The Ys series has provided action RPG thrills since the late ‘80s as it chronicles the adventures of Adol Christin. Ys X: Nordics harkens back to an earlier time in Adol’s life after he leaves the land of Ys. As he and his companions sail towards Celceta, they encounter some complications that leave them stranded. Adol teams up with the warrior princess Karja as they recruit a seafaring crew in order to overcome the threat of the undying Griegr.
Players control Adol and Karja, which departs from recent Ys games’ three member parties. However, Ys X compellingly pushes duo mechanics as its combat embodies an engrossing rhythm. Depending on the situation, players need to alternate between controlling one character and both at once. Swapping feels natural, snappy, and seamless, and incoming enemy attacks are always telegraphed. Each and every skill is a visual delight, and the game steadily provides players with new skills so that they have plenty of variety at their disposal. The game’s combat always feels brisk and empowering especially as the characters unleash spectacular element-infused attacks.
Similarly, the field exploration also provides a captivating sense of movement. Players can quickly traverse environments by interacting with objects that feel sensibly placed. Some dungeons include light puzzle solving that rewards observation, and they often revisit every tool so that nothing feels extraneous. Although the game always clearly shows a target destination, I particularly enjoyed venturing off the beaten path to find treasure. This loot is frequently worthwhile as it leads to substantial boosts.
Ys X: Nordics handles roleplaying mechanics in an exciting way as it provides plenty of opportunities to boost Adol and Karja’s capabilities. The Mana Line system involves synthesizing and placing Mana Seeds in order to activate stat boosts and skills. The system is freeform and satisfying, and unlocking more grid sections allows players to unlock more skills and stack more buffs. Furthermore, Ys X: Nordics’ accessories regularly feel powerful and impactful. They substantially empower characters by boosting stats, allowing meters to regenerate more quickly, and much more. By providing relatively few slots, the game encourages players to make decisive decisions based on their playstyle.
The game prominently features seafaring as players must sail from island to island. At first, the ship’s movement can feel slow and unwieldy in contrast with the quick land movement. However, recruiting more crew members results in considerable ship boosts and an enthralling sailing experience. The game also contains plenty of optional discoverable islands that lead to tangible benefits. After enough upgrades, the ship feels like a wrecking ball that can handily overcome naval encounters, and its firepower can be just as visually striking as the game’s land-based fights.
However, Ys X: Nordics’ visual presentation is a mixed bag. Every character has a vibrant visual style, but the animations outside of certain cutscenes can feel a bit ordinary and lacking in variety. In general, most bosses are quite impressive and imposing, but the encounters in the first few chapters are a tad too ordinary. The field areas are full of vegetation and specific interior areas contain fun props and details. However, the dungeons’ architecture and the sea environments are quite sparse. Another issue is that many islands, caves, towns, and fortresses are not particularly visually distinct from each other. With a few late game exceptions, many environments feel more like a way to frame the game’s events rather than being memorable backdrops.
On the other hand, the audio is a consistent delight as Nihon Falcom has once again delivered plenty of fantastic tunes. Each boss battle song is high octane and catchy, and the field tracks truly accentuate the characters’ rapid movement. The English dub is also quite impressive with its sheer amount of voiceover from supporting NPCs. Adol’s upbeat go-getter quotes alongside Karja’s slight sass and stern line delivery are also appealing. As a bit of a side note, the playable characters give hints via audio quips on the field so as to not interrupt the flow of the game, and the crew also makes context-sensitive quips at sea which truly adds a lively touch to the journey.
The game’s characterization is also quite memorable as the crew members are from all walks of life. Everyone’s problems are quite relatable and grounded: some are trying to escape their parents’ shadow, others have disagreements with their folks, and some even discuss their kids growing up, which brings a lot of humanity to the game. The game provides plenty of optional situational lines from the crew and townsfolk, and these characters are certainly more than mere archetypes. Ys X: Nordics also seamlessly weaves inspiration from Norse mythology which adds flavor to everyone’s expressions.
Ys X: Nordics’ plot is compelling and well executed despite a handful of oddities. It provides plenty of intrigue early on, but it takes a while to build momentum and its pacing can feel a bit haphazard especially in the first half of the game. A few cutscenes are packed a bit too close together, and the flow is occasionally jumpy. The game sometimes shifts gears during tense sequences, which can initially feel a little bizarre. Despite being relatively straightforward and not particularly shocking, however, the plot is well worth experiencing all the way through. It provides a heartwarming tale of camaraderie and companionship. It also contains a few fun references to other Ys games, but players do not require any prior Ys knowledge to enjoy this game fully.
However, a handful of other quirks drags down the experience a tad. Early on, the game piles on a bunch of tutorials and mechanics in a somewhat disruptive way. Thankfully, each tutorial screen is short. The ship controls also have a slight learning curve, and the weapon auto-aim can be a bit finicky. Furthermore, the game absolutely requires seafaring and assumes players will collect resources and upgrade the ship. Not doing so can result in being blindsided by mandatory ship battles that can feel more prolonged than expected. The game does provide plenty of adjustable options to facilitate players’ seafaring if need be.
Despite a relatively slow start and sparse environments, Ys X: Nordics is certainly an enjoyable experience. My playthrough took just over thirty hours on Normal as I primarily stuck to main story quests, but I spent a considerable amount of extra time at sea as I explored a few optional places and completed a handful of side quests. Completing everything can likely add at least ten to twenty more hours of playtime as the game features many collectibles and side quests. Ys X: Nordics truly lives up to Ys’ legacy and its stylish action thrills, relatable character dialogue, and rewarding sense of exploration will captivate any action RPG fan.
