This weekend I’m playing Ys IX: Monstrum Nox. One month ago I played my first game in this series, Ys VIII: Lacrimosa of Dana and fell in love with it, so much so I got the platinum trophy for it. This newfound appreciation for the franchise led me to explore other entries, starting with Ys: Memories of Celceta. I finished it yesterday and now I’m diving into New Game+ on Nightmare difficulty for another platinum run.
What immediately sets Ys IX apart is its self-awareness. The game cleverly plays with the familiar tropes found in JRPGs and earlier entries in the series, often adding a humorous touch to the darker tone of its narrative. In fact, it seems incredibly homogeneous to Dragon Quest XI regarding its opening hours—another RPG favorite of mine.
The setting itself is drastically different from its counterparts. You’re in this sprawling city known as Balduq, or rather Prison City. It functions as a living and breathing world, where people work, have their own homes, and is relatively modern. However, the world is rich with lore, with mysterious graffiti littered about that provides upgrades depending on your character, and from the very beginning, the game hooks you with collectibles you can’t yet reach, igniting curiosity and anticipation for what’s to come.
This culminates into one standout aspect in its refined gameplay, and that is traversal. Unlike prior games, this one focuses on verticality as a focus point of its level design, and it’s all the better for it. Whether it’s scaling walls or gliding across rooftops, these traversal abilities make the city of Balduq feel like a playground, filled with hidden treasures and unreachable areas that beg to be explored.
As for gameplay, most of the mechanics are familiar, maintaining its frenetic combat while introducing a plethora of character abilities that make combat more engaging. The game also bestows its traditional use of artifacts—now known as sacramentals—to enhance its already dynamic gameplay. This all leads to a new layer of freedom that keeps the gameplay fresh.
I’m only several hours in, but overall the game strikes a perfect balance between innovation and familiarity. It’s shaping up to be one of the best RPGs I’ve played in recent memory, and is quickly becoming my favorite in the series so far. My level up hype for the next installment is through the roof, and I’m glad I only have to wait a month for its release.
This weekend I’m playing Ys IX: Monstrum Nox. One month ago I played my first game in this series, Ys VIII: Lacrimosa of Dana and fell in love with it, so much so I got the platinum trophy for it. This newfound appreciation for the franchise led me to explore other entries, starting with Ys: Memories of Celceta. I finished it yesterday and now I’m diving into New Game+ on Nightmare difficulty for another platinum run.
What immediately sets Ys IX apart is its self-awareness. The game cleverly plays with the familiar tropes found in JRPGs and earlier entries in the series, often adding a humorous touch to the darker tone of its narrative. In fact, it seems incredibly homogeneous to Dragon Quest XI regarding its opening hours—another RPG favorite of mine.
The setting itself is drastically different from its counterparts. You’re in this sprawling city known as Balduq, or rather Prison City. It functions as a living and breathing world, where people work, have their own homes, and is relatively modern. However, the world is rich with lore, with mysterious graffiti littered about that provides upgrades depending on your character, and from the very beginning, the game hooks you with collectibles you can't yet reach, igniting curiosity and anticipation for what's to come.
This culminates into one standout aspect in its refined gameplay, and that is traversal. Unlike prior games, this one focuses on verticality as a focus point of its level design, and it’s all the better for it. Whether it’s scaling walls or gliding across rooftops, these traversal abilities make the city of Balduq feel like a playground, filled with hidden treasures and unreachable areas that beg to be explored.
As for gameplay, most of the mechanics are familiar, maintaining its frenetic combat while introducing a plethora of character abilities that make combat more engaging. The game also bestows its traditional use of artifacts—now known as sacramentals—to enhance its already dynamic gameplay. This all leads to a new layer of freedom that keeps the gameplay fresh.
I’m only several hours in, but overall the game strikes a perfect balance between innovation and familiarity. It’s shaping up to be one of the best RPGs I’ve played in recent memory, and is quickly becoming my favorite in the series so far. My level up hype for the next installment is through the roof, and I’m glad I only have to wait a month for its release.
