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Ys: Memories of Celceta
PlayStation Vita
Released On: Nov 26, 2013
82
8.7
Metascore
Generally Favorable
Based on 56 Critic Reviews
82
95% Positive
53 Reviews
53 Reviews
5% Mixed
3 Reviews
3 Reviews
0% Negative
0 Reviews
0 Reviews
Metascore
Generally Favorable
Based on 56 Critic Reviews
82
95% Positive
53 Reviews
53 Reviews
5% Mixed
3 Reviews
3 Reviews
0% Negative
0 Reviews
0 Reviews
Just like Ys Seven was one of the very best games the PSP had to offer, Ys: Memories of Celceta is one of the best games the Vita has to offer. It's fun, it's fast, it's easy to pick up — what's not to like?
All in all, I'd say that Y's: Memories of Celceta enters the "Must Have" area for RPG fans. It shows it's age in some places and isn't the prettiest game ever, but the depth of game to be explored here is well worth the price of admission.
User Score
Generally Favorable
Based on 289 User Ratings
8.7
87% Positive
251 Ratings
251 Ratings
5% Mixed
15 Ratings
15 Ratings
8% Negative
23 Ratings
23 Ratings
User Score
Generally Favorable
Based on 289 User Ratings
8.7
87% Positive
251 Ratings
251 Ratings
5% Mixed
15 Ratings
15 Ratings
8% Negative
23 Ratings
23 Ratings
Firstly, I have sunk over 500 hours on the PS Vita version of the game in the year that it had initially been released. I have Platinum Trophy'd the game and the rest of the time was spent grinding for materials that basically make god weapons for each character.
Ys Memories of Celceta has a special place in my heart as my favourite PS Vita game. It is a remake of Ys IV which had originally had a 1993 release as two different versions by two different studios which Falcom had licenced out. So technically, this is actually the first time Falcom had made this game. Ys MoC is part of the Ys series, each game is a traveloge that was found in his home after his death. Ys MoC takes us to the Kingdom of Celceta and the Great Forest.
The basic plot is that Adol had ventured into the Great Forest only to return with amnesia. As luck would have it Adol is then tasked by the Governor General in the town of Casnan to map the Great Forest. The rest of the story follows Adol as he maps the Forest, literally picking up pieces of his memories as he visits places he had been to before and unravelling the secrets of the forest.
The music is always the best part of any Ys game. Each track can be found on YouTube for free as the game studio makes their music inhouse and allows anyone to use their music provided they are given credit. From calm, soothing pieces to hard rock and hints of metal, the game has it all. Each boss fight, each dungeon and each monster encounter has a heightened experience thanks to the music.
The combat is a slightly less polished version of the Ys VIII combat system, so I'll borrow that section of the review and place it here. The game is action combat, with a button for a basic attack, a block, a dodge and a button to switch characters on the fly. On top of the fact that there is a skill point wheel where the first basic attack the player deals after a brief moment out of combat gains the player skill points. While holding down the ZR trigger (which can be mapped elsewhere, in fact everything can be remapped and should be, the defaults pretty awkward to use), it turns the face buttons into skills that can be assigned in the menu and leveled up through just using them. Blocking at the exact moment the enemy attack hits the player will grant a "flash guard" where for a short while every attack the player deals is a critical hit, and dodging at the right moment grants a "flash move" where time is slowed for all enemies for a short while and the player is immune to damage.
There are a total of 6 different playable characters and there are three damage types. Slash, Strike and Pierce with one type for each character. The player can switch between three party members on the fly in order to "break" enemies by attacking enemies with their weakness hence stunning the enemy and removing their resistances altogether.
The map is open, with instanced sections. The player may revisit any part of the map to look for particular monsters to gain their materials or any plants for their ingredients as well. Each character has a special interaction with the environment that allows for an excuse to stop the player from exploring further than their prepared for.
At the start of the game, the character models feel very outdated, almost like a PS1 title, however, as soon as you start to play, you realise you never get to see the details of the character models outside of cutscenes anyway. Not to mention in combat the combat effects mask a lot of the bad grpahics that you would've otherwise been exposed to. The in combat animation work is also stellar given the models they would've had to work with.
Sidequests appear on request boards in each of the different towns. Many of the sidequests are limited time only. Which means if the player missed one, they would have to wait until the next playthrough to be able to 100% the game.
The endgame is a grind. Outside of some hidden bosses that are never really given an introduction or context outside of their names, the rest of the endgame comes down to grinding materials that are able to max out the player's best weapons and armour. To get all six of the best weapons 2 playthroughs are a necessity. However, since the combat is so fun, the grind is actually quite fun as well. As the last thing I ever did on my PS Vita I had maxed out all six weapons and armours for all six characters.
Overall, it is a great game to have either on your PS Vita or even the great port for PC courtesy of XSEED games. If you enjoy a classic JRPG that is not turn based combat, this has got to be one of the games at the top of your list.
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PlayStation Vita
Excellent game and really underrated by reviewers for some reason. Best game for Vita I have played in the last two years. Story is great and it is really easy to get into.
