NIS America and FuRyu have announced that the newly-announced JRPG Monark is coming West in 2022 on PS4, PS5, Nintendo Switch, and PC.
Monark is developed by Lancarse, with a team made up of members that used to work on Megami Tensei and Shin Megami Tensei. Described as a “new school” RPG the game definitely shares some elements with SMT and even Persona. Character designs are done by the artist so-bin who also created the original character designs for the Overlord anime and light novel series.
The reveal trailer description reads “Follow your ego and control the madness in MONARK! Your school has been engulfed in a mysterious and deadly Mist, and only you can save everyone inside. Develop your Ego and lead your forces into battle to break the pacts set by the nefarious Pactbearers, but take care not to delve too far, lest you risk losing yourself.”
Monark features turn-based combat and a unique Ego system that has you developing your character’s affinity with each of the seven deadly sins. It also seems like there will be dozens of students and faculty members to interact with, similar to other school RPGs like Persona or Trails of Cold Steel. Below you can find details on the core mechanics and features of the game, courtesy of Gematsu’s translation.
- Wield Your Madness to Your Advantage – Activating your Authority grants you power in exchange for raising your MAD Gauge. When your MAD Gauge reaches max, you enter a state of Madness, causing you to attack enemies and allies alike for several turns before self-destructing. Controlling the madness effectively can help turn the tide in battle.
- Fight Back Against the Daemonic Forces – Control up to six characters in a turn-based, free movement battle system. Attack enemies from behind and resonate with surrounding allies to perform combo attacks. Situational awareness and calculated decision-making are the keys to victory.
- Explore an Academy Thrown into Disarray – Within the Mist are phone calls that connect you to the Otherworld. You must explore every inch of the Mist to resolve the mysterious anomalies plaguing the academy.
- Seven Axis Points Map Out Your Desires – Pride, Wrath, Envy, Lust, Greed, Gluttony, Sloth. Your affinity for each will change according to how you answer the diagnostic tests you are given throughout the story. How your Ego develops rests upon your own desires.
- Fiends: Reflections of your Ego – Fiends are Daemons that answer only to you. Different types can be unlocked for each of your seven desires. Strengthening your Ego increases the range of cosmetic customization options for your Fiends, as well as how much their equipment can be enhanced.
Monark doesn’t have an exact Western release date yet, but it’s rare to see an English localization confirmed with a time frame so soon after the Japanese announcement. We will keep you updated on Monark as more information comes to light in the comming months.
