Ys X: Proud Nordics Review

A little over a year ago, Ys reached its tenth numbered entry with Ys X: Nordics. Now, Nihon Falcom returns with Ys X: Proud Nordics, an enhanced re-release of 2024’s Ys X: Nordics that expands the original adventure with new story content, gameplay refinements, and additional features.

In this Ys X: Proud Nordics review, we break down what’s new and whether those additions are substantial enough to justify the upgrade.

Game Name: Ys X: Proud Nordics
Platform(s): PlayStation 5, Nintendo Switch 2, PC (Reviewed on PC)
Developer(s): Nihon Falcom
Publisher(s): NIS America
Release Date: February 20th, 2026
Price: $69.99

Adol’s adventures land him working with the Balta Seaforce as they fight an immortal enemy called the Greigr. He literally becomes tethered to the Pirate Princess, Karja. Together, they are the only ones capable of killing the Greigr. The newest iteration of Ys X: Proud Nordics introduces a brand-new island and two new characters that help you better understand the origins of mana.

The Good

Ys X: Proud Nordics includes all cosmetic and level-up DLC. There was quite a bit of DLC for the original game, and I don’t think I realized how much until after I opened this game up and looked at all the presents in my inventory. It helps give a good chunk of crystals and sigils. It also has a bunch of items that can level up Adol and Karja pretty quickly. That will help clear the beginning sections much quicker.

There is a good chunk of content on the new island. It is a large island with dungeons, fortresses, and lots of areas to explore. There are puzzles and areas that you need to unlock with red crest items you will find in treasure chests around the island. There are also a lot of chests on the island with a variety of sigils and sand.

New sand item in Ys X: Proud Nordics enhances your mana abilities. I spent most of my sand in the beginning on the Mana ride abilities. Having the board have a faster acceleration and speed made getting around the islands feel much smoother.

The new mana ability in Ys X: Proud Nordics is Mana Hold. Mana Hold lets you use mana to place an object in stasis above your head and launch it at enemies or at the environment. It helps you solve puzzles and lets you throw projectiles back at enemies. It does add a new chaotic dynamic in the new island when enemies have more projectiles than you can dodge, so you are forced to use it to throw projectiles back at enemies or at other enemies to stop them from attacking you.

The Bad

The new puzzles in Ys X: Proud Nordics can be fun, but the mana hold physics don’t always hold up. If you throw one of the cubes at a wall, it can get stuck rather than bounce off it. It will also make the cube rotate in circles, making jumping on it awkward. Luckily, there is a circle that resets the cube in case something gets messed up, but it would be nice not to need it for physics problems.

Ys X: Proud Nordics added more story to the lore. It also added two new characters, with one of them making the main story a bit awkward. It does add more Karja moments, which is nice, but it doesn’t really add more to the story. The additions from Ys X: Proud Nordics to the original Ys X: Nordics are nice, but they don’t add too much to the experience. If you have already played Ys X: Nordics, there isn’t a lot of incentive to play Ys X: Proud Nordics.

The plot of the new island advances in small bursts as you progress through the main story. You will gain some momentum as you want to advance further, and then hit the gate that stops you from continuing.

The Verdict

Ys X: Proud Nordics overall still has the bones of Ys X: Nordics. It is the better version of the game in all regards. I would recommend the game to those who haven’t played the original Ys X: Nordics. If you have, you will be fine just skipping it. Unless you want it on Nintendo Switch 2 with better performance, then yes, get it on Nintendo Switch 2.

Ys X: Proud Nordics will be releasing February 20th, 2026, for PlayStation 5, Nintendo Switch 2, and PC. You can grab the original game, Ys X: Nordics, on PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Nintendo Switch, and PC. You can also read the review of the original game on The Outerhaven.

If you enjoyed this review, explore more of our in-depth video game reviews across PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X, Nintendo Switch, Nintendo Switch 2, and PC.

Review Disclosure Statement: Ys X: Proud Nordics was provided to us by NIS America for review purposes. For more information on how we review video games and other media/technology, please review our Review Guideline/Scoring Policy.

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