Ys: The Ark of Napishtim

Say what? Dont be the title. The Ys wondering.. .dont ask us how to say Napishtim, though) was hot stuff about 15 years ago, but it faded out of memory along with the TurboGrafx-16 console its games graced. Luckily, Ys gets a second shot on PS2 with improved control (you actually swing your sword instead of just ramming into enemies with your body), a complex plot, and legions of sultry elven lasses.

The RPG genre has been pushing the envelop lately with high quality graphics, immersive plots, and new gameplay features. Although that can put pressure on other developers to keep up, sometimes resisting change and sticking with the basics will pay off as well. Ys: The Ark of Napishtim finds itself in this category as its not offering a new experience necessarily, but is able to put forth a solid and well designed game.

Ys: The Ark of Napishtim really focuses on a simple gameplay structure and takes full advantage of it. The game is setup as a third person RPG with real time battles. Enemies are visible and re-spawn after you leave an area, creating an endless supply of battles. You can however usually run right by most enemies if you choose so you don't have to fight the same battles all the time. The combat system is also straight forward with only one attack button with a jump button thrown in. In might seem almost too simplistic but once you get into the game, it'll keep things interesting enough.

The graphics and audio are a similar story as Ys: The Ark of Napishtim doesn't stand out, but does enough to keep from pulling the game down. The visual effects are okay and the different environments are diverse but not outstanding (almost exactly the same quality as the PS2 release). The audio is about the same with decent sound tracks but lacking the voice acting.

The biggest issue on the PSP is the load times. For whatever reason, they are significant to the point of distracting from the gameplay at times. To counter that and the missing voice acting, you do get a few new mini-games to help sweeten the deal which does help some. Bottom line, if you haven't played the PS2 version and enjoy traditional RPGs, you'll be satisified with Ys: The Ark of Napishtim.

The RPG genre has been pushing the envelop lately with high quality graphics, immersive plots, and new gameplay features. Although that can put pressure on other developers to keep up, sometimes resisting change and sticking with the basics will pay off as well. Ys: The Ark of Napishtim finds itself in this category as its not offering a new experience necessarily, but is able to put forth a solid and well designed game.

Ys: The Ark of Napishtim really focuses on a simple gameplay structure and takes full advantage of it. The game is setup as a third person RPG with real time battles. Enemies are visible and re-spawn after you leave an area, creating an endless supply of battles. You can however usually run right by most enemies if you choose so you don't have to fight the same battles all the time. The combat system is also straight forward with only one attack button with a jump button thrown in. In might seem almost too simplistic but once you get into the game, it'll keep things interesting enough.

The graphics and audio are a similar story as Ys: The Ark of Napishtim doesn't stand out, but does enough to keep from pulling the game down. The visual effects are okay and the different environments are diverse but not outstanding. The audio is slightly better off with decent sound tracks but not much else.

The only complaint I have is there isn't much to set it apart from many other RPGs. That's not to say it isn't worth playing as fans of this genre will get their monies worth but if RPGs aren't your thing, you may want to pass.