Ys VIII: Lacrimosa of DANA

 PlayStation 4
User Score
8.6

Generally favorable reviews- based on 296 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 254 out of 296
  2. Mixed: 13 out of 296
  3. Negative: 29 out of 296
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  1. ColinDa
    Aug 23, 2023
    8
    Enjoyable game for the ps4. Was originally released for the Vita, then later released for the ps4, ps5, Windows, stream and other platforms. Currently available on ps + extra and frequent goes on sale. Overall a enjoyable game but there are huge difficulty spikes right at the beginning. Fair warning for any trophy hunters you will need to play the game on hard then on nightmare for theEnjoyable game for the ps4. Was originally released for the Vita, then later released for the ps4, ps5, Windows, stream and other platforms. Currently available on ps + extra and frequent goes on sale. Overall a enjoyable game but there are huge difficulty spikes right at the beginning. Fair warning for any trophy hunters you will need to play the game on hard then on nightmare for the platinum. I personally found even the normal difficulty challenging when dealing with the boss encounters. The whole game is focused on exploration and discovering new areas. If you want a challenge the start on hard then nightmare. If you just want to enjoy the story then go for easy and you can still get most trophies.… Expand
  2. nebirosity
    May 15, 2023
    2
    The combat is fun but everything else about this title is utter garbage. All the characters are one-dimensional and the story is contrived generic nonsense. Still, I tried to muscle through until the onslaught of anime **** got to be too much, those of you who enjoy sexualized children and rampant misogyny might enjoy the game but everyone else should steer clear.
  3. cid33
    Dec 8, 2022
    9
    Falcoms Masterpiece and one of my favorite games ever, a must for any Jrpg fan with a amazing sound track.

    Grafix =6 nice art, world design, huge variety of monsters with loads of characters and locations. But it is a port of a vita game and that shows, but it still competes with most modern ps4 Jrpg and it runs at 60Fps. Story =10 one of the best storys ever told in a game, very    Falcoms Masterpiece and one of my favorite games ever, a must for any Jrpg fan with a amazing sound track.

    Grafix =6 nice art, world design, huge variety of monsters with loads of characters and locations. But it is a port of a vita game and that shows, but it still competes with most modern ps4 Jrpg and it runs at 60Fps.

    Story =10 one of the best storys ever told in a game, very well written with amazing characters that you care about, and all of them with side quests that dives into their background, as all characters have a purpose, on the iland you are stranded you set out to find other survivors, and it endsup being a huge journey.

    Combat =10 leve it to falcom one of the oldest rpg makers in the world, that basically invented the action Rpg genre in the 80s to master it perfectly, combat is snappy, controls are responsive tons of skills on multi characters that you switch between, as different characters ar strong against certain types, Raids, Hunts Small-Huge monsters to fight, very rewarding with 5 difficulties.

    World and navigation = 8
    world consists of multiple zones small to medium in size, that have almost no longtime between them no slowdowns to load things, controls are again awesome with several tools that let you traverse the world, fast travel, maps that uncover while exploring without spoiling. menus are fast clear and easy to understand a journal that keeps all items and what drops them with search function in the game to find stuff you already have discovered, great quest logs and other info to help that feels easy and un cluttered to use.    … Expand
  4. Truthsayer93
    Dec 2, 2022
    10
    Fluid gameplay, tough but fair combat, great story, epic adventure, and nice music. The dialogue is fine and enjoyable, often humorous. The combat system is unique and works very well. You can be underleveled and beat a boss with pure skill. This game should be way more popular. The only thing probably holding it back is the graphics but they manage to be detailed enough. It was fun onFluid gameplay, tough but fair combat, great story, epic adventure, and nice music. The dialogue is fine and enjoyable, often humorous. The combat system is unique and works very well. You can be underleveled and beat a boss with pure skill. This game should be way more popular. The only thing probably holding it back is the graphics but they manage to be detailed enough. It was fun on hard for my first playthrough.… Expand
  5. Ginger_Avenger
    Nov 16, 2022
    8
    As with super hero movies, you basically know where this genre of story (anime style JRPG) is going to go, but there were a few surprises. But I don't really play Ys for that anyway- I enjoy the exploration and combat. This installment in the series was my 3rd Ys game, and I think I prefer this one. The PS4 version I eventually finished the game with looked an awful lot like the VitaAs with super hero movies, you basically know where this genre of story (anime style JRPG) is going to go, but there were a few surprises. But I don't really play Ys for that anyway- I enjoy the exploration and combat. This installment in the series was my 3rd Ys game, and I think I prefer this one. The PS4 version I eventually finished the game with looked an awful lot like the Vita version I started with. Otherwise, great stuff.… Expand
  6. buronizzz
    Oct 18, 2022
    9
    A pleasant surprise that this turns out to be so good. The battle is really fun. The story is well told. I totally didn't expect this from the Ys franchise.
  7. Spartacus_637
    Jul 24, 2022
    9
    Finished it recently, it is worth playing for both turn-based JRPG fans and Action JRPG, with engaging story, and good characters.
  8. rechechelly
    Apr 26, 2022
    10
    我们并非神的道具，而是有生命有意志的存在
    即便如此，却依旧碰到超越人智的命运到访的瞬间
    这种时候，你会怎么做呢？ 那纵然置身于极限的境地 却依然秉持意志和尊严的姿态是那么的美丽 我渴望着也能成为那样的存在，因而即使到了数十年后的现在 我仍情不自禁地对【她】怀有敬畏 ——亚特鲁.克里斯汀    我们并非神的道具，而是有生命有意志的存在
    即便如此，却依旧碰到超越人智的命运到访的瞬间
    这种时候，你会怎么做呢？
    那纵然置身于极限的境地
    却依然秉持意志和尊严的姿态是那么的美丽
    我渴望着也能成为那样的存在，因而即使到了数十年后的现在
    我仍情不自禁地对【她】怀有敬畏
    ——亚特鲁.克里斯汀
  9. Phuz
    Nov 23, 2021
    2
    Could have been one of the better Ys games. Bad decisions made a bad game.

