The next installment in the Ys series, Ys 10: Nordics, is releasing next month. Japanese developer Nihon Falcom has two flagship series: the Trails series, and the Ys series. Where the Trails series is more traditional turn-based JRPGs, the Ys series is made up of action JRPGs following the adventures of red-haired swordsman Adol Christin. They take place in a world mirrored after our own, with names that reference real-world places. Like all of Falcom’s games, the Ys series is known for incredible music and endearing characters. With Nordics’ English localization coming soon, let’s take a look at everything we know.
Release Date
In February of this year, publisher Nippon Ichi Software America released an announcement trailer for Ys 10: Nordics. This trailer revealed that the game would be coming to the West in the fall of this year. Then, on July 4th they released the release date announcement trailer, which gave Nordics‘ release date as October 25, 2024. Preorders for the game’s Deluxe Edition were available in February, though preorders for the Limited Edition were only made available on July 5th. Both the Deluxe Edition and the Limited Edition are available for all three of the consoles that Nordics will be releasing for.
The music and game mechanics shown off in the release date announcement trailer have a lot in common with both Lacrimosa of Dana and Monstrum Nox. In particular, the grappling mechanic is very reminiscent of Adol’s Crimson Line ability from Monstrum Nox. Another striking similarity is in the music chosen – the beginning of the trailer theme calls to mind Ys 7‘s Innocent Primeval Breaker, which was the music used in the game’s intro animation. With Monstrum Nox notably lacking an intro animation, could this mean Nordics will return to this classic Ys tradition?
Consoles and Platforms
Like with Lacrimosa of Dana and Monstrum Nox, Nordics will be available on PC through Steam and GOG, as well as on Nintendo Switch, PS4, and PS5. This has been standard for English localizations of Ys since Lacrimosa of Dana. With Falcom reportedly beginning to develop for Nintendo Switch in-house, this likely contributes to Nordics‘ shorter wait for localization compared to Monstrum Nox.
Monstrum Nox was released in Japan for PS4 in September 2019, and its English localization was released in February 2021 for PS4 and July 2021 for Nintendo Switch. Comparatively, Nordics was released in Japan for Nintendo Switch, PS4, and PS5 in September of 2023, with a PC release in March of this year. With the Switch’s successor around the corner, is it possible that Falcom will develop for it in-house like they’ve begun to do with the Switch itself?
Characters
Like the rest of the series with the exception of Origin, Nordics features Adol as a protagonist. However, it also features a second protagonist: Karja. Karja is known for leading a band of pirates, and as such she’s called the Pirate Princess. She fights with a shield and an axe, compared to Adol using a sword as he always has. Only Adol and Karja are shown as having weapons they fight with.
Adol’s best friend and adventuring partner Dogi is set to appear in Nordics despite having been absent from Memories of Celceta. Dogi was introduced in Ys 1 by having him break open a wall with his bare fists to rescue Adol from a cell in a dungeon, giving him the nickname Dogi the Wallcrusher. He also played a major role in the story of Oath in Felghana, with Felghana being Dogi’s birthplace, which takes place after Memories of Celceta.
Nordics will also introduce other new characters, much like every entry in the series. Some of them are living everyday lives in Carnac, while others are pirates alongside Karja, and others are members of the Griegr who seem to be reminiscent of the Darklings in Ys Origin.
Story
Ys 10: Nordics takes place after the events of Ys 2 and before the events of Memories of Celceta, replacing Memories of Celceta as Adol’s third adventure and the fourth game in the series timeline. Adol happens across the Normans, who are pirate seafarers who demand tolls in exchange for safety. The Normans conflict with the Griegr, undead monsters who have been attacking islands in the area and capturing them. Griegr can completely heal any wounds obtained from regular weaponry; only Mana can kill them. It isn’t known what exactly Mana is. Runestones, monuments left by the Normans’ ancestors, can show Adol and Karja memories from the past, much like the crystals in Lacrimosa of Dana.
The excerpt of Adol’s travelogue for this game is also shared. In it, Adol speaks about losing freedom as we get older and longing to regain that freedom. He believes we can always return to those days of greater freedom. Excerpts from Adol’s travelogue typically have a thematic relevance to the game’s plot, which sometimes isn’t fully revealed until late in the game. With this game taking place just after Adol’s first and second adventures while he is still 17 years old, how will a theme of freedom tie into the story?
Game Mechanics
The game seems to be running on an updated version of the engine used for Monstrum Nox. NISA’s website for Ys 10: Nordics lays out 6 core systems that will be featured in Nordics: the Cross System, Mana, sailing, Release Lines, Recaptures, and fishing.
Cross System
Solo Mode
Solo Mode is similar to the way combat and character control worked in Lacrimosa of Dana and Monstrum Nox. In Solo Mode, the player controls either Adol or the game’s other protagonist, Karja. Both characters have their own skills they can use. It isn’t clear yet whether Karja is the only party member Nordics will feature, or whether the game will introduce additional party members as the game progresses.
