One of my most anticipated games of this year, Ys X: Nordics has finally received a window for release in the West. The game has already been released in Japan and Asia, dropping September 28th of last year.
While the title was expected to be released this year, there was very little information released on a release outside of Asia until now. With Falcom and Nis similarly behind the Trails series as developer and publisher respectively, and with those titles notorious for their long localization time, it isn’t unfair to have been concerned about a longer wait. Despite this, the Ys series has historically had fewer time gaps in localization, though has taken criticism for other elements such as subtitling.
Ys tells the story of Adol Christin, A redheaded adventure destined to eventually become the most famous one of all time. Each story in the franchise is framed through one of the books he would eventually write. They play as fast-paced action RPGs in which Adol and a series of one-off and returning allies hack and slash their way through perilous locations and enemies.
This story in the series should prove an easy entry point for newcomers as it is set earlier in the chronology, between Ys II and Ys: Memories of Celceta. It is also stated to feature a lighter story, compared to the last few, to be more appealing to younger audiences. It will also feature only two playable characters as opposed to the usually bigger roster in a pirate-themed quest across the high seas. Since a recurring gag in the franchise is for Adol to begin a journey shipwrecked and empty-handed it is a nice change of pace to see him having more luck in that regard.
Ys X: Nordics will launch in the West sometime in the Fall of 2024 for the PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, and Nintendo Switch. Until then we still have the PlayStation 5 rereleases of Legend of Heroes: Trails Into Cold Steel 3/4, as well as the next entry in the series Trails Into Daybreak to look forward to.
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