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[Komatsu]

PUBLISHER: NIS AMERICA
DEVELOPER: Nihon Falcom
GENRE: Action RPG
PLATFORM: PS4, PC (to be released), Switch (to be released)
PRICE: $59.99 USD
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Ys IX: Monstrum Nox is an action role-playing game developed by Nihon Falcom. A part of the Ys series, it was released in Japan by Falcom for the PlayStation 4 in September 2019. A worldwide release by NIS America for the PlayStation 4 was released in February 2021, with ports for Microsoft Windows and Nintendo Switch also scheduled for release in mid-2021. Ys IX: Monstrum Nox is an action role-playing game played from a third-person perspective. It further builds on the gameplay foundation of Ys VIII: Lacrimosa of Dana, where players control multiple main characters that can be switched between on-the-fly, each with their own play styles and unique skills. Players collects a variety of weapons and items by defeating enemies and opening chests. Players can consume SP to unleash a character's unique skill attack, and SP can be restored by landing hits on enemies or it can regenerate faster when the player is not attacking. Boost mode, a returning game mechanic from Ys: The Oath in Felghana and Ys Origin, temporarily increases damage dealt, decreases damage received, and increases attack and movement speeds.

Ys IX: Monstrum Nox takes place in the “prison city” of Balduq. The city was recently annexed by the Romun Empire and Adol finds himself imprisoned there. In prison, a mysterious woman named Aprilis turns him into a Monstrum, a being with supernatural Gifts and the power to exorcise monsters. Adol teams up with other Monstrums to fight against the creatures emerging from a dimension called the Grimwald Nox and to investigate the Monstrum curse and its relation to Balduq.
[source: RPGGAMER]

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[Komatsu]

I also recommend my fellow GAFers to check out the game's soundtrack, already on Spotify:

 

[Mister Wolf]

I liking it more than Ys VIII. The combat feels better. The exploration is better. The setting(mystery) as well as cast of playable and nonplayable characters are more interesting.

 

[JORMBO]

I need to finish Ryza 2 first then I am going to play this next.

 

[jshackles]

I need to finish Ryza 2 first then I am going to play this next.

Are you me?

Seriously though, this game looks great. Can't wait.

 

[Danny Dudekisser]

Waiting for it on PC, but I'm glad it's just about here. I like the aesthetic a lot more than Ys VIII's.

 

[slade]

Game picks up much faster then Ys VIII. I'm only two hours in but am liking the story more then Ys VIII when I was two hours into that game. Remains to be seen whether it will end as well as Ys VIII did. That game was a slow burn at the start but it picked up quite a bit towards the end.

 

[Classicrockfan]

Do I have to play the other ys games to understand this?

 

[JORMBO]

Do I have to play the other ys games to understand this?

Nope. The games share some characters but the stories are self contained and don’t require playing previous games.

 

[Classicrockfan]

Nope. The games share some characters but the stories are self contained and don’t require playing previous games.

Cool thanks off to buy it.

 

[slade]

If you can track down the 1980's anime, you could watch that for the story of the first two games. There is an early scene in Ys IX that references Adol's past adventures and has an inside joke about him losing all the overpowered equipment from the previous game but stuff like that is non intrusive and just there for laughs. The overall story is self contained.

 

[ssringo]

Do I have to play the other ys games to understand this?

Other than Ys II being a direct sequel to Ys I they're mostly self contained. You get come recurring characters and references to other adventures but nothing major. The overarching lore is that each game is a retelling of one of Adol's adventures that he wrote about in his journals. Yeah, it's the same dude every time.

Adol is one of, if not the, most accomplished protagonists. Roams the world looking for adventure and casually saves the world (or a substantial part of it) once or twice a year. He's 24 in Ys 9 and apparently does this kind of stuff into his 50s and 60s (according to lore).

 

[MagnesG]

I'm patiently waiting so please post up more impressions lol.

