Ys Origin
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Rating Summary
Based on 57 critic reviews
OpenCritic Rating
Top Critic Average
Critics Recommend
Score Distribution
Unscored Reviews
DotEmu dominates another rebirth. Ys Origin for the Xbox One, adds some new features, most notably the speedrun option. That may not be enough to pull a gamer to purchase it again from PS4 or Steam, but new players will be in for a treat at the $19.99 price!
Ys Origin is an enjoyable romp through the Devils Tower. For fans of the series, they are sure to enjoy Ys Origin which only adds to an already rich mythology. Overall, I was very pleasantly surprised by this game, Ys Origin on the Nintendo Switch is a great action RPG with old school hack and slash elements, that will appeal to anyone looking for a decent gaming experience for less than Twenty quid on the eShop!
Apart from that small blemish, Ys Origin is a terrific console port of a solid hack 'n' slash action RPG.
Ys: Origins is one of the most beloved games in the Ys series due to a great plot, good character development and an exceptional soundtrack. The arrival of its remastering on Switch is something that is appreciated, although the console does not do it as much, because the game at a graphic level has not been very well-treated and its mechanics are somewhat outdate, something that takes its toll. However, if you know to leave this aside a bit, you can enjoy a classic role-playing game which is sure to amaze you
Review in Spanish | Read full review
Scored Reviews
Ys Origin was originally released for PC in 2012, and has finally received a PS4/PSVita port this year. Created as a prequel to the other Ys games, Ys Origin takes place roughly 700 years before the events of Ys I and provides backstory of the world. With a story that will draw in new and veteran players alike, with a simple yet effective combat system and a stellar soundtrack, Ys Origin definitely demonstrates a quality product.
Top Critic
Old jRPG gem succesfully transfered to the consoles. The only problem I got is the lack of new content and low quality of the cutscenes.
Review in Polish | Read full review
Top Critic
While it may be the black sheep of the franchise, Ys Origin is also one of the best entries the series has seen, and one of the best action RPGs period. All three playable characters having their own fleshed out and unique play style makes for an incredibly fresh, blood pumping experience that puts other action oriented games to shame. With an excellently written story, a beautiful soundtrack, and a challenging but always fair difficulty, Ys Origin is everything right with the series whilst maintaining an identity entirely of its own.
Top Critic
Ys Origin is a blast to play. Even with the grindy bits and replaying the game to see the real ending, it respects your time by always pushing you forward.
This classic holds up well on the Xbox One, so if you've managed to miss it all this time like me, it's highly recommended to play on a MS console for the first time ever.
Ys Origin is a title I hold near and dear to my heart. It’s not only my own personal favorite Ys title, but it is also one of my favorite games of all time. So it’s nice to see that some care went into this Switch port. While the repetition of exploring the same environments can undoubtedly dull the affair for some players, the stellar combat design, jaw-dropping soundtrack, incredible writing, varying level design, and the multitude of gameplay modes make this a one of a kind action RPG experience that any fan of the genre should pick up.
Top Critic
Thanks to its incredible soundtrack and a wonderful dose of gameplay variety to help keep everything from becoming monotonous, Ys Origin is still and will forever remain a solid action RPG well worth your time no matter the platform it winds up on.
Top Critic
If you're a fan of action RPGs, especially retro ones, then Ys Origin is worth your time to invest in. The action gameplay flows well and is quite rewarding. While the game is challenging it's not overly difficult. Your hero does seem powerful and that's a nice feeling. There's also plenty of environmental puzzles and platform jumping to break-up any monotony of button mashing. This one also plays extremely well in undocked mode and hist the mark of a great action RPG all around!
Audiences both new and old to the franchise will have plenty to look forward to. If you are looking for an old-school JRPG with amazing graphics, gameplay, and sound, look no further than Ys Origin.
Top Critic
I appreciate what DotEmu has done with the console port of Ys Origin. A story localized this good deserves to be easily accessed by gamers on as many ports as possible. Besides the strange rending issues on screen in the beginning of the game, I would say this is a great port of ten year old PC game that serves a preface to the beloved Ys series.
Top Critic
It's not often that I review a game in which I want to dive right back in after I finish with it, but Ys Origin is one of those rare exceptions. With the exceptional boss fights, the copious amount of unlockables, and the short runtime, I can already hear the game calling to me to return. However, if there's one thing that really stands out to me about how good this game is, it's that it makes me want to check out the rest of the series.
Top Critic
Set 700 years before the first title, Ys Origin expands on the franchise's lore with a combat system that blends both style and substance.
Top Critic
Being an ARPG on the shorter side, the different perspectives in Ys Origin offer excellent replayability and gives players a pleasant, rounded experience without bogging them down with too many details. Even though the repetitive grinding can be a mind-numbing task to gain experience points, at least the controls are fluid, making this an easy game to enjoy. As the prequel to an already successful franchise, Ys Origin is a highly recommended addition to the series that gamers new and old to the story should not ignore.
