Ys VI: The Ark of Napishtim

An underappreciated JRPG franchise that deserves more love!  

By Urian Brown May 20, 2015

Ys (pronounced like “geese” but without the “g”) is a criminally underappreciated series. With fast-paced action, beautiful scenery, and really badass music, the Ys games are really fun and deserve a lot of love. Luckily for us, XSEED has been releasing Ys games for the past few years and have now released their localization of the sixth adventure in the Ys canon: The Ark of Napishtim.

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Originally released for Japanese PCs, the PlayStation 2 and the PSP, Ys VI: The Ark of Napishtim stars Adol Christin, a red-haired adventurer who makes his name known for exploring the unknown and for slaying monsters many times his size with little effort. After five adventures in the Eurasian continent, Adol and his best friend Dogi end up in a pirate ship, on the run from the Romun Empire. As they escape into the seas, they get attacked by the Romun fleet and Adol falls overboard while trying to save a friend. Adol is then washed up on the shores of the Canaan Islands, an archipelago surrounded by a mysterious and violent vortex. With no way out and caught in a feud between the native Rehda and other humans who have been marooned, Adol must try to set things right and seek out three legendary swords to combat an ancient evil that could bring havoc to the world!

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Gameplay in The Ark of Napishtim is similar to the 2D Zelda games: an overhead presentation, real-time action, quick swordplay, weapons upgrades and some light puzzle solving. Unlike Zelda, there is leveling up and a jump button. Like with most Ys games, there is a fixed level cap and a limited amount of items to use, so the game isn't too long, which is perfect for a weekend gaming session. There are also adjustable difficulty levels, ranging from Easy to Nightmare, with the latter being a challenge for the true Ys fan. There's also a boss rush mode; with large, screen-filling bosses waiting to murder Adol at every opportunity. Players looking for a good fight won't be disappointed. While all of this is cool, my favorite thing about The Ark of Napishtim is the music. The boss theme is one of my favorite Ys tunes ever and the OST by Falcom's Sound Team jdk will make you into a fan by its rock tracks alone.

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I've mentioned earlier that The Ark of Napishtim was previously released on the PS2 and the PSP, so what makes this re-release special? The biggest addition is “Catastrophe Mode," an optional mode in which the adventure is played similar to Ys Origin and The Oath in Felghana; curative items can't be stored and instead are used on the spot and there is no healing during boss battles, making the experience much more difficult. There's also a new translation, since the original English release was handled by Konami. Also included are fixes from the original PC version like adding warp points at save statues, which eliminates backtracking, full controller support and proper widescreen support for modern computer monitors. It may be a decade-old game, but Ys VI: The Ark of Napishtim is a fast and fun experience. And if you're interested in Adol's other adventures, all of the canon Ys stories (sans Ys V) are available in English for the PC and on PlayStation platforms. Just be sure to wear headphones while playing. You'll thank me later.

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Hint: When you get the pirates' booze, do not sell it to the merchant hanging out in the Rimorge bar. Instead, offer it to Toksa the drunk at Rehda Village. He'll give you an item in which you can trade to the merchant, who in turn will give you an accessory that'll boost your luck stat.

by Ray n.