When you first start playingYs X: Nordics, it might feel like the game is quite linear since you only have one quest line to follow. However, as you progress in the story, you unlock many different areas to explore to your heart’s content. The game also introduces various mechanics to help you with this exploration.

While the early game is easy to get past, it’s also one of the most important parts since it can shape up your experience during the mid and late game, which makes it important to keep a few things in mind so that your experience can be much more immersive.

Ys X Nordics Adol running to break one of the barrels.

Collect Everything You See

As you unlock more regions in Ys X: Nordics, you’ll commonly land on islands where you’ll see various barrels, pots, and other breakable items as you look for chests and crystal clusters. Youcan also find multiple small salvage parts in the seawhile using the Sandras to get from one place to another.

After a while, getting these can feel like a bit of a chore since most of them only give gold and some other barter items. However, it’simportant to continuously break and grab these when you see themon your path as there’s a chance to get some special items like Blacksilver Sand or Aged Wood.

Ys X Nordics Adol and Karja using duo skill on the enemies.

These items might not be as useful at the start, butthey’re essential for various ship upgradesin the mid and late-game.

If you stop collecting these items during the early game, you’ll have aglaring lack of these resources when you try to bring the Sandras or your equipment upto the level required based on the enemies you’re facing, which will make the progression much more difficult.

Ys X Nordics looking at Corinne’s Grocery shop with the barter option.

It’s Important To Learn The Battle Combinations

One of the most unique aspects of this open sea game is the skill mechanic as apart from the numerous skills that you can use on Adol and Karja, there arevarious duo skills that you can only trigger by bringing them together. You can even have an entirely different attack pattern when you’re in duo mode.

This makes it important to learn what each skill does and when you’re able to use them. If you’re not in the duo mode, you’ll be able to control one of these characterswhile the other automatically attacks the nearby enemies. You’ll also commonly see a durability meter on the enemy’s HP, especially when you’re fighting bosses.

Ys X Nordics Adol looking at a chest in a hidden location

When one of your characters is automatically fighting the enemy, theywon’t lose a lot of HP even when they’re attacked.

However, enemy attackscan build some debuffs on themeven when you’re not controlling them.

Ys X Nordics looking at the duo skill’s mastery.

Apart from knowing what your skills do, it’s also important to find a suitable build for both your characters. Generally, Adol is great at dealing damagewhile Karja shines when it comes to breaking the enemy’s durability. You can further enhance these abilities by using the right skills and orbs in their release line.

Always Barter When You Can

As you visit different towns and villages while exploring the seas of Ys X: Nordics, you’ll find many new traders and merchants willing to either sell you items with gold or barter with various other currencies like the Basic Ingredients. These merchants will have some unique items while also having some general resources.

If you have a choice to barter with a merchant, it’s highly recommended to do that since you may only use gold for some specific mechanics like weapon and ship upgrades. Of course,if you have over 100,000 gold with little barter material, you can buy items with gold instead.

Ys X Nordics looking at various consumables in inventory.

Look Out For Secret Areas

Once you’re permitted to roam freely in the vast sea of Ys X: Nordics, you’ll commonly find islands that you’re able to disembark on either to continue the main story or just explore to satisfy the adventurer inside you. Each one of these islands willhave a certain amount of chests, crystal shards, and buried treasure.

You won’t be able to get buried treasure when you first start exploring as itonly unlocks after a couple of chapters with Mana Sense.

Ys X Nordics showing various side quests in the journal.

You can see the exact amount of these items on each island by looking at the top left when you’re on its map ortaking your cursor to the island when you’re on the sea map. If you’re missing any of these items after fully exploring, you likely missed a hidden path somewhere in between.

These can be easily identified by, once again, looking at the map and going through each path to see if any part of it is still grayed out.

Ys X Nordics boat running into the mana strip on the ocean.

Use Your Skills As Much As Possible

Once you unlock the duo mode and start getting various duo skills in Ys X: Nordics, it’snatural to not feel like using single-character skills possessed by either Adol or Karja. However, it’s still highly recommended to use these especially when you’re fighting normal mobs since skill usage gives you mastery.

After reaching 100 percent mastery of a skill, you’re able to increase its effectiveness while alsopaving the way for upgraded versions of those skills. While this might not feel important during the early game, it’ll be useful in some instances where you’re separated from each other.

Check Your Inventory Often

One of the biggest things about this game is the amount of one-time consumables you can get during your travels. These can range from Elixirs that can permanently boost a stat of one of your characters to things like Heartfire Tome or Sea God’s Incense that can help you get higher maximum revenge gauge and character SP respectively.

All of these items can be found in your inventory, and you canget them from chests, side quests, main quests, recaptures, and merchants. As you get into the flow of the game, it’s easy to miss the popup when you get these items, so you should check your inventory often to see if you have any.

you’re able to also find various potions, box lunches, and other items thatcan aid you during your adventures here.

Finish Your Side Quests

Talking about getting one-time consumables from side quests, the game gets alot more diverse and open once you unlock them in it. These quests are generally found either when you enter a new area on the sea or get done with a specific area and the chapter, and you can easily identify them with a green mark.

You canfind side quests on your ship, different islands, or Hugill’s letters. Each side quest has a specific reward you can get at the end, with some of them being basic items while others being major rewards like new skills for your characters. You can see most of these rewards while accepting the quest, but the final reward is hidden for some of them.

Side quests also have a deadline on them, which gives you ageneral idea of their time-limited nature.

A short deadline doesn’t mean that you have to finish it quickly. It just means that youmight not be able to do the quest if you progress furtherin the story.

Water Travel Becomes Easier With Time

After you first embark on the open seas and take in the beauty of the world, you’ll likelystart feeling quite frustrated with how slow your ship is. The initial speed for the Sandras is extremely low and you don’t have a lot of methods to make it faster except a small dash every few seconds.

However, sea travel becomes better as you progress the story since you not only get various ship upgrades, but also increase the maximum dashes and unlock variousmana strips on the sea that can be used to get higher speed and faster dash regeneration. Once you locate various points in a specific area, you can also directly teleport to them by taking your cursor on them.