Ys Origin is a phenomenal fit for a system like the Switch. I loved its deliciously rewarding gameplay and metroidvania-esque gameplay loop. It might be the most underwhelming game in the franchise when it comes to plot and characters, but I didn’t mind that at all. For a game released in 2006, it’s amazing how well it has aged in pretty much every single aspect.
I liked climbing the demonic tower in my playthrough and particularly loved the near-perfect level design and the solid gameplay. The bosses were creative and I liked figuring how to affect them. While the story wasn't that great, the other aspects of this game are reason enough for me to highly recommend Ys Origin to every RPG lover looking for a great and to the point experience – for a normal run you're looking at around 10-15 hours at most.
Top Critic
YS Origin is a Japanese ARPG that maintains the essence of the classics, with a good and addictive gameplay and a story that knows how to keep up, accompanied by charismatic characters. Despite not being a graphic wonder, it keeps its style at all times and is crowned with a fantastic soundtrack.
Review in Spanish | Read full review
Top Critic
While Ys Origin feels like a relic of the mid-2000's, its fast paced combat still stands the test of time and should satisfy fans waiting for Ys VIII's global release.
Top Critic
Ys Origin is a fantastic place to start if you've never experienced the wonders of the Ys series.
Top Critic
Despite abandoning the series' all-too-iconic red-haired hero, Ys Origin is one of the most memorable and enjoyable entries in the franchise. With multiple characters, incredibly tight controls, and rewarding unlockables and bonus modes, it's a perfect entry into the series for newcomers as well as an absolute treat for veteran Ys players. The lack of a map and the simple combat can sometimes be a bit of a frustration, but they're ultimately minor annoyances in an otherwise incredible old-school action RPG.
Top Critic
Ys Origin on PlayStation 4 is a very good port of a classic game that is the prequel to one of the best action RPG franchises of all time.
Top Critic
Despite an average story, Ys Origin solidifies itself as an excellent classic thanks to the fantastic gameplay and superb visuals and music.
Top Critic
Feeling like a combination of the classic Zelda titles for the SNES, and the new age Final Fantasy titles, this classic hack and slash combat just feels so right.
Top Critic
Ys is a well-made side-scrolling hack-n-slash game with minor character development and zero loot system, but a well written story-line and easy-as-pie gameplay. There are hours of fun to be had and twists in the story you won't see coming... just make sure to bring along some other music.
Top Critic
Ys Origin is a wonderful action-RPG that is a handy reminder to us all that timeless, scrupulous game design often ages graciously, gracefully and beautifully.
Top Critic
The story here takes a back seat to the brilliant and compulsive dungeon crawling gameplay, which should appeal even to those who don't tend to enjoy action RPGs. No puzzle, no battle and no single room ever outstays its welcome in Ys Origin, resulting in one of the briskest, easy-going games we've played in a long time. Sure, the visuals could be better, the overall length might be too short for hardcore RPG fans and there's a lot of grinding afoot, but this remains a solid choice if you're a fan of this sort of thing. An easy recommendation to pretty much anyone who has an interest in RPGs, Ys Origin is perfect even if you've never touched a game in the series before. Now, can we get Ys: The Oath in Felghana on Switch, too?
Top Critic
Ys Origins is more than just a simple hack n' slash action role-playing game! Solving puzzles as you climb the Demon Tower and its unique boss battles make the game a truly magical experience and a great way to jump into the Ys series. Ys Origins may suffer from information overload and feels a little outdated it is still a game that you should consider trying out, especially if you've ever been curious about the Ys series.
Top Critic
Ys Origin is over a decade old and holds up well despite showing its age.
Top Critic
Ys Origin is a gate to the world of Ys and can turn its audience into fans. Though it looks quite old but thanks to high replayability and value Ys Origin still shines after a decade
Review in Persian | Read full review
Top Critic
Fortunately, there are unique story beats for each one, some new bosses as well, and they each play quite differently. While a single playthrough can take 6-10 hours, the additional content makes replays worthwhile, so Ys Origin is a fairly Ys-sy recommendation. The one-note setting aside, this is a great action-RPG to add to your Switch library.
Top Critic
Ys Origin is a solid port of a solid game. The somewhat dated visuals and basic gameplay don't hide the generally strong game design. It never reaches far beyond the level of "pretty good," but it's still a blast to play. If you've never played any of the Ys titles, then Origin is an excellent place to start. If you have, Origin might seem too basic compared to some of the more recent offerings, but it's still well worth a look.
Top Critic
As a huge fan of Ys ever since the beginning of the franchise, I'm thrilled to be able to enjoy Ys Origin on the big screen.
Ys Origin does a great job at detailing the major plot points that occurred in the past that were instrumental in setting up the story of the Ys universe. A finely crafted roleplaying game, fans of the series and of the genre itself are going to find a lot to love with this one, as well they should. It was a great experience from top to bottom, even if it was a little on the shorter side. A typical playthrough on normal difficulty will take the average player anywhere from 7 to 9 hours depending on how much leveling up you do on the side. Do not sleep on this game. Ys Origin is one of the better Action RPG’s currently available on the PlayStation 4, and will provide a nice bridge between now and when Lacrimosa of Dana launches later this year.
