Today, during a stage event at the Dengeki PlayStation Game Fes 2019 in Tokyo, Nihon Falcom showcased its upcoming JRPG Ys IX: Monstrum Nox.
First of all, we get to take a look at a few screenshots showcasing the setting of the game which is Bardeuk, nicknamed “Prison City.” It occupies between 40 and 50% of the map.
We also see the ability to use the monsters’ supernatural powers anywhere, including towns, fields, and dungeons. It won’t be just useful in battle, but also during exploration and traversal.
Battles are quick and fluid, with giant bosses that can be fought while freely dashing and jumping. In Bardeuk we can enjoy new elements like guild management, but players can also leave the city and explore.
You can see the images in the gallery at the bottom of the post.
We then get to finally see the very first look at gameplay, in which a character is shown as she traverses the massive city. The second video showcases the ability to glide via a monster’s ability, while the third video provides a glimpse at the exploration of a forest environment (including a brief look at an enemy and a small glimpse of combat) and the retrieval of a treasure chest.
You can watch the videos below. Do keep in mind that we heard that they’re still work-in-progress.
During the livestream, Nihon Falcom President Toshihiro Kondo revealed that traditional protagonist Adol is 24 in the game, but his appearance will be quite different from previous games. He lives in Bardeuk, which isn’t just a quest hub, but it’s also a location for actual adventure gameplay.
The city is fully explorable even thanks to the traversal abilities of the monsters. If you see a location, you can go there, and you can find many hidden areas by wall-running and gliding around.
Characters still act in a party, and their monster abilities are shared during exploration, removing the need to switch between them. Yet, you will have to during battles.
Incidentally, Kondo-san mentioned that he’d like to remake the first two Ys games in 3D at some point, alongside V and VI, and generally port those games of the series that can’t currently be played on PS4 like Nihon Falcom is doing with Ys: Memories of Celceta (which will be released for PS4 on May 16 in Japan). The studio is also experimenting with VR. Of course, he did not make any promises.
The target for the Japanese release on PS4 of Ys IX: Monstrum Nox was confirmed to be in the fall of 2019.
If you want to see more, you can enjoy some recent images and the original reveal.
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