DotEmu have announced that Nihon Falcom’s JRPG Ys Origin will be heading to Nintendo Switch, along with physical versions via Limited Run Games. (Thanks Wario64!)
Taking place 700 years before Ys I: Ancient Ys Vanished and Ys II: Ancient Ys Vanished – The Final Chapter, demons have begun to build a tower to the heavens where humans are being kept safe by the Goddesses.
The Goddesses soon vanished, with the Devil’s Tower being the only place they could be. A search party is sent to the surface to find them; including apprentice knight Yunica Tovah and sorcerer Hugo Fact.
Combing elements of an RPG, platformer, and Metroidvania, players delve into dungeons to solve puzzles, navigate platforms, and beat giant bosses.
In North America there will be two physical versions (a standard and collector’s edition) via Limited Run Games. In Europe, players can obtain this via a yet-to-be-disclosed European partner. We will keep you informed as we learn more.
You can find the Nintendo Switch announcement trailer below.
You can find the full rundown (via Steam) below.
700 years before the events of Ys I & II, the land of Ys was on the brink of destruction. Demons came in droves and forced the twin Goddesses who ruled the land to whisk their subjects away from the surface, into the safe embrace of the clouds. The demons were persistent, however, erecting a massive tower in pursuit. The battle that raged upon the ground had begun ascending for a second round up above.
One day, amidst this turmoil, the Goddesses stole away into the night, vanishing from Ys altogether. And there’s only one place they could have gone: the Devil’s Tower.
A search party of knights and sorcerers was hastily formed and dispatched to the surface in hopes of retrieving these runaway deities. Among its members were apprentice knight Yunica Tovah and troubled sorcerer Hugo Fact.
This is their story. Or at least, it’s how each of them remembers it.
Expanding upon the gameplay elements introduced in Ys: The Ark of Napishtim and further developed in Ys: The Oath in Felghana, Ys Origin perfects the formula by adding different styles of play and new features never before seen in the Ys universe. Best described as an arcade-like platformer RPG with Metroidvania elements and a complex, multi-faceted narrative, Ys Origin is the perfect mix of action, exploration and story. Screen-filling bosses with complex AI, unique platforming elements, innovative puzzles and a deeply involving mystery await within the wildly varied confines of this classic Ys dungeon.
Come see how long you can last in the Devil’s Tower…
Key Features:
- Officially available in English for the very first time.
- Three unique playable characters in story mode, with additional variations (and characters?) unlockable through other modes.
- Five difficulty levels ranging from “Very Easy” for casual players to “Nightmare” for true Ys masters.
- Unlockable “Time Attack” and “Boss Rush” modes for anyone looking to show off his/her boss-taming abilities.
- Unlockable Arena Mode pits players against massive hordes of enemies for unique gameplay rewards.
- Over 40 unique Steam Achievements, Steam Cloud support and hundreds of highly competitive leaderboards.
- Minutely configurable high-resolution graphics with true widescreen support.
- Fully adjustable controls supporting virtually any USB gamepad, as well as a standard keyboard and mouse setup.
Ys Origin is available on Windows PC (via Steam), PlayStation 4, PlayStation Vita, Xbox One, and 2020 on Nintendo Switch.
