Ys V: Lost Kefin, Kingdom of Sand

Ys V: Lost Kefin, Kingdom of Sand takes the eternally red-haired adventurer Adol Christin to the desert kingdom of Kefin, which sank beneath the sand centuries ago along with the advanced civilization that built it. Adol arrives here as a freshly minted adventurer, but soon gets tangled up in local power struggles and a search for the lost technology of the ancient inhabitants – technology a dark force seeking Kefin's return to the surface would also like to control. As throughout the series, the framing device is entries from Adol's journal, the narrative device that has held Ys together since the first game. Compared to previous games, built from several islands and isolated towers, the fifth entry offers a more unified, more compact world with a clearer story arc and fewer, but more elaborate, dungeons.

The overhaul of the combat system is significant. The series had until then been known for its so-called "bump" combat, where the character defeated enemies by simply colliding with them from the side, without being able to attack directly. Ys V replaced this with a classic attack button and, for the first time in the series, added a jump, bringing it closer to typical action RPGs of its time and opening up room for platforming sections in the dungeons. The game was released in August 1995 exclusively for the Super Famicom and never officially appeared outside Japan – it only reached the West through fan translations decades later, which is also why it's considered one of the series' lesser-known entries among fans. The graphics draw on the late stage of the 16-bit generation, the music was composed as usual by Falcom Sound Team jdk., and the atmosphere is rounded out by a desert setting that never reappears in any other Ys game.

Why play it: Ys V is an interesting detour for anyone curious how Falcom searched for a more modern take on the action RPG before its move to full 3D. It will appeal to players with a soft spot for the Super Nintendo, distinctive music, and unhurried genre antiques that few in the West today know firsthand.