Review MantaOrlando 2/5 · Mar 27, 2025
A lesser version of Ys VIII
It's just boring to me. It has one of the darker Ys games but lacks some innovation.
Ys IX: Monstrum Nox (2019)
Google Stadia · Nintendo Switch · PC (Microsoft Windows) · PlayStation 4 · PlayStation 5
3.82 from 129 ratings
498 members have it in their collection · 22 playing now · 213 backlogged · 170 wish listed
How long? Main story 30h · with extras 47h · 100% 62h (from 18 logged playthroughs)
Details
- Developers
- Nihon Falcom
- Publishers
- NIS America, Nihon Falcom
- Genres
- Adventure, Role-playing (RPG)
- Themes
- Action, Fantasy
- Franchises
- Ys
- Series
- Ys
- Steam
- View on Steam
Release dates
- Sep 26, 2019 (Japan) PlayStation 4
- Feb 02, 2021 (North_America) PlayStation 4
- Feb 05, 2021 (Europe) PlayStation 4
- Feb 12, 2021 (Australia) PlayStation 4
- Jul 06, 2021 (Worldwide) Google Stadia, PC (Microsoft Windows)
- Jul 06, 2021 (North_America) Nintendo Switch
- Jul 09, 2021 (Europe) Nintendo Switch
- Jul 16, 2021 (Australia) Nintendo Switch
- Sep 09, 2021 (Japan) Nintendo Switch
- May 09, 2023 (North_America) PlayStation 5
- May 12, 2023 (Europe) PlayStation 5
- Jul 31, 2025 (Japan) PlayStation 5
Also available on
- Ys IX: Monstrum Nox - Digital Deluxe Edition (2021) · NSW
- Ys IX: Monstrum Nox - Launch Edition (2021) · NSW
- Ys IX: Monstrum Nox - Pact Edition (2021) · NSW, PS4
- Ys IX: Monstrum Nox - Deluxe Edition (2023) · PS5
- Ys IX: Monstrum Nox - Collector's Box
- Ys IX: Monstrum Nox - Digital Ultimate Edition
Related
Bundled in
- Ys VIII & IX Super Price Set (Feb 2022) · PS4
Rating distribution
5 stars
28
4 stars
66
3 stars
23
2 stars
8
1 star
4
Community All Reviews Statuses
Review Morcys 5/5 · Feb 24, 2024
This is the sixth game of this wonderful franchise that I have had the joy of experiencing and so far it is my favorite. I loved the aesthetics of each of the Monstrums, especially Adol and Krysha. I love all the characters. This game is very long for a Ys game and I honestly do not recommend it as a …
Read moreThis is the sixth game of this wonderful franchise that I have had the joy of experiencing and so far it is my favorite. I loved the aesthetics of each of the Monstrums, especially Adol and Krysha. I love all the characters. This game is very long for a Ys game and I honestly do not recommend it as a starting point in the franchise because it is full of references to all the previous installments.
Status LeoKings777 Mar 5, 2023
cant believe there are no more Ys games for me to play.....
Status guitarwolf5 Sep 11, 2022
Should be a 4.5/5 but Grouvee doesn't support half ratings? Anywho, great JRPG but not as good as its previous game. That said, highly recommended. Not a fan of the request system as you can miss early quests if you don't do them in a specific order. The prison dungeon parts also have a bunch of 'gotcha' traps that will …
Read moreShould be a 4.5/5 but Grouvee doesn't support half ratings? Anywho, great JRPG but not as good as its previous game. That said, highly recommended. Not a fan of the request system as you can miss early quests if you don't do them in a specific order. The prison dungeon parts also have a bunch of 'gotcha' traps that will instakill you and ruin your game experience. I think the devs knew this as they added a "skip dungeon" option but that is something that should of been properly balanced or ironed out if it was gonna go that route. Game is also a bit easier than its predecessor so I recommend playing on Hard for a proper game challenge. Overall, a great entry in the Ys franchise. Looking forward to the next game in the series.
Read less
Status NightTray Jul 7, 2021
I keep playing these but I don't think I'll ever enjoy these games as much as Ys Origin where I think the formula was perfect. They're not bad games by any means but I think they always have just too much... bloat? Especially the more recent ones. Ys Origin was arcade style stages and bosses with minimal story and I …
Read moreI keep playing these but I don't think I'll ever enjoy these games as much as Ys Origin where I think the formula was perfect. They're not bad games by any means but I think they always have just too much... bloat? Especially the more recent ones. Ys Origin was arcade style stages and bosses with minimal story and I really appreciated that. You're just a girl with an axe and you're gonna go beat up dumb villains and save the goddesses, that's it, go forth the game says. I felt it was incredibly solid. As far as Adol's games go, Ark of Napisthtim is the one I enjoyed the most and I really hated Ys 8. That game I felt was way too long with so much unnecessary side stuff it kept throwing at you. The base building aspect felt so tacked on, bare bones, and just a means to pad the game length. It's even worse considering all games are self contained and none of the characters except Dogi will ever reach any point of relevance or attachment because they'll be gone by the next game, so the game just rushes and throws in whatever kinda of backstory they can to each character. Adol never really "talks" so it's not like he has anything going for him either. I'm just complaining, but Ys 9 is more of the same, though at least it seems more contained. At the very least, combat is generally fun in every game especially at it's max difficulty.