    So Ys 8 has a lot going for it. The soundtrack although not as good as some other Ys games is still good. The combat is fun but again not as good as those on the previous engine but this game is heavily bogged down by certain elements. The characters whilst being likeable are rather uninteresting and some are    Could have been one of the better Ys games. Bad decisions made a bad game.

    So Ys 8 has a lot going for it. The soundtrack although not as good as some other Ys games is still good. The combat is fun but again not as good as those on the previous engine but this game is heavily bogged down by certain elements. The characters whilst being likeable are rather uninteresting and some are very forced.

    The big failure is that this is an action rgp and the action is really stop start. You explore via a terrible map system and then when you get to your destination, you get called back to base. Sometimes this is automatic, sometimes it is fast travel but it always feels like an interuption. I don't like the fishing but I have no way of knowing if the treasure chests found fishing are needed, as in past Ys games chests hold items to advance in the game.

    The scenery whilst nice, I don't find to be as pleasant as SAO, Zestiria, Berseria, etc The whole base thing just feels like a waste of time. Collect ore, forge weapons etc. It is just another chore between the action. It feels like an action RPG that sidelined the action too often.

    Now when I play Ys 8 which I have been doing very slowly over a couple of years now, I often get a bored. When I played Ys Origin, I couldn't put it down. Even the grind was fun in Ys Origin and I hate grinding as a general rule.

    I am also playing Oath in Felghana and Memories of Celceta at the moment and to me they are way more fun.

    I hope they develop a new engine, or do something more fun with the new engine because this 3D open world Ys does not work as well as the top down Ys games of recent past.

    The other thing is that every new area has an intro where you walk slowly supposedly in awe at the scenery but it really just doesn't look that nice that I need to wait an extra 10 seconds. Again there are lots of little things like this slowing the action. The stories of Adol's dreams being another and worse, they are damn boring

    It is a nice production and feels good to play, with reasonably tight controls but it it is like Ys with the fun stripped out. I find it a bit bad for Ys and Tales of that the latest entries are ranking so high because these new games are pretty **** and I feel people will be put off previous games because of this.

    Ys 8 is not as good as the previous entries that I mentioned and same with Tales of Arise, it is totally boring compared to Zestiria and Berseria (again that I mentioned above).

    Even Tales of Vesperia, which was a bit of a boring slog at times is better than Arise. It just feels like these new entries are really putting a dint in the long running franchise's. If I was new to Tales of and Ys and bought 8 and Arise as my entry, I would never play another and I think that is a shame for newcomers.    … Expand
  10. Biizz
    Jan 4, 2022
    10
    I prefer this one to the newest Ys game. Both the gameplay and the story were good and the soundtrack is also great, if you want to play good JRPG this game is a must-play.
  11. Vaeu
    Dec 25, 2021
    8
    What a fantastic RPG! This game makes you want to explore, the exploration is fun and you get rewarded well in doing so. This addictive loop is at the heart of what makes LoD brilliant. Despite having a large cast of characters they are all reasonably built up with our main cast obviously getting great development. The gameplay does get repetitive after a while but at least it isWhat a fantastic RPG! This game makes you want to explore, the exploration is fun and you get rewarded well in doing so. This addictive loop is at the heart of what makes LoD brilliant. Despite having a large cast of characters they are all reasonably built up with our main cast obviously getting great development. The gameplay does get repetitive after a while but at least it is satisfying. Graphics and animations are the weakest parts of the game but it isn't really an issue.… Expand
  12. ZXSth
    May 3, 2021
    6
    When looking up some of the reviews for Ys VIII prior to purchasing it (I was reticent to play it without getting some feedback from others on it), I sometimes would run across the phrase "If you like the Ys series..." This sentiment aptly describes my experience with the game - having never played any game in the series before, I found this game pretty mediocre, and it did little to pullWhen looking up some of the reviews for Ys VIII prior to purchasing it (I was reticent to play it without getting some feedback from others on it), I sometimes would run across the phrase "If you like the Ys series..." This sentiment aptly describes my experience with the game - having never played any game in the series before, I found this game pretty mediocre, and it did little to pull me in.

