Games Happy

We have already lined Ys X: Nordics a number of occasions at size right here at RPG Website. James wrote an unscored import evaluation across the sport’s unique Japanese launch in October 2023, I wrote our scored evaluation for the English launch in October 2024, after which James adopted that up with import impressions of Proud Nordics when it launched for Change 2 in Japan in August 2025. So, there is not a lot left to be mentioned that hasn’t been mentioned already.

In my scored evaluation, I discovered Ys X to be a considerably lopsided sport. The superb motion RPG fight will not be solely top-class, but in addition a welcome change of tempo from the party-system-Ys that got here earlier than it (with roots all the way in which again in Ys Seven). Karja, because the de facto lead character of Nordics, is compelling and endearing. The bond that she and Adol type as Defend Siblings is outstanding, which it wanted to be, and it is a spotlight of the sport. 

Nevertheless, I got here away lukewarm from the remainder of the sport’s character forged & story, the visible presentation was spotty, and the crusing exploration both infuriated me or bored me. Not solely is the crusing itself only a uninteresting train that detracts from the enjoyable half of the sport, however I really feel it hamstrings the on-foot exploration when so most of the sport’s areas are bite-sized areas you may exhaust in just some minutes (and lots of of them look the identical).

That is my Ys X: Nordics evaluation, in a nutshell.

It is most likely value mentioning that Proud Nordics doesn’t essentially change what Ys X is, and I did not anticipate it to. Nevertheless, some small changes and additions permit the sport to be the most effective model of itself. Let me clarify.

Two Normans from one other tribe, Canute and Astrid, seem on the brand new landmass of Öland Island. Canute says he is right here to intervene in Obelia Bay, ought to the Balta Seaforce lose their authority within the area. He mainly initiates a ‘sport’ of kinds, the place he challenges Adol and Karja to discover Öland Island for brand new runestones. These lore stones present perception into the historical past of the Norman individuals and why they have been pressured from their homeland generations in the past. 

So far as new story content material goes in Proud Nordics, it’s all discovered on right here on Öland Island. The remainder of the sport’s narrative, dialogue, and cutscenes are unchanged, simply to notice. Proud Nordics is structured such that you will revisit Öland Island a number of occasions in a collection of sidequests as you progress via the principle plot of Ys X. It serves as a kind of sub-plot that runs beneath all the pieces else that is occurring, and there’s no narrative intersection between the unique narrative and the brand new story on Öland Island. Functionally, these new excursions seem in your quest log as “EX” quests.

It nearly seems like Falcom heard the criticisms, as Öland Island is now my favourite location within the sport. It holds a bit extra environmental selection in comparison with the remainder of the sport, and I’ve to level out the new (glorious) music. Most significantly, it seems like a spot you may truly discover, at the very least to some extent. The best way totally different routes on the island open up as you progress via the sport kinda jogs my memory of a miniature Isle of Seiren. I all the time regarded ahead to returning right here after each chapter or two in the principle sport, and in a manner, it felt like an ‘anchor’ location that the sport actually might have used to start with.

The precise new narrative storyline in Proud Nordics will not be all too fascinating in itself, however it’s not outright poor. The battle that arises on Öland Island is a superbly competent sub-story that gives a bit of bit extra perception into the area of Obelia Bay and the historical past of the Normans. That mentioned, for long-time Ys-heads, there are just a few fascinating nuggets of (deliberately imprecise) Ys world-building which are launched right here. I will not say greater than that, however it does depart me considerably curious what route Falcom will take the collection’ lore, if anyplace.

Along with Öland Island, Proud Nordics does make a number of different additions all through Ys X, each when it comes to adjusted mechanics and new gameplay content material. One of many new mechanics is that you should use a brand new consumable merchandise referred to as Glowing Whitesand to boost the attributes of your Mana Actions. That’s, Mana String, Mana Burst, Mana Trip, Mana Sense, or a brand new motion in Mana Maintain.

To be frank, most of those Mana Actions enhancements do not likely tangibly have an effect on the sport … aside from Mana Trip, that’s. Did you are feeling just like the Gullinboard was a bit too sluggish within the unique Ys X? Properly, you are in luck, as a result of it’s a lot quicker now, or at the very least will probably be after you improve it a bit. In actual fact, from a pure game-feel perspective, the quicker Mana Trip might be essentially the most tangible distinction between Nordics and Proud Nordics. Not solely are you able to elevate the Gullinboard’s prime pace, however now you can press a button as you’re using it to speed up with a push, such as you would a traditional skateboard. It means that you can traverse via the sport’s bigger zones far more shortly.

One other new addition in Proud Nordics is one other new consumable referred to as Elding Fragments, which can be utilized to energy up expertise past their most rank within the unique video games. There’s not a lot else to be mentioned about this. Principally, Adol’s and Karja’s energy ceiling has been raised, and these Fragments are what you utilize to succeed in new heights. There are additionally new, powered-up monsters discovered dotted all through Ys X that may drop these fragments.

There are just a few different non-obligatory end-game additions for these eager to get essentially the most out of Ys X. There is a new Enviornment the place you may struggle sub-bosses or occasion battles for rewards. It’s also possible to discover Muspelheim, which works as a fairly satisfying rating assault mode. It’s also possible to do Ceaseless Sea, which is an limitless naval battle rating assault mode. I do not know why you’d ever wish to try this one.

As for Falcom’s choice to do a re-release of Ys X: Nordics in any respect, it’s what it’s, I suppose. There isn’t any approach to improve from Nordics to Proud Nordics, and there’s no approach to instantly switch your savefile both. For many who have already overwhelmed the unique Ys X: Nordics, nonetheless, you do have the choice to load a Clear Save into Proud Nordics, which can then start a “New Recreation +” playthrough.

Proud Nordics does not essentially change what Ys X is, and the state of affairs across the re-release will all the time be awkward at finest. The changes and the additions make the sport a greater one, however we should always most likely simply persist with a single model for the following Ys entry.