And while Ys IX still seems fresh in our memories, which is certainly less true if we played it as soon as it was released in Japan in September 2019, we are pleasantly surprised to see that a very first artwork has escaped from the pages of Famitsu to illustrate the one that will indeed be the 10th numbered episode of the Ys saga and not a remake (Ys V, in particular, is still waiting to be revisited).
Even if the game has a good chance of being called Ys X, this episode taking place in the north of the continent Eresia will not further advance a still messy timeline. On the contrary, Kondo’s revelations include the fact that Adol will be around the same age as in Ys I & II, namely 17 years old. A big return to the past compared to Ys IX in which the adventurer is 24 years old, this chapter therefore remaining chronologically the most recent for the moment.
Without betraying its fluid and nervous action-RPG nature, Ys X seeks to explore new things in its combat system and in particular in the search for a difficulty based on 1v1 clashes that would force the player to do well Pay attention to the actions of the opponent. Even if it’s done with a certain distance, the term “souls-like” did come out in the discussion to give an idea of the elements that Falcom would like to introduce in order to spice up its recipe a little.
In its narrative, as in its fights and its mechanics, the studio seeks to bring something new. Well in place since Ys Seven, the system of permutation between the members of the group and therefore between the different attributes (slash, Pierced and Strike) should change significantly. A change symbolized, we are told, by the energetic link that forms between Adol’s attack and that of the female character in the artwork.
Another confirmed track, that of a simultaneous cross-platform release. Developed for PlayStation in the first place, the most recent installments did release on Switch and Steam, but only after some waiting and help from partners like NIS America. With Ys X, Falcom’s avowed objective is to release the game directly on several machines. Kondo also reiterated plans to port previous Ys to more recent platforms.
- See also | Ys from Falcom, the great Action-RPG dynasty