Ys 10: Proud Nordics Review – Before the Fall

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It’s been over a year since Falcom’s Ys 10: Nordics, which I felt marked the end of a strong run of games. While it wasn’t a bad game – it even tried to improve on the gameplay I enjoyed in Ys 8 and 9, and had understandable reasons for doing so – it just didn’t quite reach the same level of quality. Regardless of your opinion, most people weren’t expecting an expanded version with as much new content as Proud Nordics delivers.

I find it strange that people are treating this like extra content – it’s essentially a whole new adventure after you’ve finished the main game. It seems Falcom had bigger plans for Proud Nordics, but the original Switch couldn’t handle them. So, here we are, starting fresh, and trying to figure out if this is a worthwhile addition to an already good game. The big questions are: is it worth revisiting for those who’ve already played, and will longtime fans enjoy the complete experience? Let’s take a look.

These characters are well-written and add depth to the story, especially Canute, who brings a new dimension to Karja. The connection between Canute and Astrid is also compelling – it contrasts with the main characters’ relationship and shows that partnerships aren’t always simple.

If you’re familiar with previous Ys games, you’ll find the story and gameplay very similar. This installment takes place between Ys 2 and Ys: Memories of Celceta, featuring a younger Adol and Dogi exploring the Obelia Gulf. Their journey begins with an encounter with pirates who turn out to be Normans – a peacekeeping force. The story really gets going in Carnac, the region’s biggest town, when Adol finds a strange bracelet that connects him to Karja, the daughter of the Seaforce leader, Grimson.

Things get even crazier when these weird enemies called Griegr start attacking Carnac. I’m playing as Adol, and along with Karja, we’re trying to fight them off and save anyone they capture. Seriously, the game just keeps piling stuff on me! Now, whenever I unlock a new Mana Action, I get randomly sent to this strange island with just one old guy living there. But hey, at least I’ve got some cool new moves! Unlike past games, I can now grapple around, ride a Gullinboard like a surfer, blast enemies with charged attacks, and even slow down time – it’s awesome!

The combat remains largely unchanged, with Adol and Karja still able to attack and defend together, using the Revenge System to unleash powerful skills. The main addition is Öland Island, a new area that unlocks in Chapter 5. I reached this point in around four hours by skipping cutscenes and dialogue, but that’s just the beginning – there’s more to it than that, as I’ll explain.

Öland Island is difficult to reach by ship; the only way to get there is to land on a small nearby piece of land and then use a special ability called Mana Ride. Once there, the characters discover a strange, arena-like place that seems to attract monsters. They soon run into Canute and Astrid, two Normans with a complicated past with Karja. These characters are well-developed and Canute adds an interesting new layer to Karja’s personality. The close relationship between Canute and Astrid is also compelling, offering a contrast to the main characters and showing that partnerships aren’t always simple.

We discover more about the history of the Normans, including why Öland Island was important and how Adol earned the nickname “The Red” (it wasn’t just given to him!). This side story is surprisingly engaging, with some memorable moments, though it doesn’t take center stage.

Exploring Öland Island is a significant improvement over the original game, though it doesn’t quite reach the level of Ys 9. It really shows the potential the game had, if the developers hadn’t focused so heavily on sailing, ship battles, and making the world so spread out.

Although this new content feels like a concluding chapter, it’s really designed to be played as part of the main game. You’ll almost certainly need to use tools like Mana Sense and Enhanced Mana String, and the ability to split the characters Adol and Karja with Raven Boundstones is essential. While the story connects well with the original, if you’re just interested in the new additions, it interrupts the flow of the game. It feels like the developers are making you finish the less exciting parts before getting to the good stuff.

The new content is genuinely well-done. The fights in Bergen Arena are essentially tests against various enemies and bosses, and you’re rewarded for how fast you win. There’s a good variety of opponents too – you might face a single charging boar or a relentless swarm of Grieger, forcing you to dodge and deflect constantly. I previously criticized the Duo Style for making solo attacks feel useless, but these challenges include solo fights where you can’t block powerful attacks. This means building a strong character and mastering your skills are more important than ever, though you can still easily overcome easier challenges by leveling up a lot.

The latest dungeons feel more like Ys 8 and 9, offering a similar experience in terms of how quickly things move, the types of puzzles you encounter, and even how the levels are designed. The boss battles were also a pleasant surprise. I was worried about seeing repeated designs, but each boss had unique attacks and required different strategies for both blocking and dodging. Even the new Mana Hold ability, though a bit tricky to master, adds an interesting new element to exploring the world. Unlike the simpler Mana Ride, it makes you think about how to best use it. It does feel a bit like the UltraHand from Tears of the Kingdom? Absolutely, but if you’re going to draw inspiration, you might as well take it from a great source.

Exploring Öland Island is a significant improvement over the original game, though it doesn’t quite reach the level of Ys 9. It really shows what the game could have been if the developers hadn’t focused so much on sailing, ship battles, and spreading things out. As for the sailing itself, they’ve added ‘Golden Breezes’ (likely a renamed ‘Golden Wind’ to avoid trademark issues) to the ocean. Defeating enemies while sailing unlocks new ‘Sea Breezes’. This is a good solution to the problems with sailing, especially when you first start, and gives you a good reason to participate in naval combat.

If you’ve been a fan of the Ys series but haven’t played yet, Ys 10: Proud Nordics is the best version to start with. However, while the added content is enjoyable, it doesn’t fix the original game’s problems, and it doesn’t quite reach the quality of the strongest titles in the series.

So, the big question is whether this expansion makes it worth playing the original game again, especially since you have to replay it to fully enjoy the new content. It really depends on how much you liked Ys 10: Nordics – even with its flaws – and if you’re up for experiencing it all over again.

That doesn’t really capture what I think of the game. Playing it again showed me how bland the supporting characters and villains are, and how repetitive the sailing feels at the beginning. While the later parts, like the cities and forts, are more engaging, overall it’s just a decent, but not exceptional, game.

Honestly, even with how connected everything feels in Proud Nordics, I wish the side quests flowed a little better with the main story. It felt kinda choppy. But if you’re a longtime Ys fan who’s been waiting to jump in, this is the version to get – just don’t expect the new stuff to magically fix the original game’s problems, or reach the amazing levels of the best Ys titles. It’s fun, but it doesn’t quite elevate the whole experience.

This game was reviewed on the PlayStation 5.

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2026-02-25 15:44