Taking place shortly after the end of Ys II and the defeat of Darm, Adol and his friend Dogi return to where it all started, the town of Minea. They enjoy a heroes homecoming and relax for a while, until they get news of a new evil on the rise. Adol decides to sail for the land of Celceta go investigate the matter.

Gameplay is familiar from the first games in the series, meaning you equip items, level up with experience and gather items that are used to solve puzzles. This time, however, Adol can move in 8 directions, attacking diagonally and from the sides which is more combat effective. Magic is also back, with a variety of spells at disposal. And, as always, the game features spectacular CD music and animated cutscenes.

Uniquely, there are two Ys IV games. The other being Ys IV: Mask of the Sun, developed for the SNES and released the same year. They share the same setting and some characters, but are otherwise wildly different in terms of story.