Ys VI: The Ark of Napishtim (PC) Review

Ys VI: The Ark of Naphistim continues the adventures of Adol Christin throughout the world of Ys. Washing ashore on a small series of islands known as 'The Islands of Canaan,' he is soon rescued by a tribe of elf-dog people and must set out to find both his missing crew, as well as solve the mystery held within this small set of islands cut off from the edge of the world. While not being the most amazing or impressive game from a purely technical standpoint, this is simply a wondrous breath of fresh air all-around. From the start, the story, while holding detail and depth, is not overly-worded, instead being very concise and clear, which is a perfect analogy for this game on the whole. Although it would be easy to rag on how short the adventure is - clocking in at under 20 or so hours, less if side-missions are ignored - nothing about those 20 or so hours really feels wasted. Sure, there is grinding, side-quests, and the like, but the game's fast action and solid design makes these things less a problem and more a simple and straightforward manner of completing the journey.

The combat, for example, is fairly quick and punchy, requiring only two commands to utilize: jump and attack. This might seem simple at first, but the game uses these things well. Fighting flying enemies can be best done by jumping up in the air and swinging on the uptake, some ground enemies are best dealt with by attacking while coming down from the air, and some are best handled with normal attacks, while none of them feel gimmicky or lacking in challenge. Since the HP of enemies is kept relatively low, most can be finished off with just a few hits. Even when grinding happens, it does not become simplistic as tactics and various moves must be kept in mind and dished out properly, yet it doesn't become frustratingly slow either since most foes will die swiftly. Swift, concise, and clear.

The story is, likewise, similar as it's almost always clear what needs to be done and how to accomplish it without becoming vague or overly-referential. The result is that the tale is swift and easy for newcomers to the series to pick up and learn without needing to know much of the Ys world, but there are many things for returning veterans, as well.

However, this swift and concise nature comes at a price: the length. It can be bested in under 20 hours and there is little beyond beating some side-bosses to prompt a return afterwards. This is a game unlikely to be played through more than once, but also not a bad one to kick back and enjoy when a nice, quick, break is needed from the world of other, longer, ventures.