Ys IX: Monstrum Nox

Ys IX: Monstrum Nox[lower-alpha 2] is an action role-playing game developed by Nihon Falcom. A part of the Ys series, it was released in Japan by Falcom for the PlayStation 4 in September 2019. A worldwide release by NIS America for the PlayStation 4 was released in February 2021, with ports for Microsoft Windows and Nintendo Switch also scheduled for release in mid-2021.

Ys IX: Monstrum Nox
Developer(s)Nihon Falcom[lower-alpha 1]
Publisher(s)NIS America
  • JP: Nihon Falcom
Director(s)
  • Takayuki Kusano
  • Hisayoshi Takeiri
Producer(s)Toshihiro Kondo
Programmer(s)
  • Hideyuki Yamashita
  • Noriyuki Chiyoda
Artist(s)
  • Ayumu Ookusa
  • Yuu Toukairin
Writer(s)
  • Toshihiro Kondo
  • Yoshihiro Konda
  • Syunsei Shikata
Composer(s)
  • Hayato Sonoda
  • Takahiro Unisuga
  • Yukihiro Jindo
  • Mitsuo Singa
SeriesYs
Platform(s)
ReleasePlayStation 4
  • JP: September 26, 2019
  • NA: February 2, 2021
  • EU: February 5, 2021
  • AU: February 12, 2021
Windows, Switch
  • WW: Q2/Q3 2021
Genre(s)Action role-playing
Mode(s)Single-player

Gameplay

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]

Development

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]

Reception

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]

Notes
  1. Nintendo Switch version ported by Engine Software.[1] Microsoft Windows version ported by Engine Software and PH3 Games.
  2. Japanese: イースIX -Monstrum NOX-

References
  1. "Game Details - Engine Software BV". Engine Software. Retrieved August 14, 2020.
  2. "System - Ys IX: Monstrum Nox - Official Website". NIS America. Retrieved January 28, 2021.
  3. Romano, Sal. "Ys IX: Monstrum Nox announced for PS4". Gematsu. Retrieved December 19, 2018.
  4. "Toshihiro Kondo Ponders the Next Ys Game - Will it be Ys IX, a Remake, or... Ys Warriors? | RPG Site". www.rpgsite.net. Retrieved January 28, 2021.
  5. "NISA Europe Interviews Toshihiro Kondo (Part 1/2)". NISA Europe Online Store. September 8, 2017. Retrieved January 28, 2021.
  6. "Ys IX: Monstrum Nox details cooperators, extra contents". Gematsu. Retrieved June 23, 2020.
  7. Romano, Sal (August 28, 2020). "Ys IX: Monstrum Nox launches February 2, 2021 in North America and February 5 in Europe for PS4, summer 2021 for Switch and PC". Gematsu. Retrieved August 28, 2020.
  8. "Ys IX : Monstrum Nox sortira le 5 février 2021 en français sur PS4". www.gamekult.com (in French). August 28, 2020. Retrieved December 8, 2020.
  9. Rolling Uchizawa; Woman; Gigoro Ashida; Honma Urara (September 19, 2019). イースIX -Monstrum NOX-. Famitsu (in Japanese). Kadokawa Game Linkage (1607). Retrieved July 2, 2020.
  10. Yūsuke Takahashi (September 26, 2019). 「イースIX -Monstrum NOX-」プレイレポート。横方向だけではなく“上下”への広がりのあるフィールドの探索が楽しい. 4gamer.net (in Japanese). Aetas. Retrieved July 1, 2020.
  11. "Famitsu Sales: 9/23/19 – 9/29/19 [Update]". Gematsu. October 2, 2019. Retrieved January 28, 2021.
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.