Ys IX -Monstrum NOX- Review Summary

While its satisfying high-speed combat and enhanced exploration maintain the classic Ys feel, a rushed anticlimactic ending and weak character development make it inferior to Ys VIII.

Satisfying high-speed combat: The combat is consistently praised for being fast, fluid, and satisfying. Players highlight the smooth and high-speed action as a key strength of the game.

Enhanced exploration with abilities: The special ability system greatly improves exploration, adding new possibilities and strong feedback. Monster abilities and vertical movement abilities make exploration more comfortable and varied.

Classic Ys feel maintained: The game retains the classic Ys series gameplay and feel, offering a satisfying experience for fans. It is described as fun and enjoyable, with improvements over previous titles like Ys 8.

White Cat character development: The character White Cat stands out with the best development and enjoyable attack mechanics. This character adds depth and fun to the gameplay.

Flash guard and dodge mechanics: Combat incorporates precise flash guard and dodge mechanics, making it fast-paced and approachable. These systems add depth and satisfaction to the action.

Inferior to Ys VIII: The game is repeatedly compared unfavorably to Ys VIII, with many players finding the story, music, and overall experience weaker and less original.

Rushed and anticlimactic ending: A large number of reviews highlight that the story becomes rushed and anticlimactic, particularly in the later chapters and ending, which feels cut or abrupt.

Weak character development: Character development, especially for teammates and the female lead, is considered poor, with many characters feeling underdeveloped or sidelined.

Poor story pacing: Multiple players note that the narrative pacing is problematic, with slow progression in early chapters and rushed development later, making the story feel unbalanced.

Disappointing graphics and animations: Graphics and animations are frequently criticized as average or dated, with specific complaints about sliding walk animations, rough visuals, and a cheap presentation.

Monster abilities for traversal: Multiple reviews highlight that the monster (Monstrum) ability system provides new movement options like wall climbing, gliding, and teleportation, enriching exploration and making the map three-dimensional. This system is a key new feature that changes how players interact with the environment.

Exploration enriched by abilities: Special abilities such as wall-climbing, gliding, and teleportation greatly expand exploration possibilities, allowing vertical movement and access to new areas. This system makes the map feel three-dimensional and supports a semi-open world design.

Fast-paced action combat: Reviewers consistently describe the combat as fast-paced, high-speed, and hack-and-slash in style, with flashy skills and satisfying action. This core identity is praised as on par with previous Ys titles and classic Japanese ARPGs.

Open-world exploration with map tracking: The game features semi-open world exploration with a real-time collection log and map unlocking progression. Area unlocking via the NOX point system and path markers help guide the player through the city environment.

Combat based on flash mechanics: The combat system revolves around flash dodge and flash guard mechanics, creating damage windows for high-speed, satisfying action. Boss battles utilize flash time to gain SP, and perfect guard/dodge are central to the gameplay loop.

Performance varies across systems: Some players report frame drops in certain areas and constant crashing, while others achieve a stable framerate at QHD high settings. This indicates inconsistent optimization across different hardware configurations.

High frame rate support: The game supports frame rate adjustment up to 120 FPS, including various rendering adjustments for fine-tuning visual performance.

Fast load times: Load times are consistently reported as 1-3 seconds, which is a positive aspect of the game's performance.

Shadow setting impacts performance: One player notes that the shadow option significantly affects frame rate and recommends lowering it for better performance.

Recommended for Ys fans: The game is strongly recommended for players who have enjoyed previous Ys titles, especially Ys VIII, and for those who can tolerate anime cliches or series traditions. Multiple clusters indicate high satisfaction among series veterans.

Buy on sale: Many reviews suggest purchasing this game at a discounted price, typically around a 60% off sale, due to its relatively short playtime of about 30 hours and other flaws. This advice is common across multiple clusters.

Not recommended overall: A few clusters give outright negative recommendations, advising players to skip the game entirely or play Ys X instead. These voices represent a minority but express strong dissatisfaction.

Skip for newcomers: New players or non-Ys fans are advised to skip this entry or purchase Ys VIII instead, as this game is not considered a good starting point for the series. Several clusters explicitly discourage non-fans from buying.

Enjoyable action combat: Despite various criticisms, the action RPG combat is consistently praised as enjoyable and engaging. This is a key positive point for fans of the genre.

Community fair range: $20.00 - $30.00.

Game completion: 36.0h.

Story completion: 36.0h.

Series Loyalists: Appreciates narrative and character moments, tolerates gameplay flaws due to franchise love, explores callbacks to earlier titles. Motivation: Emotional connection to the series and its characters, nostalgia, and continuing Adol's adventures. Stance: sale.

Action Combat Enthusiasts: Engages primarily in combat, uses guides for difficult map areas, prioritizes gameplay feel over story. Motivation: Enjoying smooth, fast-paced combat and responsive controls. Stance: buy.

First-Time Adventurers: Learning the combat system gradually, enjoys the overall experience without comparison to prior titles, open to guidance. Motivation: Discovering a new action RPG series with exciting combat and engaging story. Stance: buy.

Legacy save data tutorial: Players request a tutorial on how to obtain legacy items by using save data from Ys VIII and Ys: Memories of Celceta in the Clouded Leopard version. This feedback suggests the current unlock process is unclear or undocumented.