Ys X Nordics - PS5/PS4/Nintendo Switch - Digital Foundry Tech Review

Ys X Nordics had its own pride of place in John Linneman's Best Games of 2023, based on his PlayStation 5 experience, and having now taken a look at the game running on Nintendo Switch and PlayStation 4 Pro, he's even more eager to tell you more about it. Currently it's Japan-only, but it's almost certainly coming to the West - and here's how it's shaping up.

[superluismigueL]

Wow I almost had a heart attack thinking it launched in the west

[mojtaba]

Digital Foundry reviewing a Nihon Falcom title, especially a non-localized one, is a pleasant surprise.

Well, finally some Falcom love! Let's see the same with the Trails series, guys

[DaedrinMolkre]

Always nice to see Ys games get coverage. It definitely feels like Ys is the best series I play that almost no one I know talks about. Gotta say I was blown away to see something Ys related pop up on DF and I’m all here for it.

[malaki]

It might be the boomer gamer in me, but I'm so glad that Nihon Falcom is still making games, especially the Ys series. I look forward to the western PC release.

It's gonna be a painful wait.

[fpkeqing]

Its nice to see Falcom games getting more recognition in the past few years.

I hope John will also cover Trails through Daybreak when its released globally this summer.

[DeskoDev]

Great to see the Ys series get some love here! Hoping this gets localized by the end of the year, though I've got quite a lot of catching up to do anyway.

[tomsimmons]

After watching this, I want an Ys discussion between John and Johnny Millennium (Happy Console Gamer)

[toastyburger]

Interesting stories, snappy cutscenes, fun characters, and addictive gameplay make Ys one of my favorite series.

[danielrivera]

I played ys 8 the last year and I was atonished by the the quality of the story and gameplay. Now I am playing ys 9 and really excited for ys 10. Seeing videos like this about games that sometimes aren't recognize by many people is really great.

[roussounmanman]

I bought the game last November, and since I can understand Japanese to a good degree, I didn't miss out on the story. To me, this is the best out of the available Ys games on the Switch (8, 9, 10, Origin, Oath in Felgana). Much better performance, perfected combat mechanics, much better character progression, exploration is a mix between Wind Waker and Ys VIII, the story is amazing, with great characters (Karja <3). The soundtrack is the sole weak point, not reaching the high points of Ys VII.

Be VERY excited.

[Scytherman]

I would love to hear John's opinion on the eventual PC port, whenever it releases. PH3 have been doing a great job with Falcom PC ports in recent years.

[jackjohnson]

Bro you are so based for being such a big Ys fan that you bought the game in japanese.

[jolu]

No one probably knows what I'm talking about, but the strange thing about the 1990 Ys Book I&II on the TG-16 CD system is that even though it was made with the expectation for 4:3 aspect ratio, it feels like it was originally meant for 16:9 and the screen looks smooshed on 4:3. I never have seen anyone talk about this. If you bring the aspect to 16:9 it looks more "normal."

[GG_]

13:23 Thank you so much for highlighting the log system in this game! This might be the thing that gets me to get it now instead of waiting. Game Gengo highlights this in his videos all the time, which is super helpful, so I'm glad you took the time to mention it as well!

[Danusko]

I'm hoping for a Pc version, game looks amazing. Thanks for the review!

[Exlee-dquo]

In 1990 I worked all summer mowing lawns to save for for the TG-16 CD Add on. Let's just say my 13 year old self had his mind blown! Red book audio, stunning cut scenes, amazing music, great story and killer voice acting delivered an epic adventure that I have never forgotten! It makes me so happy that Falcom is still around and successful after 40 years making games! They are a treasure in my opinion!

[Shantara]

It’s great to see my favorite jRPG series getting more recognition it deserves

[yeverything]

I love you John/Digital Foundry, especially when you dive deep into the culture/history/art of games ; how they evolved and what makes them. Makes me wanna play the other titles in the series. 😁

[Corran]

Happy to see more Falcom representation on the channel. I hope PH3 will be doing the PC port again. Their Trails and Ys ports are fantastic.