Next Ys Game’s First Concept Art and Gameplay Details Revealed

To celebrate the 35th anniversary of the Ys series, Falcom has shared concept art for the next game in Weekly Famitsu. It sees protagonist Adol and a new character fighting a bird monster of sorts (with their attack forming an “X”, since this is the 10th number entry in the series). Adol is younger while his ally wields an axe. They’re also connected by a strange set of strings.

Falcom president Toshihiro Kondo also provided additional details on the gameplay (translation via Gematsu). He noted that it would still have the series’ “smooth and exhilarating gameplay,” but other areas were being re-examined. It’s described as a “lighter-feeling” Ys take on the Soulslike genre. Whether the developer can implement “steadily-paced one-on-one combat in which the player can watch the enemy’s movements” is the real challenge. Weapon attributes changing by swapping party members is also being changed.

The story also seems to take place between Ys 1 and 2, which explains Adol’s age and may be set outside the Romun Empire. As for which platforms it will release on, Kando said, “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.”

Overall, the team believes it vital to have new gameplay elements, whether it’s the scenarios, actions, or systems, and fans can look forward to the same. Stay tuned for more details and an official name in the coming months.