Ys X: Nordics – PlayStation 4 Review

Overview – developed by Nihon Falcom and published by NIS America, Ys X: Nordics is the latest entry in the long running action RPG series set around the adventures of Adol Christin. As the young adventurer, explore the archipelago of Obelia Gulf, encountering a mysterious threat that could lead to devastating consequences for the islands. This title is available on PlayStation, Nintendo Switch and Steam with a link to each version of the game at the bottom of this review.

Disclaimer: before I get into the review, I would like to thank NIS America for providing the copy of Ys X: Nordics that was used for this piece, via the Keymailer service. The provision of this software has not influenced the contents of this review, all thoughts and opinions contained within are my own.

Now with the introductions out of the way, let’s get into the review, starting with the story. Please note, I will only be covering the core gameplay mechanics of Ys X, as I want to prevent spoiling any of the secrets and surprises that are contained within this adventure. I have also previously covered Ys IX: Monstrum Nox for the Nintendo Switch, which you can find (HERE).

Story – Adol Christin, a young adventurer from a small mountain village sets out on a journey to Celceta, accompanied by his friends Dogi and Dr. Flair. During the journey on a passenger ship through the Obelia Gulf, they encounter the Balta Seaforce, a band of Normans who control the waters they are sailing. After this encounter, Adol and his companions land at the town of Carnac where they get to know the residents.

Adol discovers a mysterious shell after hearing a voice call to him and is confronted by a strange immortal beast. While Adol is fighting this creature, he is imbued with the power of Mana from the shell, allowing him to slay the beast. After this unusual turn of events, Adol meets Karja, the “Pirate Princess” who shares the same power as Adol. The two become linked against their will and Adol learns of the undying “griegr”, leading to a new adventure to begin.

Gameplay – Ys X: Nordics is an action JRPG, with an emphasis on exploration and fast paced hack ‘n’ slash combat. This is combined with dungeon crawling, moderate puzzle solving and the partially automated action sequences. New to this entry is the inclusion of Sailing, where the player will be able to control a large ship, allowing for more expansive exploration. As the crew of the Sandras, Players can explore the Obelia Gulf as it expands during the adventure.  

The game plays out over multiple chapters, with each act of the story having several objectives that tie into each other. At the start of the game, the player will only be able to control Adol, where the players will learn the basics of combat in the prologue. But as the narrative unfolds, players will be introduced to Karja, the secondary protagonist that is linked to Adol. These two form the Cross Action system, which replaces the traditional party from other games.

This Cross Action system is split into two specific styles of play, Solo and Duo Mode. While in Solo Mode, the player controls one half of the team (which can be switched freely) with the other acting independently, allowing both characters to attack enemies. In Duo mode, the active character will call the partner to their side, with both of them attacking in unison. This lets players deal massive damage to a target, which is especially useful against bosses.

While moving through the different areas, split into open exploration zones and dungeons, the player will encounter enemies. The Griegr are undying foes that can only be defeated by the player team, having taken over the different regions that the player can explore. These creatures come in a variety of shapes and sizes depending on where they are found, with some common variants appearing across the world.

Both Adol and Karja have a simple combo string that can be used in Solo Mode, along with an aerial combo that can be used when in the air. The pair also have access to special attacks, using SP to perform them which will regenerate during the action. There are also special Mana Burst skills, which can be used for simple puzzle solving, such as creating frozen platforms and burning away thorns. In solo, players can also dash, letting them move at a higher speed.

Then there are Duo Mode actions, where the player can unleash a much higher amount of damage, with longer combo strings that the pair perform together. There are also unique special attacks, using a significant amount of SP with devastating results. The Duo Mode is the only way that players can guard attacks, with the deflected damage being added to the Revenge Gauge, which deals even more damage based on the multiplier that has been reached.

While engaged in battle, there will often be multiple enemies to dispatch, which is where the lock-on system comes into play. This lets players target a specific enemy, moving onto the next when defeated or manually switched. It is important to be aware of all enemies in the surrounding areas, as some are able to attack from a distance, or use status effects on the player. These effects include poison, paralysis and curse which is the most dangerous of them all.