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PlayStation Vita
Ys: Memories of Celceta is a solid action RPG which will appeal fans of the franchise and newcomers thanks to some enjoyable characters and plenty of action. It is visually pretty too.
For a game whose hero is only one letter short from being named after the greatest monster of the past century, Ys: Memories of Celceta doesn’t do too badly at all. Sure, the lack of vocal tracks and the balance issues conspire to stop the game from reaching its full potential, but it’s still a game that can stand proud both on the Vita and within the Ys catalogue.
Remains an entertaining and refreshing action RPG. Not bad when you consider its venerable age. [Issue#144, p.119]
A series as ritually re-imagined as Ys should have exhausted its creative energy several iterations ago, but Memories of Celceta corrects any suspicion of dilution or degradation. Falcom's commanding role in its production has lead to an aggressive and intuitive combat system and, along with an exploration-focused narrative, an adventure that simultaneously embraces and improves its namesake's legacy.
I'm just glad that by JRPG standards Celceta is reasonably focused, allowing me to complete it and move on to the next game, neither having been bored nor especially inspired.
It's a gem for the PS Vita platform!
The gameplay is simple and effective:
- Player can switch among the characters in the party real-time, based on the their skills, both in combat as well as exploration.
- The levelling up mechanism is not too repetitive. Boss fights requires different strategies.
- It's open world but at the same time there is a strong storyline to lead the player.
- The teleport stones help to reduce the labour of travelling within the areas players have visited.
- Special moves are easily executed.
Excellent artwork, character/beast designs, soundtrack.
Good story-line that blends well with the exploration and leveling up nature of the game.
The appropriate voice in during text conversations adds on to the characters' personalities.
Improvement
- As with all games personal preference comes into play. I would prefer a little bit more depth to the combat (perhaps, possible to turn it on in hard mode?). Some more combo moves to make the combats a bit more engaging. Being an option, it can still be kept simple for a portable pick it up game, and at the same time satisfy hardcore gamers.
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PlayStation Vita
Finished playing YS : Memories of Celceta on August too.
Actually the game is YS IV. You play as Adol Christin, a red hair traveler. One day he arrived on Celceta and lost all of his memories while exploring the forest. After that, he went back once again by the order of the Supreme Commander to map the forest, while trying to find his lost memories.
Plus point:
- A total upgrade from the previous series. The previous game was on PSP, the YS VII. This game is on PS Vita, thus making a total upgrade in the graphic section. And of course, it totally uses every feature of Vita. Such as the touch screen, and the back pad.
- Fast paced action RPG is the best sentence to define this game. Hack & Slash is the most part of the game. Exploring the forest while killing all of the monsters on the field. And you do that without any loading time, or entering into the battle. Found an enemy? just hack it on the spot.
Minus point:
- The story, compared to YS VII, is not that good. The main plot of the game is to find out why Adol went to the forest and lost his memories. Also to map the forest. And that's all. No plot twist that will get you excited.
- The battle is pretty much easy. If you can master the timing for the Slide Evade, then you are pretty much a master of the game. Do that and you can kill every monster that has a higher level than you.
The verdict:
As one of the early game of PS Vita, this game is pretty fun. Although i must say, not to expect too much on the story, because YS never rely itself on the story. The gameplay is as awesome as always, totally an improvement from the previous series, making it hard to stop playing because the battle is so fun.
In the end, i give this game a 7.5 / 10
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PlayStation Vita
Bought this game based on all the positive feedback I read on Metacritic. Initially I liked it: enjoyable combat, great visuals, technically sound. But it quickly grew old, the combat does outstay its welcome and I found myself rushing past enemies after a few hours in. Story is also rather meh. Main problem for me is the by the numbers approach which repeats itself continuously: collect three items, beat a boss, collect again three items, than beat three bosses to advance etc. If combat in between gets stale and the story isn't interesting, you only continue pushing to finish the game because you invested already a lot of time in it. But I still gave up after a new repeated announcement of "go beat three bosses" after I collected again three gems...
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PlayStation Vita
The only fun thing in this game is the battles, but they get repetitive fast. I did not feel that the different skills made any significant difference in the battles, or which characters you have in your party. The worst thing about this game is the story though.. and it's bad with childish conversations between characters. I did not once care for a character in the game since there is no depth there.
I don't know about all the high reviews here, maybe they are younger than me and find shallow dialogs with battles you always win fun.
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PlayStation Vita
Pros:
Your characters level up
You can equip different gear to your characters
There are abilities
(it was hard to find anything good to say about this game as you can tell)
Cons:
Gameplay is boring
Game does not properly show you where to go
Story is uninteresting
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PlayStation Vita
Summary Ys: Memories of Celceta has players revisit the land and characters of the Japanese cult favorite Ys IV. This re-envisioning of the fourth installment in the Ys series takes a new approach, changing and framing the story of Ys IV within an all-new tale of conspiracy, deception and mystery.
Rated T
for Teen
Platforms:
- PlayStation Vita
- PC
- PlayStation 4
Initial Release Date: Nov 26, 2013
Developer:
- Falcom
Publisher: XSEED Games
Genres:
