Software:Ys IX: Monstrum Nox

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Short description: 2019 video game

Ys IX: Monstrum Nox
Developer(s)Nihon Falcom[lower-alpha 1]
Publisher(s)NIS America
Director(s)
  • Takayuki Kusano
  • Hisayoshi Takeiri
Producer(s)Toshihiro Kondo
Programmer(s)
  • Hideyuki Yamashita
  • Noriyuki Chiyoda
Writer(s)
  • Toshihiro Kondo
  • Yoshihiro Konda
  • Syunsei Shikata
Composer(s)
  • Hayato Sonoda
  • Takahiro Unisuga
  • Yukihiro Jindo
  • Mitsuo Singa
SeriesYs
Platform(s)
Release
Genre(s)Action role-playing
Mode(s)Single-player

Ys IX: Monstrum Nox[lower-alpha 3] is a 2019 action role-playing game developed by Nihon Falcom. The ninth numbered installment in the Ys series, it was first released for the PlayStation 4 in Japan in September 2019. NIS America released the game internationally in February 2021, followed by versions for Windows, Nintendo Switch, Google Stadia, and PlayStation 5.

The game follows adventurer Adol Christin after he is imprisoned in Balduq, a city dominated by a large prison complex. A mysterious woman transforms Adol into a supernatural being known as a Monstrum, whose abilities allow him to traverse the city by teleporting to distant points, running up walls, gliding, and passing through obstacles. Adol joins five other Monstrums in investigating the prison and defending Balduq from creatures that appear within a parallel dimension called the Grimwald Nox.

Ys IX retains the party-based combat, Flash Guard, and Flash Move systems of Software:Ys VIII: Lacrimosa of Dana. It adds character-specific traversal abilities called Gifts, an urban exploration structure, and a headquarters known as the Dandelion whose facilities expand as characters are recruited. Falcom developed the Monstrum concept after deciding to place greater emphasis on vertical movement within three-dimensional environments.[1]

The game received generally favorable reviews. Critics praised its combat, traversal mechanics, characters, and exploration, while commonly criticizing its visual presentation and the restricted urban environment in comparison with the natural landscapes of Ys VIII. The PlayStation 4 version sold 45,378 retail copies during its first week in Japan. An official novelization of the game by Anna Kashina was released in 2026.[citation needed]

Gameplay

Ys IX: Monstrum Nox is an action role-playing game played from a third-person perspective. The player explores the city of Balduq and its surrounding fields and dungeons, completes quests, collects materials, and fights enemies in real time. The active party contains up to three characters, one of whom is controlled directly while the others are controlled by the game's artificial intelligence. The controlled character can be changed during combat.[2]

Each party member uses a slashing, striking, or piercing weapon. Enemies may be vulnerable to one attack type and resistant to the others, encouraging the player to switch characters according to the opponent. Skills consume skill points, or SP, which are restored by attacking enemies or regenerated more quickly while the player is not attacking.[2]

A successful Flash Guard, performed by guarding immediately before an attack connects, negates damage and temporarily causes the player's attacks to inflict critical damage. Evading immediately before an attack activates Flash Move, which temporarily slows surrounding enemies. Boost Mode increases the character's attack and movement speed, reduces damage received, and allows the use of an Extra Skill.[2]

Each Monstrum possesses a traversal ability called a Gift. Adol's Crimson Line moves the party rapidly to marked locations; White Cat's Heaven's Run allows movement up vertical surfaces; Hawk's Hunter's Descent enables gliding; Doll's Third Eye reveals concealed objects; Raging Bull's Valkyrie Hammer destroys certain obstacles; and Renegade's Shadow Dive allows the party to move through narrow passages and beneath some barriers.[3] Once acquired, Gifts can be used regardless of which character the player controls.

Exploration is initially restricted by barriers separating Balduq's districts. Completing quests, defeating enemies marked by black pillars, and performing other activities produces a substance called Nox. Accumulating sufficient Nox opens an entrance to the Grimwald Nox. Completing the resulting battle removes a barrier and makes another district accessible.[2]

Grimwald Nox encounters include defensive battles in which the party protects a crystal called the Sphene from waves of Lemures. A second form, known as a Grimwald Eos, requires the player to destroy groups of Lacrima within a time limit. Characters recruited to the Dandelion provide support abilities during these battles, and defensive structures can be created or improved using collected materials.[4]

The Dandelion serves as the party's headquarters. Recruited characters provide services including weapon enhancement, medicine production, material exchange, cooking, and access to shops elsewhere in the city. Side quests and conversations reveal additional information about the Monstrums and other residents of Balduq.[2]

The Windows version includes an experimental local cooperative mode. A second player can control another member of the active party during exploration and combat, although menus and certain interactions remain controlled by the first player.[5]

Development and release

Concept and setting

Before formally announcing the game, Nihon Falcom used the working title Project N.O.X..[6] Falcom announced Ys IX: Monstrum Nox for the PlayStation 4 in December 2018, describing a story involving supernatural beings called Monstrums and the mysteries of a prison city.[6][7]

Falcom president and producer Toshihiro Kondo had previously said that he wanted the game following Software:Ys VIII: Lacrimosa of Dana to place greater emphasis on adventure and environmental movement. During the development of Ys VIII, Falcom had introduced a greater degree of verticality through jumping and traversal artifacts, and Kondo cited possible mechanics such as an aerial dash or grappling action as directions the team wanted to explore further.[8][9]

According to Kondo, members of the development team wanted to make greater use of vertical movement within three-dimensional maps. The team concluded that such movement required an explanation within the story and settled on the concept of superheroes with extraordinary abilities. This idea became the Monstrums, whose alternate identities and supernatural powers were adapted to the setting of the Ys series.[1]

Falcom decided early in development that the game would take place in a city controlled by the Romun Empire. The developers wanted a large structure within the city that would attract Adol's interest and developed the concept of a prison city. The setting was influenced by the image of the Bastille and was placed in the Gllia region rather than in the capital of the Romun Empire.[1]

Balduq represented a deliberate contrast with the Isle of Seiren in Ys VIII. Where the earlier game emphasized exploration of an open natural environment, Ys IX centers on a dense urban space whose rooftops, walls, alleys, underground passages, and prison structures could be traversed using the Monstrums' Gifts.[6][3]

Monstrums and traversal design

The Monstrums were designed around different forms of movement through Balduq. Each Gift was intended to provide access to areas that could not be reached through ordinary jumping and running. Falcom allowed all party members to use every unlocked Gift rather than requiring the player to switch to its original owner, reducing interruptions during exploration.[3]

The developers linked the acquisition of Gifts to the recruitment of party members. The Monstrums' secret identities also provided the structure for the game's early chapters, with each chapter introducing a character's public life, personal conflict, and supernatural role.[1]

Adol's Monstrum identity, the Crimson King, was created around Crimson Line, which allows the player to move rapidly to marked positions. White Cat's wall-running ability and Hawk's gliding ability expanded the vertical movement Falcom had begun exploring in Ys VIII, while the later Gifts were designed around environmental obstacles, hidden information, and alternate routes.[3]

Falcom retained the three-character party system, attack-type relationships, Flash Guard, and Flash Move mechanics used in Ys VIII. Boost Mode, which had previously appeared in Software:Ys: The Oath in Felghana and Ys Origin, was reintroduced and connected to the Extra Skill system.[2]

Story development

Kondo served as producer and was one of the game's scenario writers. The story was constructed around the relationship between Balduq's prison, the Monstrums, and the Grimwald Nox.[1] The prison-city premise allowed the developers to connect Adol's reputation as an adventurer with the Romun authorities' interest in the supernatural events he had encountered during earlier games.

