will speak out loud at times giving the impression that they are actually engaging in a proper conversation. Some of the more comical characters such as the bartender will spout out random things in Japanese giving the game yet another "Legend of Zelda" inspired moment. Between the excellently crafted visuals, and the superb soundtrack you will no doubt find yourself lost in one of the Vita's more pleasantly inviting RPG experiences.

The verdict ...

Having never played a Ys game before I felt very welcomed by the interesting plot, and the visual display that unfolded before my eyes. This game could easily be viewed as a standalone title, and for that I had no problems playing it. The action oriented RPG gameplay contained within also made for a mostly enjoyable experience. While some of the control functions were a little annoying I was still able to enjoy my playthrough of the game. I loved the fact that gaining access to the start menu, and the item menu was as easy as just touching the screen. The combat, and town based interactions included all came together quite nicely making for an overall seamless adventure as well.

If you are a fan of RPGs as I am, and if you have stayed true to the Ys series this handheld release is a must have! I'd expect that "Monster Hunter" fans, and fans of "The Legend of Zelda" series would even find a good time playing through this game. Falcom has incorporated so many different RPG elements into it in such a well crafted way that playing it will become second nature even to those who do not usually play RPGs. I felt very welcomed by the experience, and had tons of fun playing it. I honestly think that you will to. If it's not too late I'd say go for the Silver Anniversary Collector's Edition as it would be the better deal.