Ys: The Ark of Napishtim

About

In "Ys: The Ark of Napishtim," players control Adol Christin, a skilled swordfighter, as he explores a mysterious island filled with ancient ruins and dangerous creatures. The game features fast-paced action-RPG gameplay, with a focus on combo-based combat and exploration. After a devastating shipwreck, Adol discovers the island holds the key to uncovering his past and saving the world from destruction.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player Play through the game's story or campaign solo

+11

89%

Audience ScoreBased on 1,426 reviews

story224 positive mentions

grinding283 negative mentions

Fast-paced and enjoyable combat that keeps players engaged.
Great soundtrack that enhances the overall experience.
Interesting story with connections to previous Ys games, enriching the lore.

Excessive grinding required to progress, especially on higher difficulties.
Dash jump mechanic is frustrating and poorly explained.
Some bosses have unbalanced difficulty, leading to frustrating encounters.

story
689 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
33%
62%
5%
The story of "Ys VI: The Ark of Napishtim" is generally considered light and somewhat predictable, serving primarily as a vehicle to guide players through combat and exploration rather than offering deep narrative engagement. While it features interesting lore and callbacks to previous games in the series, many players feel it lacks depth and character development, with some criticizing the antagonist's motivations as weak. Overall, the game is recommended for fans of the series who appreciate its action-oriented gameplay, but those seeking a rich story may find it lacking.
- “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 quite good, entertaining while not very deep.”
- “The story and characters are all well fleshed out; while the overarching plot is largely nonsense, it's hard not to grow fond of your allies and friends.”
- “The story is... honestly pretty light.”
- “The storyline is a bit on the weaker side, the motivation of the antagonists is just plain stupid.”
- “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.”
gameplay
505 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
29%
63%
8%
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 its simplicity and some clunky mechanics, particularly the poorly executed dash jump. While the game offers a solid core experience with engaging combat and boss fights, it suffers from janky hitboxes and a lack of depth compared to later entries in the series, leading to mixed feelings about its overall execution. Despite these flaws, the game remains a fun action RPG that serves as a foundational piece for the *Ys* franchise, appealing to both newcomers and series veterans.
- “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.”
- “Fast-paced action RPG with great bosses, addictive gameplay, and memorable music.”
- “Overall, I would say Ys VI: The Ark of Napishtim is a great action game, and only bested by Ys: Origin for this gameplay style in the series.”
- “There's not much depth to the gameplay, jank hitboxes, un-telegraphed boss attacks and downright unfair minibosses.”
- “The dash jump is also the hardest mechanic in this game, and I still struggle with it.”
- “The dungeons themselves are pointlessly convoluted and annoying to navigate and the dash-jump mechanic alone would be reason enough to give this a thumbs down.”
music
454 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
56%
42%
2%
The music in *Ys VI: The Ark of Napishtim* is widely praised, with many reviewers highlighting its quality and ability to enhance the gameplay experience. While some feel it may not reach the heights of previous entries in the series, the soundtrack is still considered strong, featuring memorable tracks that complement the game's fast-paced action and engaging story. Overall, the music is a standout aspect, consistent with the high standards set by the Falcom sound team.
- “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
287 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
1%
99%
Grinding is a prominent aspect of the game, with many players noting that it is often necessary to progress, especially on higher difficulty levels. While some find the grinding sessions rewarding and enjoyable, others feel it can be tedious and detracts from the overall experience, particularly when facing bosses that require significant leveling to defeat. Overall, the game appeals to those who appreciate grinding, but it may frustrate players who prefer a more streamlined experience.
- “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.”
- “Grinding out that amount of resources literally takes more time than the entire rest of the game.”
- “But in order to properly fight Majunun, you have to grind and grind and grind... mandatory grinding is not what Ys is about.”
graphics
160 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
40%
54%
6%
The graphics of the game, while rooted in a PS2-era aesthetic, have been notably enhanced for the Steam release, showcasing vibrant colors and a charming mix of 2D and 3D art styles. Many players appreciate the nostalgic appeal and detailed environments, despite acknowledging that the visuals may feel dated by modern standards. Overall, the graphics contribute positively to the game's presentation, creating an engaging and colorful experience.
