Ys: Memories Of Celceta Tips And Tricks
Don’t forget these
It’s hard to believe Ys has been around for over three decades, beginning life in 1987 as Ys I: Ancient Ys Vanished. Widely lauded upon release, Nihon Falcom’s franchise popularised numerous action RPG conventions and has spanned across ten main entries. Excluding its distant prequel, Ys Origins, each game focuses on Adol Christin, our red-haired adventurer with an endless passion for exploration and Memories Of Celceta is the fourth canonical entry.
Replacing previous title Ys IV: Mask of The Sun but retaining certain story elements, MOC first appeared back in 2013 on Playstation Vita, later receiving a PC port and now a PS4 remaster. Set a year after Ys II, Adol’s travels have taken him to Celceta, a region ruled by the Romun Government. Plagued by amnesia after exploring the uncharted Great Forest Of Celceta, Adol becomes tasked by Celceta’s Governor-General to map this mysterious forest, recalling his lost memories in the process.
Ys: Memories of Celceta Tips and Tricks
Celceta is a vast region with plenty to explore, but if you’re not careful, you may find your party getting frequently knocked out and whilst you can turn down the difficulty options, there’s no way to reverse it back, so it’s not a move we’d advise. Whether you’re a new player exploring Celceta for the first time or a returning one in need of some pointers, here’s a few Ys: Memories of Celceta tips to make your expedition that little bit easier.
Explore Every Inch Of The Map
Not long after you beat Casnan’s initial dungeon, Adol is formally introduced to the Governor-General, Griselda. Thanking him for his efforts to save those trapped miners, she confirms that Romn have tasked her with obtaining gold to fund their war efforts against Altago. Aware the Great Forest allegedly houses gold veins alongside numerous beasts, Adol soon becomes tasked with mapping this region.
Our map automatically fills out as you advance, so it’s worth exploring each area as thoroughly as possible. Go up against every wall, check each branching path, explore as widely as your story progress allows. This may seem like a chore, but for each 10% you cover, Griselda rewards you with an increasing amount of gold. Keep in mind that before the last dungeon, you can only map 99.8%, but it certainly pays to keep her informed.
Learn To Pick Your Battles
As mentioned previously, the Great Forest of Celceta was largely unexplored before this expedition but with good reasons. Despite its promises of gold, it contains multiple hazards and aggressive beasts, leaving only a few daring explorers to venture in but even less come back alive. Adol is certainly an exception but, as we quickly discovered, came at a cost. Sure enough, you’ll encounter many wild beasts after leaving Casnan, small in strength but coming in great numbers.
It doesn’t take much to mow through them, but every so often, you’ll encounter a significantly over-levelled enemy. Pressing L3 will confirm their details, but quite often, these beasts surpass you by several levels. That EXP gain might seem tempting, but generally, they’ll wipe your health out within a few hits. So, unless you’re extremely cautious or plan to burn through your item stock, it’s better to retreat.
Keep Your Party Varied
More recent Ys games utilise a party setup, letting players control up to three characters at once. MOC starts with Adol and Duren, but you’ll meet four additional allies that join your team, who can be swapped out at will. Much like Ys VIII: Lacrimosa Of Dana, there are three different attack types, and between your team, Adol and Frieda commit slash damage, Duren and Calilica use strike moves, whilst Ozma and Karna utilise pierced attacks.
Whilst it doesn’t apply to all enemies, some are vulnerable to particular damage types. Numbers will always appear in white when you hit them, indicating the amount of damage, but if these appear in yellow, you’ve hit their vulnerability. As such, it’s a smart move to cover all three damage types across your party slots. To make life easier, non-active members level up with you, so don’t worry about EXP.
Refine Your Gear
Upon starting your adventure, Duren provides Adol with a basic sword to keep him alive but upon leaving, takes us on a guided tour of Casnan, showcasing its various shops for trading materials, healing items and weaponry. As you progress through the Great Forest, Adol discovers further settlements with similar options, and you’ll want to visit their local blacksmith.
Better weapons are unobtainable until you reach a new area, so it’s worth making use of the refinement system, allowing you to fuse materials to equipment. Weapons and armour hold eight different stats for offensive/defensive capabilities, and through refinement, you can improve things like general attack power, resistance to status effects and more. If you need that extra boost, it’s an avenue worth exploring.
Take Your Time To Relax
As with any combat-focused title, your party will eventually take damage, and sometimes, they just need a rest from battle. It can be tempting to sprint past any visible enemies and avoid them, but you won’t gain crucial EXP in doing so. There’s plenty of means to recover health, stone monuments and potions being the primary examples. Within an outdoor area, however, you can simply stand still.
Regenerative health is nothing new, but Ys helped popularise this mechanic, introducing it as far back as it’s very first entry. You’ll need to ensure the area is cleared first, so you don’t get attacked mid-heal, but slowly, your health will restore. To add to this, players will later receive an artifact known as the “Spirit Cape” that allows for this type of healing indoors too. It’s not quick but compared to using up potions, saves you gold.