Ys IX: Monstrum Nox

Ys IX: Monstrum Nox is an action role-playing game played from a third-person perspective. It further builds on the gameplay foundation of Ys VIII: Lacrimosa of Dana, where players control multiple main characters that can be switched between on-the-fly, each with their own play styles and unique skills. Players collects a variety of weapons and items by defeating enemies and opening chests.

Players can consume SP to unleash a character's unique skill attack, and SP can be restored by landing hits on enemies or it can regenerate faster when the player is not attacking. Boost mode, a returning game mechanic from Ys: The Oath in Felghana and Ys Origin, temporarily increases damage dealt, decreases damage received, and increases attack and movement speeds.[2]

Ys IX: Monstrum Nox was initially teased as Project N.O.X via a teaser website that contained a key visual and a countdown ending on December 19, 2018. On that day, the game was revealed for PlayStation 4, scheduled for release in 2019.[3] Nihon Falcom president Toshihiro Kondo stated that he wanted the next Ys game to lean more towards the adventure genre, with Dana's arc in Ys VIII: Lacrimosa of Dana as a hint.[4] In another interview, Kondo stated that he wanted to take the new axis of direction and movement introduced in Ys VIII: Lacrimosa of Dana to the next level, citing examples such as an air dash or a hook shot.[5]

The game was developed by Nihon Falcom and released for the PlayStation 4 in Japan on September 26, 2019.[3][6] It was released by NIS America for the PlayStation 4 in North America, Europe and Oceania respectively on February 2, February 5, and February 12, 2021, with additional releases set for Microsoft Windows and Nintendo Switch in mid-2021.[7] The game was localized into English and French.[8]

Japanese magazine Famitsu scored the PlayStation 4 version a 35 out of 40.[9] Yūsuke Takahashi, writer from Japanese website 4gamer.net, recommended Ys IX for players who enjoy exploration, while remarking upon the game's difficulty as being well-balanced.[10] The game sold 45,378 copies during its launch week in Japan.[11]

• Official website