Fans of two classic JRPG series have new options coming to Stadia beginning as early as next week and continuing on throughout the year. The list includes games from both the Ys and Trails of Cold Steel series.
First up on April 1 will arrive Ys VIII: Lacrimosa of DANA, debuting for $40. Having played none of these games myself, I'll share their synopses from the teams. Lacrimosa of DANA is about "when Adol awakens shipwrecked and stranded on a cursed island, he and the other shipwrecked passengers form a village and explore the isle. Amidst this, Adol begins to dream of a mysterious blue-haired maiden."
Also coming on April 1 is The Legend of Heroes: Trails of Cold Steel III. This series has always flown a bit under the radar with some pockets of the JRPG fanbase, but those who play Legends of Heroes can often be heard loudly professing its excellence. This one is about "Rean Schwarzer, a military student turned war hero, finds himself at the center of a dark plot that threatens to upheave the foundations of his homeland. To face the oncoming storm, he must prepare a new generation of heroes as an instructor at the newly-formed branch campus and guide them toward an unknown future."
A week later on April 9, will come the sequel, The Legend of Heroes: Trails of Cold Steel IV. Here's the synopsis: "The continent of Zemuria is dragged into conflict as the Erebonian Empire mobilizes the full force of its military. The heroes of Class VII old and new must unite to end the conflict before it consumes the continent."
Later this summer, the final JRPG being announced today, Ys IX: Monstrum Nox will come to Google's cloud platform too. The follow-up to Ys VIII, of course, here's the synopsis for it: "Adol Christin is cursed by a mysterious woman and becomes a Monstrum, a powerful being who can exorcise monsters. To escape from the Prison City of Balduq, he must ally with five other Monstrums, each with their own unique Gifts, and stop the Grimwald Nox, a shadowy dimension on the verge of overflowing into the real world."
Each of these latter three games will launch for $60. and all of them earned OpenCritic's distinction as "Strong" or "Mighty" games, with none earning lower than an 81 average and some as high as 84. As always, games on Stadia can be played without a console or the need to download them and across any compatible device.
