The Ys X: Nordics Steam Next Fest demo is the best JRPG comfort food I've had all year, a meaty 8 hours long, and also available on PS5 and Switch

GamesJRPGThe Ys X: Nordics Steam Next Fest demo is the best JRPG comfort food I’ve had all year, a meaty 8 hours long, and also available on PS5 and SwitchWhen you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works. GamesJRPGThe Ys X: Nordics Steam Next Fest demo is the best JRPG comfort food I’ve had all year, a meaty 8 hours long, and also available on PS5 and SwitchWhen you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works. When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works. (Image credit: Nihon Falcom) 2024 is the year of the JRPG, with outstanding games likeFinal Fantasy 7 Rebirth,Metaphor: ReFantazio, andLike a Dragon: Infinite Wealthleading the charge for the one of the most exciting eras the genre’s ever seen. Those games are big, flashy, and exciting, but I didn’t realize how much I’d been missing good old-fashioned JRPG comfort food of the sort we used to get back in the PS2 era until I fired up theSteam Next Fest demo for Ys X: Nordics. Folks, this is the video game equivalent of a piping hot bowl of chicken noodle soup, and I can’t get enough. Ys X is no exception, putting you once again in the shoes of series lead Adol, but the twist here is that he’s been magically handcuffed to a standoffish warrior named Karja. That gives us both a romantically tinged anime buddy comedyandan excuse to control multiple characters in blazing-fast combat. (Image credit: Nihon Falcom / NIS America) There isn’t much depth to the combat where I’m at, around two hours into the demo, but there are just enough options at any given moment of action to keep my brain thoroughly tickled. It works well precisely because it’s so fast. You can’t really call fights against overworld enemies ‘grinding’ when they’re all over in the space of a few seconds. Ys X ain’t gonna win any awards for its looks - it resembles a lovingly remastered PS3 game more than anything - but it’s got a ton of nice quality of life features. NPCs with new dialog to share appear with blue chat icons over their head, and those turn gray as soon as you’ve exhausted their text boxes so you don’t waste time talking to them over and over again. Your health quickly restores itself in the overworld so you don’t get bogged down with constant healing between battles. Heck, on Steam the demo even has a launch option that lets you instantly load into your most recent save without sitting through all the intro titles. While the demo’s launch coincided with the start ofSteam Next Fest, it’s not technically part of the event in that the demo will continue to be available after the end of SNF and you can also grab it on PS5, PS4, and Switch if you prefer. It’s an absurdly meaty trial that I’ve barely scratched the surface of, with accounts typically putting it around eight hours of playtime to reach the end. It also keeps up the wonderful trend of letting you carry over your progress to the actual game, so if you get hooked you won’t be wasting any time when you buy the full version. Sign up to the GamesRadar+ Newsletter Weekly digests, tales from the communities you love, and more Stop, help, our list of thebest JRPGscan only get so long! TOPICSSteam Next Fest TOPICS CATEGORIESPC GamingPS5PS4Nintendo SwitchPlatformsPlayStationNintendo CATEGORIES More about jrpgHow Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth represents the best of Final Fantasy’s past while charting a course for the future20 years after its release in Japan, one of the best JRPGs in the Tales of series has finally been translated thanks to fansLatestLeague of Legends co-creator responds to report that Arcane was a “financial miss,” says “people think we make things like Arcane to sell skins, when in reality we sell skins to make things like Arcane"See more latest► More about jrpgHow Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth represents the best of Final Fantasy’s past while charting a course for the future20 years after its release in Japan, one of the best JRPGs in the Tales of series has finally been translated thanks to fansLatestLeague of Legends co-creator responds to report that Arcane was a “financial miss,” says “people think we make things like Arcane to sell skins, when in reality we sell skins to make things like Arcane"See more latest► More about jrpgHow Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth represents the best of Final Fantasy’s past while charting a course for the future20 years after its release in Japan, one of the best JRPGs in the Tales of series has finally been translated thanks to fans More about jrpg How Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth represents the best of Final Fantasy’s past while charting a course for the future20 years after its release in Japan, one of the best JRPGs in the Tales of series has finally been translated thanks to fans How Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth represents the best of Final Fantasy’s past while charting a course for the future How Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth represents the best of Final Fantasy’s past while charting a course for the future 20 years after its release in Japan, one of the best JRPGs in the Tales of series has finally been translated thanks to fans 20 years after its release in Japan, one of the best JRPGs in the Tales of series has finally been translated thanks to fans LatestLeague of Legends co-creator responds to report that Arcane was a “financial miss,” says “people think we make things like Arcane to sell skins, when in reality we sell skins to make things like Arcane"See more latest► Latest League of Legends co-creator responds to report that Arcane was a “financial miss,” says “people think we make things like Arcane to sell skins, when in reality we sell skins to make things like Arcane” League of Legends co-creator responds to report that Arcane was a “financial miss,” says “people think we make things like Arcane to sell skins, when in reality we sell skins to make things like Arcane” League of Legends co-creator responds to report that Arcane was a “financial miss,” says “people think we make things like Arcane to sell skins, when in reality we sell skins to make things like Arcane” See more latest► Most PopularWarner Bros. is inexplicably delisting a bunch of games without warning, again, and devs are once again distraught: “We are heartbroken"Marvel Rivals joins Manor Lords, Palworld, and Helldivers 2 as one of Steam’s best-selling and most-played new releases of 2024 despite launching at the end of the yearSonic 3 didn’t relegate Gerald Robotnik to Sonic Adventure 2-style flashbacks so he could be “more of a present danger"The secret’s out: Christopher Nolan’s new Tom Holland-led movie is an Odyssey adaptation and a “mythic action epic shot across the world"Hideo Kojima offers another Death Stranding 2 update and a demonstration of his unique PS5 controller technique: “Building the game"Palworld drops a massive update that further distances the survival game from Pokemon following the Nintendo lawsuit, and fans couldn’t be more proud: “Justice for Palworld"The Silent Hill 2 Remake director has pitched a Lord of the Rings horror game, and suddenly I’m hunched over growling ‘my precious’ at the thought of itCreature Commandos gets a season 2 as James Gunn bestows us all with a monstrous holiday giftSonic 3 writers have their say on whether Robotnik is really dead and begin the Jim Carrey Oscar campaign: “The fact that the Oscars almost exclusively only focus on drama is a little silly"Wallace and Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl’s directors reveal the surprising influences behind their new “gnome noir” movie – including a Hitchcock classicAfter being labeled a Dark Souls copy, Black Myth: Wukong is now getting its own imitators on the Nintendo store Most PopularWarner Bros. is inexplicably delisting a bunch of games without warning, again, and devs are once again distraught: “We are heartbroken"Marvel Rivals joins Manor Lords, Palworld, and Helldivers 2 as one of Steam’s best-selling and most-played new releases of 2024 despite launching at the end of the yearSonic 3 didn’t relegate Gerald Robotnik to Sonic Adventure 2-style flashbacks so he could be “more of a present danger"The secret’s out: Christopher Nolan’s new Tom Holland-led movie is an Odyssey adaptation and a “mythic action epic shot across the world"Hideo Kojima offers another Death Stranding 2 update and a demonstration of his unique PS5 controller technique: “Building the game"Palworld drops a massive update that further distances the survival game from Pokemon following the Nintendo lawsuit, and fans couldn’t be more proud: “Justice for Palworld"The Silent Hill 2 Remake director has pitched a Lord of the Rings horror game, and suddenly I’m hunched over growling ‘my precious’ at the thought of itCreature Commandos gets a season 2 as James Gunn bestows us all with a monstrous holiday giftSonic 3 writers have their say on whether Robotnik is really dead and begin the Jim Carrey Oscar campaign: “The fact that the Oscars almost exclusively only focus on drama is a little silly"Wallace and Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl’s directors reveal the surprising influences behind their new “gnome noir” movie – including a Hitchcock classicAfter being labeled a