[Review] Ys X: Nordics | Nintendo Switch

Nihon Falcom has rewound the clock and taken us back in time to an age where Adol is having a Zac Efron moment by being 17 again, but he is still the talented swordsman adventurer we all know and love. Chronologically, Ys X: Nordics takes place after the events of Ys II: Ancient Ys Vanished – The Final Chapter and before Ys: Memories of Celceta, and sees Adol embarking on a nautical adventure in the Obelia Gulf.

Our story begins with Adol, Dogi, and Dr. Flair Rall en route to Celceta. The trio’s trip is soon interrupted when the ship they are on is boarded by seafaring Normans with an issue against the ship’s captain. Adol does his best to get involved and repels the Normans where he can, but the captain’s fate is sealed, and all Adol can do is abide by the Normans’ commands as he and all the other passengers aboard are taken to Carnac.

With no gold to spare and stuck in a new location, Adol, Dogi and Dr. Flair Rall brainstorm ways in which they can use their skills to be an asset in Carnac, but dire events are already unfolding and being boarded by Normas, is not the worst thing that’s going to happen to Adol.

Instead, thanks to chance encounter that empowers him with Mana, a special power that makes him one of a few people capable of vanquishing undying monsters known as Griegr, Adol’s only hope of uncovering the truth comes in the form of joining forces with the Normans, especially the Norman princess, Karja Balta of the Balta Seaforce. Where these two once battled one another, now they must rely upon each other to beat a greater threat, all whilst being bonded by the power of Mana, in the form of shackles that will not allow them to separate.

Being as though Ys X: Nordics takes place in the Obelia Gulf, a location inspired by the Cotentin Peninsula in Normandy (France), whereas the likes of Ys VIII: Lacrimosa of Dana took place on a singular island, Ys X: Nordics features multiple islands of varying sizes and an expansive sea. So, how does Adol go about island hopping?

Well, thanks to the Sandras, a worse for wear ship that has seen better days, Karja and Adol have no choice but to commandeer in an effort to flee to safety. With a ship now in their possession though, as the events of Ys X: Nordics’ story play out and the approriate items are obtained, Adol and Karja are able to refit the ship, strengthening its hull, unlock new weaponary and more perform other upgrades that improve the ship’s health, speed, handling and more.

While the Sandras is in its most basic condition, the ship is very slow and limited in where it can sail to, but as boosts become available and through the necessary upgrades, it is not long before the ship is a full-fledged warship, capable of riding the wind, taking you to new locations and going up against enemy vessels, whether you chance upon one in the wild, or sail into a highligted area where a naval battle can take place.

What’s more, while smaller vessels can be defeated thanks to cannon fire, there will come a point when you can face much larger ships. By challenging them head on, you can earn yourself better rewards, but it does mean you will need to deplete their armor before ramming into them to board the vessel and then fight through waves of enemies to force a treasure chest to appear.

Another form of battle that can be expected during the later parts of Ys X: Nordics comes in the form of Recapture battles. With this, Adol will come across certain islands that have fallen under the control of Griegr, but as long as players are sure their ship is up to scratch, you can start a Recapture battle, which has two parts. The first is nautical based with players using the Sandras to fight enemy ships, whilst shooting down pilons that are helping to erect a barrier over the imprisioned island, and once all nautical waves have been completed, it is Adol and Karja’s turn to storm the island, making their way through a maze to defeat waves of enemies until at last the island has been liberated.

Depending on your performance, time taken, ships sunk, points scored, you will be be given a rank and the higher the rank you obtain, the more rewards you will be gifted. But, fear not, if you do not attain an S Rank, you can always replay these battles at a later time when the Sandras has been improved further. The option to replay Recapture Drills is just one of many things players can do when aboard the Sandras, because when you get tired of sailing from island to island, whilst listening to crew conversations, Adol and Karja are free to explore the ship.

