Ys: The Ark of Napishtim

About

Ys: The Ark of Napishtim is a single player hack and slash game with fantasy and anime themes. It was developed by Nihon Falcom and was released on April 27, 2015. It received mostly positive reviews from critics and positive reviews from players.

Adventurer Adol Christin has washed ashore in yet another mysterious, isolated new land, inhabited by a people who sport long ears and bushy tails...and are none too fond of humans. Experience the very first 3D Ys game as never before, with a whole new gameplay mode unique to this release!

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player

Skip User Reviews

89%

Audience ScoreBased on 1,221 reviews

story202 positive mentions

grinding221 negative mentions

Engaging story with interesting characters and lore that ties into the broader Ys universe.
Fast-paced and enjoyable combat with a variety of elemental swords that add depth to gameplay.
Great soundtrack that enhances the overall experience and atmosphere of the game.

Dash jump mechanic is frustratingly difficult to execute, leading to potential missed items and unnecessary backtracking.
Significant grinding is required to progress, especially for boss fights, which can disrupt the flow of the game.
Some bosses have poorly designed hitboxes and attack patterns, making encounters feel unfair at times.

story
603 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
33%
62%
5%
The story in the Ys series, particularly in titles like "Ys VI: The Ark of Napishtim," is generally regarded as engaging yet straightforward, often featuring familiar themes of adventure and exploration. While many players appreciate the lore connections to previous games, the narrative can feel simplistic and occasionally lacks depth, with some plot points requiring prior knowledge of the series for full appreciation. Overall, the story is enjoyable for fans, complemented by strong character interactions and a captivating soundtrack, though it may not stand out as particularly groundbreaking.
- “I’ve played the PS2 version, this version, and yes I’d recommend the game to anyone who wants a great story, fun characters, and decent music.”
- “The story packs quite a lot of factions and events into its modest running time, while the worldbuilding is central to the overarching lore, providing valuable context for almost every other Ys game.”
- “The story is actually engaging and well translated.”
- “The story is lackluster and kinda lazy, the game progression is nonsensical and has many triggers that you can outright miss and never progress the story without looking a guide.”
- “The story is kind of barebones and benefits from a familiarity with the previous games; without that knowledge, the whole story will come across as painfully generic.”
- “The first problem though is that the plot is not tight enough to guide you from boss to boss, and you'll spend enormous amounts of time getting lost without resorting to a walkthrough.”
gameplay
441 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
31%
62%
7%
The gameplay of "Ys VI: The Ark of Napishtim" is characterized by fast-paced action and a straightforward hack-and-slash style, which many players find enjoyable despite some dated mechanics. However, the notoriously difficult dash jump mechanic has received significant criticism for its poor execution, often detracting from the overall experience. While the game lays a solid foundation for future titles in the series, it lacks the refinement seen in later entries, making it a mixed bag for both newcomers and series veterans.
- “An excellent action RPG with solid play mechanics, great music, mostly excellent bosses, and colorful visuals.”
- “The gameplay is really good.”
- “The core gameplay loop of diving into a horde of enemies and slashing around at them as they explode into money and items is deeply satisfying, and elaborate boss fights are tense and rewarding.”
- “The way you activate the dash jump is probably the worst platforming mechanic ever designed in a 3D platformer.”
- “But speaking of jumps, there is one mechanic for doing long distance jumps which is absolutely painful and significantly hurts the player experience - can’t understand how it was released in this state.”
- “The gameplay is weaker in practically every area: Adol's moveset is skimpier; dungeons lack the sense of momentum lent by Oath in Felghana's combo system; bosses spam obnoxious moves and then retreat out of reach.”
music
422 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
56%
42%
2%
The music in "Ys VI: The Ark of Napishtim" is widely praised, with many reviewers highlighting its high quality and ability to enhance the gameplay experience. While some feel it may not reach the stellar heights of previous entries in the series, the soundtrack is still considered enjoyable and memorable, featuring a mix of upbeat and atmospheric tracks that complement the game's action and setting. Overall, the music remains a standout aspect, consistent with the series' reputation for excellent soundtracks.
- “The music is also killer just like every other entry in the series (also the music is included as ogg files and is worth a listen outside of playing the game).”
- “The soundtrack rocks like all the other falcom games.”
- “The music is absolutely phenomenal as always, falcom's sound team never leaves you wanting.”
- “First of all, the music is quite underwhelming compared to the other entries, but I said okay, maybe this is a good game in other regards.”
- “The music is a joke compared to pretty much every other game in the series and they couldn't be bothered to do an actual arranged version with instruments like in Oath in Felghana, so it all just sounds like hyper MIDI.”
- “While bosses were pretty annoying with wonky hitboxes and boring mechanics, the music was bland and not memorable compared to previous games.”
grinding
224 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
1%
99%
Grinding is a significant aspect of the game, with many players noting that it is often excessive and can detract from the overall experience. While some enjoy the grind as a classic RPG element, others find it tedious, especially when it becomes necessary to progress through difficult boss battles or to achieve 100% completion. Overall, the game is best suited for those who appreciate grinding, as it is deeply integrated into the gameplay and difficulty balance.
- “You'll need a second life for grinding.”
- “My biggest complaints about the game would have to be how much grinding you're expected to do just to not be overwhelmed at some bosses... but that's not atypical for Ys games.”
- “The grinding of levels is back and it's even worse.”
- “But in order to properly fight Majunun, you have to grind and grind and grind... mandatory grinding is not what Ys is about.”
graphics
149 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
42%
51%
7%
The graphics of the game are generally praised for their vibrant colors and charming aesthetic, reminiscent of early 2000s titles, with a mix of 2D and 3D art styles that many players find appealing. While some reviewers note that the visuals show their age and may not meet modern standards, they appreciate the remastered quality and the nostalgic feel it brings. Overall, the graphics contribute positively to the game's presentation, despite occasional glitches and configuration issues.
