*Played the game three times. First two times on Switch, with the third on PS5.
Ys IX is yet a solid game in the series, despite how different it in comparison to other games. The game has a lot of things going for it. The location is set around the Prison City of Balduq where Adol is forced to be around the city for most of the game. It also is the last Ys game (as of May 2024) in the timeline and thus the story does play around the fact that it is the furthest game in the timeline. Either way, the game is still fantastic for several reasons.
For the positives, the combat of the three - party system is the most smooth with the Monstrum's Gifts really adding that the sprinkles that already made the combat great. Balduq as a setting is really interesting and thanks to Falcom's worldbuilding, the game made me care for Balduq and its people. Combined with the new Monstrum Gifts, Balduq (as well as areas around the city) is a pretty fun setting to explore (once those barriers are out of the way). Speaking of people, all the Monstrums as well as the side-characters are well - done as the Monstrums all get individual chapters to flesh them out while all the side-characters have deep connections to Balduq which makes them all more interesting than then side-characters from Ys VIII. The story, despite being the antithesis of Ys, was still told well with some really good foreshadows and mysteries that enticed me to continue playing.
Now for the negatives. OST is pretty weak in comparison to the last few Ys games, though there are still bangers within the collection. The barriers block areas around Balduq, thus the first few hours is pretty slow and uneventful in terms of movement. Despite the setting of Balduq being great, the dungeon designs had to suffer due to being restricted to Balduq Prison and thus they are pretty bland. Finally (and probably just being nitpicky), I wished the game had more voiced lines as the VA's for the cast were great.
Overall, despite the game being drastically different from the rest of the series, Ys IX is still a great game that really acknowledges the past games well. To truly enjoy the story at maximum, play all other Ys games before this one. If you don't have the means to play the other games or if you just don't care to go back, then Ys IX is still a pretty enjoyable game to enjoy. Last note, don't bother to play the Switch version due to the bad lighting and laggy performances.
Ys IX is yet a solid game in the series, despite how different it in comparison to other games. The game has a lot of things going for it. The location is set around the Prison City of Balduq where Adol is forced to be around the city for most of the game. It also is the last Ys game (as of May 2024) in the timeline and thus the story does play around the fact that it is the furthest game in the timeline. Either way, the game is still fantastic for several reasons.
For the positives, the combat of the three - party system is the most smooth with the Monstrum's Gifts really adding that the sprinkles that already made the combat great. Balduq as a setting is really interesting and thanks to Falcom's worldbuilding, the game made me care for Balduq and its people. Combined with the new Monstrum Gifts, Balduq (as well as areas around the city) is a pretty fun setting to explore (once those barriers are out of the way). Speaking of people, all the Monstrums as well as the side-characters are well - done as the Monstrums all get individual chapters to flesh them out while all the side-characters have deep connections to Balduq which makes them all more interesting than then side-characters from Ys VIII. The story, despite being the antithesis of Ys, was still told well with some really good foreshadows and mysteries that enticed me to continue playing.
Now for the negatives. OST is pretty weak in comparison to the last few Ys games, though there are still bangers within the collection. The barriers block areas around Balduq, thus the first few hours is pretty slow and uneventful in terms of movement. Despite the setting of Balduq being great, the dungeon designs had to suffer due to being restricted to Balduq Prison and thus they are pretty bland. Finally (and probably just being nitpicky), I wished the game had more voiced lines as the VA's for the cast were great.
Overall, despite the game being drastically different from the rest of the series, Ys IX is still a great game that really acknowledges the past games well. To truly enjoy the story at maximum, play all other Ys games before this one. If you don't have the means to play the other games or if you just don't care to go back, then Ys IX is still a pretty enjoyable game to enjoy. Last note, don't bother to play the Switch version due to the bad lighting and laggy performances.