Fresh Take - Apple Black Volume 5 Thoughts

 Available where Books are sold

Thoughts On The Story

This volume picks up where the previous one left off, dealing with the aftermath of the attack on Black Bottom Island. There are a lot of mysteries and questions that come about in this volume. The bulk of which deals with the Rumble Trials. If I had to compare it to anything I would say we are about to get into the time honored tradition of the "tournament arc" in manga. The set up here is great as we get some character development on Ruby, we delve a little bit more into Symon and learn that he may not be around to much longer. I did like the Breakfast Club style detention chapters they had early in the volume. There was some good back and forth between the characters. Sano still not understanding human interactions and that some phrases you just can't say will never not be funny to me. Two things really stood out to me this volume, well three; one - the color chapter that takes place and how it depicts Sano's nightmare, two - the character development between Opal and Sano and lastly seeing just how far Ruby has come. The action in the volume is great as well as we get to see Sano do some interesting things with his newly acquired wand as well as the introduction of a couple new characters. I'm still waiting to see why Gideon Banburi is so feared, hopefully we get to see why soon. In the meantime I am looking forward to the Nirvana Games. In the words of the legendary wrestling commentator Jim Ross, 'Business is about to Pick UP.'

Thoughts On The Artwork

Love the artwork in this volume. Everything is clean and easy to see. The standout to me are the color pages as they do a great job of depicting the nightmare that Sano experiences.  Also, I am really digging Sano's wand and how he uses it. Looking forward to seeing him and Ruby tear it up again as I have a feeling they will be facing off again soon. 

For Parents

This manga has a Teen rating and is heavy on the Shonen side. While I don't think its terribly bad for the little ones to read there is a lot of action. The nightmare sequence can be a little much but if they read comics like X-Men, Superman, or Wonder Woman then I don't see why they can't read this.

Overall Thoughts

I have been a fan of this series since I started reading it. Apple Black, Clock Striker, and Soul Beat are my favorites out of the SaturdayAM line. This volume is a great read my only issue is the wait for Volume 6 is gonna be torture. If I had to give this a rating it would be: Love IT. Have you read Apple Black volume 5? What are your thoughts? Leave a comment and let's talk about it. Thanks for reading, if you like this post check out some of my other entries and feel free to share.

Impressions - Ys X Nordics

Available on Nintendo Switch, PS4|5, and PC

Thoughts on the Story & Gameplay

The latest entry in the Ys series of action rpg games sees series protagonist Adol Christin and traveling companion Dogi in one of the duos early adventures as they get caught up in the events surrounding the Obelia Gulf. There they meet the Balta Seaforce aka Normans aka Vikings and their war against the Greigr. The Greigr are the main antagonists of the game and generally are monsters that can only be finished off with the power of Mana that Adol and Karja wield. The one thing that I love about the Ys series of games is that they all do feel like an adventure and each entry is different from the previous installment that it makes the gaming experience fresh. 

The gameplay is a little different from Ys 8 & 9. While you still use one main button to attack and to use specials utilize the RB plus the corresponding face button, this game centers around the use of mana and as such they are a few different mechanics that come with that. I love the Mana line which acts as a grapple that helps with certain platforming areas. There is also a barter system in place this time around so you don't have to be so dependent on gold. Gathering a lot of resources is always a good idea especially if you are running low on gold. Since this game centers around Vikings there is a lot of sea faring in this game. You get your ship pretty early on and doing upgrades and finding characters helps to make your ship ready to take on the best the Greigr have to offer. The 'raids' from previous Ys entries is back accept this time they take place in occupied islands that need to be liberated from the Greigr. These sections have both land and sea portions. I had fun with these as they remind me of the raids in Ys 8 and the Nox in Ys 9. 

Thoughts on the Good

There is a lot to love here. If you have played 8 or 9 then you should be somewhat familiar with the gameplay. The action is fast paced and the boss battles can be challenging. There is enough variety to keep things interesting. The side quests are well done and can lead to interesting events. While I think the side quests in 9 are still my favorite the ones in this game aren't half bad. I think the story is interesting as well, I also feel that Adol and Karja's story is interesting. Karja is an awesome character, I love her interactions with people as they lead to awkwardly hilarious interactions. 

Thoughts on the Bad

If there is one thing that I found worrying is the seafaring. I got used to it the more I played but sometimes your ship does feel slow and klunky even when the upgrades happen. Also, when you find people to help your crew grow you can't assign points for your ship, the game does it automatically. From a technical standpoint I haven't noticed any input lag or things of that nature. I am playing the Switch version of the game and it plays smooth. Other than that I have had a smooth experience so far. 

For Parents

This game is rated T for Teen. There is a lot of sword and axe fights in this game. The main villains are monsters for the most part and there is the occasional cuss word. Nothing egregious I would say nothing worse than what you would hear in a PG-13 movie. There are some points in the story where they talk about the brutality of the Normans but you don't really see that play out they just mention it.

Overall Thoughts/Is the Game FUN?

I am having a lot of FUN with this game. If you are a fan of the series then I think you will enjoy this entry. If you are a newcomer and want to try it out there is a demo that takes you through the first 3 chapters of the game. I highly recommend it as it is what convinced me to purchase this game. Have you played Ys X Nordics? Leave a comment and let's talk about it. 

Trailer/GamePlay

Trailer

Gameplay