The most common attacks that enemies will use are low damage, which can be easily avoided or blocked during battle. Then there are the more dangerous strikes, which must be defended against in specific ways. Attacks that are highlighted blue must be dashed through, with success leading to a powerful counter attack. Then there are the red strikes, which are devastating if they are not blocked. But take care in battle, as enemies can guard break in battle.

Players can also encounter enemies that are shielded, taking reduced damage until the shield on their health bar is broken. To effectively take the enemy shield down, the player can use special attacks that have the Break skill attached to them, dealing significant damage to shields. Some enemies can also regenerate their shields, extending the battle by needing another break to finish them off and make some progress.

At set points during each chapter, there will be powerful boss opponents that must be defeated to move on. These encounters are much more challenging compared to standard enemies, with the chance for defeat being higher. If either character is harmed, items like potions can be used to recover damage. If one is incapacitated, the other can revive them at the cost of half their health, but if both die the game is over, and the player must retry or load a save.  

Defeated enemies will drop treasure and resources for players to collect, adding all that is dropped to the player inventory. These item parts can be used for crafting, which allows the player to improve their equipment and strengthen the team. Players can also discover treasure chests, scattered across the various islands of the Obelia Gulf. These boxes hold many rewards that will be very useful to the players during their quest.

Eliminating the undying Griegr will also give experience to the duo, levelling them up at set milestones and giving them increased abilities. But levelling isn’t the only way to make Adol and Karja more powerful. During the adventure, special Mana Seeds can be collected from chests, hidden treasure points and rewards for interacting with special rune stones. These items are very important, as they affect the duos combat capabilities.

There is a system called Release Lines, a segmented skill tree that is opened up as the duo levels up. The sections are called depths, with slots for Mana Seeds that are unlocked with Mana points. Filling the slots provide different benefits based on the seed used, allowing players to create different builds for Adol and Karja, unique from each other. New skills can also be unlocked when specific slots are opened, expanding the character capabilities further.

New weapons, armor and accessories can be collected during the adventure. Adol will wield a sword, with Karja using an Axe and Shield, which fit their unique combat styles and special skills. More powerful weapons will increase the ATK and BRK stats, damaging enemies and shields more effectively. Armor increases DEF and VIT, providing more damage mitigation and health. Accessories provide a host of benefits that can affect a variety of stats.

During the adventure, the player will be granted new special abilities, called Mana Actions. These mysterious powers, allow for previously unreachable areas to become open for exploration. Players will be able to obtain the power of the Mana String, a whip-like stream of Mana, letting the player swing across great gaps. There is also the Mana Ride skill, which lets players ride the Gullinboard across dangerous bodies of water, and more to be discovered.

Now, the player isn’t only restricted to travelling the Obelia Gulf on foot, as Adol and Karja helm the Sandras, a ship that was to be dismantled. This grand ship allows the team to cross the seas of the Obelia Gulf, separated into multiple regions that contain islands and landmarks to discover. At the helm of the ship, the player can sail across the waters, exploring within boundaries that gradually expand as the story moves along.

When sailing the ship, the player can manually adjust the speed or use the auto system, providing a more hands-off approach. If players want to reach their destination faster, they can activate the Mana Sail, granting a boost for a time. At the start, the player has only a single charge that charges up over time. Air currents will appear on the water, giving the Sandras an additional boost to acceleration and charging the Mana Sail faster.

There are three camera angles that players can use, including Dynamic mode, which puts the viewpoint behind the helm of the ship. During travel across the waters, enemy ships can be encountered that will engage the Sandras in battle. Take the battle to the Undying Fleet and sink their ships with cannonballs, shells and more. It is also possible to board some ships, starting wave based battles that provide rewards for wiping out the Griegr aboard.

Griegr will also occupy islands within the Obelia Gulf, which the player will be able to recapture and liberate from the undying control. These assaults on the Griegr strongholds are split into two stages, with the first being a sea battle, where beacons and enemy ships must be destroyed. Then there is the land battle, with a mini dungeon and a boss at the end. After completion, a rank and rewards will be earned based on performance of these repeatable missions.

