"While Ys X: Proud Nordics is the definitive edition of Ys X: Nordics, the compromises made to ensure the original version of the game could run on the Nintendo Switch are noticeable and at times immersion breaking."
We were supplied with a free key for the purposes of writing this review, however our opinions are entirely our own.
As a huge fan of JRPGs and the Ys series, I find that Ys X: Proud Nordics suffers from an issue all too common with titles that were developed with the Nintendo Switch in mind, a lack of world density and living environments.
While there are various NPCs scattered around each map, for the most part they either do not move around at all, or move very little, as a result the world does not feel alive and vibrant, rather it feels more like a collection of set pieces, which while functionally help move the story along, make it difficult to immerse yourself too deeply in Ys X: Proud Nordics’ fairly strong narrative, especially when taking into consideration the second main issue with Ys X: Proud Nordics and other titles in the series, atrocious dialogue.
While I do not wish to give spoilers, I feel that mentioning an event that occurs during the tutorial is not egregious, and it perfectly explains my issues with Ys X: Proud Nordics’ ham-fisted dialogue.
During the tutorial the player is first exposed to some of the worst exposition dialogue of any JRPG, in which the developers try to onboard new players via conversations that sound horrifically scripted and unnatural.
While I understand the need for onboarding, I would rather players be offered this information via an optional catch-up video or cinematic, instead of being forced some of the worst dialogue found outside of 1990s infomercials.
Towards the end of the tutorial, the ship in which the player is travelling is attacked by “pirates”, and after being attacked by several of the raiders and their leader (who wears short shorts for some reason!), the “pirates” suddenly call off the attack on the player, declaring he is “only a passenger” before executing the ship captain in front of the passengers, only for those same passengers to be happily chatting about random nonsense only moments later.
While the characters do mention briefly it was a shame about what happened to the captain, more time is spent on generic JRPG banter than actually discussing the fact they were boarded by pirates, and saw a man (whom they were friendly with) murdered in cold blood.
While I wish I could said this was the worst dialogue I encountered, that would unfortunately be a lie.
While Ys X: Proud Nordics runs well on current gen consoles and comparable PC hardware, it is not the prettiest game, and it suffers from texture and world building issues that are the result of the original game being limited only to what the original Nintendo Switch could handle.
While the increased FPS and fidelity of Ys X: Proud Nordics is a welcome addition, ultimately there is only so much you can do to improve the visuals of a game, that for the most part would not have looked out of place on the Nintendo Wii U.
Ys X: Proud Nordics’ combat mechanics are rather simplistic, and compared to much of what is on the market, rather basic, however they are still enjoyable, and Ys X: Proud Nordics has enough to offer to make exploring worthwhile, and unlike low level enemies which are essentially a waste of time outside of farming XP and resources, boss battles are surprisingly in depth and at times rather enjoyable.
Ys X: Proud Nordics is an action game developed by Nihon Falcom and published by NIS America, it released on 20 February 2026, and is available on Nintendo Switch 2, PC and Playstation 5.
Ys X: Proud Nordics supports the following peripherals:
Ys X: Proud Nordics is rated PEGI 16+ and contains:
While Ys X: Proud Nordics is not the most impressive action RPG on the market, long-time fans of the Ys series will appreciate the areas in which it builds upon and at times improves upon older entries in the series, and for those players, I have no issue recommending Ys X: Proud Nordics, as it is, without question the definitive version of one of the best Ys games in the nearly 40 year history of the franchise, with the original title Ys I: Ancient Ys Vanished releasing in 1987.
For everyone else, I suggest doing your own research, and perhaps waiting for a sale.
We found Ys X: Proud Nordics to be a good game, meaning it is likely to be enjoyable for most players, despite having a few areas that could be improved upon.
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