A certain lessened expectation comes when jumping into an older game. Even further still is that expectation lessened with an older game from inferior hardware and such is the case with Ys: Memories of Celceta. While it still pawed at that itch I have for good Ys content, it definitely left me wanting more.
Ys: Memories of Celceta PS4 Review
In With The Old
The narrative remains the same from when I reviewed the Vita version seven years ago. As the story moves forward, I grew to love the game’s delivery again. However, the beginning left me stone cold due to how trope-dependent the foundations of the premise are. The biggest trope comes in the form of amnesia, but one of the best aspects of the story stems from that very trope.
As I mentioned in my Vita review, Adol Christin, the universal Ys protagonist, finds chunks of his memories completely out of context. These moments add so much to Adol without him having to say anything. I remember being more forgiving of the basic narrative in portable form, but these wonderful reminiscent moments make me wish I could skip the rest of it. The narrative as a whole is fine in and of itself, but it pales in comparison to these little memory nuggets, especially when you have to sit through it in one place in your living room.
Portable Port
Very few moments in Ys: Memories of Celceta feel anything less than a port of a portable game onto a current-gen home console. At the same time, this release is also only the second means for console players to get their hands on the game. Since the love for the Vita has receded to a niche following at best, having a PS4 option benefits both curious fans and the franchise equally, but it isn’t going to look dramatically more impressive than the Vita version.
However, this game benefits greatly from the extra hardware power of the PS4. The Vita version suffered consistent frame rate issues during combat, turning some major fights into slideshows in the thickest encounters. Here, nothing gets in the way of good hacking and slashing. Combat is butter smooth.
Arguably, combat is a major reason fans keep coming back. Engagements combine a principle of simple execution with enough reward to keep going. There’s no need to farm anything in this game, but I always get caught up in wanting to clear out zones before leaving–and often find myself returning to clear them out all over again. The Ys games have always been what fans want, and Memories of Celceta delivers on those expectations.
Two other small changes come in how the game handles the extra real estate of a TV and how it compensates for a lack of touch controls. Using the joystick allows you to zoom in and out from your character, allowing you to see more of the map. Different controller buttons are now assigned to different functions that previously required touch, such as on-the-fly inventory use. These changes don’t diminish or enhance the gameplay much from the original, but it helps make the transition a bit easier.
Ys: Memories of Celceta Is For The Fans
I will always advocate for re-releases of older games because they give new players an accessible opportunity to see what they missed. Apart from the dedicated Ys fans, Ys: Memories of Celceta is meant for those curious players who didn’t have an opportunity to play it before now. This Ys title still has a lot to offer, but it doesn’t have the level of content needed for a hit. This version at least gives you options on how to play this game, this option being the most optimized.
Ys: Memories of Celceta is available now on PS4 and PS Vita.
Reivew copy provided by pubisher.