Ys Memoire: Revelations in Celceta Review

Falcom’s latest installment in the Ys series, Ys Memoire: Revelations in Celceta, is now available in the West after releasing in Japan last year. Similar to Ys Memoire: The Oath in Felghana, this game marks the series’ first appearance on a Nintendo platform and introduces new features. Having previously played the Japanese version, I wanted to see if this English release offered any changes, how it performs using the Switch 2’s handheld boost mode, and how it stacks up against earlier versions of Ys: Memories of Celceta in this review.

Ys: Memories of Celceta first came out in Japan on the PS Vita in 2012, and in the West a year later. It was then released on PC in 2018, followed by a PS4 version in Japan in 2019, which finally reached Western audiences in 2020. Now, over ten years after the original release, Ys Memoire: Revelations in Celceta is available on Nintendo Switch in the West.

Ys: Memories of Celceta vs Ys Memoire: Revelations in Celceta differences

Okay, so when Ys: Memories of Celceta first came out on the PS Vita here in the West, it only had English voice acting. Later, when they ported it to PC and PS4, they added Japanese voice acting too, which was awesome. But honestly, aside from some technical stuff, the game itself stayed pretty much the same. Then came Ys Memoire: Revelations, and it mostly just added a new soundtrack option. It didn’t really add any new gameplay or story content, just the music.

This PC release is an older version from XSEED Games, so it uses a basic launcher for adjusting settings, though you can also change things like shadows, anti-aliasing, and filtering while playing. While the launcher isn’t as polished as more recent versions, this PC port is still the best way to experience Celceta because of its better graphics and performance. The only downside is that the menus and user interface look less sharp on PC compared to the PlayStation 4 and Nintendo Switch versions.

Ys Memoire: Revelations in Celceta Switch and Switch 2 visuals and performance

Ys: Memories of Celceta on PS Vita never really stood out visually and often felt similar to Ys Seven. It also had some technical problems on Vita, never feeling completely stable despite aiming for 30 frames per second. The PC version is a big improvement, offering options to enhance the graphics and achieve much smoother performance. While it’s still fundamentally a Vita game, and there are limits to how much the presentation can be improved, you can get a very clear picture with no visual distortions and even reach high frame rates – like 120fps on a device like the ROG Ally – without any trouble.

I was honestly a little disappointed when the PS4 version finally came out. It just didn’t look great – lots of shimmering, and the textures seemed really low quality. They could have easily smoothed things out with some better anti-aliasing and filtering, but it felt like they just rushed the port. I was relieved it at least ran at a solid 60fps, but visually it was a bit of a letdown.

Ys Memoire: Revelations in Celceta on Switch doesn’t look great, and performs worse than the PS4 version. The graphics are blurry and jagged, and the game struggles to maintain a smooth frame rate, even in handheld mode. Players on the original Switch often experience noticeable slowdowns. However, playing the game on the newer Switch model through backward compatibility resolves these performance issues, providing a stable 60 frames per second experience on a portable console.

Ys Memoire: Revelations in Celceta Switch 2 handheld boost mode impressions

Playing Ys Memoire: Revelations in Celceta handheld on the original Switch wasn’t ideal, especially when upscaled on the Switch 2’s screen. However, the Switch 2’s handheld boost mode significantly improves the graphics, and the game still runs smoothly at 60 frames per second in the sections I tested. I actually prefer playing the Switch version on the Switch 2 in handheld mode with boost enabled, even compared to the PS4 version, because I like having portable options. The game runs well thanks to backward compatibility. I’ve included comparison screenshots taken using the Switch 2’s zoom and photo features to show just how much better it looks with handheld boost. Note that since the Switch 2 captures original Switch games at 720p, I couldn’t use a direct capture method for these comparisons.

Handheld boost mode noticeably improves both the clarity and visual details in Ys Memoire: Revelations in Celceta on the Switch 2. I highly recommend using it for the best experience.

Ys Memoire: Revelations in Celceta and Memories of Celceta load times across Switch, Switch 2, PS5, and PC

To compare how quickly the game loads, I tested Ys Memoire: Revelations on both the SD card and internal storage of my Switch OLED. I also compared these times to loading the game on the internal storage of a Steam Deck, ROG Ally, PS Vita, and PS5 (using the PS4 version). I included results for the Steam version, both with and without skipping the logos and startup video – skipping these significantly reduces load times. I also suggest turning off the option to display the launcher when the game starts for a faster initial load. All load times listed below are measured in seconds.

Platform	Dashboard to title	Loading a save
PS Vita	30	8-10
Steam Deck	12-14*	1-2
Steam Deck Skip	6	1
ROG Ally	10-12*	2
ROG Ally Skip	1-2	1
PS4 on PS5	5-6	2
Switch 1	9	3
Switch 1 on Switch 2	5-6	1-2

On PC, the game usually starts by showing a launcher window, which takes extra time. You can turn this off, and also skip the logos, to make the game load faster. I’ve shown results for both options so you can see how much time you can save by skipping them.

Playing Ys Memoire: Revelations in Celceta on the Switch 2 through backward compatibility results in improved loading times. While not as fast as the PC version, it loads quicker than the PS4 version on PS5, and significantly faster than the original Vita version.

Which is the best platform to play Ys Celceta on?

I think the Switch version, especially when played on the Switch 2, is the best way to experience this game on consoles. While it looks very similar to the PS5 version (thanks to backward compatibility on the Switch 2), it saves and loads much faster. The PS4 version has an older save system that requires extra confirmations and button presses, which can be frustrating. Since everything else is nearly identical across all versions, the Switch version’s smoother save system and portability give it a clear advantage.

While the game looks and runs much better on PC, offering significantly higher frame rates and sharper graphics, its menus and interface can be a bit awkward. The PlayStation Vita and original Nintendo Switch versions are best avoided if possible, as they don’t provide a satisfying experience when compared to the other available options.

Ys Memoire: Revelations in Celceta soundtrack vs Ys: Memories of Celceta

I’ve been discussing the technical and feature changes, but I haven’t yet talked about the new soundtrack. Luckily, you can switch back to the original soundtrack in the game’s settings if you prefer. I played with the new soundtrack for a while, and only really liked about three of the new tracks – the rest felt jarring. Similar to the portrait options in a previous game, I don’t think adding this new soundtrack was a worthwhile improvement. Specifically, songs like “In the Morning of After Rain” and “Seeking a Lost Mask” seem like significant downgrades.

I’m usually very impressed with Falcom’s music arrangements, but this new soundtrack feels like a misstep. While not all the tracks are bad, even the ones that stay true to the originals sound weaker in terms of instruments and sound quality. It would be better if we could customize the tracks individually, or if this version offered a truly innovative take on a soundtrack I enjoy more than the game itself.

Ys: Memories of Celceta is super special to me – it’s actually how I first got into Falcom games! It’s definitely not my favorite Ys title now that I’ve played a bunch, but I still love jumping back in. I’m really glad the English version is finally on Switch, and that handheld boost mode makes it look even better!

Ys Memoire: Revelations is now a much better buy on the Switch, especially with the potential of Switch 2’s backward compatibility, making it perfect for on-the-go gaming if you’re new to the game. If you’ve already played Celceta, the updated soundtrack alone probably isn’t worth a repurchase unless you specifically want to play it on the Switch 2. However, if you have other ways to play, I wouldn’t recommend playing it on the original Switch.

Versions tested: Nintendo Switch

2026-04-21 16:29