Monark, an RPG set in a supernatural school and developed by several ex-Shin Megami Tensei devs, will be heading to the west this February.
As announced in a new trailer, Monark will release to fans in the US on February 22, 2022, before coming out in Europe three days later on February 25. Upon its release, fans will be able to play the game across multiple different platforms including PS4, PS5, Nintendo Switch, and PC.
As seen below, the game’s new “Adversaries” trailer shows off various characters from Monark while NIS America’s website delves into the game’s premise and setting. Set in Shin Mikado Academy, a school campus surrounded by a barrier separating it from the rest of the outside world and linked to a mysterious realm known as the Otherworld, players in Monark must fight back to defy the daemons surrounding them.
The academy grounds at Shin Mikado are plunged into disarray as a madness-inducing Mist surrounds them. During gameplay, players will need to develop their skills and locate various cryptic phone calls around the academy. These phone calls link the campus to the Otherworld, and seven Pactbearers — each with their own Daemonic authority ruled by their egos — who need to be defeated.
Monark looks to mix up the RPG combat through the use of demonic powers called Authority or Vanity. Using either of these powers will increase the player’s MAD gauge, which risks causing insanity in the player. This double-edged sword will add an extra layer of strategy to the tactical combat.
Outside of combat, players will need to navigate their desires which can change depending on the choices made by the player. And similar to Shin Megami Tensei, there will be Fiends that players can control and develop.
While players in the west will need to wait until February, Monark is set to release in Japan on October 14. For similar news, make sure to check out this article which explores why Japanese games are increasingly releasing at the same time across the globe.
Jared Moore is a freelance writer for IGN. You can follow him on Twitter.