Kondo said that Aprilis chooses Adol because his previous adventures have made him a symbol of change. After fighting the same conflict for centuries, she hopes that his arrival can disrupt the cycle surrounding the Grimwald Nox.[1]

The game includes references to earlier entries through the authorities' questions about Adol's travels and through enemies reproduced from his memories. Kondo said that Falcom discussed which creatures from earlier games could return; some were specified by the scenario, while others were proposed by members of the development team.[1]

Falcom continued to avoid making detailed knowledge of the series' older mythology necessary to understand the story. Kondo said that the development team regularly considered bringing the ancient Eldeen civilization back into the narrative but often rejected the idea because doing so would require players to understand events from earlier games.[1]

Grimwald Nox and the Dandelion

The Grimwald Nox battles developed the defensive raid system introduced in Ys VIII. Rather than defend Castaway Village, the party protects the Sphene against waves of Lemures. The game also adds offensive encounters in which the party destroys Lacrima within a time limit.[2]

The Dandelion performs a role similar to Castaway Village in Ys VIII, bringing recruited characters into a central location where they provide services, quests, and support abilities. Unlike the shipwreck survivors of the earlier game, the residents of the Dandelion are connected through opposition to the prison authorities and the mysteries surrounding Balduq.[10]

Recruiting characters expands the Dandelion's services and provides abilities that can be activated during Grimwald Nox battles. Falcom also included character-specific quests and affinity events to develop residents who might otherwise have served only mechanical functions.[11]

Japanese release

Falcom released Ys IX: Monstrum Nox for the PlayStation 4 in Japan on September 26, 2019.[12]

First-print copies included the miniature soundtrack CODE: RED. Falcom also released a limited Collector's Box containing a second miniature soundtrack, CODE: BLACK, a visual book, a set of Monstrum wanted posters, and a replica of the antique key used by Adol in the game.[13]

Falcom released several updates following the Japanese launch. These included balancing and performance adjustments, bug fixes, and additional configuration options.[14]

Music

The score was composed by Falcom Sound Team jdk members Hayato Sonoda, Takahiro Unisuga, Yukihiro Jindo, and Mitsuo Singa. Falcom released the three-disc Ys IX: Monstrum Nox Original Soundtrack in Japan on November 22, 2019.[15]

The album contains 62 tracks used in the game, including the battle theme "Monstrum Spectrum", the field theme "Norse Wind", and "Glessing Way!", which was used in promotional trailers.[15] A limited edition was packaged with a reversible cover, a sleeve depicting silhouettes of the Monstrums, and cards using illustrations from the game's ending.[16]

Falcom released Ys IX Super Ultimate, an album of newly recorded arrangements from the game, on September 24, 2021 as part of the company's 40th-anniversary releases.[17]

International localization

Clouded Leopard Entertainment released Traditional Chinese and Korean PlayStation 4 versions in Asia on February 6, 2020.[18]

NIS America announced English and French localizations for PlayStation 4, Windows, and Nintendo Switch in June 2020.[19] The international release includes both English and Japanese voice tracks.[20]

The PlayStation 4 version was released in North America on February 2, 2021, in Europe on February 5, and in Australia on February 12.[21]

Windows and Nintendo Switch versions

Engine Software worked on both the Windows and Nintendo Switch ports. PH3 Games collaborated on the Windows version and developed additional rendering, performance, and configuration features.[22]

The Windows version supports higher rendering resolutions, an unlocked frame rate, adjustable field of view, enhanced shadow and draw-distance options, and ultrawide displays. It was released worldwide on July 6, 2021.[23]

PH3 Games later added an experimental local cooperative mode to the Windows version. The update allows a second player to control another party member and participate in combat and exploration.[24]

The Nintendo Switch version was released in North America on July 6, 2021, in Europe on July 9, and in Australia on July 16. Nippon Ichi Software published the Switch version in Japan on September 9.[25]

The Windows and Switch versions include downloadable costumes and accessories that had been released separately for the Japanese PlayStation 4 version.[20]

Stadia and PlayStation 5

A version for Google Stadia was released on July 6, 2021.[26]

NIS America released the PlayStation 5 version in North America on May 9, 2023, in Europe on May 12, and in Australia on May 19.[27] The PlayStation 5 release includes the cosmetic downloadable content from the PlayStation 4 version but does not support transfer of PlayStation 4 save data.[28]

