In the recent issue of Weekly Famitsu, new concept art and details about the next Ys game were revealed in an interview with Falcom president Toshiro Kondo.
The concept artwork shows a younger-looking Adol fighting a giant bird-like creature alongside a woman wielding an axe and shield. In the artwork, their arms are connected by an aura-like string while their attack also forms an “X.”
Here are notable details from the interview.
- This will be the 10th (numbered) entry in the Ys saga.
- While it will retain the series’ smooth and exhilarating gameplay, other areas are being re-examined. And while not quite a Soulslike, the challenge is to see whether it is possible to implement steadily-paced one-on-one combat in which the player can watch the enemy’s movements. It is a lighter-feeling, Ys-style Soulslike.
- Adol is around the age he was in Ys I & II.
- The story might be set outside the Romun Empire.
- Changing weapon attributes by swapping between party members will change significantly.
- “While we cannot say platform(s) at this time, we want a wide range of players to enjoy it, and making Adol younger may have been for that purpose. It will be released as we’re working on various platforms.”
- Kondo wants to play previously released Ys titles on modern platforms.
- Providing new gameplay elements is vital.
- Whether it be scenarios, actions, or systems, the game will incorporate something new.
What do you make of all this?