Ys X: Nordics

Ys X stands as another great entry in this long-running action series, bringing in some cool ideas of its own without straying too far from what made its predecessors so beloved. Enjoyable combat, an excellent soundtrack, and an engaging world to explore all make this one an easy recommendation, even if it can stumble a bit with its performance and doesn't totally stick the landing with all its new ideas. We'd highly recommend Ys X if you're at all a fan of the past entries or are looking for another solid action RPG to add to your collection.

I come away from Ys X: Nordics more than satisfied with its renewed battle mechanics, but unfulfilled with most of the rest of the game that surrounds it. Ship navigation and island exploration never manage to become compelling, and the narrative largely falls flat. If you come to the Ys series primarily for entertaining combat, you'll have a blast - I just wish it was a little less lopsided.

Ys at its finest. A breathtaking action RPG featuring terrific combat and a rich narrative.

Ambition that slightly misses its mark is my main takeaway with Ys X: Nordics. There’s still a rock-solid foundation here, as any fan of action-RPGs can attest to. Ys is a series that’s stood on business for decades and with good reason. The problems here are all in the efforts made to try something different, which isn’t the worst thing to happen with a long-running series. Instead of resting on its laurels, Falcom has tried some new things with Ys X and there’s credit due for those efforts. The story and characters are on point, and the way the core mechanics try to act as a mirror for the themes is fascinating! But there’s some connective tissue missing that could’ve made things really sing. Meanwhile, the ship customization and combat is cool and rewarding in the long run, but the agonizingly slow pace of progression there really hurts the drive to care and engage long enough to see the payoff. Will these systems see iteration and come into their own, or will Falcom try something else next time? I’m curious to see if Adol can become a talented sailor one day.

Ys X Nordics stands as one of the best entries in the series, second only to the excellent YS VIII: Lacrimosa of Dana. With a cast of charming characters, an engaging story, and fast-paced action gameplay powered by some interesting mechanics that force players to balance offense and defense, the franchise by Falcom has taken a decisive step forward, delivering a highly polished and satisfying experience.

Ys X: Nordics brings welcome changes to the template that made its predecessors enjoyable. The ship exploration and naval battles add a new dimension to exploration that wasn't present in previous games. The shift from a three-member party to two does put limit on play variety, but having two constant playable characters brings a different dynamic which works well in the greater context of the story. These changes help differentiate Ys X: Nordics from other entries in the franchise, but it maintains the elements fans have come to expect, such as recruiting people for their base and watching it grow. The story takes interesting turns, especially later in the game, and all is done with a great accompanying soundtrack and frenetic mana-enhanced combat. Returning Ys players will find many elements that are familiar, but enough changes were made to make this new entry stand out from what came before it.

Ys X: Nordics is a fine return to form for the series. Time will tell whether the already-announced sequel (expanded version?) is a worthwhile upgrade, but why wait until then? We know this version is good as it stands, and that’s more than enough to make it worth your time.

Despite introducing some strategic changes to the combat system and campaign progression, Ys X: Nordics keeps the soul of the series alive and reaffirms itself as one of the most enjoyable and engaging action RPGs of 2024.

Overall, my play time for Ys X: Nordics was around 45 hours. A decent length for an action JRPG, though I did complete the majority of available side quests, including the Recapture missions which can end up taking almost 20 minutes for the highest difficulty ones. If you wanted to speed run the main story only, you could probably drop the time around to about 30 hours or less. If you are an action-JRPG fan, then I would recommend a play through of Ys X: Nordics. This is unlikely to be on anybody’s game of the year lists, but it is definitely worth your time.

Ys X: Nordics is, hands down, one of my favorite entries in the franchise thus far. I really enjoyed the “Vikings meets pirates” theme, the characters, the naval encounters, and without a shadow of a doubt, the fast-paced and cathartic combat system.