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Ys V: Lost Kefin, Kingdom of Sand
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Maia-128 Maia: "This is just another dream of mine..."
This story is set in the old continuity and has yet to be remade to fit the current one. The content of this article is only partially canon to the timeline of Ys.

For the PlayStation 2 game, see Ys V: Lost Kefin, Kingdom of Sand (PS2).

Long, long ago... In the Kefin desert on the continent of Afroca. A strong wind blew throughout the night. A sandstorm was raging. (...) Could it be... the ancient legend of Kefin? (...) This legend tells of an ancient city in the Kefin Desert. A phantom from this lost city still haunts the Kefin area... With its ancient tradition of alchemy. ~ Excerpt from "Lost Kefin, Kingdom of Sand"

Ys V: Lost Kefin, Kingdom of Sand ( イースV 失われた砂の都ケフィン Īsu V: Ushinawareta Suna no Miyako Kefin?) is the fifth game of the series. It was released for the Super Famicom in 1995, followed by an updated version called Ys V Expert.

In 2003, Falcom included an emulated Windows port of Ys V as an extra to the Japanese version of the game Moonlight Destiny. It is also included in the Ys Complete Works collection published by Project EGG.[2] A remake of the game was released for the PlayStation 2 in 2006.

No official English version was ever released, but a fan translation of the original game is available, courtesy of Aeon Genesis and Jeff Nussbaum, however, the Expert version did not receive the same treatment and it remains mostly untranslated.

Plot[]

Ys V begins as Adol lands in the region of Xandria, in the realm of Afroca. The red haired adventurer’s reputation precedes him, and so Adol is contracted by a wealthy merchant named Dorman to hunt for some crystals. These crystals are said to unlock the secrets of Kefin, a city in the desert that disappeared over five hundred years ago. The desert has mysteriously been spreading, displacing and ruining some of the towns in the area. The knowledge of the people of Kefin, who were said to have discovered alchemy, will supposedly help save the land.

Gameplay[]

The RPG-style statistical elements and the overhead view of most of the previous games are retained in Ys V. As in Ys III, there is no bump system; the player must press a button to swing Adol's sword. Adol is also given the ability to jump and block with his shield.

Rather than traditional magic, Adol uses “alchemy”, but it functions identically. These are cast by equipping stones to your sword, then charging them up with the R button. While you’re given your first spell – the standard fireball – you’re expected to craft future spells on your own. This is accomplished by combining three different elemental crystals; most crystals are found hidden throughout the environment. There are six different elements, and a total of 18 spells to use. While a relatively open ended system like this might sound good on paper, many of the spells are fairly useless, and you don’t get to test them out until you’ve already used your crystals. Various enemies are weak or strong to different elemental magic, but otherwise there’s not much of a reason to use it.

There are actually two different experience levels, physical and magical. The type of experience obtained depends on how you kill the enemy. Physical attacks will raise melee strength and HP, while magical attacks will raise magical power and defense. Gold is also not obtained directly from dispatching enemies, but instead many foes will drop gems, which are then sold at any store. You can only save at inns, but there is a quick save option that you can reload in case you get killed, which disappears if you shut the game off.

Expert version differences[]

The initial release was considered too easy by many, so Ys V Expert was released a few months after the original game.

This is a list of known differences between the original Ys V and Ys V Expert:

  • Overall more difficult
  • Bosses and enemies are more aggressive with faster more frequent attacks and faster movement speed, their health has also been increased as well as the damage they inflict
  • Time Attack Mode
  • An extra dungeon behind the staircase in Dorman's Mansion was added
    • It has twenty floors with each giving a prize
  • Skeleton enemies with shields block periodically
  • Stronger variants of normal enemies throughout the game
  • A new second area was added in Northwood, where Master Rod is injured
  • In the third area (originally the second) of Northwood there's a new tree enemy
  • In the East Wing of Kefin City the falling rock puzzle has been revamped and now includes obstacles and switches

Original concept scenario[]

Gallery[]

Covers[]

Artwork[]

Concept art[]

Video[]

TV commercial

Trivia[]

  • It is currently one of the three games that hasn't been remade by Falcom after the release of Ys VI: The Ark of Napishtim, the other two being Ys I: Ancient Ys Vanished: Omen and Ys II: Ancient Ys Vanished: The Final Chapter.
    • It is currently the only main series game that has not received an official English localization.
    • It is currently the only main series game that cannot be natively played on any of the current generation consoles.
  • Due to the fact that the game's subtitle isn't in English like most other entries in the series, and that it hasn't been officially localized yet, it is most commonly referred to as "Lost Kefin, Kingdom of Sand" which is the translation used by Falcom themselves, the PC and PS2 versions of the game.
  • Ys V and the concept of alchemy are referenced several times in Ys IX: Monstrum Nox.

References[]

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