We’ve seen Ys Memoire: Revelations in Celceta quite a few times ahead of its Switch debut! It’s been on the Vita, PS4, and PC worldwide, starting with that initial 2012 handheld release ahead of other versions trickling out over the years. That’s even before accounting for different versions of this fourth entry and events in Celceta in Ys IV: Dawn of Ys on the PC Engine and Ys IV: Mask of the Sun on the Super Famicom and PS2. So what makes this version special? Honestly, it feels like it’s more about accessibility this time around, as there aren’t any notable additions or major changes that make this version more remarkable than the Ys: Memories of Celceta releases we’ve had access to for years.
Adol is suffering from amnesia as Ys Memoire: Revelations in Celceta begins, though people around him seem familiar with him. So much so that Duren immediately teams up with him and is assigned to work on a map of the forests of Celceta. As he does, he finds some of the memories about scattered there. Though those insights and interactions with other people living in towns near the region, we learn more about what happened to him and a conflict that ties in with the Mask of the Sun.
Since Ys Memoire: Revelations in Celceta is the exact same game on the Switch with no changes to gameplay, everything is as people might remember it. It’s an action-RPG with a party system that allows Adol can be accompanied by Calilica, Duren, Frieda, Karna, and Ozma. (Three people can be in a party at once.) Each person deals a certain type of damage, with pierce, slash, and strike available, and enemies are always weak to one of them. This encourages swapping, as does a Unique Action system that helps with progressing through Celceta by letting you do things like access certain chests, hit switches, and break down walls to reach new new areas. As we explore, Adol finishes the map he’s assigned to make, regains his memories, and learn more about the Mask of the Sun. It’s a solid adventure! I’d say it is definitely better than the older, Japan-exclusive takes on the Ys IV story.
In terms of presentation, Ys Memoire: Revelations in Celceta also looks fine and very similar to the PS4 version of Ys: Memories of Celceta. I fired up my older version of it and it seems pretty identical in terms of both graphics and performance. The character models looked about the same. The loading times seemed very close. The two ports are very similar. This does mean if you have one, you absolutely can pass on getting the other.
Especially since the new soundtrack is the new element and, well, I’m not a fan. It isn’t the only option, thankfully. Maybe some people will enjoy it? It isn’t absolutely terrible, but Nihon Falcom did so well with the original that I find it difficult to consider anything else.
The Ys Memoire: Revelations in Celceta Switch release feels like a catch-up situation. It joins entries like Ys Origin, Ys Memoire: The Oath in Felghana, Ys VIII: Lacrimosa of Dana, Ys IX: Monstrum Nox, and Ys X: Nordics on the system. It works fine on the system. It’s a generally solid game. But if you do already own it somewhere else, you can skip this release.
Ys Memoire: Revelations in Celceta is available on the Switch worldwide, and Ys: Memories of Celceta can be found on the PS4, Vita, and PC globally as well.