- “The graphics also do an excellent job of bringing a fictional world to life with vibrant colors and a variety of enemies in different dungeon and overworld settings.”
- “The game features a gorgeous 90's fantasy anime aesthetic with a pumping soundtrack to match.”
- “The remastering of graphics is amazing, and it's such a fun, simple game.”
- “Graphically, it hasn't aged well.”
- “The game originally came out on the PS2, but other than the graphics quality, it could have just as easily been developed for the SNES a decade earlier.”
- “The graphics are dated (even by 2003's standards), but functional.”
replayability
20 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
15%
70%
15%
The game's replayability is mixed, with some players appreciating the extra modes and harder difficulties that enhance replay value, rating it around 7/10. However, many reviewers feel that compared to previous titles in the series, it lacks substantial replay incentives beyond difficulty variations and speedruns, leading to a perception of thin replayability overall.
- “I beat the main story in about 22 hours, but the replay value is there with extra modes.”
- “This game is well worth the asking price if you are looking to invest in replay value on harder difficulties.”
- “15.29€ is not a bad price for a good game with loads of replay value.”
- “My only gripe is that compared to Ys Origins (3 different characters with differing stories and difficulties and gameplay styles to go along), this really has comparably little replay value.”
- “[replayability - bad]: other than doing different difficulties, speedruns, or getting all the achievements... there's not that much reason to replay it.”
- “- no real replayability aside from boss rush mode... but that's it”
atmosphere
14 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
71%
29%
The atmosphere of this Ys game is praised for its uniqueness and depth, enhanced by a standout soundtrack that complements the gameplay and narrative. Reviewers highlight the game's ability to create an immersive experience, with music that not only supports the atmosphere but also stands out on its own. Overall, it is regarded as having one of the most distinctive atmospheres in the Ys series.
- “Hardcore gameplay - wonderful music - astounding atmosphere - this is the Ys series in a nutshell.”
- “Like all Ys games, the soundtrack does an excellent job supporting and defining the atmosphere of the game, but at the same time, the music easily stands on its own.”
- “It fits, or rather, creates the atmosphere to fit the storyline and dungeons wonderfully.”
stability
12 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
17%
83%
Overall, the game demonstrates solid stability with no major crashes reported, running smoothly even at native 4K. However, players have noted occasional graphical glitches, particularly for widescreen users, which can typically be resolved by restarting the game. Despite these minor issues, the gameplay experience remains largely positive.
- “Runs great, looks great, sounds great, plays great.”
- “Runs great, looks great, sounds great, plays great.”
- “Buggy as hell.”
- “Some graphical glitches after playing for a while, but restarting would fix them.”
- “Like a lot of these ports, there are occasional graphical glitches on the edges for widescreen users.”
character development
12 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
67%
25%
8%
Overall, the character development in the game is highlighted by strong character design and excellent dialogue, contributing to an intriguing story and immersive world. While the graphics are noted as impressive for an older title, the focus remains primarily on the quality of character interactions and aesthetics.
- “The game shines with excellent dialogues, character design, intriguing story, and beautiful world.”
- “The character designs are really nice and the graphics are pretty good for such an old polygonal game.”
- “Great character design.”
- “The character design and music are fine... that's about it.”
humor
10 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The humor in the game is derived from its quirky mechanics and the absurdity of certain situations, such as inconsistent boss attacks and the overabundance of healing items that make frustrating encounters amusingly manageable. Players find the community's cult-like enthusiasm for the game both entertaining and indicative of its charm, while the juxtaposition of challenging gameplay with comedic elements adds to the overall experience. The humor is further highlighted by the player's evolving opinions on the game's quality, showcasing a lighthearted take on its flaws.
- “The game showers you with healing items as though it knows it has a ton of cheap damage and invincible enemies, so it is somehow frustratingly difficult while also hilariously easy to get through at the same time. You can just eat nine honeycombs when a group of invincible enemies 100-0s you or you fall asleep at the keyboard long enough for a boss's long-winded attack to finally hit you.”
- “Also, it was kind of funny when I looked more into this game for questions I had, to learn that the Ys community seems to lean quite a bit into the cult part of 'cult classic', complete with a webpage made for 'indoctrination'.”
- “The funny thing is, I was dead set on 'Origins' being the best until I played through this one.”
optimization
8 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
25%
25%
Overall, the game is well-optimized for a variety of computer systems, running smoothly and bug-free, particularly on modern hardware where it achieves 4K at 60fps. However, there are reports of performance issues on the PSP version, indicating that the optimization may not extend to all platforms.
- “So you can tell the game was optimized for all kinds of computers.”
- “Ys4 has better graphics, very nice music, a good plot, and interesting characters - it runs smoothly and is bug-free.”
- “As one might expect from a 2003 game made natively for PC and only slightly improved and updated, it runs smoothly in 4K at 60fps on a modern card.”
- “I read bad things about the game's performance on the PSP.”
- “I read bad things about the game's performance on the PSP.”
emotional
8 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The emotional aspect of the game is highlighted by its heart-warming story that continues the journey of Adol Christin and revisits beloved characters from previous installments. Despite its technically outdated graphics, players find the narrative engaging and touching, contributing to a wholesome gaming experience.
- “Although technically outdated, graphics are beautiful and the game tells a lovely, heart-warming story.”
- “- heart-warming, emotional story”
- “Ys beauty wholesome fun and loved following from the last game (Ys V) towards this one and seeing where the story leads Adol Christin as well as the past characters that came back.”

