Looks like the classic RPG series Ys is undergoing a real revival as of late -- aside from the promising Legacy of Ys: Books I & II, the original developers Nihon Falcom are planning an MMORPG called YS Online – Call of Solum.

The press release (poorly translated) says it is a "combination of manga and free MMORPG". It will be published by Key to Play, a new company specializing in online games (PrisonTale 2, for instance). They're said to be created "by gamers for gamers", and plan to offer an "excellent online service".

ln Ys Online, you play a powerful Afrocan fighter, wise Kimo, skillful Eresian (African, Eskimo, Eurasian?), and enter into a story which began 22 years ago. Defeat the hordes invading the mystical Romune (Roman) Empire under a fast-paced combat system; explore dungeons, engage in crafting professions, participate in guild battles, and tons more...

The closed beta starts this month -- one can assume sign-up begins once maintenance on the website is complete.

STORYLINE

The YS adventure is set in a mystical world with dark secrets: Romune, the center of the YS world. Dark spells are ravaging the entire continent and people are talking about the 6 lords and the 6 ancient books sealed with magic spells.

The Man of Wings was not only the Absolute Being but also a God in the Eresia Continent. With the Man of Wings' ascension to heaven, the ancient civilization that had blossomed in the vicinity of Vartekal and Romune came to an end. The Europa Region, situated in the center of the continent was on the brink of disaster due to the evil stone's incredibly reckless acts and the copious amount of legacies left by the Man of Wings.

After nearly a hundred years, numerous kingdoms across the continent collapsed, one after the other with a multitude of evil monsters emerging. Worse yet, the remaining kingdoms fell into the hands of those monsters for almost 20 years. After years of slavery, Grey the brave hero and his 12 valiant soldiers appeared. They eliminated the evil gods who were masterminding those monsters, paving the ground for an Empire under the name of Romune. The Romune Empire continued to expand its domain to a degree where it held sway over most of the regions on the continent including Europa.

And now, you are here to re-connect the historical dots of YS. YS Online inherits the worldview of YS series.