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Ys Memoire: Revelations in Celceta releases on the Nintendo Switch and Switch 2 on Tuesday, April 28th.
A revelatory Ys entry
I was graciously provided a copy of this latest iteration of the Ys franchise, Ys Memoire: Revelations in Celceta by the folks at XSEED Games.
Celceta has long been a polarizing entry in the canon due to its less-than-stellar story and abrupt ending. But it’s also true that Celceta has some all-time great characters (Calilica and Griselda spring to mind), deep lore about the Eldeen, and wonderfully fluid, customizable combat. It’s of a very specific Falcom vintage, one that hearkens to other adjacent series like Tokyo Xanadu or The Legend of Nayuta: Boundless Trails.
However, I’ve always loved it. I’m a diehard PlayStation Vita apologist and this game plays wonderfully on the original system. So when we first got the announcement that Celceta would be getting its own “Memoire” entry in the wake of Felghana, I was really quite excited.
The gameplay you know and may even love!
I won’t be doing a full review of Celceta or its story since you can find a million other thoughts out there. When I first played this game on the Vita, I had the following to say:
The Good
- The limited fast travel system was a bit rough at first, but I found that it actually encouraged me to explore in a really engaging and fun way
- The dungeons were some of the series’s best
- Not surprising for the series, but the locales were excellent and the graphics looked outstanding on my Vita
- The weapon customization system was really satisfying
The Bad
- Camera controls were not always terribly kind
- Definitely missing some of the QOL features of later Ys games that made more administrative bits feel tedious
- Some of the boss fights were not necessarily hard as much as they were opaque, leading to frustration
- The weapon customization system is obtuse and only really rewards you if you fuss with it for a while
Pretty much all of this is still true. It’s a tight, fast-paced game that ushered the series into its masterpiece era with Ys VIII: Lacrimosa of Dana.
I played this on my Switch 2, and the graphics looked crisp and vibrant on the big screen. They’re the same as the PlayStation 4 release, though, so you won’t be seeing anything new here.
But all of this is a known quantity. Celceta has been out for almost fifteen years now. If you’re regularly visiting a site called “YsLink,” you probably didn’t need me to tell you all of the above.
Then what does this particular entry have to offer?
So what is a Memoire anyway?
Revelations in Celceta is the second in the “Ys Memoire” series. The first, a remake of The Oath in Felghana, offered quite a lot:
- All new voice acting in multiple languages
- Improved graphics
- Multiple sound options
- Turbo combat mode
What does Celceta’s Memoire offer in comparison?
- A “refreshed” soundtrack
I’m a big fan of Ys ‘s music overall (see my dedicated “Sounds of Seiren” page) but the remastered tracks didn’t do much for me. They were lacking the oomph I was hoping for.
And I think this is the crux of my problem with the game. Outside of the revamped tracks, what is there? Celceta is still the same game underneath. It’s a polarizing entry in the series, but one I still find intensely enjoyable to mash and customize my way through.
But I struggle to see why this was given the “Memoire” moniker when Felghana’s entry did so much more to earn the rebrand. As it stands, this is just a Switch port with a fancier title.
If you’re a newer Ys fan fan looking to play Celceta on the go, or you just want to see how it looks on the Switch 2’s gigantic screen (surprise, it looks wonderful), it’s certainly worth the price point.
But if you are a longtime Ys fan looking for something novel for this particular entry, you might find it…inessential.