Ys IX: Monstrum Nox
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 "," where players control multiple main characters that can be switched between on-the-fly, each with their own play styles and unique skills. Players collect 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 "" and "Ys Origin", temporarily increases damage dealt, decreases damage received, and increases attack and movement speeds. New to "Ys IX", each party member has traversal abilities, called Monstrum Gifts, such as gliding and running up walls. Players can reach various places and locate hidden secrets in the city of Balduq and dungeons by utilizing these actions. 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. 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 "" as a hint. In another interview, Kondo said 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. The game was developed by Nihon Falcom and released for the PlayStation 4 in Japan on September 26, 2019. 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 for Microsoft Windows, Nintendo Switch, and Stadia in July 2021. Nippon Ichi Software will release the Nintendo Switch version in Japan on September 9, 2021. The Nintendo Switch and Microsoft Windows versions were ported respectively by Engine Software and PH3 Games. It was announced on June 23, 2020, that "Ys IX" would be released on PlayStation 4, Nintendo Switch, and PC in 2021, published by NIS America with English and French localizations. Traditional Chinese and Korean localizations of the game  were released in Asia by Clouded Leopard Entertainment on January 20, 2022. Reception. "Ys IX: Monstrum Nox" received "generally favorable" reviews, according to review aggregator Metacritic. Japanese magazine "Famitsu" scored the PlayStation 4 version a 35 out of 40. 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. The game sold 45,378 copies during its launch week in Japan.