A standout entry blending fluid action with urban exploration through the Monstrum powers. Balduq and its gothic mood land beautifully, and the combat pacing is exemplary. One of the most accomplished Ys games, despite occasionally chatty storytelling.
Your verdict
Category
Action RPG1 player12+
Description
Adol, imprisoned in the city of Balduq, gains supernatural powers and explores the cursed town. Published by NIS America, released worldwide in 2021. Fast party action combat, vertical traversal powers, dense urban exploration and defence against nocturnal assaults.
Ys IX: Monstrum Nox review
4/5
Art direction
★★★★★
"Striking"
MAX
Music
★★★★★
"Legendary"
4/5
Story
★★★★★
"Captivating"
Like the whole series, Monstrum Nox runs on the Falcom Sound Team's jdk rock: edgy electric guitars, virtuoso keyboards and breakneck rhythms that turn every fight into a concert. Nocturnal chase and urban-exploration themes feed the frenzy of the action, and the energy never lets up. Musical fuel built for relentless boss battles.
Gameplay
"Masterful"
Chaining swift, exhilarating party battles while scaling a cursed city thanks to vertical-movement powers: that's what gives this entry its character. The combat's tempo ranks among the most satisfying in the genre. The chattier narration and a limited Switch port temper things, but the fighting's energy still carries the day.
Fun
"From the very first minutes"
Addictiveness
"Captivating"
Difficulty
"Easy"
Lifespan
"Massive"
A cursed city to comb from top to bottom, where each Monstrum gift opens new passages: vertical exploration meets snappy action and a sustained hunt for secrets here. Side quests, base defense and a well-stocked endgame lengthen the journey. That breakneck rhythm that never slows explains the growing attachment of action-RPG fans.
The action-RPG unfurls duels paced by Monstrum gifts and exhilarating aerial combat. Reading Grimwald Nox patterns, chaining flawless dodges and devastating combos, the sheer fluidity of these fights, their escalating intensity and charismatic foes make them an adrenaline peak in the long-running Ys series.
Is Ys IX: Monstrum Nox still worth playing in 2026?
Ys IX continues the series' brisk action-RPG formula with a fresh urban ambition. The fast party combat, fluid and exhilarating, stays among the most satisfying in the genre, and the vertical movement powers give exploring the cursed city an original flavour. The writing is chattier and darker than usual, which won't please everyone, and the Switch version's technical side shows its limits. But the gameplay's energy and the rhythm of the clashes carry the day. For action-RPG fans, it is a generous and still lively entry.