Skip Critic Reviews

62%Critics’ scoreBased on 5 critic reviews

Skip Game Offers

Buy Ys: The Ark of Napishtim

76h Median play time

51h Average play time

2-100h Spent by most gamers

*Based on 4 analyzed playthroughs

Skip Videos

Videos

Skip Games Like Ys: The Ark of Napishtim

88%3.1kreviews

Ys I & II Chronicles+

2013

Hack and Slash

84%734reviews

Ys SEVEN

2017

Hack and Slash

86%2.2kreviews

Ys Origin

2012

Hack and Slash

87%20.7kreviews

Tales of Arise

2021

Open World Hack and Slash

72%8kreviews

Darksiders 3

2018

Open World Hack and Slash

+11

More games like Ys: The Ark of Napishtim

Skip FAQs

Frequently Asked Questions

Ys: The Ark of Napishtim is a hack and slash game with fantasy and anime themes.

Ys: The Ark of Napishtim is available on PC, Windows, PlayStation 2, Mobile Platform and others.

On average players spend around 51 hours playing Ys: The Ark of Napishtim.

Ys: The Ark of Napishtim was released on April 27, 2015.

Ys: The Ark of Napishtim was developed by Nihon Falcom.

Ys: The Ark of Napishtim has received mostly positive reviews from players and mostly positive reviews from critics. Most players liked this game for its story but disliked it for its grinding.

Ys: The Ark of Napishtim is a single player game.

Similar games include Ys I & II Chronicles+, Ys SEVEN, Ys Origin, Tales of Arise, Darksiders 3 and others.

Ys: The Ark of Napishtim

Platforms

Ys VI: The Ark of Napishtim Review

Ys VI: The Ark of Napishtim

Ys VI: The Ark of Napishtim Review - An "Ys"-y Recommendation

Buy Ys: The Ark of Napishtim

Ys VI: The Ark of Napishtim Steam Key GLOBAL

Ys: Classic Collection Bundle Steam CD Key