Yshas been around for decades, and in recent years, has been gaining popularity with western audiences. TheYsgames (except forYs Origins)focus on the travels of adventurer Adol Christin and usually his companion Dogi. The premise is that typically Adol ends up in a new area, and by some stroke of luck ends up becoming the only hope of putting an end to some local calamity.Ys X: Nordicspresents Adol and Dogi being in this type of situation, except now they have a ship which they can use to explore all the surrounding islands.
Review: Ys IX: Monstrum Nox
Ys IX: Monstrum Nox is a must play for Ys fans and worthwhile for action RPG fans in general.
One Of Adol’s Earlier Adventures
Ys X: Nordicstakes place before some of the otherYsgames when Adol is only 17. He and Dogi are traveling by ship toCelcetawhen they’re attacked by seafaring pirates. This attack forces the ship to dock in the town of Carnac. Stranded for the foreseeable future, Adol and Dogi must figure out how to survive while also seeking some way to tend to Adol’s insatiable hunger for adventure. It doesn’t take long for the latter to be solved, as Adol ends up discovering that he has the ability to use a mystical force known as mana after speaking to a seashell he finds. But since trouble follows Adol like flies on a pig farm, Adol soon finds himself in a duel with a warrior named Karja. Karja is also a mana user, but the ability that seemed like a blessing that grants power now has Adol and Karja shackled together.
Breaking free of their spiritual bondage becomes a priority for Adol and Karja, but that will have to wait as Carnac is attacked by undying monsters known as Griegr. The attack forces Adol and Karja to work together, which reveals the two make a good fighting team. The events in the attack force them to take to the sea, which sets the stage for Adol to get drawn into a conflict between the Griegr and the Balta Seaforce across Obelia Gulf, turning a detour on his way to Celceta into an epic adventure as they search to unravel the mysteries of their mana bond and the identity of a mythical figure known as Rollo.
Shackled By Mana-cles
Throughout the majority ofYs X: Nordics,Adol and Karja are bound together and must work as a team. The mana shackles prevent them from traveling too far from each other, but most of the time the player will be in solo mode, controlling one character while the other runs around fighting monsters on their own. Duo mode draws the two together, where they can brace themselves to defend against powerful enemy attacks they would be helpless against on their own or unleash powerful joint attacks. It’s not that dissimilar from the party system of the previous Ysgames despite going from a trio to a duo. And unlike those games, Karja is Adol’s sole companion on the battlefield.
The mana gives Adol and Karja numerous skills they can use in battle. These special attacks cost SP to use but the meter replenishes quickly, and by switching between the two characters it becomes easy to spam enemies with special attacks. These abilities vary from throwing an ax like a boomerang, igniting the sword on fire or emitting an ice globe for area of effect damage. Duo mode has its own set of special attacks, which can be useful against enemies that have barriers. These skills do make the two characters overpowered in some cases, but they do make combat faster and more enjoyable.
Combat isn’t the only place where having control over mana is useful. As Adol gets further in his adventure, he ends up tapping into new mana abilities. These skills are largely traversal based, such as seeing hidden platforms, pulling far away levers, or my favorite, the Gullinboard, which lets him and Karja essentially surf over just about any kind of terrain. Even though it seems like it was primarily designed to travel over water or specific air tracks, the Gullinboard became a favored mode of transportation everywhere.
The Sandras is the ship that Karja and Adol are put in charge of and is the home base inYs X: Nordics.The people Adol and Karja recruit to aid in their battle against the Griegr will take up residence on the ship. The various people serve different roles on the Sandras, several of which open up shops where the player can create potions and pack lunches. Maintaining and upgrading the Sandras is an important function of crew members as the Obelia Gulf is full of hostile Greigr ships.
The Gulf Club
When the Sandras sets sail, the ship is woefully understaffed. Those who have played the more recentYsgames know what that means, but for those who are usingNordicsas their introductory title, this means that Adol and Karja will be collecting crew members on their travels. Many citizens of Carnac and the other islands in the gulf could use a place to stay for a while, and since the Sandras has room and needs things done, gathering the individuals they come across seems like a mutually-beneficial exchange. Plus Adol’s history shows he’s incapable of just letting things be and has to get involved in everything. But after a few chapters, the Sandras ends up becoming a well-staffed ship that’s fit to weather the troubles in the Obelia Gulf.
