The Ys franchise has been around since 1987. With several games in the series’ 37-year history and another entry’s English localization on the horizon, it can be difficult to choose which game to start with. Everyone has different priorities when it comes to jumping into a new series. Let’s take a look at which games in the Ys franchise are best to start with, depending on what you’re looking for in a game.
Story
Ys 8: Lacrimosa of Dana has some of the best story and character writing in the Ys franchise. Its cast is full of endearing characters who grow and develop as the game’s story progresses. Developer Nihon Falcom is known among their fans for the quality of their games’ writing, and Lacrimosa of Dana is among the best of them. It begins with Adol aboard a passenger ship called the Lombardia, which is destroyed by a sea monster, leaving Adol stranded on the cursed Isle of Seiren. From there, he’s tasked with finding the other survivors of the Lombardia’s wreckage and bringing them back to the growing Castaway Village, which becomes the hub area for the game.
As more characters join the village, it grows to include new facilities, and they contribute support skills for the beast raids. On top of finding the other castaways and finding a way to escape the island, Adol also gradually uncovers the mysteries around the island that have something to do with his strange dreams since landing on the island. Lacrimosa of Dana is available on Nintendo Switch, PlayStation Vita, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Stadia, Steam, and GOG, with a mobile port (for Android and IOS) in the works.
Mechanics
The game in the Ys franchise with the best gameplay is Ys 9: Monstrum Nox. It takes the already-great mechanics and systems of Lacrimosa of Dana and improves upon them. Being able to explore almost every corner of Balduq is a lot of fun, and it fits perfectly with Adol being a career adventurer by this point in his life. Lacrimosa of Dana’s already-fun combat mechanics are improved and iterated upon in Monstrum Nox, and the Monstrums’ Gifts make exploring Balduq even more fun. Monstrum Nox is available on Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Stadia, Steam, and GOG.
Timeline
The first game in the Ys franchise’s timeline is Ys Origin. It takes place 700 years before Adol’s adventures in Ys 1 and Ys 2, setting up much of those games’ stories and characters. In a lot of ways, the game is a love letter to the first two games, while still being able to work as a standalone title like the other games in the series. It takes place entirely in the Darm Tower, the final dungeon of Ys 2.
Unlike most of the Ys games, Adol is only playable in the Arena Mode. Instead, it features three playable characters with similar variations of the story: Yunica Tovah, Hugo Fact, and Toal Fact. Ys Origin is available on Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, PlayStation Vita, Steam, and GOG.
Soundtrack
One of the things that Falcom is best known for amongst its fans is their high-quality game soundtracks, and the Ys franchise is no exception. From the beginning of the series to Monstrum Nox and the trailers for Nordics, the series is full of great music. Each of the games has many standout tracks, and very often the final dungeon theme will be one of them.
Lacrimosa of Dana has one of the strongest soundtracks of the series, with both energetic and emotional music. Its final dungeon theme is one of the best in the series, and its credits music tugs perfectly at your heartstrings after the conclusion of the adventure. That being said, you really can’t go wrong with any of the soundtracks from the Ys franchise.
Release Order
The first Ys game was Ys 1: Ancient Ys Vanished, released in Japan for the PC-88 in 1987. It and Ys 2: Ancient Ys Vanished – The Final Chapter were originally planned to be one complete game, but ultimately were split into two games. Together they tell the story of Adol’s first adventure, his first shipwreck, the first time he found a legendary sword, and the first time he saved the world. Ys 1 & 2 Chronicles+ is available on Steam and GOG, while ports of the PC-88 versions of both games are available on Nintendo Switch.
Final Thoughts
The Ys franchise is a long-running series of great games, with fun gameplay, enjoyable characters, and amazing music. Whichever title you decide to start with, if you enjoy your experience you’re sure to enjoy the rest of the series. With most of the mainline games (with the exception of Ys 5: Lost Kefin, Kingdom of Sand) being available on Steam, it’s also an easy series to get into. Maybe you’ll start with Lacrimosa of Dana and go back to play the other games in release order, or maybe you’ll start with Ys Origin and continue along the timeline from there. Either way, the series has a lot of great games to offer.
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