Dark Souls copy, Black Myth: Wukong is now getting its own imitators on the Nintendo store Most PopularWarner Bros. is inexplicably delisting a bunch of games without warning, again, and devs are once again distraught: “We are heartbroken"Marvel Rivals joins Manor Lords, Palworld, and Helldivers 2 as one of Steam’s best-selling and most-played new releases of 2024 despite launching at the end of the yearSonic 3 didn’t relegate Gerald Robotnik to Sonic Adventure 2-style flashbacks so he could be “more of a present danger"The secret’s out: Christopher Nolan’s new Tom Holland-led movie is an Odyssey adaptation and a “mythic action epic shot across the world"Hideo Kojima offers another Death Stranding 2 update and a demonstration of his unique PS5 controller technique: “Building the game"Palworld drops a massive update that further distances the survival game from Pokemon following the Nintendo lawsuit, and fans couldn’t be more proud: “Justice for Palworld"The Silent Hill 2 Remake director has pitched a Lord of the Rings horror game, and suddenly I’m hunched over growling ‘my precious’ at the thought of itCreature Commandos gets a season 2 as James Gunn bestows us all with a monstrous holiday giftSonic 3 writers have their say on whether Robotnik is really dead and begin the Jim Carrey Oscar campaign: “The fact that the Oscars almost exclusively only focus on drama is a little silly"Wallace and Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl’s directors reveal the surprising influences behind their new “gnome noir” movie – including a Hitchcock classicAfter being labeled a Dark Souls copy, Black Myth: Wukong is now getting its own imitators on the Nintendo store Most Popular Warner Bros. is inexplicably delisting a bunch of games without warning, again, and devs are once again distraught: “We are heartbroken” Marvel Rivals joins Manor Lords, Palworld, and Helldivers 2 as one of Steam’s best-selling and most-played new releases of 2024 despite launching at the end of the year Sonic 3 didn’t relegate Gerald Robotnik to Sonic Adventure 2-style flashbacks so he could be “more of a present danger” The secret’s out: Christopher Nolan’s new Tom Holland-led movie is an Odyssey adaptation and a “mythic action epic shot across the world” Hideo Kojima offers another Death Stranding 2 update and a demonstration of his unique PS5 controller technique: “Building the game” Palworld drops a massive update that further distances the survival game from Pokemon following the Nintendo lawsuit, and fans couldn’t be more proud: “Justice for Palworld” The Silent Hill 2 Remake director has pitched a Lord of the Rings horror game, and suddenly I’m hunched over growling ‘my precious’ at the thought of it Creature Commandos gets a season 2 as James Gunn bestows us all with a monstrous holiday gift Sonic 3 writers have their say on whether Robotnik is really dead and begin the Jim Carrey Oscar campaign: “The fact that the Oscars almost exclusively only focus on drama is a little silly” Wallace and Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl’s directors reveal the surprising influences behind their new “gnome noir” movie – including a Hitchcock classic After being labeled a Dark Souls copy, Black Myth: Wukong is now getting its own imitators on the Nintendo store GAME REVIEWSMOVIE REVIEWSTV REVIEWS1Nemesis review: “A magical sense of tension"2Arcs review: “A whole lot of game in a small package"3Path of Exile 2 review: “A stellar start to a thrilling and brutal dark adventure"4Indiana Jones and the Great Circle review: “The best adventure Indy has embarked on in over 30 years"5Marvel Rivals review: “So preoccupied with trying to be like Overwatch that it forgets to play to its own strengths"1Sonic the Hedgehog 3 review: “Keanu Reeves as Shadow is wasted whilst Jim Carrey steals the show"2Mufasa: The Lion King review – “It’s no Hakuna Matata but this Disney origin story is a class above the 2019 movie"3Kraven the Hunter review: “The insistence on an R-rating helps save this, with a decent helping of bloodthirsty action"4The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim review – “An uninspired expansion of the most iconic screen take on Tolkien"5Nightbitch review: “Amy Adams' disappointing dark comedy is all bark and no bite"1Doctor Who 2024 Christmas special review: “Ncuti Gatwa is as magnetic as ever in this delightful festive treat"2Secret Level review: “An uneven experience with serious highlights that ultimately make up for the misses"3Skeleton Crew review: “Perfectly captures the vibes of classic Star Wars with a swashbuckling twist"4Creature Commandos review: “James Gunn’s heartwarming, R-rated tale about super-monsters proves that the DCU is in good hands"5Cobra Kai