Ys Origin is a single-player action RPG about climbing a demon-filled tower, set 700 years before Ys I and Ys II. It combines platforming, puzzles and boss fights with three playable story characters and several replay modes. The available reception signal is favorable Steam user feedback, not a critic consensus; whether it suits you depends on how much you want a focused tower climb and character-specific replays.
What is Ys Origin about?
The story takes place 700 years before Ys I and Ys II. After demons threaten Ys, the twin goddesses lead its people into the clouds and then disappear. A party of knights and sorcerers searches for them in the Devil’s Tower. The Steam listing names apprentice knight Yunica Tovah and sorcerer Hugo Fact among the search party.
Nihon Falcom developed the game, and XSEED Games published it. Steam lists the PC release as May 31, 2012; Falcom’s Japanese catalog lists June 1, 2012. The sources give platform-specific dates and do not explain the one-day difference. Steam listing · Falcom catalog
What kind of game is it?
Steam describes Ys Origin as an “arcade-like platformer RPG with Metroidvania elements.” Its listed ingredients are action, exploration, platforming, puzzles and large bosses. That description establishes the intended mix, but it is storefront copy rather than an independent assessment of combat feel, level design or pacing.
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- Physical Ys Origin game with reversible cover art. Region free.
- Limited to just 3,000 copies worldwide.
- 72-page full-color English artbook featuring character profiles and illustrations, opening movie art, and an illustration gallery.
- A beautiful shrinkwrapped 7.75" x 9.5" x 1.75" big box featuring spot UV and embossing.
- 18 x 24-inch fold-out poster.
The tower gives the adventure a concentrated setting: traversal and combat take place within the same central climb, rather than a broad collection of unrelated locations. If you enjoy moving between platforming and puzzles on the way to boss encounters, the listed structure is a clear part of the appeal. If you are looking for an open-world RPG, this is not presented as one.
How many characters and modes are there?
Steam lists three playable story characters, but the page text reviewed names only Yunica and Hugo. It also lists five difficulty settings, from Very Easy to Nightmare, and unlockable Time Attack, Boss Rush and Arena modes. The store copy does not provide a reliable completion-time estimate.
Rank #2
- Captivating story, stirring soundtrack, and epic boss battles
- 3 playable characters, each with unique skillsets and powers
- explore the Devil's Tower and find artifacts and powerful relics
- Story routes: Three playable characters are listed; character-specific routes are part of the replay structure.
- Difficulty: Five settings, ranging from Very Easy to Nightmare.
- Unlockable modes: Time Attack, Boss Rush and Arena on the Steam listing.
Mode availability can differ by edition. Nintendo’s US store search result surfaced a Switch version dated October 1, 2020, and listed Story, Time Attack, Arena and Speedrun modes. The page itself could not be accessed, so check the live platform listing for current edition details. Nintendo Switch store page
What do the reviews say?
At the time of the 2026 Steam page snapshot, 93% of 1,835 English-language user reviews were positive. Steam also showed 90% positive recent reviews from 11 reviews in the last 30 days. These are changing platform user-review figures, and the recent sample is small; neither is a critic score or an independent review aggregate. Check Steam’s current review snapshot.
Rank #3
- Playable for USA Plastation 4, [Subtitles: English, Chinese, Japanese, Korean]
- [Demons] invasion has destroyed [YS] Twin Goddesses have disappeared and every hope has gone. The youths of [YS] challenge the mighty [Demons] tower.
- All Fate Leads to the [Tower] Two Tower, Two Stories - Choose Yunica's melee skills or Hugo's ranged skills to enjoy completely different action tactics!
- Action-packed Boss Battles - Many powerful bosses appear equipped with varying attack patterns! After clearing the boss battles, challenge yourself in the time attack mode!
- HD Graphics Overhaul - Beautiful original visuals have been enhanced with HD graphics. Now offers pleasant gameplay experience in FULL HD display!
Those numbers offer a useful reception signal, but they cannot establish whether you will like a particular route, how the game performs on current hardware, or whether its difficulty suits you. The available sources do not settle those questions with independent reviews or testing.
Is Ys Origin a good starting point for the series?
Its setting precedes Ys I and Ys II by 700 years, and its premise can be understood on its own: the goddesses disappear, and a search party enters the Devil’s Tower. The sources establish that chronology and premise, but do not establish how the game compares with other entries as an introduction to the series. You can choose it for its tower-focused action-RPG structure without treating its timeline position as a recommendation about play order.
Rank #4
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Which version should you buy?
The documented PC option is Steam. Its listing specifies English, French, Italian, German and Spanish interface and subtitle support; English full audio is not listed. It supports keyboard and mouse, as well as adjustable controls with USB gamepads. The Steam price shown in the 2026 snapshot was $19.99, but pricing and discounts change, so check the live listing.
Steam’s listed minimum requirements are Windows XP, a Pentium III / 1 GHz processor, 1 GB RAM, 64 MB VRAM, DirectX 9.0c and 2 GB of storage. These are legacy storefront requirements, not a compatibility test on modern PCs. Nintendo’s result supports awareness of a Switch edition, but the available information does not establish comparative performance, current stock or physical-format availability. Choose based on the platform you own and verify the edition’s current listing and mode details before purchase.
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Best Value
- Fesselnde Geschichte, mitreißender Soundtrack und epische boss-kämpfe
- 3 spielbare Charaktere mit einzigartigen Fähigkeiten und Kräften
- Erkunde den teufelsturm und Finde Artefakte sowie mächtige relikte
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