 

[rubhen925]

Be warned. If you are playing this on the PS5 through BC, it crashes a ton. There was a day 1 patch which fixed it a bit but there are still crashes. Cheers

 

[JohannCK]

Big spoiler interview with Kondo. Not kidding about the spoilers, they straight up talk about the ending too, so don't read until you clear the game:

Ys IX: Monstrum Nox - Post-Release Interview (Part 1/3)

Ys IX: Monstrum Nox producer Kondo talks about the development process in the first part of this post-release interview.

www.frontlinejp.net

Ys IX: Monstrum Nox – Post-Release Interview (Part 2/3)

Ys IX: Monstrum Nox producer Kondo talks about the story of the game and the Ys world's setting in this spoiler-filled part of the interview.

www.frontlinejp.net

Ys IX: Monstrum Nox – Post-Release Interview (Part 3/3)

Ys IX: Monstrum Nox producer Kondo talks about the ending of the game and what comes next for the series in the final part of the interview.

www.frontlinejp.net

 

[mejin]

Be warned. If you are playing this on the PS5 through BC, it crashes a ton. There was a day 1 patch which fixed it a bit but there are still crashes. Cheers

Thanks for the tip. Won't buy till a PS5 patch.

 

[martino]

i'm tempted. i will wait gog release

 

[belmarduk]

Man.. I wish the Switch version was coming sooner than summer.
That feels so far away... not a lot of reason to buy a ps4 now.. and if it runs so badly on ps5...

 

[ghairat]

Crap, I need to beat Fist of the North Star Lost Paradise before I play this game... Can't wait!!!

 

[p_xavier]

I also recommend my fellow GAFers to check out the game's soundtrack, already on Spotify:

Soundtrack is indeed excellent, it has been on iTunes for many months now and beats Ys VIII easily.

 

[whyman]

Thanks for the tip. Won't buy till a PS5 patch.

Is it confirmed there will be one?

 

[VALCON 82]

Nice OT!!! I'm really excited for this game and will probably get within the next month or so. the fact that some folks have more praise for this one over VIII is promising

 

[Lionel Richie]

WILL ADOL FINALLY GET LAID?

 

[rubhen925]

WILL ADOL FINALLY GET LAID?

I dont think so. 22 hours in havent even seen a scent of romance.

 

[Mister Wolf]

WILL ADOL FINALLY GET LAID?

Off screen Adol and Dogi hit up local brothels wherever they go. What's the point of being an adventurer if you aren't at least doing that.

 

[Shadowstar39]

Been a fan of Y's since the tg16. Something seems very off about this title.

For one I don't dig the hyper generic anime looking character art. Yes Y's was always anime but it had it's own style, but this looks generic. It looks like it could sub in for trials of cold steel (another game that i didn't like the art style, compared to its previous legend of heroes series). Both made by Falcom, i guess they are consolidating artists to make both games and no longer have the y's / trails in the sky artists. Shame.

I also don't dig the more sci-fi of this game. Y's has usually been about low tech high magic, and took place in villages , islands, and maybe a small city hub, but all in a medival /fantasy style. Maybe i am off on this but it's the vibe i am getting from the trailers.

Has anyone played it? Is Dogi still in it or any existing characters?

---- Ok watched a review and some of it makes more sense. Seems there was some tranformation or something going into another world.
The review showed actual gameplay where these trailers did nothing for me. I liked what i saw in the review.

No news on a pc/switch version release date besides 2021? I own a ps4 with 300+ games on it, but refuse to buy anymore. My launch ps4 is on it's last leg and i rarely play it as it sounds like it's launching off into space. It also heats up the room 10-15 degrees when its on. I can use it as a space heater. If i could of bought a ps5 it would be a non issue.

That being said, i have played the last bunch of y's games on portables (played the originals y's 1 &2 on the TG16, and ys 3 on snes)
PSP: Y's ark of napishtim, Ys: The Oath in Felghana, Ys 7, Y's book 1 and 2 remake
VITA: Ys: Memories of Celceta
Switch: Ys VIII: Lacrimosa of Dana, Y's Origin

So i am going to wait for a switch release. Love being able to play games like this on the toilet, the back porch, in the woods, waiting for my car to be fixed, etc...

Thinking back the only y's game i didn't like has been y's 3 wanders from y's. For some reason i couldn't stand that super nintendo game. I had the same feeling i had for it that I had for Final Fantasy Mystic quest. Cut down and side scrolling - not like the original isometric/top down style of the originals. .

 

[Hudo]

WILL ADOL FINALLY GET LAID?

Nah. Falcom have Rean "haha" Schwarzer for that.

 

[Pejo]

I also recommend my fellow GAFers to check out the game's soundtrack, already on Spotify:

Feel Force is a great little jam. I'm really liking some of the understated songs too. Not as much butt-metal as I'm used to with Ys games yet, though I'm only about halfway through. Something about the high pitched guitar riffs just go with these games so well.