season 6, part 2 review: “Returns to the sort of hard-hitting form that made it such a fan favorite in the first place” GAME REVIEWSMOVIE REVIEWSTV REVIEWS1Nemesis review: “A magical sense of tension"2Arcs review: “A whole lot of game in a small package"3Path of Exile 2 review: “A stellar start to a thrilling and brutal dark adventure"4Indiana Jones and the Great Circle review: “The best adventure Indy has embarked on in over 30 years"5Marvel Rivals review: “So preoccupied with trying to be like Overwatch that it forgets to play to its own strengths"1Sonic the Hedgehog 3 review: “Keanu Reeves as Shadow is wasted whilst Jim Carrey steals the show"2Mufasa: The Lion King review – “It’s no Hakuna Matata but this Disney origin story is a class above the 2019 movie"3Kraven the Hunter review: “The insistence on an R-rating helps save this, with a decent helping of bloodthirsty action"4The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim review – “An uninspired expansion of the most iconic screen take on Tolkien"5Nightbitch review: “Amy Adams' disappointing dark comedy is all bark and no bite"1Doctor Who 2024 Christmas special review: “Ncuti Gatwa is as magnetic as ever in this delightful festive treat"2Secret Level review: “An uneven experience with serious highlights that ultimately make up for the misses"3Skeleton Crew review: “Perfectly captures the vibes of classic Star Wars with a swashbuckling twist"4Creature Commandos review: “James Gunn’s heartwarming, R-rated tale about super-monsters proves that the DCU is in good hands"5Cobra Kai season 6, part 2 review: “Returns to the sort of hard-hitting form that made it such a fan favorite in the first place” GAME REVIEWSMOVIE REVIEWSTV REVIEWS1Nemesis review: “A magical sense of tension"2Arcs review: “A whole lot of game in a small package"3Path of Exile 2 review: “A stellar start to a thrilling and brutal dark adventure"4Indiana Jones and the Great Circle review: “The best adventure Indy has embarked on in over 30 years"5Marvel Rivals review: “So preoccupied with trying to be like Overwatch that it forgets to play to its own strengths"1Sonic the Hedgehog 3 review: “Keanu Reeves as Shadow is wasted whilst Jim Carrey steals the show"2Mufasa: The Lion King review – “It’s no Hakuna Matata but this Disney origin story is a class above the 2019 movie"3Kraven the Hunter review: “The insistence on an R-rating helps save this, with a decent helping of bloodthirsty action"4The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim review – “An uninspired expansion of the most iconic screen take on Tolkien"5Nightbitch review: “Amy Adams' disappointing dark comedy is all bark and no bite"1Doctor Who 2024 Christmas special review: “Ncuti Gatwa is as magnetic as ever in this delightful festive treat"2Secret Level review: “An uneven experience with serious highlights that ultimately make up for the misses"3Skeleton Crew review: “Perfectly captures the vibes of classic Star Wars with a swashbuckling twist"4Creature Commandos review: “James Gunn’s heartwarming, R-rated tale about super-monsters proves that the DCU is in good hands"5Cobra Kai season 6, part 2 review: “Returns to the sort of hard-hitting form that made it such a fan favorite in the first place” GAME REVIEWSMOVIE REVIEWSTV REVIEWS1Nemesis review: “A magical sense of tension"2Arcs review: “A whole lot of game in a small package"3Path of Exile 2 review: “A stellar start to a thrilling and brutal dark adventure"4Indiana Jones and the Great Circle review: “The best adventure Indy has embarked on in over 30 years"5Marvel Rivals review: “So preoccupied with trying to be like Overwatch that it forgets to play to its own strengths"1Sonic the Hedgehog 3 review: “Keanu Reeves as Shadow is wasted whilst Jim Carrey steals the show"2Mufasa: The Lion King review – “It’s no Hakuna Matata but this Disney origin story is a class above the 2019 movie"3Kraven the Hunter review: “The insistence on an R-rating helps save this, with a decent helping of bloodthirsty action"4The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim review – “An uninspired expansion of the most iconic screen take on Tolkien"5Nightbitch review: “Amy Adams' disappointing dark comedy is all bark and no bite"1Doctor Who 2024 Christmas special review: “Ncuti Gatwa is as magnetic as ever in this delightful festive treat"2Secret Level review: “An uneven experience with serious highlights that ultimately make up for the misses"3Skeleton Crew review: “Perfectly captures the vibes of classic Star Wars with a swashbuckling twist"4Creature Commandos review: “James Gunn’s heartwarming, R-rated tale about super-monsters proves that the DCU is in good hands"5Cobra Kai season 6, part 2 review: “Returns to the sort of