Ys Online:The Ark of Napishtim

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FALCOM's Legendary Ys Series Returns. An Epic Fantasy JRPG Adventure Awaits.

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Reviews

64%

Audience ScoreBased on 1,227 reviews

story49 positive mentions

monetization21 negative mentions

The game features a compelling storyline and beautiful graphics that capture the essence of the Ys series.
There are many modes and activities to engage in, providing a variety of gameplay options.
The game is enjoyable for casual play, allowing players to progress without spending money, although it may take longer.

The game heavily relies on autoplay mechanics, which can make gameplay feel repetitive and disengaging.
There are significant pay-to-win elements, making it difficult for free-to-play players to compete effectively.
Many players experience technical issues, such as crashes and connectivity problems, particularly on certain devices.

story
116 mentions
42 % positive mentions
54 % neutral mentions
3 % negative mentions
The game's story is described as compelling and visually appealing, with some players enjoying the character interactions and narrative elements. However, many reviewers criticize the disjointed and automated nature of gameplay, which detracts from the storytelling experience, making it feel less engaging and often leading to frustration with the lack of player agency. Overall, while the story has potential, it is hampered by the game's heavy reliance on auto-play mechanics and a cluttered user interface.
- “The story is pretty good; could use some tweaking, but the gameplay is perfect for casual and non-casual players.”
- “Wow, this game is absolutely amazing! The graphics are nice, the gameplay is fun, and the story is really intriguing. I think it's the first time I like an action MMORPG on mobile; it's really well done, give it a try!”
- “Fantastic graphics, cool storyline, and super fun all around!”
- “The onboarding missions go on for way too long; I stopped playing before finishing the storyline.”
- “The story is a badly translated and disjointed mess too.”
- “I wanted to love this game because I love Ys, but it's just another auto game with basic combat that happens to draw on the story of the Ark of Napishtim.”
graphics
64 mentions
72 % positive mentions
22 % neutral mentions
6 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game are generally praised for their beautiful anime art style and solid performance, with many reviewers noting that they are visually appealing and reminiscent of console-quality graphics. However, some players express disappointment with the camera controls and the game's auto-play mechanics, which detract from the overall experience. While the graphics are often described as stunning and well-executed, there are mixed feelings about their originality and the game's overall execution.
- “The graphics are spot on.”
- “Fantastic graphics, cool storyline, and super fun all around!”
- “Beautiful graphics, and fun game so far.”
- “Those older gen graphics looked way better than this trash.”
- “White screen with corrupted graphics, can read text, but mostly white screen with a few color dots at times.”
- “Bad graphics, stuck all the time, bad drop, it's looking unfinished in my opinion.”
gameplay
54 mentions
44 % positive mentions
50 % neutral mentions
6 % negative mentions
The gameplay of the game has received mixed reviews, with many players noting its reliance on auto-play mechanics and pay-to-win elements, which detracts from the overall experience. While some appreciate the solid core gameplay and unique mechanics, others criticize it for being generic and lacking originality, often comparing it unfavorably to other mobile RPGs. Overall, the game features appealing graphics and social events, but many feel it falls short of the expectations set by the Ys franchise.
- “Gameplay is pretty solid too.”
- “Some original, interesting ideas for gameplay.”
- “Love at first sight, very smooth gameplay and excellent character design.”
- “The game kind of feels more like one of those free-to-play games but relies heavily on a pay-to-win style of gameplay.”
- “60% of the game is cut scenes, 30% is automated gameplay where you tap one thing then it runs for you.”
- “The gameplay is a typical pay-to-win approach 'MMO' game where you do nothing much except idling and waiting; nothing innovates the genre and it is far from being a Ys game.”
monetization
30 mentions
10 % positive mentions
20 % neutral mentions
70 % negative mentions
The monetization strategy of the game has been widely criticized as aggressive and predatory, with numerous players labeling it a cash grab filled with misleading advertisements and excessive microtransactions. Many reviews highlight the overwhelming presence of ads and the pressure to spend money to enjoy the game fully, leading to a frustrating experience that detracts from the gameplay. Overall, players express disappointment, feeling that the game prioritizes profit over quality and player satisfaction.
- “A fine game, with far too many in-game paths of upgrading your character, all of which are influenced by far too many paths of monetization.”