Falcom released the PlayStation 5 version in Japan on July 31, 2025, alongside a Japanese PlayStation 5 version of Ys VIII: Lacrimosa of Dana.[29]

Reception

Reception
Aggregate score
AggregatorScore
MetacriticPS4: 80/100[30]
NS: 76/100[31]
Review scores
PublicationScore
Famitsu35/40[32]
IGN8/10[33]
RPGamer4/5[34]

Ys IX: Monstrum Nox received "generally favorable reviews" on PlayStation 4 and "mixed or average reviews" on Nintendo Switch, according to review aggregator Metacritic.[36][37] Japanese magazine Famitsu gave the PlayStation 4 version a score of 35 out of 40.[38]

Reviewers generally praised the speed and responsiveness of the combat and the greater freedom of movement provided by the Monstrum Gifts. Nadia Oxford of USgamer praised the wall-running, gliding, and grappling abilities for making Balduq enjoyable to explore, but considered the game's visuals technically dated.[39]

Seth Macy of IGN praised the combat, movement systems, dungeon design, and the gradual development of the Monstrums. He found Balduq less visually varied than the Isle of Seiren in Ys VIII, but considered the Gifts a substantial improvement to traversal and exploration.[40]

Alana Hagues of RPGFan praised the party combat, character stories, and the relationship between the Gifts and the city environment. She criticized some repeated activities and considered the central mystery less emotionally effective than the story of Ys VIII.[41]

Alex Fuller of RPGamer similarly praised the Monstrum movement abilities and combat but found that the game's chapter structure and repeated Grimwald Nox encounters sometimes interrupted the pace of exploration.[42]

Yusuke Takahashi of 4Gamer.net recommended the game to players who enjoy exploration and described its difficulty as well balanced. He noted that the Gifts made movement through Balduq and its dungeons one of the game's defining features.[43]

The Nintendo Switch version received lower aggregate scores than the PlayStation 4 release. Critics praised its portability and retention of the original game's content but reported reduced image quality and inconsistent performance, particularly while exploring the denser areas of Balduq.[44]

The Windows version was received more positively than NIS America's original Windows release of Ys VIII. Reviewers and technical analyses noted its wider range of graphics options, support for high frame rates and ultrawide displays, and comparatively stable performance.

Sales

The PlayStation 4 version sold 45,378 physical copies during its first week in Japan, making it the country's second-bestselling retail game of the week.[45]

Notes

  1. ↑ The Windows version was ported by Engine Software and PH3 Games. The Nintendo Switch version was ported by Engine Software.
  2. ↑ Nintendo Switch version published by Nippon Ichi Software in Japan.
  3. ↑ Ys IX: Monstrum Nox (イースIX -Monstrum NOX-, Īsu Nain: Monsutorumu Nokusu)

