Ys X: Nordics review

A few years ago I finally got into the Ys series by jumping into the ninth game in the series, and had a blast doing so. With fast paced action combat and an intriguing city setting full of monsters, I was hooked on Adol and when Ys X: Nordics was revealed I was excited to see what was next for Ys. I must admit though I wasn’t expecting to be greeted with a viking inspired pirate adventure, but it’s hard to be disappointed by that concept.

Familiar protagonist Adol begins this particular adventure on a ship that’s heading for a new exciting world with a couple of his friends. As with all of his adventures though it doesn’t take long for trouble to start brewing, and pirates to raid their vessel. It turns out the seas in this part of the Ys world are controlled by Normans, who are essentially Vikings. Because of this lawless lot Adol ends up stuck on an island with no way to continue on his journey, but with unkillable monsters looking to attack the locals that’s the least of his problems.

Okay, unkillable might be a bit of a stretch, but only those who can harness the power of mana can finish off these monsters. A chance encounter with a mysterious shell on the beach means Adol is one of the very few who can manage this, as is the feisty Norman princess Katja. When these two are bonded together by mysterious magic which ties them together and prevents them from being more than a few meters apart, they’re forced to work together to save the seas from this new menace, and might just become closer along the way. The story of Ys X: Nordics is more than a little by the numbers, but it’s fun enough to experience and features some endearing characters (especially Katja, who is a wonderful co-protagonist with a whole lot of sass).

In most Ys games you’ll have a fairly deep cast of characters to play as and fight with, but Nordics just has two. Adol and Katja are more than enough to deal with the threat of the hard to kill Griegr though, thanks to their swift blades and flashy special attacks. In the early hours the combat in Ys X admittedly feels a little basic, but it doesn’t take too long for it to bloom into something more beautiful.

When Katja joins up with Adol you gain the ability to switch between characters at the touch of a button, enabling you to mix it up with more special attacks and regenerate the health of the character you aren’t controlling. The pair can also combine their strength by standing side by side and guarding incoming attacks in a defensive stance, and attack in unison while doing so for increased damage. Attacks you block while in this mode will also fill up your Revenge meter, which grants a bonus multiplier to your next combined attack making it especially devastating.

To beat the many tough bosses and baddies you’ll encounter on your nautical journey, you’ll need to focus on defence just as much as you do attack. While most attacks can be blocked in dual mode, some require you to dodge instead of block. With handy colour coded auras you’ll know which you need to do to avoid damage, and it’s a really fun system that ensures you’re always kept on your toes.

The combat in Ys X: Nordics is really enjoyable, but it’s not all the game has to offer. With a Norman by your side you’d better believe you need a worthy ship to travel the waves, so you can explore the expansive world for secrets and side quests. I’ll admit it’s a fairly slow way to travel the overworld with less than stellar control, but at least when there are no enemies to deal with it’s a fine way to get from A to B.

The boat combat however is probably the worst part of the game, because without the ability to turn particularly fast it’s hard to line up your cannon shots. Especially when combined with the tiny areas you are able to fight enemy ships (and a whole lot of invisible walls barricading you from the rest of the ocean) boat combat just isn’t particularly exciting.

Ys X: Nordics is an enjoyable enough JRPG, but in a few ways it just feels like it’s lacking. The amount of voice acting for example is noticeably little, with Adol especially remaining silent other than when in combat where he won’t shut up. The visuals as well are beyond outdated, with the game looking significantly worse than the previous game in almost every way. The ocean especially is one of the least appealing environments I’ve experienced in a game in years, with water that barely moves and little to break up the monotonous blue.

Ys X: Nordics isn’t a bad RPG, but given the series’ pedigree it is a little bit of a disappointing one. The combat is the star of the show with flashy moves and clever use of the two protagonists, but outside of that Ys X just can’t hang with the other JRPGs released this year alone. Fans of the series will likely still have fun on Adol’s latest adventure though, and will find an ocean full of goodies to explore waiting for them.