Ys IX: Monstrum Nox Reviews
This here’s the tricky part – is Monstrum Nox worth getting on PS5? If you’ve never played it before, this is a great time to start. You’ve got smooth, fast-paced combat, corny dialogue, and a narrative crammed with anime nonsense. These games are utterly shameless and it rules. On top of that, the DLC makes an excellent cherry on top, a wacky garnish if you will. But if you’ve played any other version of the game, I wouldn’t bother with this one. The graphics are the same, the content is 95% identical, and your PS5 can play PS4 games. Ys IX: Monstrum Nox is a great game, but it’s not quite worth a double dip.
Great game with a straight PS4 to PS5 port without any extra bells and whistles
Despite the discreet work done by Falcom and NIS America on the PS5 version of Ys IX Monstrum Nox, we are forced to recommend players who already own the PS4 copy of the game to "settle" for the free patch that brings the one to 60 fps, instead of buying from scratch the one reviewed here.
Review in Italian | Read full review
Ys IX: Monstrum Nox is a fantastic starting point for newcomers to the series, as it effortlessly immerses you into the secrets behind the prison city of Balduq. The frantic and fast paced combat combined with slick traversal mechanics allow for a highly addictive gameplay loop. It is, however, a bit questionable the level of effort put into this native PS5 port considering there's very little improvements made and no upgrade path from PS4. If you haven't experienced this fantastic JRPG yet, then this is hands down the definitive way to enjoy it, but I can't recommend another purchase for those who already have.
Ys IX: Monstrum Nox was just as fun as I remembered, only this time more polished and stable. The developers have ported over the PC version along with a number of minor visual tweaks and adjustments, yet they’ve omitted a number of useful features such as an unlocked framerate, cooperative multiplayer, and increasing visual settings such as draw distance. Overall I enjoyed playing through the game again but it’s hard to recommend to those that have played the original PS4 version on a PS5 console or those with a PS Plus subscription (as it’s currently on there), yet it’s easy to recommend to new players and those that wish to replay the experience.
Adol Christin's most agile adventure excels but its PS5 port can only be recommended to first-time players
Although its PS5 version is redundant, Ys IX: Monstrum Nox is still a fantastic game. Following on the footsteps of Lacrimosa of Dana is a daunting challenge on it's own, but Nihon Falcom manages to keep the legacy of the legendary RPG series intact through a memorable cast and a story full of twists, being highly recommended for fans of the series and the genre.
Review in Portuguese | Read full review
Good new game in Ys series with six amusing characters and gameplay.
Review in Slovak | Read full review
Ys Ⅸ: Monstrum NOX is the result of a bravely new attempt by the production team inspired by Ys Ⅷ: Lacrimosa of DANA. Although some fans may feel it ambiguous, they can meet Falcom's small but elaborate semi-open world and enjoy excellent actions through this work.
Review in Korean | Read full review
While held back by inconsistent and poor graphics, the Switch port of Ys IX: Monstrum Nox is still an overall solid action RPG for the console.
Ys IX: Monstrum Nox is another well crafted game of the Ys series and this latest reincarnation brings forth a great combat as well as exploration that keeps the player interested. Alas, not all is well with this version, and the game's poor performance on any screen creates an unnecessarily frustrating experience when we find ourselves dealing with more than two enemies at a time. Because of how almost ubiquitous this is, it makes it difficult to recommend Ys IX on the Nintendo Switch.
Review in Portuguese | Read full review
Overall, YS IX: Monstrum Nox is an enjoyable game that captures the heart of the JRPG genre. I highly recommend this game if you’re a fan of the series. And even if this is your first foray into the game, I am fairly certain you will enjoy it and would want to play the other games in the series.
Despite non-trivial performance issues that significantly detract from the experience, a simple game design in virtually all respects, and few innovations, Ys IX: Monstrum Nox still has the virtue of its predecessor in having a solid, accessible battle system, diverse and relatively balanced action-RPG, yet with some enhancements, plus a reasonably well-written story, well-designed characters and, above all, considerable refinement in vertical level design and exploration in and out of dungeons.
Review in Portuguese | Read full review
Ys IX: Monstrum Nox seems to harken back to a time when JRPGs started to hit their stride with 3D worlds and broke free of the classic 2D presentation. It might look and feel old for some. Others, however, will appreciate its dogged dedication to more old-school JRPG conventions. The game’s dated visuals are especially obvious on the Switch but the ability to play it on the go makes the issue a bit of a wash. If you’re looking for some JRPG comfort food with solid action, exploration and storytelling, Ys IX could whet your appetite for hours upon hours.
Ys IX: Monstrum Nox is another solid entry in the often underrated Ys franchise. It’s fantastic cast of characters will get you incredibly attached to the townspeople and their goals and motivations and the flashy, fast paced real-time combat keeps encounters engaging and chaotic. If you’re happy with a slight performance trade-off for portability, it’s a great addition to your Nintendo Switch library.
Despite the performance issues there is plenty to like here. The story is engaging and the characters are likeable. Using the Monstrum abilities adds a genuinely new layer to the core Ys gameplay and combat remains a blast to play through. The Switch may crumble a little under the weight of the game, but Ys IX: Monstrum Nox is still highly recommended.
"Unpolished blood diamond."
Review in Finnish | Read full review
Ys IX Monstrum Nox is a very good Action RPG that will dazzle the regulars of the genre and the lovers of this saga
Review in Spanish | Read full review
Optimization woes aside, the latest entry in the Ys series is an action-packed and freely-explorable delight.