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 1.6 1.7 "Ys IX: Monstrum Nox – Post-Release Interview (Part 2/3)". February 1, 2021. https://www.frontlinejp.net/2021/02/01/ys-ix-monstrum-nox-post-release-interview-part-2/. 
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 2.5 2.6 "System". https://nisamerica.com/ys-ix/system. 
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 Romano, Sal (March 24, 2019). "Ys IX First Gameplay, New Details". https://www.gematsu.com/2019/03/ys-ix-first-gameplay-new-details. 
  4. ↑ "Ys IX: Monstrum Nox Details Cooperators, Extra Contents". September 5, 2019. https://www.gematsu.com/2019/09/ys-ix-monstrum-nox-details-cooperators-extra-contents. 
  5. ↑ Romano, Sal (January 17, 2022). "Ys IX: Monstrum Nox for PC Local Co-op Mode Update Now Available". https://www.gematsu.com/2022/01/ys-ix-monstrum-nox-for-pc-local-co-op-mode-update-now-available. 
  6. ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 Romano, Sal (December 19, 2018). "Ys IX: Monstrum Nox Announced for PS4". https://www.gematsu.com/2018/12/ys-ix-monstrum-nox-announced-for-ps4. 
  7. ↑ "Error: no |title= specified when using {{Cite web}}" (in ja). December 19, 2018. https://www.4gamer.net/games/445/G044510/20181219012/. 
  8. ↑ Romano, Sal (September 8, 2017). "Toshihiro Kondo Ponders the Next Ys Game". https://www.rpgsite.net/interview/6008-toshihiro-kondo-ponders-the-next-ys-game-will-it-be-ys-ix-a-remake-or-ys-warriors. 
  9. ↑ "NISA Europe Interviews Toshihiro Kondo, Part 1". September 8, 2017. https://store.nisaeurope.com/blogs/news/nisa-europe-interviews-toshihiro-kondo-part-1-2. 
  10. ↑ "Error: no |title= specified when using {{Cite web}}" (in ja). September 5, 2019. https://www.4gamer.net/games/445/G044510/20190905020/. 
  11. ↑ "Ys IX: Monstrum Nox Details Cooperators, Extra Contents". September 5, 2019. https://www.gematsu.com/2019/09/ys-ix-monstrum-nox-details-cooperators-extra-contents. 
  12. ↑ "Error: no |title= specified when using {{Cite web}}" (in ja). April 25, 2019. https://www.4gamer.net/games/445/G044510/20190425026/. 
  13. ↑ "Error: no |title= specified when using {{Cite web}}" (in ja). May 30, 2019. https://www.4gamer.net/games/445/G044510/20190530033/. 
  14. ↑ "Error: no |title= specified when using {{Cite web}}" (in ja). April 2, 2021. https://www.falcom.co.jp/archives/4853. 
  15. ↑ 15.0 15.1 "Error: no |title= specified when using {{Cite web}}" (in ja). November 22, 2019. https://www.falcom.co.jp/music-data/ys9-ost. 
  16. ↑ "Error: no |title= specified when using {{Cite web}}" (in ja). November 22, 2019. https://www.falcom.co.jp/archives/15328. 
  17. ↑ "Error: no |title= specified when using {{Cite web}}" (in ja). September 24, 2021. https://www.falcom.co.jp/music-data/ys9-super-ultimate. 
  18. ↑ "Ys IX: Monstrum Nox Traditional Chinese and Korean Versions Launch February 6, 2020". December 3, 2019. https://www.cloudedleopardent.com/en/news/detail/4. 
  19. ↑ Romano, Sal (June 23, 2020). "Ys IX: Monstrum Nox Coming West for PS4 in 2021, Switch and PC in Summer 2021". https://www.gematsu.com/2020/06/ys-ix-monstrum-nox-coming-west-for-ps4-in-2021-switch-and-pc-in-summer-2021. 
  20. ↑ 20.0 20.1 "Ys IX: Monstrum Nox". https://nisamerica.com/ys-ix/. 
  21. ↑ Romano, Sal (August 28, 2020). "Ys IX: Monstrum Nox Launches February 2, 2021 in North America and February 5 in Europe for PS4". https://www.gematsu.com/2020/08/ys-ix-monstrum-nox-launches-february-2-2021-in-north-america-and-february-5-in-europe-for-ps4-summer-2021-for-switch-and-pc. 
