Maroc - 3RD-STRIKE.COM - A La Une - 24/Feb 05:56

Ys X: Proud Nordics – Review

Look! Up in the sky! Is it a remake? Is it DLC? It’s… Ys X: Proud Nordics! Yes, roughly one year after one of our fellow reviewers took a look at Ys X: Nordics, the latest entry in Nihon Falcom’s long-running Ys series already makes its return in a new form. Taking a page from the Atelier Ryza Trilogy, Proud Nordics offers an extended version of a fairly recent game. Is it worth returning to the Obelia Gulf if you’ve already been there, or is setting sail something that is best reserved for newcomers? Story In Ys X: Proud Nordics, we are once again reunited with series protagonist Adol Christin. This time around, the red-haired adventurer is traveling through the Obelia Gulf when he becomes entangled with the Norman seafaring tribe, particularly the warrior princess Karja Balta. After inadvertently gaining the power of Mana, Adol becomes mystically bound to Karja as her “Shield Brother,” forcing them to fight together against the Griegr; monstrous beings that can only be defeated by Mana users. When Karja’s people are attacked and scattered, the story becomes personal, focusing on stopping the Griegr threat, uncovering the truth behind Mana, and exploring Norman history and legacy. Like previous entries in the series, Proud Nordics’ narrative is only loosely connected to the other games, but it works well enough as a standalone story. Proud Nordics deepens the characters by adding a chapter set in a new region, the Öland Islands. This additional storyline focuses on Karja’s past and explores her relationship with newcomers Canute and Astrid. Graphics Sticking close to the anime aesthetic that the Ys series has cultivated over time, Proud Nordics’ visual splendor mostly comes from its memorable character designs. In this regard, the game definitely succeeds, with Karja in particular being a standout addition to Ys’ ever-growing cast. Contrasting with the game’s character design though, are the in-game visuals. While nothing about them is particularly bad in a vacuum, Proud Nordics doesn’t exactly bring innovation either, and the game looks aesthetically identical to the previous Ys game, 2019’s Monstrum Nox. Environments in particular look and feel generic. The unevenness of specific textures makes it seem like the game is mixing newer assets with older ones from previous games. That said, Proud Nordics does run very well, keeping up a consistent frame rate. On PC, you can sacrifice some visual fidelity to tweak responsiveness too, and given that Proud Nordics seemingly wasn’t built to impress visually, this is something we’d recommend. Sound Very much in line with Ys tradition, Proud Nordics’ soundtrack is one of the game’s standout elements. From energetic rock music that push combat intensity higher to sweeping orchestral pieces that play as you sail the world, the music reinforces the game’s steady pacing. The soundtrack’s emotional character themes combine with strong voice acting to strengthen the emotional impact of key scenes, although we should note that the game is only partially voiced. Some moments that feel like they should be voiced are not, unfortunately. Rounding things out is a set of crisp, impactful sound effects that especially come into their own during combat, although hearing “Switch!” every time you alternate between Adol and Karja can get a bit tiresome. Gameplay At the risk of sounding perhaps a tad cynical, we were hoping that Proud Nordics would surprise us more than it did. We’ve played our fair share of Ys games in the past, and at this point, we think we understand the core formula to a T. That formula is still solid, mind you, but Proud Nordics really made us feel like the series hasn’t really evolved since the PS3 era. Now, for those of you unfamiliar with the Ys series, what you’re getting in Proud Nordics is a fast-paced RPG built around rhythmic action combat, tight pacing, and constant forward momentum. There is an attempt to set Proud Nordics apart by using naval exploration as the game’s structural backbone. The core gameplay loop sees you sail to an island, land there, explore a dungeon where you defeat the boss, gather upgrades and set sail again. Combined with the overall tight pacing, Proud Nordics prioritizes consistency over spectacle, with fewer dramatic peaks but very few valleys too. The biggest defining feature of Proud Nordics’ combat is the Cross Action system. Instead of a full party, you only control Adol and Karja, switching freely between them, or fighting together in Duo Mode. Karja excels at breaking enemy armour, whereas Adol is better when it comes to dealing direct damage. As you successfully use guards and counters, you build up your Revenge Gauge, which in turn allows you to unleash powerful Duo Skills. Combat is fast, flashy and responsive, putting a heavy emphasis on quick dodges and timed parries. Boss fights in particular rely on pattern recognition and tight defense timing. In addition to the traditional combat, Proud Nordics features ship-to-ship combat as well. Naval combat is heavily reliant on ship upgrades. It’s serviceable but not exceptional, and feels especially tedious early on when your ship hasn’t been upgraded. As far as RPGs go, the base experience of Nordics is fairly short, clocking in at around 30 hours. The additional storyline provided by Proud Nordics isn’t massive in scale either, adding just a few hours’ worth of narrative content. The bulk of what’s new here comes in the form of post-game content, including a massive new dungeon, boss replay modes, mutants, and arena challenges. This slew of bonus material definitely makes Proud Nordics the definitive version of the game, although it comes with a major caveat. Proud Nordics is presented as a standalone title rather than an expansion. There is no way to upgrade vanilla Nordics to Proud Nordics, meaning that if you bought the original game, you’re going to have to pay €59.99 again, just to access that new content. We can’t confirm whether or not getting the newer version offers cross-saves, though there are apparently bonuses that you can get if you have save data from the previous version on your PC or console. Either way, we’d say that getting Proud Nordics probably isn’t worth it if you already own Nordics. Conclusion In a vacuum, Proud Nordics is a solid entry in Nihon Falcom’s long-running series, although it doesn’t feel like the breath of fresh air that Adol Crispin’s adventures desperately need. The game works well as an entry point for anyone looking to get into Ys. If you’re a longtime fan of the series, however, Proud Nordics hits differently, as it’s likely that you already played Nordics. In that case, Proud Nordics offers too little to warrant double-dipping. If you’re in the former group, the game is well worth checking out. If you’re in the latter group, we’d suggest waiting for a deep discount instead.