After finishing my journey through Ys VIII: Lacrimosa of Dana, I immediately continued with its successor, Ys IX: Monstrum Nox. After spending several hours with the game, I have reached a point where I can begin forming some initial impressions.
Considering that Ys VIII elevated the series to a new level for Falcom, my expectations for Monstrum Nox were deliberately modest. So far, those expectations have largely been met. The game's overarching narrative feels noticeably weaker, and the transition from the vibrant tropical landscapes of Seiren Island to the gray prison city of Balduq inevitably feels like a downgrade in terms of atmosphere. Visually, the city's gothic aesthetic sometimes comes across as an unconvincing blend of Persona 5's urban style and Bloodborne's dark fantasy, without quite matching the identity of either.
That said, Falcom has earned its reputation as one of the JRPG industry's most dependable developers, so I remain optimistic that Monstrum Nox will have something meaningful to offer as the story unfolds. The game clearly shows signs of being developed under tighter production constraints than its predecessor, yet I suspect there is more beneath the surface for longtime Ys fans.
One aspect I continue to find interesting is how several of Monstrum Nox's gameplay ideas appear to have anticipated mechanics that later became prominent in Genshin Impact, particularly its emphasis on vertical exploration and character mobility. If a developer like Mihoyo found ideas worth building upon from this title, then Monstrum Nox likely succeeded in doing something right, even if it may not initially leave as strong an impression as Ys VIII.
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