Having started way back in 1987, The Ys series has grown into a massive series in its own right and has only gone from strength to strength in recent years. Spanning ten mainline entries, countless remakes and a few decent spin-offs, there's a lot to sink into.
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All Ys games listed in chronological order
The Ys series remains a popular, but well-kept secret in the JRPG gaming world. Here's how each game fits into the series' timeline.
But as with any long-running series, the first question that comes to mind is probably whether the Ys games are all one big story, or something more of an anthology similar to Final Fantasy. It's a somewhat complex question made all the more complicated by a changing story focus as the games have progressed.
Is Adol the main character in every Ys game?
The first step to understanding the Ys games is to understand Adol Christin, our redheaded protagonist. In almost every Ys game out there, Adol not only appears, but is the protagonist of the adventure. In fact, Adol is the only playable character in many of the games.
The main character since the very first game in the series, Adol is often not positioned as any individual of great importance, but just a noble adventurer who wants to see the world and help those he encounters. And that is mostly the case. Most games are introduced to you as simply another story in Adol's grand adventure, with no string tying them together.
However, this is not always true. In Ys Origin, released in 2006, we see a world long before Adol Christin. This game was the first to place greater emphasis on the larger setting of the Ys games since its introduction. Since then, however, Adol has appeared as the main character, whether mainline or spin-off. Just not always in chronological order.
Adol actually appears as a playable character in Ys Origin, although this is a bonus feature and not canonically accounted for.
How many Ys games are there?
Currently, counting only specific games, including remakes but not remasters, there are around 17 games. This is not an exact number, as many of the remakes have also been remade. For example, 2005's The Oath In Felghana is a remake/reimagining of Ys III, but was then remade for the PSP in 2010, albeit with more minimal changes.
To that end, we count the original games and then the most recent remake of them. So about 17 games. Another slightly confusing fact is that there are two Ys IV games, Mask of the Sun and The Dawn of Ys, both released at the same time. The storylines of both of these games were combined with Ys: Memories of Celceta, another enhanced remake.
As you can probably tell from all of this, following a strict chronology becomes a bit difficult as it can change as soon as a game is remade and the story changes with it.
Are every Ys game part of the same story?
eSo that brings us to the big question: are all the Ys games a single continuity? Yes! In the sense that each game takes place in a timeline and everything coexists, the game is one big, cohesive story. But the game doesn't actually follow a single plot. In that respect, they are more akin to an anthology series.
You can pick up any Ys game in any order you want, and they'll give you enough of a summary at the beginning to fully appreciate the story and characters of the game in question. However, there are some exceptions. Ys I and II are direct sequels. The original Ys III, which later received the Oath in Felghana remake, also informs you that it is a sequel to the original two games, albeit more loosely connected.
However, Ys IV claims to be set before Ys III, and from this point the chronology of the series is no longer linear, and thus the need to follow the story in any specific order.
Excusing some references in other games and the very rare appearance of a previous character, the games mostly stand independently of each other. That means it's pretty easy to jump into any game you want, although there's technically a chronology to worry about.
Despite being called Ys Origin, it's more literally about the origin of the world itself, drawing heavily from the story of Ys I and II. So probably not the best starting point.

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