Once the player has acquired the Sandras, there’s a lot of freedom to explore the Obelia Gulf. Not all areas will be accessible immediately as certain upgrades need to happen first, but the player does have a decent amount of freedom to explore. There are islands that may contain people to rescue or hidden treasures in the sea that will only be discovered by sailing into uncharted waters. At the start of each chapter, it isn’t a bad idea to look at the map for new markers or just spend some time sailing aimlessly. There’s lot to discover in Obelia Gulf and Adol’s spirit of adventure encourages players to try to uncover every hidden secret.
Recaptures are similar in function to the raids inYs VIII: Lacrimosa of Dana. Recaptures are when the Sandras sails near an island that’s engulfed in a spherical aura. This triggers the recapture, which consists of a few waves of naval battles and land battles. During the naval battle portion, the Sandras needs to take out the barrier towers and Griegr ships to end the wave. Completing specific challenges, such as ramming ships or deflecting a certain number of attacks with the mana barrier can increase the bonuses Adol and Karja receive during the second part of the recapture, when they disembark onto the island and battle waves of Griegr on foot. Depending on how well the player does, they’ll be scored on the recapture and given rewards based on their performance. Recaptures can be replayed to get all the rewards at S rank.
Should You Get Ys VIII: Lacrimosa of Dana on PlayStation 5?
Some Changes, But Still Ys
Ys X: Nordicshits the sweet spot where it changes enough where it doesn’t feel stale, but also maintains enough of the elements that made fans enjoy the previous games. Going to two playable characters from three active party members from a pool of multiple playable characters is one of the more drastic changes from the past fourYsgames, but this is a case where it feels like less is more. The attachment to Karja as a character is stronger than that to the myriad party members in previous games, and the player can witness a stronger bond forming between her and Adol, as the two really do complement each other on the battlefield. The Sandras adds ocean exploration and naval battles, which is the biggest change from prior games. This feature enhances the overall game, as exploring the multiple islands not only fits Adol’s thirst for adventure, but also gives the player plenty of activities to do which can practically double the game’s length from simply trying to rush through the main story.
WhileYs X: Nordicschanges things, it still feels familiar toYsfans. The Recapture events areNoridics’sequivalent to Grimwald Nox battles and Beast Raids inMonstrum NoxandLacrimosa of Dana, respectively. The Sandras is the newest hideout where the people Adol meets and/or rescues end up taking residence, offering different benefits to Adol in exchange for being there. Locating elusive pikkards and catching a variety of fish are also on Adol’s agenda. The story unravels slowly across the chapters, told both through the events the players witness and also by uncovering items that hint at the world’s lore. It takes interesting turns, starting out slowly but becoming engrossing after a few chapters.
Ys X: Nordicshits the sweet spot where it changes enough where it doesn’t feel stale but also maintains enough of the elements that made fans enjoy the previous games.
The graphics ofYs X: Nordicsare slightly-updated versions of what was seen in the more recent games. On a technical level, they aren’t pushing the limits of anything, but from a stylistic perspective, they perfectly capture the anime look of Ys.The franchise is known for having soundtracks worth owning and the music here is no exception. It has faster and heavier numbers in certain spots, but it’s the softer, somber pieces that are more memorable. The English voice acting isn’t stellar, but that shouldn’t surprise anyone familiar with the series. The game controls, on the other hand, make playingYs X: Nordicsa joy as it’s a breeze to implement all the different mana skills, both inside and outside of battle.
Closing Comments:
Ys X: Nordics brings welcome changes to the template that made its predecessors enjoyable. The ship exploration and naval battles add a new dimension to exploration that wasn’t present in previous games. The shift from a three-member party to two does put limit on play variety, but having two constant playable characters brings a different dynamic which works well in the greater context of the story. These changes help differentiateYs X: Nordicsfrom other entries in the franchise, but it maintains the elements fans have come to expect, such as recruiting people for their base and watching it grow. The story takes interesting turns, especially later in the game, and all is done with a great accompanying soundtrack and frenetic mana-enhanced combat. ReturningYsplayers will find many elements that are familiar, but enough changes were made to make this new entry stand out from what came before it.
