Ys X: Nordics

Release Date: October 25, 2024

RPG, TPP, fantasy, ships, action RPG, jRPG, singleplayer

7.8

OpenCritic

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The tenth installment in a series of Japanese action RPGs. Ys X: Nordics stars Adol Christin, traveling to the far north where he faces the immortal undead known as Griegers.

Plot
Mechanics
Technical aspects

Ys X: Nordics is the tenth installment in a series of action jRPGs originating from 1987. It was developed by Nihon Falcom, also known for the series The Legend of Heroes.

Plot

Ys X: Nordics is set after Ys IX: Monstrum Nox. Young adventurer Adol Christin leaves the ancient Kingdom of Ys and sets out north, meeting a seafaring civilization, the Normans. Over time, he learns more about the people and the greatest threat to them, the immortal undead called Griegers.

Mechanics

Ys X: Nordics is a third-person game expanding upon the ideas introduced in the previous installments of the series. The player traverses the land, completes quests, fights enemies, developing the player character and his party. The game does, however, introduce some significant novelties.

The primary new mechanic is a ship. The player can sail between the islands, use nautical maps for navigation and take part in naval battles. The combat was changed as well, as a new system was added to it. Cross Action lets us choose between two combat modes; "solo mode" has us controlling a single character, with the other companions attacking automatically, while "combination mode" has us controlling two characters at once, chaining their attacks into flashy combos.

Technical aspects

Ys X: Nordics features colorful, manga-like high-quality visuals.

Videos and Screens

[1:08] Ys X: Nordics - Accolades Trailer

[2:12] Ys X: Nordics Launch Trailer

7.8

OpenCritic Rating

Game is Recomended by 75% of Critics. There are 61 Critic Reviews.

OpenCritic

God is a Geek: 7 / 10 by Lyle Pendle

Ys X: Nordics is a fun enough RPG with enjoyable combat, but dull sailing sections and subpar visuals make it a slightly disappointing sequel.

Full Review

Digitally Downloaded: 4 / 5 by Matt Sainsbury

Ys and I will never be best friends. I love storytelling in my RPGs, and Ys is quite firmly committed to making me press buttons instead. More than ten games into the series and I still wish the developers did something, anything, to make Adol interesting enough to be a frontman that has more entries now than most of the absolute greats of fantasy literature. He’s no Thomas Covenant or Pug, that’s for sure. Still, despite this dispute between myself and the series, I can appreciate what so many others live and why this has become such a cult favourite over so many iterations. No other JRPG property does extreme-paced action as well as Ys, and with Ys X, that quality is supported with a sense of wonder and adventure in the exploration that makes it very difficult to put down.

Full Review

Analog Stick Gaming: 7 / 10 by Jeff M Young

Ys is a series I fell in love with some years ago and each new entry has often given me what I have wanted from it. Nordics; however, doesn’t provide me with much more than what I already got from Lacrimosa of Dana in regards to its combat and exploration, and the newly implemented ship combat and sailing is just as bland as its lifeless ocean. I love this series and want it to be better than it is, but after the remarkably impressive Monstrum Nox, I feel that this team is capable of giving us an epic and fantastic adventure for Adol to tackle. Ys X: Nordics; however, doesn’t provide anything new and interesting to really sink your teeth into. It’s a fine adventure that I did enjoy pushing through, but it’s my least favorite Ys game so far by a nautical mile.

Full Review

7.5