How old is Sonic the Hedgehog?

The Ys series has been around for a very long time now. Originally released back in 1987, the series follows the adventures of a young man named Adol Christin, as he explores the world and recounts his tales to the player. Each game released is actually told out of order, and is presented as a story being read from Adol's journal. Because of this unique nature, each game can technically be played as a stand alone entry; however, there have been a few exceptions.

Since 1987, the original Ys has since been released multiple times, and often comes bundled with the sequel Ys II. Ys I and Ys II (also known as Book I and Book II) are two parts to the same story, while everything that comes after is in a random order. The 3rd entry technically comes after the first two, but the newly released Ys X is the true 3rd story in the timeline. The fourth Ys takes place shortly after it, with Ys III being the 5th title in the timeline.

Confused yet? Don't worry, it's not as crazy as it might sound.

Again, thanks to this unique nature, each entry in the series can be seen as a jump in point, and that's exactly how all new fans should get into the series. Simply find one that looks interesting, dive on in head first, and continue from there if you like it. But with that being said, the 9th main entry is a bit unique...

As I mentioned above, there are a few exceptions to the "start here" rule, and Ys IX is technically one of them. It is a game that newcomers can start with if they wish, but it is the game that is the furthest into the timeline, and it has a main story that relies on past knowledge. The game's story only happens because of past events, with games like Ys V (which has never been released outside of Japan) playing a key part. But that doesn't mean you should let that scare you off.

So today I wanted to take a step back, and finally review the 9th entry in the series. Titled Ys IX: Monstrum Nox, the game is one that actually stands out among the rest, and offers multiple reasons to play it. As each title in the Ys series is unique, the release of Ys X does not overshadow this title, nor does it serve as a replacement. The game is just as relevant today, as it was when it released, and it is one that shouldn't be overlooked. 

With that being said, let's finally get on with the review! This is Ys IX: Monstrum Nox, and why you should play it.

Adol's Adventure Continues:

The story of Ys IX revolves around the prison city Balduq, and the strange appearance of beings known as "Monstrum."

At the beginning of the story, Adol and his long time traveling companion Dogi enter the city, and are quickly met with a less than warm welcoming. Due to events seen in previous games, Adol is arrested on the spot, and thrown into prison by the Romun government. Of course Adol is (mostly) innocent, but the knights beg to differ. So locked up, and alone, Adol does what he knows best. He mounts a prison break.

Along the way, Adol has a run in with a mysterious woman named Aprilis, and is "cursed" and transformed into one of the mysterious Monstrum that have been "wrecking havoc" across the city. Dubbed the Crimson King, Adol gains a new power to fight with, escapes the prison, and reunites with his friend Dogi on the outside. 

Now an outlaw, Adol dawns a new disguise, sets up base at one of the local taverns, and once again finds himself caught up in a brand new mystery. As a Monstrum, Adol must now fight along side the others against the hoards of monsters that threaten the city. These monsters come from a strange alternate dimension known as the "Grimwald Nox," and will kill everyone if left unchecked. Those who are cursed with the powers of a Monstrum are the only ones who can fight back against the incoming threat, and this will continue until the day that the Grimwald Nox itself can be destroyed.

From here, each chapter of the game's story focuses on different members of the Monstrum, as well as on the city and the characters met throughout the adventure. The city has a rich history filled with dark secrets, and each individual character has their own tale to tell as well. Similar to Falcom's Trails of series, the city is filled with dozens upon dozens of characters to talk to, and dialogue is updated after every single major story event. This means the game becomes quite wordy as time goes on, but talking to everyone paints a much larger overall picture. On top of this, side characters join Adol and Dogi's operation throughout the story, and they too have their own sub-plots throughout the journey.

As mentioned before, while Ys IX can be a starting point for newcomers, it does have plenty of callbacks to previous games. Adol being arrested is a direct result of past events, and many parts of the story revolve around things that happened in Ys V and Ys VIII. There is also a core part to the entire series that is the main reason the game even "happens," which would be lost on anyone who hasn't played any prior entries. Of course this can also serve as a gateway to previous titles, so it's not as if a newcomer would be lost when this revelation comes about. It just will not be as impactful to them.

This is one of the rare cases where a Ys title is built with the past in mind, with most others only having references.

The Core Gameplay:

Like with previous titles, Ys IX is an action RPG with a heavy focus on exploration, and combat. This one builds off of what Ys VIII established before it, with other modern gameplay elements originally introduced in Ys Seven.

