Ys IX: Monstrum Nox Review Summary

Improves on Ys VIII with fast combat and excellent music, but feels like a clone with weaker story pacing than previous games.

Improvement over Ys VIII: Players frequently state that Ys IX improves upon Ys VIII in terms of boss quality, level design, combat, exploration, and siege mechanics, calling it a more refreshing and less grindy experience.

Fast and fun combat: Combat is repeatedly praised for being fast-paced, rewarding, exhilarating, and enjoyable, with many noting the satisfaction and speed of battles.

Excellent music and soundtrack: The music is consistently praised as top-notch, great, and mesmerizing, with specific mentions of Falcom's quality and captivating tracks that enhance the experience.

Great exploration mechanics: Exploration is highly valued, with abilities like gliding and wall-running enhancing vertical movement and making discovery more rewarding.

Good gameplay for fans: The game offers new elements while retaining the core Ys experience, with references and features that appeal to longtime fans.

Feels Like Ys VIII Clone: Many players find that the base and partner system is too similar to Ys VIII, leading to a sense of unoriginality and a less immersive experience. The game is often described as a weaker copy of Ys VIII.

Weaker Than Previous Games: The game is seen as a downgrade from Ys VIII in terms of story, graphics, music, and character development. It fails to meet the expectations set by its predecessor.

Story Pacing Issues: The narrative pacing is poor, taking too long to build up and feeling rushed towards the end. Players find the pacing not well grasped.

Average Predictable Story: The story is considered average and predictable, failing to engage players despite some initial setup. It lacks the wow-effect of previous titles.

Outdated Graphics: The graphics are criticized as being outdated, comparable to games from the PS2 or PS3 era. This issue affects the overall visual appeal and immersion.

Action RPG with exploration abilities: The game is consistently described as an action RPG focused on exploration, with movement abilities that unlock over time. This includes vertical traversal and party mechanics.

Vertical traversal with wall running and gliding: Movement mechanics include wall running, gliding, and zip-lining, enabling vertical exploration. These abilities are central to navigating the game world.

City and dungeon exploration: The game is set in a prison city and its surroundings, with both vertical exploration and dungeon crawling. The environment is sectioned off but open-ish.

Gameplay similar to Ys VIII: Many reviews note that the game borrows core mechanics from Ys VIII, including siege elements and battle systems. This establishes a clear lineage for fans of the series.

Hack and slash combat: Combat is repeatedly described as high-speed hack and slash with skill-based mechanics. Players engage in fast-paced, combo-driven battles.

Optimization praised overall: Several reviews describe the game as well-optimized, with smooth performance and good visual/performance options. The Durante team port and auto-save support are positively mentioned.

Steam Deck runs flawlessly: Multiple players report the game runs perfectly on Steam Deck, even in crowded areas, with minimal configuration required. Some mention using launch parameters to hold 60fps with minor drops during particles.

Smooth on max settings: Players on high-end PCs report stable performance with all settings maxed out, no crashes, and smooth gameplay. Systems like 9900K with 2080Ti maintain 4K smoothly.

Lightweight GPU-friendly performance: The game runs with low GPU load, achieving 60fps on mid-range hardware like RTX 3060 at full HD or Radeon 6900XT at 4K default. Many note it is CPU and GPU friendly.

Optimization concerns for low-end: Some players claim optimization is not good, with recommended specs being unreliable and the engine inefficient for the visual detail. Low-end GPUs may still run fine according to others.

Not for newcomers: Multiple reviews explicitly state the game is not recommended for newcomers to the series, often citing the need for prior knowledge or better starting points like Ys VIII.

Not as good as Ys VIII: Many reviews note that Ys IX is weaker than Ys VIII in terms of fun, quality, and adventure, advising players to adjust expectations. This is a major point of comparison.

Play Ys VIII first: Many reviews strongly recommend playing Ys VIII before Ys IX, considering it the superior entry and a better starting point for newcomers. This is the most frequent feedback, citing Ys VIII's higher quality and story references.

Great for action RPG fans: The game is highly recommended for fans of action RPGs, Japanese ARPGs, and fast-paced combat. Many reviews highlight the gameplay as a key strength.

High recommendation rating: Some reviewers give the game a strong positive rating (e.g., 10/10, 8/10) and highly recommend it, emphasizing its quality despite comparisons to previous titles.

Community fair range: $20.00 - $40.00.

Game completion: 53.0h.

Story completion: 40.0h.

Ys IX: Monstrum Nox has a slow, tedious early phase that turns around once players unlock the Hawk ability and additional skills, making combat and exploration more engaging.

Friction: slow combat early on; tedious first half; boring dialogue and cutscenes; repetitive side quests early; forced Grimwald Nox missions; slow exploration start.

Unlock drivers: unlocking Hawk ability; learning more skills; new traversal abilities (grappling hook, gliding); story progression picks up; mid-game side quests improve.

Series Veterans: Compares mechanics to previous games, may use self-imposed rules for challenge, and explores for nostalgic references. Motivation: Enjoying more of the same Ys adventure and series continuity. Stance: buy.

Casual Newcomers: Plays at a relaxed pace, ignores complex grinding, focuses on immediate enjoyment and story. Motivation: Casual fun with a light action-RPG experience. Stance: sale.

Grind Hobbyists: Repeats content to farm currency and levels, optimizes resource allocation, often caps out stats. Motivation: Achieving maximum character power through grinding. Stance: sale.

Steam Deck: Ys games, particularly Ys IX, run smoothly at 60fps on Steam Deck with minimal configuration needed. The main friction point is controller button mapping, which requires manual adjustment in Steam's settings due to regional differences. No third-party launchers or DRM are present, which is a significant advantage. Overall, the experience is very good but requires minor tinkering.

Linux and Proton: User reviews indicate Ys IX runs excellently on Steam Deck with minimal tweaking, suggesting strong Linux/Proton compatibility. No negative Linux-specific feedback was found.

Players thank translators: Some reviews express appreciation for the translation team, suggesting the localization effort is noticed and valued by players.

Game is unfinished: One review indicates the game feels incomplete, which may reflect broader concerns about missing content or polish.