- “The graphics are gorgeous, and the exploration is excellent.”
- “The game features a gorgeous 90's fantasy anime aesthetic with a pumping soundtrack to match.”
- “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.”
- “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
20%
65%
15%
The game's replayability is mixed, with some players noting the presence of extra modes and higher difficulty levels that enhance replay value, while others feel it lacks substantial reasons to replay beyond achievements and speedruns. Comparisons to previous titles in the series highlight that it offers less replayability than others, despite being a good value for the price. Overall, opinions range from high replayability to a more limited experience.
- “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.”
- “- replayability is thin, no Alma's trials.”
character development
14 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
57%
29%
14%
Character development in the game is criticized for being limited, primarily focusing on a few key characters like Olha, Isha, and the village chief, which detracts from the overall depth. While the character design and graphics receive praise for their quality, the lack of broader character exploration leaves players wanting more. Overall, the game excels in dialogue and storytelling but falls short in character development.
- “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.”
- “Character development suffers, mostly because the focus is really only on Olha, Isha, and the village chief for the most part.”
- “The character design and music are fine... that's about it.”
atmosphere
14 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
71%
15%
14%
The atmosphere of this Ys game is notably distinct, characterized by a more atmospheric soundtrack that enhances the overall experience. Reviewers praise the combination of excellent gameplay, a compelling story, and a soundtrack that not only supports but also defines the game's unique ambiance, making it stand out among other titles in the series. Overall, the game's atmosphere is described as astounding, effectively complementing the storyline and dungeons.
- “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.”
- “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's stability is generally positive, with many users reporting smooth performance and no crashes, even at native 4K resolution. However, some players have encountered occasional graphical glitches, particularly when entering new areas, which can be resolved by restarting the game. Widescreen users may also experience minor edge glitches, but these do not significantly detract from the overall experience.
- “Runs great, looks great, sounds great, plays great.”
- “Runs great, looks great, sounds great, plays great.”
- “Buggy af”
- “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.”
humor
10 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The humor in the game is derived from its quirky mechanics and the absurdity of its challenges, 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 "cult classic" status, adding a layer of humor to the overall experience. The juxtaposition of frustrating difficulty with moments of hilarity keeps players engaged and entertained throughout their journey.
- “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 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
10 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
40%
20%
40%
Overall, the game's optimization is praised for its smooth performance across various computer systems, with many players experiencing it running well even at 4K and 60fps. However, some users report minor stuttering at certain points, though these issues are generally not considered game-breaking. There are also mentions of poor performance on the PSP version, highlighting a disparity in optimization across platforms.
- “Ys4 got 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 experience minor stuttering at certain points of the game, but nothing really game-breaking.”
- “So you can tell the game was optimized for all kinds of computers.”
emotional
10 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The emotional aspect of the game is highly praised, with players highlighting its heart-warming story and nostalgic connections to earlier titles in the Ys series. Despite some technical limitations, the narrative successfully evokes strong feelings reminiscent of the original games, making it a must-play for fans of the franchise.
- “Although technically outdated, the graphics are beautiful and the game tells a lovely, heart-warming story.”
- “- heart-warming, emotional story”
- “By far my most favorite 3D Ys story-wise, it brings out the exact same feeling that the first Ys games managed to achieve emotionally. If you're one of the few people like me who enjoyed the original Ys games for their story, you must get this one.”

74%Critics’ scoreBased on 6 critic reviews

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

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Ys VI: The Ark of Napishtim Review

Ys VI: The Ark of Napishtim

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

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Ys VI: The Ark of Napishtim Steam Key GLOBAL

Ys: Classic Collection Bundle Steam CD Key

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