Ys IX: Monstrum Nox Review

Published 22.11.2025

Author: Asuraya

Time to dive into Ys IX: Monstrum Nox, which was developed by Nihon Falcom and published by NIS America and released on PC on 6 July 2021. Are you guys ready for this one? After the amazing experience I had with Ys VIII: Lacrimosa of DANA (which I also reviewed right here: LINK), my expectations were really high this time!

Once again, we’re back with Adol Christin, the red-haired adventurer. This time, he arrives in the city of Balduq… and gets arrested right away. Not a great start, huh? But quite interesting, at least for me...
But things became even more crazy, a mysterious woman named Aprilis gives him a strange power and turns him into a “Monstrum”, a kind of supernatural warrior with a cool outfit and… a curse. From that moment on, Adol becomes the Crimson King, one of six Monstrums who fight monsters from another dimension called the Grimwald Nox. For me, that already sounds amazing and really interesting!

Each Monstrum has their own unique ability and personality, which make it only more interesting, since you slowly unlock new abilities.

Adol, the main character. He can quickly jump to certain places, which helps you move faster. He fights with a sword that uses fire and dark energy.
White Cat. She can run up walls, which is super useful when you explore. She fights fast and uses claws to attack enemies.
Hawk can glide through the air, which helps you reach far places and move around fast. He fights with twin blades and uses quick, spinning attacks. His style is wild and aggressive, good for hitting lots of enemies at once. It’s kind of like Adol’s style, but still different. A lot of people will probably choose him as their main.
Doll can see hidden things, like secret paths or invisible objects. That’s super helpful when exploring. She uses a rapier and fights with elegant, precise moves. Her attacks are strong and magical.
Raging Bull can smash through weak walls and obstacles. You’ll use this a lot to open new paths. She fights with a big hammer and has powerful, heavy attacks. She’s great for breaking enemy defenses.
Renegade can turn into mist and pass through metal bars or gates. That helps you sneak into locked areas. He uses ranged attacks with a magical staff and fights from a distance with tricky moves.

The most comfortable characters for me were Adol, Doll, and Hawk. But honestly, I think all of them were well-designed and felt different from each other and I really liked Doll a lot, but Adol seemed to deal more damage, same Hawk, so I ended up playing Adol most of the time. I don’t regret that choice, but if I had the chance to play the game again I would probably play with Doll or at least try to play her much more than i did before. I used to prefer playing the highest damage option, but that’s changed for me now. I want to switch things up and start choosing characters I genuinely enjoy and they still deal decent damage. I mean, I don’t want to suffer, right? And usually, the main protagonist is also a great choice in terms of gameplay.

Visually, the game looks pretty nice too and while the story was interesting, it wasn't as great as previous one, so Ys VIII: Lacrimosa of DANA is still my favorite. That doesn’t mean this one is bad, no, it’s seriously great.

Obviously, I’m going to recommend the game, it’s great, just like the previous one. I suggest playing that one first, even though you don’t really have to do it. I’m just a fan, so I guess I’m a bit biased! I’m planning to play every new release as it comes out! Don't think, just do it! Maybe you will end up loving it as much as I do!