hard-hitting form that made it such a fan favorite in the first place” GAME REVIEWSMOVIE REVIEWSTV REVIEWS 1Nemesis review: “A magical sense of tension” 1Nemesis review: “A magical sense of tension” 1 Nemesis review: “A magical sense of tension” 2Arcs review: “A whole lot of game in a small package” 2Arcs review: “A whole lot of game in a small package” 2 Arcs review: “A whole lot of game in a small package” 3Path of Exile 2 review: “A stellar start to a thrilling and brutal dark adventure” 3Path of Exile 2 review: “A stellar start to a thrilling and brutal dark adventure” 3 Path of Exile 2 review: “A stellar start to a thrilling and brutal dark adventure” 4Indiana Jones and the Great Circle review: “The best adventure Indy has embarked on in over 30 years” 4Indiana Jones and the Great Circle review: “The best adventure Indy has embarked on in over 30 years” 4 Indiana Jones and the Great Circle review: “The best adventure Indy has embarked on in over 30 years” 5Marvel Rivals review: “So preoccupied with trying to be like Overwatch that it forgets to play to its own strengths” 5Marvel Rivals review: “So preoccupied with trying to be like Overwatch that it forgets to play to its own strengths” 5 Marvel Rivals review: “So preoccupied with trying to be like Overwatch that it forgets to play to its own strengths” 1Sonic the Hedgehog 3 review: “Keanu Reeves as Shadow is wasted whilst Jim Carrey steals the show” 1Sonic the Hedgehog 3 review: “Keanu Reeves as Shadow is wasted whilst Jim Carrey steals the show” 1 Sonic the Hedgehog 3 review: “Keanu Reeves as Shadow is wasted whilst Jim Carrey steals the show” 2Mufasa: The Lion King review – “It’s no Hakuna Matata but this Disney origin story is a class above the 2019 movie” 2Mufasa: The Lion King review – “It’s no Hakuna Matata but this Disney origin story is a class above the 2019 movie” 2 Mufasa: The Lion King review – “It’s no Hakuna Matata but this Disney origin story is a class above the 2019 movie” 3Kraven the Hunter review: “The insistence on an R-rating helps save this, with a decent helping of bloodthirsty action” 3Kraven the Hunter review: “The insistence on an R-rating helps save this, with a decent helping of bloodthirsty action” 3 Kraven the Hunter review: “The insistence on an R-rating helps save this, with a decent helping of bloodthirsty action” 4The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim review – “An uninspired expansion of the most iconic screen take on Tolkien” 4The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim review – “An uninspired expansion of the most iconic screen take on Tolkien” 4 The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim review – “An uninspired expansion of the most iconic screen take on Tolkien” 5Nightbitch review: “Amy Adams' disappointing dark comedy is all bark and no bite” 5Nightbitch review: “Amy Adams' disappointing dark comedy is all bark and no bite” 5 Nightbitch review: “Amy Adams' disappointing dark comedy is all bark and no bite” 1Doctor Who 2024 Christmas special review: “Ncuti Gatwa is as magnetic as ever in this delightful festive treat” 1Doctor Who 2024 Christmas special review: “Ncuti Gatwa is as magnetic as ever in this delightful festive treat” 1 Doctor Who 2024 Christmas special review: “Ncuti Gatwa is as magnetic as ever in this delightful festive treat” 2Secret Level review: “An uneven experience with serious highlights that ultimately make up for the misses” 2Secret Level review: “An uneven experience with serious highlights that ultimately make up for the misses” 2 Secret Level review: “An uneven experience with serious highlights that ultimately make up for the misses” 3Skeleton Crew review: “Perfectly captures the vibes of classic Star Wars with a swashbuckling twist” 3Skeleton Crew review: “Perfectly captures the vibes of classic Star Wars with a swashbuckling twist” 3 Skeleton Crew review: “Perfectly captures the vibes of classic Star Wars with a swashbuckling twist” 4Creature Commandos review: “James Gunn’s heartwarming, R-rated tale about super-monsters proves that the DCU is in good hands” 4Creature Commandos review: “James Gunn’s heartwarming, R-rated tale about super-monsters proves that the DCU is in good hands” 4 Creature Commandos review: “James Gunn’s heartwarming, R-rated tale about super-monsters proves that the DCU is in good hands” 5Cobra Kai season 6, part 2 review: “Returns to the sort of hard-hitting form that made it such a fan favorite in the first place” 5Cobra Kai season 6, part 2 review: “Returns to the sort of hard-hitting form that made it such a fan favorite in the first place” 5 Cobra Kai season 6, part 2 review: “Returns to the sort of hard-hitting form that made it such a fan favorite in the first place”