The crew of the Sandras will start off small, but as the adventure progresses the player will rescue Griegr captives, who will join the ship and provide benefits. The player can step away from the helm of the Sandras and freely move around the ship, interacting with the crew and use the facilities. Though starting off small in the beginning, players can unlock access to crafting food and potions for use in battle, as well as merchants and other benefits.

Moving on, there is the island system which really makes this entry stand out. Throughout the Obelia Gulf, the player will encounter islands that they can disembark upon. These islands may be relatively small, with only a few areas that contain enemies and some treasures to obtain. However, there are several islands that will have a large enemy presence, or are settlements, where players can interact with the inhabitants and buy wares from the merchants.

Players can also obtain side quests while travelling through the regions, provided via letter from the raven Hugill, the crew of the Sandras when away from the helm and the island residents. These missions are optional and will provide a variety of rewards, so if players have time it is advised to take them on. There will also be crew conversations, where the different characters will talk to each other, offering some insight on different events that have occurred.

Last to discuss is the mysterious Viewpoint Isle, a mysterious isolated island that Adol will visit alone. The strange island exists in a time separate from the rest of the game world, with an old man who lives by himself. But this island isn’t as peaceful as it may seem, as Griegr roam the different areas of the strange land. These excursions will occur at key moments in the story, with each visit testing the capabilities of Adol and the Mana Actions he has obtained.

Now with the gameplay covered, it is time to cover the other aspects of this release, starting with the controls.

Controls – the control scheme for this release is nice and comfortable during play, with the action flowing smoothly with zero lag. I had the occasional hiccup during play, as I mixed up the hotkeys for SP skills and dodge/dash, but it didn’t ruin the gameplay experience. Luckily, there are on screen displays for some key actions, as well as tutorials to refresh players. The only issue I had was some awkwardness with the sailing controls, which felt a little clunky at times.

Difficulty – there is a total of 5 difficulty options, ranging from Easy to Nightmare and Inferno. The lower end of the difficulty scale offers a more relaxed experience, focusing on the story rather than the heat of battle. Then there is the Hard option which is the recommended option for fans of Ys, and finally Nightmare and Inferno are the most brutal challenges. There is also an assist system for combat on both land and sea, which can help players that may struggle.

Presentation – from a visual perspective, this game is very pleasing to the eye, with an anime style to the overall presentation that is present throughout. The character designs for both the 3D models, along with the drawn portraits work well, filling the different characters with life. There is a Norse/European look to the game world, taking inspiration from the real world Viking and Norman people. There is also a heavy use of Norse mythology in this setting.

The use of Nordic theming extends not only to the visuals, but elements of the music can be attributed to traditional Norse compositions. The overall soundtrack is balanced well, with calm and ambient compositions, contrasting well with the intense and fast paced tracks. There is both English and Japanese voice over, with the dub cast featuring the talents of Cherami Leigh (Dorohedoro), Micha Solusod (Soul Eater) and Anairis Quinones (My Hero Academia).

Final Thoughts – Ys has been one of the longest running franchises in gaming, launching all the way back in 1987, with a legacy of quality and engaging narrative behind it. I can say that this experience is another solid step forward, upholding the legacy surrounding it. I was fully invested in the narrative throughout my time playing it, with the character interactions further elevating it. The action flows smoothly, offering a satisfying and reactive combat experience.

There was a single flaw I had with the game, which was the slightly cumbersome sailing. It started off a little rocky, but got better the more I played and I found the sea battles to be a lot of fun. I very much enjoyed the Duo system, with the two playable characters playing off each other very well. There is so much to love about this game, with the whole package tied together perfectly. I have no issue with recommending this game to everyone, even if you have never played Ys before.

In the end, I give Ys X: Nordics a final score of 4.75/5. This is a fantastic action RPG and another excellent entry in the Ys franchise, offering an engaging narrative, solid utilization of real world inspirations and fresh gameplay mechanics, elevating the experience and making it stand out on its own. If you want to check this title out for yourself, a link to each version of the game will be below.

Link to PlayStation version (HERE)

Link to Nintendo Switch version (HERE)

Link to Steam version (HERE)