• Posted December 16th, 2013 at 06:32 EDT by Timothy Nunes

Killing monsters yields items and money, which are used to upgrade weapons and armor as well as create accessories. Each of the six playable characters has equipment slots for a weapon, armor, and two accessories. The weapons and armor can be upgraded at a vendor with literally any loot trash that's taken from fallen enemies. Items each have their own benefits to them, and exploring how to upgrade items customizes the experience nicely. The variety of combat styles for each character is refreshing as well, ranging from fisticuffs to spears, but my favorite is the scheme that includes crowd control-based attacks and a one-handed hammer.

Fast travel is almost a necessity, but Nihon Falcom has combined the new expectations with the old ways of getting around the map. Each major zone includes multiple teleporting stones, which are color-coated to indicate which ones are connected. This means that the entire map is not available on a whim, but getting around isn't a major chore either. Also, after dying, the most recently accessed stone becomes the checkpoint; dying in battle loses progress earned after the last checkpoint stone.

Memories of Celceta also balances what it tells the players and what it doesn't, making the game require more effort than most modern games to figure out what to do. At times, I felt like my time was being wasted, but right around those points was when I figured out what I had to do. This might be a wall for some, but the in-game journal tracks well what has happened up to that point and what comes next.

Ever since my first exposure to the Ys franchise with The Order of Nephishtim, I've been in love with the fast-paced combat that's as unforgiving as it is entertaining. Granted, since then, difficulty grades have changed, and the stark gameplay isn't very daunting on the Normal difficulty. Still, the challenge grade is well balanced, but those who have the mettle can take on harder modes on other playthroughs.

The touchscreen usage is brilliant. In the bottom right is a bag and a potion, and each accesses exactly what they signify, which pauses the gameplay in order to use items while tapping on enemies highlights basic information about them. Right next to the character health bar is a slot that features relics which grant benefits and changes to the party overall. These items are found as the story progresses, and switching between them is as easy as pressing the touchscreen.

Traditionally, the soundtrack is top notch when it comes to JRPGs, but I couldn't help but feel a conscious connection with it. When I entered a town, the track changed to something much more pleasant and relaxing. I even caught myself humming to each one, since the songs don't have too many bars, but even the combat tracks ebbs an energy that works perfectly with the situation at hand. Exploration tracks feel exciting and engaging, boss tracks feel ominous and tense, and inter-town tracks slow the pace and relax the thumbs, making for an experience overall that leaves an auditory impact.

The profound negative of Ys is its frame rate inconsistency. In normal conditions, the game is very quick and responsive. However, if too much is on-screen, then the frame rate decreases. Considering that Ys has a fixed camera, this drawback is even more substantial. Regardless, the gameplay itself never loses its pace, but the visual change is very noticeable. To add to that, the graphics are not impressive, but rather they are merely above par, signifying the sporadic display lag even more. The loading times are not amazing either, sporting 3-4 second loading menus when going between zones. Much like the visuals, loading times could be better, especially with how the game looks visually.

This is the type of content that the PlayStation Vita has needed all along. Sure, it has Uncharted, Killzone, Rayman, etc, but the RPG library, apart from Persona 4, has been lacking. The fluctuating frame rate is significant, but nothing game changing, and the upgrading scheme coupled with the quick pace of combat make this portable excursion a resounding success. Ys: Memories of Celceta is great in both small bursts and marathons of play, which makes it perfect for JRPG fans as well as ambitious gamers willing to try something new.