Long, long ago, in the Kefin Desert, on the Continent of Afroka, a strong wind blew throughout the night… There is nothing but desert in Kefin area, but a legend tells a city was once was there -the city of Kefin. There is a rumor a legendary treasure is hidden somewhere amidst the ruins of the city. Who will dare to explore the dangerous region and to uncover the mysteries of the past? There is one who dares - a red-haired swordsman named Adol Christin.
Ys V: Ushinawareta Suna no Miyako Kefin is the fifth installment of the Ys series, and the first one to depart from its trademark “bumping” battle system. Combat has been somewhat modified to resemble a more traditional action RPG style, requiring the player to actively press a button to execute an attack rather than simply running into enemies. Adol can fight monsters using melee and magical techniques, and defend himself by pressing a button at the right time. The ability to jump has also been added, though it is rarely used for platforming purposes. Magic can be learned by acquiring and combining elemental orbs in the inventory, creating new spells. Separate experience points are awarded for vanquishing enemies with swords or with magic.
A few months later after the game’s initial release, a tweaked expert version was released. This version included tougher enemies, a time attack mode, as well as a new dungeon to explore.