While its barebones at first, but as you amass your crew by making friends and liberating them when given the opportunity to do so, new features are unlocked. Cabins can be created, shops open up, NPCs will give you side quests, one NPC will allow you to upgrade the ship whilst your aboard it and you can even interact with the Lila Shell to refine mana and upgrade your Release Line. (More on this in a bit.)

But what of Adol and Karja when on land? Well, being the action-adventure game that it is, Ys X: Nordics is very simillar to the likes of Seven, Lacrimosa of Dana and Monstrum Nox as it utilises the seven system, but instead of a party feature, Nordics introduces cross action. With Cross Action, players can still attack in real-time, utilising an assortment of fast-paced skills and basic attacks, but when using Duo Mode, Adol and Karja join together to fight as one and unleash devastating Duo skills when prompted to do so.

When certain enemies flash a bright red, it means a strong attack is about to be performed and it is only during Duo Mode can it be blocked, provided Adol and Karja are not attacking. If shielded correctly, their Revenge counter gauge will be increased and their next Duo skill will deal even more damage.

Now, because Nordics only has two playable protagonists, Adol is the fast-moving attacker thanks to his trusty sword, whereas Karja is slower due to her axe and shield combo. Additionally, because there are fewer characters to play around with, this has allowed Nihon Falcom to create many more skills, expressions and animations for the pair during combat and everything else. This new gimmick might be the one that makes it or breaks it for some Ys fans, but personally, I found it to be refreshing this time around as less can sometimes be more and it benefits this particular story.

Another benefit to skills, is the more you use them, the sooner you will master them and the better they will perform. As for another method of upgrading Adol and Karja, this is where Release Lines come into play. It’s essentially a skill tree, and by meeting certain requirements such as levelling up or purifying Hewstones, players can obtain new node points to unlock Nodes, learn new skills and use any seals you have in your possession, to improve Adol’s and Karja’s stats.

As for land exploration, for anyone who wished Adol moved with more urgency, Adol can move at a faster pace now so when you want him to run, he can. When manoeuvring Adol, as long as they are following the set paths of each island, there is much he can see and do, and he’s free to jump up onto certain rock formations, but there’s no The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild freedom, in terms of him being able to climb every mountain to complete each island’s map sooner.

That said, obtainable Mana abilities will help Adol and Karja traverse each island in new ways, with one granting Adol the means to surf over thick pools of mud, and it’s a feature that is always fun to use, even when using it to just hurrying Adol and Karja along faster. As for other content that’s there to fill the game, there is side quests galore, many fishing spots to discover, and challenge battles and should you beat all 10 chapters of the game, you can unlock a Boss Rush mode and a Time Attack mode, both of which are equally fun.

What’s more, with new items, new weapons and new clothing items available at different shops, there’s always something for players to spend their in-game gold on. As for real-world currency, with so many DLC packs available that offer a variety of customisations, there’s plenty on offer to make your playthrough more unique tastes.

In regards to performance, built upon a refined engine, the Nintendo Switch version performs very well. The only time gameplay feels slow is when sailing on the Sandras with no upgrades. There are some long-winded loading scenes when entering new areas, but there’s no denying how beautiful Ys X: Nordics is to look out. While some of the NPCs look a little bland in design, unique characters like Adol, Karja, Dogi and the rest of the Balta Seaforce, each have a rich character design, thanks to distinctive outfits that make them stand out.

Ultimately, while Ys X: Nordics might not place among everyone’s top three Ys games, the simple truth is it is a much stronger contender than some would like to admit. Yes, the sailing side of Ys X: Nordics may make or break the game for some, as it can come off as being a slog, but it is part of the charm that Ys X: Nordics has to offer.

You get out of it what you put in and Nihon Falcom has done a great job of showing us that they still have plenty of new ideas for a game series that has been around for 37 years, it just goes to show Adol still has more adventures in him to share with all of us. But hey, if more convincing is required, with a demo available now, there’s nothing stopping you from taking a voyage to the Obelia Gulf yourself and formulating your own opinion.