Falcom has been in the business of making RPGs since the 1980s. While they have never reached the notoriety of the likes of Enix or Square, Falcom has always been consistent at delivering their games at a steady rate on a limited budget. Some may think their games might be too restrained by limitations since most of their games may look a generation or two behind, but they always aspired to deliver solid gameplay and epic stories.
Falcom’s Ys series was a pioneer when it first came out on Japanese computers in 1987. It was one of the earliest examples of an overhead POV action RPG, featuring dungeons, towns, and boss battles. The franchise has become a rabbit hole of sequels, remakes, and spin-offs, but you could always count on being able to jump in with any entry and grasp the plot of Adol Christin’s further adventures.
Even though it is titled Ys X, this adventure is set before Ys: Memories of Celceta, the canonical fourth entry in the chronology. This early in the timeline frees the story of a lot of baggage for newcomers, while also embracing a Norse Viking flavor for the narrative. What kind of adventure is in store for Adol in this early middle chapter of the Ys saga? Why is he bound to a mysterious warrior princess? Find out in our Ys X: Nordics review!
Ys X: Nordics
Developer: Nihon Falcom, PH3 GmbH
Publisher: NIS America
Platforms: Windows PC, Nintendo Switch PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5 (reviewed)
Release Date: October 25, 2024
Price: $59.99
Before Adol got off the docks at Celceta, he had an unrelated adventure where he was spiritually bound to a Viking princess. Traditionally, Ys games will feature Adol as an amnesiac hero. Players are usually given free rein to interpret his lack of character as he teams up with series mainstays like the affable brawler Dogi. In Ys X: Nordics, Adol is given a lot of personality and many dialogue choice options for roleplaying.
When Karja and Adol are bound together by mana, it acts like a handcuff, and classic personality clash gags ensue. Both of these characters will bond and learn to work together since the lives of vassals are at stake and Karja must learn to act like a leader and not as a brash meathead.
The rise of undead-like creatures known as Greigr can’t be killed by anyone other than those who can wield mana, making Adol and Karja’s bond providence for the archipelago. When an entire village is kidnapped, the duo sets sail on their ship and travels the sea to different islands to thwart the encroaching menace, while a mysterious prophecy and dreamlike visions guide them.
Ys X is Karja’s story and Adol is her second banana. She is the one who gets the character growth and arc that makes it feel like there was a change. The drawback to being a midquel is that Adol won’t be able to change as a character.
The story is set very early in the timeline of events and has to fit within the greater continuity of the franchise. This results in Adol being a very dull character who never feels like he has a presence.
Worse than being a generic hero, Adol is a Gary Stu protagonist. He has absolutely no character flaws and always does the right thing. Everywhere he goes, everyone likes him and he brings everyone together with his sickeningly unrealistic optimism. His dynamic with Karja is also flat and is akin to a brother-and-sister relationship.
These two attractive teenage warriors would probably have amorous feelings for each other if the story were taken more seriously. The direction comes off as very PG shonen anime which is fine for kids who never played a Ys game before. The problem lies in being a midquel that can’t shake the status quo which gives Adol plot armor and deflates tension.
Even with the lack of stakes, Ys X is a rousing swashbuckling adventure with ship battles and fast melee action. Adol and Karja can be swapped on the fly and both have their quirks.
Adol is fast with a sword and Karja hits like a truck with her axe. The power of mana allows players to have the heroes fight as one when holding R2, combining their attacks and focusing on a single target. This also follows up with united attacks.
The feel of battle has a satisfying crunch to it. Both characters have their bespoke skills that can be slotted into quick actions and they can close gaps between targets with a lasso. Adol and Karja can parry and perfect-dodge solo or while united.
Battles are fast and frenetic, almost reaching PlatinumGames-esque energy and spectacle. It isn’t deep since duo mode has no drawbacks and ability points regenerate quickly, making difficulty breezy on hard mode.
The customization and tinkering in the stats and skill tree are useful but mostly feel like fluff in the late game. Having strong and powered-up gear offers more of a substantial upgrade that slight percentage buffs that gamers won’t notice in the heat of a fight. Enemies are well-designed and have readable telegraphed attacks with tight collision, making battles feel fair.
Bosses on the other hand are needlessly padded out with a shield bar on top of their life bar. Expect to tediously wail on a massive and fast-moving enemy that hits like a truck and can’t be interrupted until the shield bar is depleted.
To make matters worse, the bar refills instantly after players knock the boss into its next phase or after a few seconds pass. This mechanic was unnecessary and does not make for a thrilling challenge. It’s boring.
The other module of Ys X‘s gameplay is the ship customization and battles. This is a dramatic change of pace for the series and depicts Adol on one of the most epic quests he has had in the franchise.
The boat is like a third character; earning abilities, needing equipment, and can be outfitted with a crew too. Impressively, players can also explore the deck inside and out while sailing, which goes a long way in connecting players to the ship.
Anyone who ever played the ship battles in Assassin’s Creed IV: Black Flag will feel right at home. Being a master and commander of various guns is simple, but where things get interesting is docking an impenetrable foe and duking it out with the crew.
Sailing can be slow if you fail to harness the winds at first, but after putting the time into buffing the ship’s stats, Adol and Karja quickly become the terror of the high seas.
Going between the various islands is intentionally drawn out to make players feel the journey. Not all of them are winners, the game can feel like it’s having content for the sake of content which can cheapen the experience. The various sidequests double the play time if you try to do them all. Expect Ys X to be in the 40-plus hour range for completionists.
The best aspects of Ys X aren’t the fast and fluent combat, nor the ship battles or pedestrian story. Ys X is exceptionally paced and this can be seen in how the gameplay gradually expands and introduces new mechanics as the story gains momentum.
It always feels like the game is growing and will surprise players with something deep, whether it’s discovering an uncharted island, rail grinding on mana, or fishing minigame.
Ys X isn’t an ugly game, but it also won’t impress anyone. The sharp anime visuals are clean and the characters look good, if a bit lacking expression. Environments lack detail and have Falcom’s signature sterile flatness as seen in most of their 3D games. For Falcom, this is easily the best-looking title they have produced and is the closest thing to a AAA Ys game with its vast ocean and world to explore.
Ys X: Nordics simplifies and streamlines aspects of its gameplay compared to some of the recent entries, but it more than makes up for it with its fun and epic scale, and flashy spectacle. Adol may be along for the ride in Karja’s story, but her story is compelling and any RPG with fishing in it is always an RPG worth playing.
Ys X: Nordics was reviewed on a PlayStation 5 using a review code provided by NIS America. You can find additional information about Niche Gamer’s review/ethics policy here. Ys X: Nordics is now available for Windows PC (via Steam), Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, and PlayStation 5.