  22. ↑ "Ys IX: Monstrum Nox". https://www.engine-software.com/?page_id=45. 
  23. ↑ Romano, Sal (April 22, 2021). "Ys IX: Monstrum Nox for Switch and PC Launches July 6 in North America, July 9 in Europe". https://www.gematsu.com/2021/04/ys-ix-monstrum-nox-for-switch-and-pc-launches-july-6-in-north-america-july-9-in-europe. 
  24. ↑ Romano, Sal (January 17, 2022). "Ys IX: Monstrum Nox for PC Local Co-op Mode Update Now Available". https://www.gematsu.com/2022/01/ys-ix-monstrum-nox-for-pc-local-co-op-mode-update-now-available. 
  25. ↑ "Error: no |title= specified when using {{Cite web}}" (in ja). May 13, 2021. https://www.falcom.co.jp/ir-data/20210513. 
  26. ↑ Romano, Sal (July 6, 2021). "Ys IX: Monstrum Nox Now Available for Stadia". https://www.gematsu.com/2021/07/ys-ix-monstrum-nox-now-available-for-stadia. 
  27. ↑ Romano, Sal (January 10, 2023). "Ys IX: Monstrum Nox for PS5 Launches May 9 in North America, May 12 in Europe". https://www.gematsu.com/2023/01/ys-ix-monstrum-nox-for-ps5-launches-may-9-in-north-america-may-12-in-europe. 
  28. ↑ "Ys IX: Monstrum Nox for PS5". https://nisamerica.com/ys-ix/ps5/. 
  29. ↑ "Error: no |title= specified when using {{Cite web}}" (in ja). April 14, 2025. https://www.4gamer.net/games/272/G027219/20250414026/. 
  30. ↑ "Ys IX: Monstrum Nox for PlayStation 4 Reviews". https://www.metacritic.com/game/ys-ix-monstrum-nox/critic-reviews/?platform=playstation-4. 
  31. ↑ "Ys IX: Monstrum Nox for Switch Reviews". https://www.metacritic.com/game/ys-ix-monstrum-nox/critic-reviews/?platform=nintendo-switch. 
  32. ↑ Rolling Uchizawa; Woman; Gigoro Ashida; Honma Urara (September 19, 2019). (in ja)Famitsu (Kadokawa Game Linkage) (1607). https://www.famitsu.com/games/t/37229/reviews/. Retrieved July 2, 2020. 
  33. ↑ Oxford, Nadia (February 11, 2021). "Ys IX: Monstrum Nox Review". https://www.ign.com/articles/ys-ix-monstrum-nox-review. 
  34. ↑ Carpenter, Joshua (February 24, 2021). "Ys IX: Monstrum Nox Review". https://rpgamer.com/review/ys-ix-monstrum-nox-review/. 
  35. ↑ Sollosi, Michael (January 29, 2021). "Ys IX: Monstrum Nox". https://www.rpgfan.com/review/ys-ix-monstrum-nox/. 
  36. ↑ "Ys IX: Monstrum Nox for PlayStation 4 Reviews". https://www.metacritic.com/game/ys-ix-monstrum-nox/critic-reviews/?platform=playstation-4. 
  37. ↑ "Ys IX: Monstrum Nox for Nintendo Switch Reviews". https://www.metacritic.com/game/ys-ix-monstrum-nox/critic-reviews/?platform=nintendo-switch. 
  38. ↑ Romano, Sal (September 17, 2019). "Famitsu Review Scores: Issue 1607". https://www.gematsu.com/2019/09/famitsu-review-scores-issue-1607. 
  39. ↑ Oxford, Nadia (January 29, 2021). "Ys IX: Monstrum Nox Review". https://www.usgamer.net/articles/ys-ix-monstrum-nox-review. 
  40. ↑ Macy, Seth (January 29, 2021). "Ys IX: Monstrum Nox Review". https://www.ign.com/articles/ys-ix-monstrum-nox-review. 
  41. ↑ Hagues, Alana (January 29, 2021). "Ys IX: Monstrum Nox". https://www.rpgfan.com/review/ys-ix-monstrum-nox/. 
  42. ↑ Fuller, Alex (January 29, 2021). "Ys IX: Monstrum Nox Review". https://rpgamer.com/review/ys-ix-monstrum-nox-review/. 
  43. ↑ Takahashi, Yusuke (September 26, 2019). "Error: no |title= specified when using {{Cite web}}" (in ja). https://www.4gamer.net/games/445/G044510/20190925057/. 
  44. ↑ Vogel, Mitch (July 6, 2021). "Ys IX: Monstrum Nox Review". https://www.nintendolife.com/reviews/nintendo-switch/ys_ix_monstrum_nox. 
  45. ↑ Romano, Sal (October 2, 2019). "Famitsu Sales: 9/23/19–9/29/19". https://www.gematsu.com/2019/10/famitsu-sales-9-23-19-9-29-19. 



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