Ys IX: Monstrum Nox Review

Review code used with many thanks to NIS America.

For anyone who has not played a Ys title before, Ys is a series of JRPGs that fully embraces everything it means to be a JRPG. Long introductory cutscenes, loads of story, great characters, and anime-style art and character design. And Ys IX: Monstrum Nox is yet another awesome title in the series.

Ys-IX-Monstrum-Nox Review LadiesGamers — Adol is once again in trouble.

The Story

As anyone who has played a Ys title knows, these stories are all about how much trouble Adol can get into and then out of before the game is over. In this case, Adol has come to a massive city with Dogi and immediately ends up arrested (Given the unlucky history he’s had with shipwrecks and destruction in his wake, I’d probably arrest Adol too if he came into my city too).

After breaking out of prison, poor Adol is immediately cursed by a mysterious woman named Aprilis who wants him to protect her city from Monsters. He gains powers but becomes a hunted man who can no longer leave the city.

Gameplay

Much of the gameplay of Ys IX is similar to the gameplay mechanics of the previous numbered title, Ys VII: Lacrimosa of Dana mixed with the boost system of Ys: Origins. The tutorial is long, cutscene-heavy, and involved, but the world opens up after it is completed. Combat is all about switching between characters (or basically ignoring combat altogether on easy mode), positioning each to use boosts and powers one right after another as wave after wave of enemies attack.

In Ys IX, players have the option to choose between several levels of combat difficulty right from the beginning. As players might expect, they will spend as much time watching cutscenes. Or running fetch quests as they do in combat, but combat is still incredibly important to the game. It provides players with items, XP, and moves the story forward much the same as any RPG. The new Adol powers he gains from being cursed are interesting and add a lot of things to do during combat, regardless of the level of difficulty players are on.

Combat, Flash Dodge, Flash Guard

Combat is in real-time. Players start combat with basic attacks, dodges, and locking-on mechanics. There is a small meter in the bottom right-hand corner of the screen for the character’s special power phase called Overdrive. Once a player has a full enough gauge, players can activate Overdrive to boost a character’s attack power, regain some health, and add AoE (Area of Effect) damage to their usual attacks, allowing them to it several targets at once.

There are no block mechanics for any of the characters, so players must rely completely on dodge movement to avoid damage. There is a basic dodge roll, but there is also a Flash Dodge; this happens when players roll out of the way just at the right moment during an enemy attack movement by hitting L1. The Flash Dodge significantly buffs movement speed for a short burst of time, allowing players to quickly move back into melee range and strike hard at the enemy’s heart.

There is also an attack version of Flash Dodge called Flash Guard that works in basically the same way; however, players must hit L1 at the right moment instead. This gives a temporary boost to a character’s attack instead of their movement speed. The combat is simple to learn and incredible interesting. I had a lot of fun learning it, and I look forward to trying out the game on more difficulties as well.

The Pros of Ys IX: Monstrum Nox

This game is lovely. Even if you haven’t even encountered a Ys title before (and there have been many over the last several decades), playing Ys IX is great for new players. There are some references to the previous titles, but no knowledge of them is necessary to delve into this newest chapter of Adol’s adventurous life.

The characters, settings, visuals, and story are all fabulous and over-the-top. If you like JRPGs or want to try one out for the first time, Ys IX is a wonderful place to start. It’s not a deep, dark and twisted storyline like some JRPGs. It’s just a delightful story without all the gore and grotesque that is part of so many video games these days.

This particular port of Ys is well done; I originally played Ys VIII on the PS4, and I remember the graphics looking a little better on the PlayStation than the Switch. The Switch port is well mapped, however, doesn’t seem to lag, and is a great version of a great game.

Ys IX: Monstrum Nox is very beautiful. With thoughtful character design, decent music, JRPG-stylized costumes, and a massive and pretty city to explore. This game is highly stylized and full of life. The vast majority of the other cursed so-called Monstrums that are locked in the city with you are compelling humans with full lives. All with thoughts, feelings, character arcs, and you can truly fall in love with all of them.

The story is deep and compelling. You find that you care about helping the city you are locked in, and not just for Adol’s sake. The monsters that have invaded the city are invisible to everyone except Adol and the other cursed Monstrums. You’ll find yourself wanting to fight the fiends in order to save the peace and lives of the city’s denizens.

The Cons of Ys IX: Monstrum Nox

The biggest con for Ys IX is that is it a JRPG. For most folks I’ve met and chatted with about games, you either like JRPGs or you do not. It’s a polarizing genre, similar to anime, that can either pull you in or quickly drive you away. Ys is excellent for what it is and what it wants to be, but if Japanese Role Playing Games are not your cup of tea, Ys will seem like a long, winding tale to nowhere that moves too slow and has strangely-dressed characters.

The gameplay mechanics are fairly frontloaded onto the player. All the tutorials are in the first twenty minutes or so of the game. Each mechanic is accompanied by a small how-to screen loaded with written instructions. I much prefer tutorials to be more integrated into the game, but thankfully the mechanics aren’t too terribly involved.

Conclusion

Ys IX: Monstrum Nox is a fabulous title, filled with all the beats and quirks expected from a great JRPG. The story is fabulous and the characters, both new and returning, are interesting. The customization options of the combat mean anyone can enjoy the game. From the newest of newbies all the way to combat-hardened JRPG vets that want a massive challenge.

Overall, I would recommend Ys IX: Monstrum Nox to anyone who loves JRPGs or adventure anime, along with all of the other Ys titles as well.

Final Verdict: Two Thumbs Up: