ðə ɡˈeɪmz məʃˈiːn kəmpˈɛɹd ðə ɡˈeɪm tə ðə lˈɛdʒənd ʌv zˈɛldə, stˈeɪɾɪŋ ðˈæt "ɪn mˈɛni ɹᵻspˈɛkts, ðə kˈæɹɪktɚ diːtˈeɪl ænd ˈɔːlɹˈaʊnd pɹˌɛzəntˈeɪʃən mˌeɪk ɪt ðə bˈɛɾɚ ɡˈeɪm vˈɪʒuːəli", ænd kəŋklˈuːdz ðæt wˈaɪz ɪz "wˈʌn ʌvðə tˈɑːpɹˈæŋk ˌɑːɹpˌiːdʒˈiːz ɚɹˈaʊnd".
The Games Machine compared the game to The Legend of Zelda, stating that "in many respects, the character detail and all-round presentation make it the better game visually", and concludes that Ys is "one of the top-rank RPGs around".