Ys: The Ark of Napishtim

The latest in the long-running RPG series is a fast, fun throwback to the good ol' days.

Ys: The Ark of Napishtim is a game misplaced in time. You are a boy with a sword who collects money and kills things, and that's really all there is to it--but that purity and simplicity are a big part of this surprising little action/RPG's charm.

Creative Anachronism
The role-playing saga of red-haired Adol Christian goes as far back in time as Final Fantasy, but you don't need to have played his previous adventures to dig into this one. The plot centers on a sort of Bermuda Triangle phenomenon known as the Great Vortex and the Isle of Canaan that lies inside--a place where lost seafarers have become stranded and have re-created their own society. Adol finds himself trapped here and has to make his way through the game's dungeons and towns.

The game's engine is 3D, but you have no control over the camera, so everything has a 2D-anime look and feel. Adol's moves are exciting, the enemies he fights are quirky and have clever attacks, and big bosses abound with neat animations and effects. The characters all have full 2D anime portraits during conversations, and every line is fully voiced by some entertainingly overzealous voice actors.

The control scheme has absolutely no frills--Adol simply runs, jumps, swings his elemental swords, and occasionally uses a bit of magic. We praise the designers' decision to make Adol a speedy little devil, so darting around towns and inevitably retreading terrain isn't such a tedious chore. Adol's sword swings are quick and his combos are fun, and the game's fast pace is one of its strongest allies--experience, sword upgrades (attained by collecting Emel from felled foes), and sword skills are granted frequently, so you're always getting a solid sense of reward.

The most obvious thing missing is a useful map--the one you have access to is a nice piece of art, sure, but it's nearly impossible to glean any information from it. The inventory system is also a little lacking as you can equip only one item in your "quick slot." Plus, your inventory can't be accessed during boss battles, which means if you've loaded yourself up with the wrong item for the job, you're out of luck.

Zen and the Art of RPG Design
Ys: The Ark of Napishtim is action/role-playing in its purest form--fast, well made, and fun even without the complexity (or convolution) of Final Fantasy, Knights of the Old Republic, or even The Legend of Zelda. Sometimes there's nothing wrong with a little good ol' fashioned simplicity.

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