Ys Origin

Ys Origin is a 2006 action role-playing game developed and published by Nihon Falcom. It was originally released for Microsoft Windows in Japan on December 21, 2006. The game is a prequel to Ys I: Ancient Ys Vanished and Ys II: Ancient Ys Vanished - The Final Chapter, taking place approximately 700 years before those games during the final period of the ancient kingdom of Ys. It is the first major installment in the Ys series not to center on Adol Christin. The initial campaigns follow the trainee knight Yunica Tovah and the sorcerer Hugo Fact, while a third campaign starring Hugo's elder brother Toal is unlocked through play. The three routes use the same broad tower setting but differ in combat style, character relationships, events, and narrative revelations. Falcom and later retrospective coverage identify Toal's route as the version that leads directly into the continuity of Ys I and Ys II. Ys Origin uses a further refinement of the fast action framework developed for Ys VI: The Ark of Napishtim and Ys: The Oath in Felghana. Unlike most entries, the adventure is concentrated within Darm Tower, combining real-time combat, platforming, environmental puzzles, character progression, and large boss encounters. Xseed Games released an English-language Windows edition internationally on May 31, 2012, adding true widescreen rendering and Steamworks features. Dotemu subsequently adapted the game for PlayStation 4, PlayStation Vita, Xbox One, and Nintendo Switch between 2017 and 2020. The releases received generally favorable reviews, with critics commonly praising the combat, boss design, soundtrack, and distinct playable characters while noting repetition across the three campaigns and the age of its visual presentation.