Ys Origin Reviews

Ys Origin is ranked in the 83rd percentile of games scored on OpenCritic.
9.8 / 10.0
Jun 23, 2017

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.

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NEOsite
aysnel
Top Critic
9 / 10.0
Feb 24, 2017

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

RPG Site
Top Critic
9 / 10
Apr 10, 2018

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.

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Renan Fontes
Top Critic
9 / 10
Feb 22, 2017

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.

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Oct 6, 2020

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.

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90 / 100
Apr 10, 2018

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.

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Noisy Pixel
Orpheus Joshua
9 / 10.0
Sep 29, 2020

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.

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8.9 / 10.0
Oct 22, 2020

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!

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8.6 / 10.0
May 30, 2018

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.

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85 / 100
Oct 7, 2020

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.

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8.5 / 10.0
Feb 21, 2017

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.

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8.5 / 10.0
Oct 6, 2020

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.

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8.5 / 10.0
Oct 18, 2020

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.

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9 / 10
Mar 8, 2017

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.

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8.5 / 10.0
Oct 1, 2020

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.

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Generación Xbox
Javatuno
Top Critic
8.3 / 10.0
Apr 10, 2018

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

Wccftech
Top Critic
8.2 / 10.0
Feb 21, 2017

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.

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Alana Hagues
Top Critic
82%
Apr 2, 2017

Ys Origin is a fantastic place to start if you've never experienced the wonders of the Ys series.

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8 / 10
Sep 29, 2020

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.

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8 / 10.0
Feb 27, 2017

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.

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