GAME TITLE | : | Ys VI:
The Ark of Napishtim |
PLATFORM | : | PC |
DEVELOPER | : | Nihon Falcom |
TRANSLATION | : | XSEED Games |
PUBLISHER | : | XSEED Games |
ENGINE | : | Napishtim Engine |
RELEASE DATE | : | April 28, 2015 |
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By Jessie Cooper |
Ys VI: The Ark of Napishtim is the culmination of Ys lore from all the previous games that have come before it. The life-stream of Napishim runs through all other previous entries in the series (Ys I, II, Celceta, Felghana and Origin) that add incredible value to the story surrounding the Canaan Islands. This game explains all the unanswered questions you didn't even know you had. It didn't take long before I was enthralled in another of Adol's adventures. This game also introduced some of my favourite songs from the series. As an added bonus, every purchase on Steam or GOG comes bundled with a digital art book called "Material Collection". It includes high-resolution art assets originally offered by Falcom through an exclusive Japanese fan disc.
As with all other XSEED offerings on Steam, The Ark of Napishtim boasts incredible HD visuals and a full list of achievements to unlock. XSEED re-translated the entire game from the ground-up and is leaps and bounds better than the previous PlayStation offerings by Konami (PS2 & PSP). It's worth noting that the console versions do have the same story, added voice acting (PS2) and a few exclusive side-missions. Konami did a decent job with the gameplay tweaks, but the translation itself is fairly pale in comparison. This version also introduced a greater difficulty level as a new game mode was created exclusively for Steam: Catastrophe Mode. This changes the game to play more like The Oath in Felghana and Ys Origin, adding enemy item drops and removing the inventory function of storing and using items at will. This creates a more challenging experience against bosses considering you can no longer heal. I don't recommend Catastrophe Mode for first-time players because the gameplay should really be experienced in its true, original form. Even still, Catastrophe Mode is quite a treat for players who want a more challenging approach to Napishtim.
The only other major change from the original PC version is the inclusion of a warp system. This doesn't affect the original experience by much as it simply shortens the unnecessary time travelling by foot. But by all means, if you wish to ignore this feature, you do you! By using an item called the Wing of Alma, Adol can instantly travel between monolith locations scattered throughout the islands. This is a feature unique to the Steam port and was added in response to overwhelming demand from the Ys fan base. It certainly helped me satisfy my desire to find and explore the islands of Canaan, and learn the truth about the Eldeen civilization.
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