NIS America, international publisher of theYs seriesof action RPGs, hasrevealed the release datesfor the PlayStation 5 version ofYs IX: Monstrum Nox. The game will arrive on PS5 in North America on May 9 this year, with the European release to follow on May 12. An Australian release has been confirmed for May 19.
Ys IX: Monstrum Nox is the ninth and most recent installment in the Ys series developed by Japanese studioNihon Falcom. In Ys IX, players don the bulky pauldrons of series protagonist Adol “The Red” Christin, an adventurer with a persistent tendency for terrible timing. Ys IX: Monstrum Nox begins with Adol finding himself detained in a prison inside the city of Balduq, where it isn’t long before a stranger turns him into a powerful being known as a Monstrum. Joining forces with other Monstrums, Adol sets out to solve the mysteries of the Monstrum curse, and thus begins the game’s epic, sprawling tale of heroism, darkness, and courage.
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While Ys IX: Monstrum Nox is the ninth entry in the Ys series, knowledge of previous entries, though welcome, is not necessary. All the games in the Ys series are functionally independent to each other, each telling a unique chronicle in the life of series hero Adol, with little to no overlap between installments. The dynamic cast of Ys IX: Monstrum Nox was showcased today in a character trailer published by NIS America alongside the announcement of the release date.
Ys IX: Monstrum Nox has somewhat of a checkered publication history. Although the game first launched as a PlayStation 4 exclusive in 2019, overseas fans had to wait until February 2021 before it waslocalized for an international audience. In July of that same year, the game wasported to Nintendo Switch, although this port would not be available in Japan until September a few months later. Windows and Google Stadia ports were also published in July 2021, and unlike other versions of the game, were available in all regions on the same day.
As for the upcoming PlayStation 5 version, neither NIS America nor series developer Nihon Falcom has given any indication as to if, or when, it will be released in Japan. Given the release history of the game’s Nintendo Switch port, however, it is likely the Japanese version of Ys IX: Monstrum Nox for PlayStation 5 will be released later this year. Theofficial Nihon Falcom websiteannounced last year that the series' tenth game, currently titled Ys X: Nordics, will be ready by the end of the fiscal year - which is to say, before this coming October. No further details on the release have since been given, however.
The PlayStation 5 version of Ys IX: Monstrum Nox will be released this year on May 9 and May 12 in the US and Europe respectively. At this time, fans can preorder the game online or in-store from select retailers.
