Arkkabbean Islands

I remember Ys VI: Ark of Napishtim being pretty mid when I first played it. After replaying it, I can confirm that I was right.

The biggest issue is that there's no fast travel. In a game that rewards backtracking and exploration, making that aspect tedious isn't wise. It's mostly optional, so I won't give it negatives for it, but exploration is a new one point addition to my review process. It's something that I yearn for, and the Ys games are all about that. Except for this one... And it doesn't help that we'll be fleeing a lot. Dungeons are hard! Sketchy jumping puzzles, aerial monsters, massive knockback, and status effects forced me to Alma's Wing out all the time. And the need to upgrade weapons and levels sometimes mandated it. So I often had to go through the dungeon two times at minimum. And then there's the late game side quests that I refused to do because of it. It really made the gameplay not fun.

The music was also pretty bland. I wouldn't call it bad, but there weren't any obvious bangers. I'm also unsure of it fit.

So those were the bad things. Ark of Napishtim had its moments, though.

I enjoyed the story. It wrapped up the first four games in a fun way that even gave us a possible location for Ys XI. We learned the origins of the Darklings, the Eldeen, and many of the bosses. I also found the turmoil with the priestesses appealing. Both Ohla and Isha are top tier love interests.

Gameplay wise, it's a good progression from Kefin and the previous games. It's pretty basic compared to modern games, Ys or otherwise, but it's a step in the right direction.

As for the world...

"The Cannon Islands are where our Eurasian history starts. These islands were once the last refuge of the winged gods that my friends Reah, Feena, and Eldeel came from. I wonder if they even lived here once? And this is where their lineage ended.

It's currently home to a local race with long ears and tails, the Redhan. They're a group of strong warriors, excellent crafters, and prime fishermen. They recall times when they lived alongside side our gods, namely Alma. Alma isn't known to Eurasians, but she saved us all. The Cannon Islands once housed a weather control computer called Napishtim. It went rogue when the Darklings attempted to overthrow their Eldeel protectors. She sacrificed herself for our sake.

Alongside, sorta, the Redhan are, or were, a group of easterners who were dragged here kicking, screaming, and waterlogged by the Great Vortex. They formed Rimorage, which became a trading town. I only hope they've stopped looting the ruins and are living peacefully alongside the locals.

Peaceful may be the wrong adjective because the monsters that inhabit this island are primal and terrifying! Elemental spitting flying insects and bugs who've absorbed metal knives and saws roam the dense forests. Single celled organisms that exist to slowly kill you with fatigue, poison, and mental assaults. Even I don't want to walk through these plains and caves again."

-Adol

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Plot: Average Ys. The story in early Ys games are secondary to gameplay. VI is no different. And that's a good thing. 8/10

Gameplay: the PSP sucks. Retreading dungeons isn't fun. The mobs inside are tough, and the areas are long. The basic combat can also get boring. 7/10

Sound: Not Ys. Nothing sounded like the typical Ys game. The high octane tracks didn't do it for me, and the peaceful villages weren't as calming. A few dungeons were more atmospheric than anything. 6/10

Art: Perfect. There weren't too many pallet swaps, and sprite numbers were plentiful. And all the sword attacks and spells were unique. 10/10

Charm: oddly disappointing. The world and NPCs are great, but the exploration elements, while there, are not to Ys standards. I feel like the game could have been longer, but I'm glad it was so short. 9/10 (huh?)

Time for the negatives:
Jumping felt off. Even the standard leaps felt iffy, but don't get me started with the long jump.
The lack of fast travel makes the gameplay unfun.
The camera was often too close or too far. And with the need to jump a lot, I often felt like I was doing it blindly. -6

In total, Ys VI: the Ark of Napishtim scores a 34 out of 50. It's only one point higher than the Sands of Kefin. I will say, though, I played the PSP version. The Steam version has fast travel, which would have given four more points to the score. It loses some side content, the Sacred Cavern, but it's a million percent worth it.

AoN was the first game in this engine. And it shows. You can really see how much effort the devs went into perfecting the mechanics between VI and III. The Three Swords engine worked well, but it needed some tweaking. When it comes to story, it's a great ending point for the first half of the franchise. And it even sets up a potential thread down the line. It's a flawed experience, but it's a worthwhile one if you're invested in the franchise!