A fast paced action game recommended for anyone who loves button mashing.
Gameplay:
While earlier titles in the Ys series championed simplistic combat consisting of running into enemies, The Oath in Felghana finally abandoned that formula for a more involved combat system. The controls are tight and easy to grasp. However, there are shortcomings. You're basically limited to a few moves. A sword plunge, a on-the-ground combo, and a few rather useless in-the-air slashes. There are also 3 types of magic, but chances are, you'll be using only one most of the time outside of boss fights. Therefore, you'll spend most of your time basically fighting different enemies the same way throughout the entire game. The game really shines in boss fights. The bosses are challenging, and none of them are fought the same way. You might find yourself stuck on a boss for a fairly long time even after you've seen the same attack pattern dozens of times before. In some cases, it's almost like a bullet hell shmup in 3D form. Which brings me to my next point. This game is tough. As in it's enough of a challenge on normal. There are hard and nightmare modes after each successive difficulty you beat, but you have been warned. Be prepared to hack your way through dungeons and bosses more than once.
Graphics:
The Ys series has never been short of pretty scenes, and if the combat ends up boring you, the scenery definitely won't. In a sense, it's almost like a Zelda game. You have your icy mountain stage, your lava filled pit, your sewers, your castle, and your evil corridors of doom. Nothing too special, but enough to keep a person interested.
Music:
For those of you who don't know... the Ys series has produced more soundtracks than Final Fantasy. 'Nuff said.
Story:
Standard Ys formula, really. Evil demon tries to take over whatever land Adol happens to be in, and it's up to our red haired hero to save the day. And a girl. But anyway, the story works well, with a completely unexpected plot twist in the middle. It's interesting enough for you to play through until the end, but as far as RPGs go, it's fairly standard.
A great game for anyone who loves a little action, but it's a short game if you only plan on playing once.