Ys X: Nordics Review – Across the Sea

Ys X: Nordics Review

Ys X: Nordics is the latest installment in the Ys series, an action-RPG franchise that has been going since the 80s. Now, my favorite unhinged redheaded adventure junkie Adol Christin is back, and this time he’s been given a boat. Given his history with boats–most games begin with him shipwrecked–I was immediately concerned. And while this title does have a lot of high points, I was right to be worried.

First of all, let me assure you that this is a great point to jump into the Ys series. In fact, the Ys games are pretty easy to jump into, with their mostly self-contained plots and gleefully adventurous protagonist. Some heroes get chosen by fate or called into action by prophecy. Thrill-seeker Adol set out mostly for the fun of combat and discovery. If he can help some people too, that’s great.

In this game, Adol and his friends are waylaid from their quest to the land of Celceta (and the events of Ys III) when their ship is boarded by pirates. Viking pirates. The Balta Seaforce executes the captain for evading the toll and claims the ship, leaving the passengers in the lurch.

At loose ends, Adol decides to investigate folktales of a throne that grants wishes. Before the day is over, he’s heard a mysterious voice, been granted magical powers, and been mystically tied to pirate princess Karja. And that’s before the immortal monsters known as Griegr attack the town of Carnac, kidnapping everyone, villager and viking alike.

A Guy Who Loves Adventure

Ys X: Nordics is a classic JRPG about the importance of community, friendships, and working together to endure great hardship. It is also a game where you use a magic grappling hook to board enemy ships and fight waves of monsters on-deck. And frankly, I think that’s beautiful.

Karja and Adol make for an interesting pair of heroes. Karja’s wisdom is balanced by her emotional immaturity. Meanwhile, Adol’s already an experienced adventurer, but he’s in uncharted waters. And since he has a lot of dialog options for a mostly silent protagonist, their odd couple dynamic gets a lot of comedy and character development.

The game’s cast is relatively archetypal, but its focus on trauma, recovery, and bonds keeps the characters interesting if not exactly surprising. And the art direction takes a lot of inspiration from Norse traditions, which is refreshing. Karja’s distinctly viking background pressing up against Adol’s more traditional JRPG Europe is conveyed visually as well as narratively.

Most of the voice-acting is quite good, especially Karja’s. And the soundtrack is positively gorgeous, as expected of a Ys title. The music is easily one of the game’s bigger achievements.

Ys X: Nordics Takes You Across the Sea

Ys X: Nordics has a lot going on, but most of it is tied together through the game’s core themes. Namely, the importance of working together to protect what’s important, and how to recover from pain and loss. Even the gameplay is hooked into this through Adol and Karja’s partnership.

The pair fight together figuratively and literally, with a variety of combo moves that reflect their inability to stray too far from each other. Each has a variety of skills. The rhythm of combat requires swapping between characters and using team attacks—and team defenses—properly. For the most part, this leads to chaotic but fun battles that bleed smoothly into each other.

Exploring is fun in its own right. The ability to swing over gaps adds a strategic element to navigation. And it’s delightful to launch yourself across the map at an unwary foe. I had the most fun with this game when I was swinging and dashing through dungeons looking for hidden items.

The ship controls take some getting used to, but naval combat is fun as well. And with Mana Seeds, you can customize Adol and Karja’s development and unlock new abilities.

Parry This

Ys X: Nordics does have a few downsides. The single biggest issue I have with this game is very nearly a deal breaker for me: the boss fights are unwinnable without parries. If you’re not good at parrying, you have no choice but to lower the difficulty. I ran into serious trouble here despite being otherwise decent at the combat system. It seems like questionable design.

While the graphics are generally decent, this game features the ocean prominently. Some of the cutscene water animations are really unconvincing, particularly around ships. I keep falling off the board during surfing segments. And the boat controls take some getting used to.

That said, I ultimately had fun with this game. There’s something delightfully sincere about the Ys franchise, and Ys X: Nordics is no exception. Adol’s dialog options can be snarky, but he’s an adventurer simply to enjoy himself and help others. And while the Balta Seaforce’s situation is complicated, the overall narrative is just as straightforward in its themes of understanding and recovery. If you’re tired of meta or cynical games, you could do a lot worse than this one.

All in all, Ys X: Nordics is a fun action-RPG romp with vikings, frantic combat, and a truly entertaining silent protagonist. If you can figure out the parry system, it might even be a good game. I’m still docking it points for making me swear at my Switch so loud I scared my cat.

***Switch code provided by the publisher***