With that being said, the game is fully 3D with a 3D camera (not fixed camera), contains multiple playable characters, and mixes up gameplay between city exploration and dungeons. It also contains a wave based "tower defense" mode within the Grimwald Nox, which is very similar to the base defense sections found in Ys VIII.

The core gameplay loop in Ys IX typically begins with Adol exploring the city of Balduq, while also speaking to the towns people and fighting off monsters. Monsters spawn from special portals, and taking them out will build up a meter at the top of the screen. This meter controls where you can or cannot go within the city, as a strange red barrier will keep Adol confined to specific areas of the town. While key areas will open up by simply progressing the story, extra locations require a bit of extra work.

Each section of the city will contain multiple objectives to complete, and items to find or collect. Treasure chests are hidden everywhere, and other types of collectibles (such as landmarks) appear on the map begging you to visit them. Side quests can also be found while visiting the different locations you have access to, with others being accepted via a quest board in the bar Adol uses as a hideout. Every chapter will follow the same pattern of exploring a new area, talking to NPCs, taking on side quests, and picking up collectibles, and will ultimately end with Adol and his party taking on a dungeon. Unlocking new areas will also require Adol to enter the Grimwald Nox once the meter is filled, which ultimately plays out like a game of tower defense.

Originally Adol is the only character accessible, but each chapter introduces a new character to the party. Not only do these characters provide additional playable characters with unique fighting styles, but they also add extra abilities as well. One of the first characters to join gives Adol the ability to run up walls, while a later character gives him the ability to instantly warp to glowing red points within the world. This not only allows Adol to climb buildings and access areas he couldn't normally reach, but it speeds up travel, and allows for some truly unique vertical gameplay; a first for the series. Rather than being on the ground all the time, or having dungeons that lead you down a linear path, Ys IX makes use of everything both above and below you, with multiple layers to nearly every location in the game.

On top of the party members joining, new characters team up with Adol and become regulars at the bar as well, and each of these characters offer something unique also. They are typically unlocked by completing side quests or different parts of the main story, with the rewards they offer being well worth the time and effort. These additional "facilities" range from new shops, to the ability to craft items, to even being a gateway to new types of quests, and the characters themselves provide additional story context as the game goes on. The game does a great job making these characters feel like a "part of the family" as well, and those familiar with Falcom's Trails series will be at home with the idea of talking with them after every single story event. The same can be said for the dozens upon dozens of townspeople as well, but not quite to the same extent as the immediate members of Adol's group.

Similar to past Ys games, Ys IX does have a huge focus on exploration, but this time around it is confined to the city and nearby areas right outside the gate. That being said, the city itself is huge, there are tons of hidden areas to discover, and the vertical stage design means exploration ends up being more than meets the eye. 

Typically if you can see it you can get to it, but the question often becomes "how?" Sometimes it is as simple as running up a wall, but other times you'll be jumping from rooftop to rooftop, warp to a red point in the distance, jump and glide your way across a gap, and land in a specific spot which leads to a door to an underground labyrinth. Of course the game rewards you for going to such lengths, but the game is filled with hundreds of hidden items that may not always be worth the hassle.

The Combat:

Outside of exploring, the main part of a Ys game is none other than the combat. Like with previous entries in the series, Ys IX uses a real time combat system, with enemies that appear on the map. There is no entering "battle arenas" to fight your foes, but instead the game plays out like an action game with levels. You enter dungeons, enemies are everywhere, and you have to survive their attacks while taking them out as quickly as possible. Mess up? You die! Of course the game has multiple difficulty levels for players of all skill, but Ys is known for its challenging gameplay, and the harder settings in IX doesn't disappoint.

Building upon the system first introduced in Ys Seven, the game uses a party of three with each character having their own attack type. Adol uses a sword for example, but you also have characters who are heavy hitters, or simply do a different type of physical damage. Keeping this in mind, the game expects you to swap between characters as needed, to use a character that your current enemy is weak against. While you can brute force kill nearly everything, enemies drop much faster when using proper matchups, and challenging fights will become much easier.

While the combat system itself is pretty "simple," it is also one that asks players to memorize attack patterns, and make use of all the game's systems to actually succeed. A simple attack button is how you can pull off generic combos, but a bar filling up at the bottom right will also determine when you can use attack skills. These skills hit harder and provide additional effects, and using them over and over again will level them up to increase their strength, and unlock new ones. There is also a stronger special state characters can enter when hitting both trigger buttons, which not only makes you attack stronger and faster, but also allows you to pull off a hard hitting special finisher. This finisher deactivates this special mode when used however, so it is best to save it for the end of your attack barrage.

