Ys IX: Monstrum Nox - Released

[HiddenX]

The action RPG Ys IX: Monstrum Nox has been released today:

Ys IX: Monstrum Nox

Feared Protectors: Play as any of the six notorious Monstrum, each with their own unique Gifts that grant abilities such as scaling sheer walls or detecting hidden objects to protect the city from shadowy creatures.

The World Within the Walls: Explore the massive city, accept quests to aid the townsfolk, and enter the Grimwald Nox to vanquish the threats to Balduq.

Strength of the Night: Familiar mechanics such as Flash Dodge and Flash Guard allow you to outmaneuver your foes, while new additions such as Gifts and Boost Mode further augment your ability to fight.

Story
"What is real is defined by what is not.Who one is defined by who one isn't."
To move forward, one must accept these truths.
"Yes, in this prison--this cradle--
my dreams and reality became one."

Renowned adventurer Adol "the Red" Christin and his companion Dogi arrive at Balduq, a city annexed by the Romun Empire, only for Adol to be detained before setting foot inside. While imprisoned, he meets a mysterious woman named Aprilis who turns him into a Monstrum, a being with supernatural Gifts and the power to exorcise monsters. Now, Adol must ally with his fellow Monstrum to fend off the fearsome threats emerging from a shadowy dimension called the Grimwald Nox, as well as unravel the mysteries of the Monstrum curse, and the truth behind the unrest within Balduq.

More information.

 

[JFarrell71]

"Hmm, got good reviews on the PS4 and I've never played an Ys game, maybe I'll finally check one out..."

Listens to 3.5 seconds of the voice acting.

"Never mind."

 

[JDR13]

There's a playable demo if anyone wants to try it.

 

[Irien]

Haven't made much progress yet in this one, but strongly recommend Ys VIII (Lacrimosa of Dana) or Memories of Celceta as fairly brisk, light, fun action RPGs. Story is usually reasonable for an ARPG, and progress is swift and fun, with new abilities unlocking new areas and giving a reason to revisit the map.

Not to everyone's taste, maybe, but I find Ys games pretty accessible and a nice blend of JRPG story and ARPG gameplay. They're also not (usually) super-long/drawn out, but still provide a worthwhile amount of content and quests etc. They're pretty respectful of your play time.

The main thing that's preventing me really digging into this one is that it seems quite dark/gloomy and has a city/prison setting which is probably my least favourite. I prefer the lush outdoor environs of the earlier games myself, although no doubt I'll get drawn in when I actually play this one properly.

 

[duerer]

. . . strongly recommend Ys VIII (Lacrimosa of Dana) or Memories of Celceta as fairly brisk, light, fun action RPGs.

The main thing that's preventing me really digging into this one is that it seems quite dark/gloomy and has a city/prison setting which is probably my least favourite.

Absolutely agree. Being a fan of Ys ("ees") VIII, IX seems to be a somewhat sad rehash of the previous game. Nearly everything that is good in IX is better in VIII in some ways.

For some reason I had this uncomfortable feeling when playing Monstrum Nox is that a once passionate small development team tries to be above water with this game: it is not about creating something good, but desperate survival on a corporate level.
Hope I'm wrong on this one, as I love Falcom's stuff very much.