The Ys games compose a series of Japanese role-playing adventures that began on NES in the late 1980s and continues with this 2005 PS2 release, which is brought stateside by Konami. Players take control of a young man named Adol Christin, the hero of earlier Ys games, who has been washed ashore on an uncharted island. Adol soon learns that he is not alone in this fate, however, as he meets other humans shipwrecked on the island at an earlier time, and learns of an indignant race of beastly humanoids called Rehda. Combat takes place in real-time, and players can learn powerful magic attacks and devastating combo moves. To help out in hand-to-hand battle, three different magical swords can be obtained, and each can be powered up to provide special abilities. Unlike most games of the style, Ys VI: The Ark of Napishtim began as a Japanese home computer game, which has been embellished and enhanced for its PlayStation 2 release. Prior to this sixth full addition to the series, the most recent Ys games were Ys V: Ushinawareta Sunano Miyako Kefin and Ys V: Expert, two 1996 Japan-only releases for Super NES. ~ All Game Guide