Nihon Falcom has released even more details regarding the newest addition to its flagship series Ys, by opening Ys Felghana no Chikai's official website today. While the gaiden will be based on the story of Ys III: Wanderers from Ys, system-wise the game could be called Ys VII. According to company representatives, calling a game taking place in the world of Ys III, Ys VII would have caused misunderstandings, hence the lack of numbers in the title.

In addition to red-haired protagonist Adol Christin, three new characters have been revealed. Dogi is a former thief and an old pal of Adol's. Possessed by a strong sense of duty, he returns to his hometown in the Felghana region for the first time in eight years, after hearing about a disaster having struck the region. Chester Stoddart is a childhood friend of Dogi's. He was raising his younger sister Elena, while serving as an assitant to the mayor of his and Dogi's village. One year before Ys Felghana no Chikai's story begins, he vanished and has since been missing. While looking cute at first glance, his sister Elena is a tempestuous character.

While Nihon Falcom will basically stick with Ys VI's battle system for this new title, the company is also implementing some improvements. On the action screen, the jump system will be altered and the freedom of movement will be increased. The popular combo attack system will also receive two key enhancements. Players will now be able to see how many consecutive hits they have landed and receive additional experience points for successfully executed chain attacks. Depending on the number of combos, enemies might also drop more valuable items, including some which temporarily enhance Adol's abilities.

The bangles containing the spiritual power of earth, wind and fire will also be newly equipable. These items will be comparable to the three magic swords of Ys VI. Equipping one of them will result in Adol being able to perform special skills and unleash powerful deathblows. To crush obstacles, players can also resort to a mysterious key.

Compared to Ys VI, the development team is implementing more boss battles. Furthermore, the attack patterns of normal enemies will be more varied than in Ys VI to offer even more action-oriented gameplay. Last but not least, the game will also feature a more movie-like direction.

Ys Felghana no Chikai will be available in Japan this June.

• GameWatch

• Official Ys Felghana no Chikai Website