Besides attacking, characters have the ability to dodge roll, or use guard by holding in the skill button. Perfect timing with your dodge will trigger a "flash dodge" which slows down time and buffs you, while performing a perfect "flash guard" will nullify damage and have a similar effect. Sometimes it is impossible to dodge an attack, so knowing when to block or dodge becomes important, and is key to surviving in the harder difficulties. 

On top of all of these basic systems, the Monstrum abilities unlocked throughout the game also add additional layers to combat, but these are very situational, and mainly needed for some boss fights. (For example, a boss that requires you to hit a specific weak point that is normally invisible.)

The Grimwald Nox:

As mentioned before, the Grimwald Nox is a special area that you will be required to enter throughout the game. Not only are there key story moments that force it, but it is also something you will need to clear to access new areas. When entering this special area you will either be faced with a special boss fight, or waves of enemies with a boss fight at the end, and the game will track how well you perform during these sections.

At its core, the Grimwald Nox is a tower defense game, where a main target must be protected or else you fail. Your team members recruited throughout the game will be able to support you during these sections, but the main defense are the upgrades that can be purchased and built via Dogi. These include traps to block off enemies, additional targets for enemies to take down, and even attack objects that do additional damage for you. Building these defenses are required to survive the Grimwald Nox, but they alone cannot keep your main base safe. That is up to you.

Like in dungeons, or anywhere else in the world, the Grimwald Nox puts the standard combat system to use, but also requires you to be fast. This is where knowing weaknesses can really come into play, and taking too long to kill an enemy will result in a loss. The game also grades you based on how many of the game's systems are used, with bonus points being awarded for flash guarding, flash dodging, and finishing enemies off with a skill. The higher your score by the end, the higher the grade you'll receive, and the higher the grade, the better your rewards will be. Thankfully you can retry these fights later on if you got less than an S, but there are first time clear rewards that will not be gained a second time. Still perfecting each Grimwald Nox section will be worth it, as this is a main way to get rare materials and other items that are needed for upgrading your weapons.

Ultimately the Grimwald Nox is an evolution of the base defense mode seen in Ys VIII, so players of that game will already know what to expect going on. (And of course those who play IX first will find VIII to be very similar as well.)

Should you play it?

Ys IX: Monstrum Nox is a very fun action RPG. The game has a fun and addictive combat system, plenty of unique characters to mix it up, really fun special abilities, and can be as easier or as challenging as you want to make it. It is a great game for anyone who loves action games in general, and its story is interesting enough to keep you engaged from start to finish. The game is also packed full of content, and rewards you for exploring every single nook and cranny. If you are a Ys fan there really isn't a reason to skip this one, and newcomers will get a general idea of what the series is like from it. Of course it is also quite a bit different, as the Ys series in general is more "episodic" based, and rarely fully repeats the past. Each game keeps things fresh, while also retaining the core identity of the series. Monstrum Nox is no different, and that is where some may find issues with this game.

While other Ys games tend to be filled with adventure, or located in areas with diverse biomes to explore; Ys IX is only centered in the city. This time around Adol isn't going to be exploring lush islands with beautiful beaches, no sliding down the slopes of snowy mountains, no volcanoes, and no legendary cities in the sky. We aren't going to the desert here, nor are we taking a trip into a vast forest that causes you to forget everything. Instead the entire game takes place within a the city, and it basically looks the same everywhere.

Nearly every dungeon is a repeat of the last, just with a different layout, and even the outside areas are pretty basic. IX is easily the "least interesting" title when it comes to locations, and it does begin to look a little bland. This is the biggest drawback with having such a confined location, but it also helps make it stand out from the other adventures. The city is a prison city, and that alone is pretty unique. It is massive with plenty to explore, and the abilities you get make it so much fun to do so. It might be more "generic" when it comes to its visuals, but the core gameplay and improvements easily make up for it all. This is the game's saving grace, and the main reason most play Ys titles anyway. Would it have been nice to have more unique areas? Sure, but did the generic dark hallways ruin the experience? Not at all.

Overall, Ys IX: Monstrum Nox is a great entry within the series. While newcomers could start here and work their way backwards through the rest of the series, it really is better if it is played last; even after the newer entry of Ys X. At this moment the game is the farthest in the timeline, and it plays off of the past. It serves as a pretty great "conclusion" of the story up to this point, while also paving the way for Adol and Dogi's next adventure. 

I can for sure recommend it. In fact, I'd say it is a must play.