Play Ys III - Wanderers from Ys Online

I first played Ys III on the Super Nintendo back in 1992, a port of Nihon Falcom's action RPG that felt a bit different from other fantasy games of the era. It was a time when side-scrollers were common, but this one tried to blend that style with the exploration of its top-down predecessors.

You control Adol Christin directly with a sword you can swing in any direction, jumping across platforms and delving into multi-level dungeons. Your main goal is to investigate a surge of monsters in a valley, which involves defeating bosses and gathering key items to progress. The combat is more active and precise than earlier Ys games, requiring you to time your slashes and jumps to avoid damage, and the pacing is fairly brisk, though some boss fights can be punishing. It feels like a straightforward, action-focused adventure that moves at a good clip.