The Ys series is one I’ve grown to adore, even if I’m a relative newcomer to the franchise, having got my feet wet with Ys VIII on the Switch. The year of 2017 was a pivotal moment in my gaming timeline as it’s when I fell in love with large sprawling RPGs. I can attribute this to a few games that launched on the system then:
- The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild
- Xenoblade Chronicles 2
- Ys VIII: Lacrimosa of Dana
The Ys series is an old one, having started back in the NES days but my first foray into the adventures with Adol was with VIII which just so happened to be the series’ first jump into full 3D–and it was awesome! Since then I’ve played a few other titles in the series but, admittedly, I have yet to finish Ys IX Monstrum Nox. Not because it’s a bad game per se, however, after coming off of the bigger locale of the island from VIII, I felt like I was trapped in the town of Balduqe for far too long. I plan on hopping back into my save or starting a new one some day, but for now Ys X Nordics has brought everything I was missing from the entry before.
One big change that’s immediate to anyone who played the two games before Nordics is the party system. Instead of venturing out with a party of say four of five characters, Adol is now bound (literally) to one other person, a woman named Karja who belongs to a band of pirates know as Normans. Other characters will aid you on your journey as guests, of course, but you’ll mainly be hanging out with just Karja. I found this to be a bit of a breath of fresh air as it allowed me to develop a close bond with Karja. The supporting cast is full of interesting individuals, each with their own backstory and I found myself rooting for all of them.
I’m also happy to report the locales are nice, green, and varied like previous adventures. While the goth aesthetic from Monstrum Nox was interesting, the departure from outdoor adventure due to being confined in the town was a design decision I found to be too boring. By the time the game did open up to the great outdoors, I had lost interest in the game. I also wasn’t a fan of the repetitive wave based combat. It felt like padding. I’m happy to report Nordics is a return to form and, while this is no Breath of the Wild open world (not much is), I found the environments and dungeons far more interesting this time around. I did appreciate the vertical gameplay on offer in the game before, and it’s sadly not present here, but the addition of new gameplay via Mana spices things to. Here’s what’s new and each one is a lot of fun.
Mana String
A new ability that launches a string of Mana, letting you swing up across to otherwise inaccessible areas. This ability can be upgraded to unlock a stronger string allowing Adol and Karja to move objects or even activate switches in dungeons. My favorite thing to do with Mana String is pull myself closer to enemies to tell them out—I especially like grappling up to them in order to reach higher areas!
Mana Ride
Another new gameplay mechanic is Mana Ride via the Gullinboard. Think Tony Hawk Pro Skater without all the tricks. This mode of transit is available just about anywhere and vastly speeds up transversal atop water surfaces, skating swiftly on Mana Rails, or catapulting through the sky from wind streams. It honestly never gets old, although I do wish it didn’t have semi-realistic physics and let me go uphill easily without the need for momentum.
Mana Burst
Out of all the new additions I found Mana Burst to be the most underwhelming. This ability allows you to to fire off a charged attack that releases a wave of elemental Mana-fire for Adol and ice for Karja. In addition to damaging enemies, these actions can be used to open up new routes, such as by burning up large thickets or creating platforms of ice to get to higher places. Truth be told, I found myself using this ability the least by a long shot.
Mana Sense
This Mana Action that lets you see things you normally can’t by peering through the Druid’s Monocle, enabling you to locate enemies, detect traps or switches, and even find items buried in the ground. This eventually is upgraded to enable the slowing of time for a brief moment.
As the title implies, Nordics sees Adol and crew manning a ship and taking to the open seas….well….the somewhat open seas. This is no Subnautica, but what ship gameplay that is on offer is passable to me. Battles feel somewhat basic and there are ship upgrades to be had but, for me, it was the weakest gameplay element. I just wanted to explore new islands and dungeons! Fortunately there’s plenty of those to explore along with islands to liberate, first via wave based ship battles and then finishing very small dungeons on foot. Clearing these awards you items and perks.
I really honestly had a blast playing Ys X Nordics. Ys VIII still holds a special place in my heart but I’d play Nordics any day over Monstrum Nox. If you’re interested, check one the demo for yourself.