 

[Paltheos]

Also in the 'waiting for PC' camp. NISA gets allot of shit (much of it fair), but I am glad that they're porting Falcom's games over to other platforms for the western market.
Praise be to our lord and saviour Durante.

 

[Black Chamber]

Wonderful OT!

I like the title too

 

[NomadicAsiatic]

Just ordered this today off Amazon as there were only 4 copies left. Still haven’t beaten an Ys game yet and I own three of them

Very close to platinum on Ys 8 though

 

[Lionel Richie]

Nah. Falcom have Rean "haha" Schwarzer for that.

Oh yes, the Mean Rean Machine. Let no waifu go unfucked.

 

[Hudo]

Oh yes, the Mean Rean Machine. Let no waifu go unfucked.

Even Estelle could not withstand Rean "I won't hold back" Schwarzer.

 

[Lionel Richie]

Even Estelle could not withstand Rean "I won't hold back" Schwarzer.

Wonder how he'd fare in the Ys series. He'd bang Griselda so hard the Romun Empire would disband and go home.

 

[belmarduk]

Just ordered this today off Amazon as there were only 4 copies left. Still haven’t beaten an Ys game yet and I own three of them

Very close to platinum on Ys 8 though

Only 4 copies? I know Falcom probably doesn't have the big bucks to do a huge release.. maybe the game is going to be a huge success?

 

[Hudo]

Wonder how he'd fare in the Ys series. He'd bang Griselda so hard the Romun Empire would disband and go home.

He'd bang Dana back into existence.

 

[Rean no Kiseki]

I so want to play it right now! Unfortunately my Amazon order is still in the US and i'm away from home and my PS4 .

Komatsu Good job on the OT mate!

 

[p_xavier]

WILL ADOL FINALLY GET LAID?

You know that Dogi's fucking him on the side...

 

[Lionel Richie]

He'd bang Dana back into existence.

Based tall people colonizer.

You know that Dogi's fucking him on the side...

Not a Naughty Dog franchise friend.

 

[DGrayson]

Been a fan of Y's since the tg16. Something seems very off about this title.

For one I don't dig the hyper generic anime looking character art. Yes Y's was always anime but it had it's own style, but this looks generic. It looks like it could sub in for trials of cold steel (another game that i didn't like the art style, compared to its previous legend of heroes series). Both made by Falcom, i guess they are consolidating artists to make both games and no longer have the y's / trails in the sky artists. Shame.

Ya Ive never played an Ys game but always wanted to and I noticed that right away. The caracter design looks much more "modern generic anime" than the previous games which had a very interesting classic anime style

 

[Cornbread78]

Started it up last night and the combat is still fun as ever, but after playing some PS5, it's very obvious this is a PS4 game, lol

 

[NomadicAsiatic]

Only 4 copies? I know Falcom probably doesn't have the big bucks to do a huge release.. maybe the game is going to be a huge success?

Late reply, but they have restocked on Amazon

 

[Classicrockfan]

Just bought this is it now safe to play on ps5 or is it still crashing “

 

[A Rifter in Space]

Falcom is the GOAT. Ys and Trails are two of the best gaming franchises out there and I love that Falcom focuses on gameplay and storytelling rather than trying to raise the graphical bar, which means they can churn out good stuff almost every year.

 

[Duellist]

Just bought this is it now safe to play on ps5 or is it still crashing “

I would also like to know this

 

[jimjonjimmy]

Ya Ive never played an Ys game but always wanted to and I noticed that right away. The caracter design looks much more "modern generic anime" than the previous games which had a very interesting classic anime style

I watched a video on Falcoms history I believe the main artist for them is no longer with the company. I can't remember the details why.

 

[ShivinN]

I really dig the Ys series, but am I the only one that finds the game music obnoxious? First thing I do when I start an Ys game is to mute the game music...Maybe I'm just weird.

 

[MagnesG]

I really dig the Ys series, but am I the only one that finds the game music obnoxious? First thing I do when I start an Ys game is to mute the game music...Maybe I'm just weird.

Acquired taste, very jpop and anime theme.

 

[NT80]

I've only played Ys Oath in Felghana on PSP but this and the later Ys games seem much more like the Tales series.

 

[Komatsu]

Got around to playing the game today. Incredible that a significant part of the fan base thought this a dud. It's a fantastic game. It'll be really hard to go back to the older Ys games - I've meaning to replay Ark of Napishtim on my PS2 for a while.