The origin to the story of Ys, and a fast paced fun action rpg to play, something you should try while we wait for Ys VIII to land.
Review in Spanish | Read full review
With Ys Origin finally available on the Playstation and the upcoming release of Ys VIII, now is the perfect time to delve into the Ys series and Origin is the perfect entry-point.
DotEmu did a great job at bringing this obscure entry to consoles, and for the most part the game made a smooth transition from PC to console. Outside of the annoyance with charged attacks and the lackluster analog movement, this game felt right at home on the PS4, and for the $20 pricetag I think it’s certainly worth a buy considering the amount of replay value that’ll come from the challenging trophy list and the multiple characters.
I’ve said it already, and I’ll say it again; Ys Origin is an incredibly refreshing game. Featuring characters with incredibly diverse playstyles, simple-yet-challenging combat, and an unmistakably large amount of that tried-and-true Nihon Falcom polish, Ys Origin is not only a celebration of Ys, but of action RPGs as well.
Seriously, what downsides it does have are either due to its age or just the fact that the designers prioritized a fun dungeon crawl over character building. That’s fine. The game you have here is a fine, crisp, energetic dungeon crawl that’s good to pick up and play and rewards you with bosses that are tough enough to matter but not so hard that you’ll want to throw the game in the garbage.
"Returning to roots."
Review in Finnish | Read full review
GREAT - Challenging from the start, two characters to choose from, and music that brings the entire package together into an excellent RPG experience. Ys Origin does have its share of little annoyances, like equipping items and repetitive backdrops, but the positives outweigh the negatives enough to call this a solid and enjoyable foray into the world of Ys.
Ys Origin embraces the old-school style of RPGs and mixes it up with quick-paced action-packed battling, and it makes for a surprisingly intuitive and very enjoyable experience. I had a lot of fun fighting my way through Devil’s Tower as all three characters and each adventure managed to feel unique in its own little way. The only real problem with the game is that it takes the ‘old-school’ approach too literally at times, with some features of the game a little too simplified and the saving system a little unforgiving. The game shows its age at times visually too, especially with some of the bland environments you explore. Still, none of these flaws stop Ys Origin from being a great action-RPG experience and one that fans of the genre will want to check out – regardless of whether or not it’s their first time with the Ys series.
Despite being more than eleven years old, Y’s Origin still provides a fast arcade-fighting system, exciting boss-fights and a huge challenge for achievement-hunter. The old graphics may not meet everyones flavour, but with it’s nostalgic charme, they still manage to win peoples hearts. In short, Y’s Origin is a typical JRPG, that successfully reminisce us about videogames like Terranigma or Zelda: A Link to the Past and the beautiful 16/32-bit era.
Review in German | Read full review
Top Critic
Ys Origin is a simple but very enjoyable and replayable Action RPG. If you like this genre and the series, don't miss it.
Review in Spanish | Read full review
Top Critic
Ys Origin is a good throwback to a time when action RPG were much simpler than they are today, but also a reminder that simple gameplay can be enjoyable and fun even ten or more hours later. The only downsides are a short length and a lack of variety, but this is nonetheless recommended to Adol Christin fans.
Review in Italian | Read full review
Top Critic
Ys Origin gives us a chance to experience the prologue of the series. As a re-release, it doesn't really offer new content and unfortunately isn't a flawless conversion either.
Top Critic
If you don't mind the game's port-related problems and weird changes, there's a chance that you could still have a good time with hacking your way through its enemies and bosses – especially if you're down with turning your Sony systems into your Ys machines. If anything, it's important for one to see if they can put up with DotEmu's work before they accept their mission to find the twin Goddesses.
Top Critic
While things can feel monotonous in places, Ys Origin is a fun ride, and a great introduction to the series for newcomers. Existing fans are sure to enjoy the additional story, though - it's one that only adds to an already rich mythology. Feeling like a fresh escape from the hand-holding that's found in many RPGs these days, Ys Origin is also a welcome challenge that's sure to please those looking to test their skills.
Top Critic
Despite its age, Ys Origin is a solid dungeon-crawling RPG adventure to rival the best of current gen games.
Top Critic
When it comes to action RPGs, Ys Origin ranks among the elite.
Ys Origin is a great gateway into the Ys series, as well as another high-quality entry for those who are already sold on the series.
There are a lot of things to enjoy about Ys Origin, but it’s held back from reaching true greatness because of its ridiculous difficulty spikes and its story that requires three playthroughs to fully take in.
Though the game has some flaws and is starting to show its age, the fast paced combat system and compelling trifecta of stories mean Origin remains a strong title in the Ys series.
Top Critic
Hopefully a patch will come down that will add at least an instruction on switching skills and fix the sound issues. Ys Origin isn't a great game, even with the various modes, difficulty settings, and characters that unlock for replayability, simply because it's straight dungeon crawl with little variety. However, these issues prevent Ys Origin from being as good as it could be, and they certainly make it difficult to recommend the title to newcomers of Ys.