Duo Mode
Duo Mode is new to the Ys series, allowing the player to simultaneously control Adol and Karja. The skills listed for this mode refer to having a “shackle-bound partner”, bringing to mind mechanics seen in The Legend of Spyro: Dawn of the Dragon. This mode is also said to allow for greater damage output than Solo Mode.
Mana
The website doesn’t specify what exactly Mana is, though it’s likely to be fairly similar story-wise to Essence from Lacrimosa of Dana. Mechanically it has more in common with the Monstrum Gifts from Monstrum Nox.
String
Aesthetically this ability has a lot in common with Adol’s Monstrum Gift in Monstrum Nox, Crimson Line. Grapple points nearby are highlighted in green, and grappling to one creates a line between the character and the point. However, Crimson Line teleported Adol to the point, whereas Mana String acts more like the whip from Skyward Sword. Mana String can also be upgraded to move objects and toggle switches, much like the Hookshot in many Zelda titles.
Ride
Mana Ride spawns a magic skateboard called a Gullinboard, which can hover over the ground or water as well as across Mana Rails. One of the clips shown on the website features Adol using the ability on a Mana Rail within a dungeon, calling to mind the Spinner from Twilight Princess.
Burst
Burst is exactly what it sounds like – a burst of elemental magic. For Adol, it spawns fire, whereas Karja’s spawns ice. Adol’s fire can be used to clear paths, and Karja’s ice can be used to create platforms.
Sense
This ability is tied to an item called the Druid’s Monocle, and it lets Adol see things like hidden items, enemies, or traps. It calls to mind the Detective Vision featured in the Batman games. In addition, upgrading the Druid’s Monocle gives Mana Sense the added benefit of slowing time around Adol while it’s active.
Sailing
After multiple games have begun with Adol and a shipwreck, and after Monstrum Nox poked fun at this tradition, now Nordics is giving Adol a boat of his own called the Sandras.
Steering
Players can either steer the Sandras themselves or use the Auto feature. The Auto feature could be similar to how horses work in Breath of the Wild and Tears of the Kingdom. Mana can also be used to give the Sandras a burst of speed, much like the Swift Sail in Wind Waker HD.
Camera
While sailing, there are 3 different camera modes players can use. NISA’s website only describes one: Dynamic Mode, which seems to place the camera either right behind Adol while steering or from Adol’s perspective.
Naval Battles
Combat will also play a role in sailing, with different cannonball types, boarding enemy ships, Mana barriers, and rewards of rare treasure. Naval battles have timers and score counters, much like the Beast Raids and Beast Hunts from Lacrimosa of Dana.
Trading
Some ships won’t be enemies but rather merchants who can be traded with. The merchants will accept gold, like in most Ys games, or materials, like the bartering system in Lacrimosa of Dana. However, some enemy ships will be disguised as merchant ships, so caution is important even here.
New Crew Members
Not only can Adol recruit people to become the Sandras’ crew, but adding crew members will also bolster the Sandras’ stats and can even give the ship additional features.
Release Lines
Release Lines are how skills are learned in Nordics. Leveling up awards Adol and Karja with Mana Points, which can be spent to learn new skills. The system also uses Mana Seeds, in a way that feels very reminiscent of both Final Fantasy 7‘s Materia and Final Fantasy 10‘s Sphere Grid. Mana Seeds are placed along paths, and doing so unlocks Mana Abilities. Mana Abilities come in four types: Valor, Mettle, Optimism, and Darkness.
Recaptures
Some islands have been taken over by the Griegr and can be recaptured. Recapturing islands involves two steps. The first step is battling the Griegr ships and destroying the Barrier Pillars, which is reminiscent of Beast Hunts from Lacrimosa of Dana with having primary targets to destroy while also having enemies to defeat. Once the Barrier Pillars are destroyed, Adol and Karja can disembark on the island and attack the Griegr on land. Taking the island back from the Griegr makes it a fast travel point and expands the map.
Fishing
Fishing was introduced in Lacrimosa of Dana but did not return in Monstrum Nox. In Nordics, it is expanded: there is Land Fishing just like there was in Lacrimosa of Dana, but there is also Tuna Fishing which can be done from the Sandras. Like in Lacrimosa of Dana, this will feature QTEs to reel in the fish, likely increasing in difficulty and complexity for higher-level fish. Hopefully, Nordics’ fish won’t have the same glitchy behavior as the Ancient Abyss in Lacrimosa of Dana.
Final Thoughts
Ys 10: Nordics seems to be taking a lot of mechanics and concepts that have been seen in other games (both in and out of the Ys series) and putting a unique spin on them. As is typical for Falcom with the Ys series, we still don’t know very much about the game’s story outside of the small pieces shared. With the story and writing for Lacrimosa of Dana often regarded as a peak for the series, is it possible that Nordics will surpass it and sail to new heights? Even if it doesn’t, the music and mechanics already look on par with both Lacrimosa of Dana and Monstrum Nox, so Nordics is likely to be another great Falcom game.
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