- “But then there's predatory monetization rivaling Diablo Immortal.”
- “P2W extremely aggressive predatory monetization.”
- “But this is just a cash grab.”
- “Far too much shady and scummy monetization for my liking.”
- “This app entirely is a rip off and a huge cash grab.”
music
14 mentions
71 % positive mentions
7 % neutral mentions
21 % negative mentions
The music in the game is generally praised for its quality and nostalgic appeal, with many reviewers noting that it enhances the overall experience despite the game's various issues. However, some players report a lack of sound effects and instances where the music is absent altogether, detracting from the immersion. Overall, while the soundtrack is a highlight, it is overshadowed by significant gameplay and technical problems.
- “But the music is nice as always, the art is nice as always, and it's great to feel like a part of one of these stories.”
- “The single positive I've encountered in the endeavor that is even trying to play this game is that it has decent music.”
- “Actual quality, beautiful soundtrack and a lot of effort put into this masterpiece.”
- “For specifics, any audio, be it sound effects or music in the game, is nonexistent, almost like everything is muted.”
- “I cannot play because I can't select a character. When I open the game, I'm greeted with an empty character selection screen—no characters, nothing to click to select a class, just empty. Music and butterflies are flying around, so the screen is not frozen; it just won't load.”
- “No sound, no music.”
optimization
7 mentions
71 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
29 % negative mentions
Overall, the game's optimization is inconsistent, with some players experiencing smooth performance on high-end devices, while others report unstable frame rates and control issues. While the art style and story are praised, there are calls for better optimization, particularly regarding server performance and skill effects.
- “Beautiful art style, and smooth performance on a OnePlus.”
- “I'm on a Galaxy S22 Ultra (Android 12), the game runs smoothly, no problems at all.”
- “Beautiful gameplay runs smoothly.”
- “Terrible controls need optimization.”
- “FPS can often get unstable to unplayable on my gaming phone, which I think are likely optimization troubles.”
grinding
6 mentions
0 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
100 % negative mentions
Players find the grinding aspect of the game tedious and designed primarily to extend playtime rather than enhance enjoyment. The inclusion of auto pathfinding and limited farming options contributes to a sense of boredom, with many feeling that the game prioritizes unlocking content over providing a fulfilling experience. Overall, the grinding mechanics detract from the game's potential, making it feel more like a social app than an engaging game.
- “It's clearly designed to get people to spend more time playing, but it just ends up being tedious.”
- “It seems like you're grinding to unlock all of the content instead of enjoying the content.”
- “Idle and grinding is boring.”
character development
4 mentions
50 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
50 % negative mentions
Character development in the game receives mixed reviews, with some players praising the character designs and smooth gameplay, while others express disappointment in the overall execution and feel that the character development does not meet their expectations. The art style is noted to be inconsistent, lacking the charm of the Ys series, which further detracts from the experience for some users.
- “Love at first sight, very smooth gameplay and excellent character design.”
- “I like the character design :)”
- “I wish the overworld art style was closer to the Ys series, but the only semblance of the Ys series art is in the character designs.”
- “Awful, just wasted 32 bucks and for what? Nothing worthwhile in the game at all; the character design is terrible.”
humor
2 mentions
100 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
0 % negative mentions
Users find the humor in the game's server connection issues, describing them as "borderline hilariously unstable," which adds a comedic element to the overall experience.
- “The server connection is borderline hilariously unstable though.”
- “Funny”
stability
2 mentions
0 % positive mentions
-50 % neutral mentions
150 % negative mentions
The game suffers from significant stability issues, with multiple users reporting that it frequently freezes at the start screen, preventing them from selecting characters and playing. Overall, these problems have led to a highly negative reception regarding the game's stability.
- “The start screen just freezes.”
- “This game deserves zero stars; it doesn't work, freezes up, and doesn't let me play. I'm stuck at the starting screen and can't choose a character.”
- “The game constantly crashes, making it impossible to progress.”
emotional
1 mentions
100 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
0 % negative mentions
The emotional response to the game is largely negative, with players expressing disappointment and a sense of disconnection, leading to a decision to abandon it after a brief experience.