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Review Space__Explorer 5/5 · Jun 17, 2021
Good story and tons of optional content
Tons to do and a captivating story that definitely made me want to play till the end. Definitely one of the top jrpg series out there.
Status gedrickdelfuego May 4, 2021
I was a bit grumpy last night and Ys was annoying the crap out of me with all the endless dialogue, but upon playing it again this morning (and having a blast exploring the city, finding graffiti and treasure chests), this game really is awesome. I was a little bummed initially because I felt trapped within that city and I …
I was a bit grumpy last night and Ys was annoying the crap out of me with all the endless dialogue, but upon playing it again this morning (and having a blast exploring the city, finding graffiti and treasure chests), this game really is awesome. I was a little bummed initially because I felt trapped within that city and I missed getting to leave the main area and explore some dungeons that change up the "sprawling city" aesthetic.
I'm on Chapter 4 and a quick search tells me there are only 9 chapters, so I'm focusing more on exploration and map coverage, doing some smaller quests (they are actually pretty fun and interesting in this game, I must say), etc.
One thing I royally screwed up was that I played the game for an hour at a time, separated by a week or so of a break, so the story is a bit choppy in my head. Although with Ys games, I've always been focused on the gameplay moreso than the story, in fact that was one of the biggest strengths of the franchise IMO.
Status gedrickdelfuego May 3, 2021
Every time I boot up this game for a quick 25 minutes, I spend 20 of those minutes in endless dialogue. Ys games are usually brief with the chatter but come on! Hour 5 and I’ve run one dungeon!
Status gedrickdelfuego Apr 29, 2021
Really been getting into this game lately. Bit of a slow start, but then again Ys VIII had an equally sluggish start that didn't quite click until ~3 hours or so. Revving on all cylinders now! God I missed Ys combat, these games are just too good.
Review ElectronicJourneys 3/5 · Feb 23, 2021
Bullet Point Review
PROS
- Fast-paced, responsive combat
- Plot set-up is pretty interesting
- Dungeons are fun to explore and fight through
- Music is great, as always
CONS
- Drastically dials down the exploration and mystery elements of Ys VIII
- Unlocking new hub areas via repetitive combat encounters gets old fast
- Finicky movement controls and choppy technical performance (a game this basic-looking should have absolutely no …
PROS
- Fast-paced, responsive combat
- Plot set-up is pretty interesting
- Dungeons are fun to explore and fight through
- Music is great, as always
CONS
- Drastically dials down the exploration and mystery elements of Ys VIII
- Unlocking new hub areas via repetitive combat encounters gets old fast
- Finicky movement controls and choppy technical performance (a game this basic-looking should have absolutely no issues maintaining a steady 60fps)
- Boring, massively trope-y characters
- Over-reliance on text exposition cheapens the storytelling
Status gedrickdelfuego Jan 14, 2021
Just played the demo and I am SO STOKED about this game. I originally was going to have to wait until the summer to play this on Switch, but I hit up NIS America and switched to the PS4 pre-order since I managed to secure a PS5. Now I'll get to play it in two weeks :O What could be …
Just played the demo and I am SO STOKED about this game. I originally was going to have to wait until the summer to play this on Switch, but I hit up NIS America and switched to the PS4 pre-order since I managed to secure a PS5. Now I'll get to play it in two weeks :O What could be better?
Anyone with a PS4/5 can enjoy the demo that stealth dropped recently, and I highly recommend checking it out to get a feel for the chaotic fun that is Ys games (if you've never played one before). The demo lets you screw around for 10 minutes, fight some bosses, etc. Anyone who's played Ys before (in particulary, Ys VIII: Lacrimosa of Dana, since it's basically the same exact setup) will quickly get moving, and I managed to down two bosses in 10 minutes.. lol.
The real tough question is, do I play Monstrum Nox in Hard mode? Ys games are no joke when it comes to the difficulty, and hard mode does not screw around.
Sorry for the caffeine+excitement induced wall of text spam, but Ys is my favorite series in the past couple of years and I'm so excited I'll get to play it "early" due to scoring a PS5. WOOOO!