    Admittedly, I come at Ys VIII as someone who prioritizes engaging gameplay and mechanics over a good story - however, I can't say I skipped any of the cutscenes in a game like Ghost of Tsushima, for example, whose story had me enthralled for most of its story. And while that game featured some cliché story beats, it was consistently gripping. By comparison, Ys VIII opens with what I've found to be an obnoxiously expected anime trope - a man bashfully approaching a naked female party member bathing in a river. This, I feel, set a poor precedent story-wise from the start, and my apathy towards the game stayed fairly consistent throughout my time playing the game. On top of this, suffering through dealing with a silent protagonist surrounded by schlocky, drivel-spewing side characters felt like a pointless waste of time.

    For all my complaining, and despite not finishing the game, Ys VIII has flashes of excellence - the Metroidvania-esque revisiting of areas inches towards being interesting, but it doesn't carry that true thrill of re-exploration solidified by its superiors (such as Symphony of the Night). Additionally, this game's combat, too, is worthy of praise - while not being outstanding, the developers' attempts at creating engaging real-time combat mechanics are worthy of praise. When talking about solely the game's combat and technical aspects (it loads quickly and doesn't drop any frames), I believe the game has so much going for it. Unfortunately, when combined with other frustrating aspects of the game (including its linearity, which I had not mentioned until now), Ys VIII feels lacking.

    Overall, Ys VIII is somewhat enjoyable, but did not do enough to keep me interested in returning to the world it had created. It comes close to being great in many ways - it is technically stable, its combat is solid, and the Metroidvania aspects of its gameplay show promise. But its linearity, occasionally repetitive nature and its relatively thin and cliché narrative leave something to be desired.

    As a side note, I paid a full $80 CAD for this game, and while I could see myself recommending it at a lower price, I absolutely cannot condone paying $80 for a 2017 port of a game for the Vita. Don't buy it unless it's discounted (Note to self: Lesson learned).    … Expand
  13. midgarzolom
    Mar 26, 2021
    10
    MASTERPIECE. Everyone should give it a try despite the graphic not current gen.
  14. Infrexius
    Feb 10, 2021
    10
    Had this game on my backlog for so long. But my god what a suprise this was. My first ys game ever and it was amazing. By far one of the best game i have ever played. Pros:
    Good story
    Amazing combat
    Exploring feels nice
    Lots of character building.

    Cons:
    Story starts slow
    Graphics dont look top quality.

    If you love JRPGS you should play this.
  15. Steyraus
    Jan 1, 2021
    10
    WOnderfull, beutifull game, with insanly addictive combat and leveling. Surprisingly good story with lovable relatable characters..Goes on a bit long but all japanese games do.
  16. vvv123
    Dec 30, 2020
    10
    One of my favourite games! The story was engaging, I enjoyed exploring the island and the learning more about the characters. The combat and music was amazing!
  17. v4vendetta
    Oct 20, 2020
    9
    I have spent half of my life playing AAA games but never expected a Nintendo Style old School AAA rpg. Such a refreshing game !! Amazing game mechanics I must say.

    8.1 s a bit less for me. I should rate it 9 obviously considering the gameplay QUALITY I experienced. RPGLovers, give it a go. Its worth it. EDIT : After playing for 20 hours I only finished chapter 2 and now I amI rating    I have spent half of my life playing AAA games but never expected a Nintendo Style old School AAA rpg. Such a refreshing game !! Amazing game mechanics I must say.

    8.1 s a bit less for me. I should rate it 9 obviously considering the gameplay QUALITY I experienced. RPGLovers, give it a go. Its worth it.

    EDIT : After playing for 20 hours I only finished chapter 2 and now I amI rating it 10 XD XD whooh, such a good game    … Expand
  18. dogshea
    Aug 24, 2020
    10
    Masterpiece of JRPG. Perfect story and the character design is really enjoyable. Exploration and investigation in the island is also interesting. I think this game is the one of the most well-made games for FALCOM and JPRG history.
  19. iCyanRyu_
    Jul 22, 2020
    10
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. I love it. Truly amazing game. The art and character design is great. Stroy is amazing. Ys 8 deserves an anime adaptation if it's not there yet. So much to do on the mysterious island. The boss fights were amazing especially the secret bosses. I can't Express how much I love the story and how deep is it. I dont know about others but I really enjoy this type of game. After obtaining the platinum trophy and unlocking the endings.. I watched the ship leaves the island and it felt so nostalgic after a year of playing this game. Hope to see more great games like this :)… Expand
  20. nelfielm
    Jul 22, 2020
    10
    The game is perfect. The art style is lively and beautiful, every character well developed and designed. The gameplay is an absolute blast that no other action RPG comes even close to.
  21. Syfin
    Jul 21, 2020
    10
    Потрясающее приключение на острове. Отличная механика боя( у игр этой серии боевка это главное). Интересная механика своей деревни, которая постепенно развивается.
  22. Aokana
    Jul 9, 2020
    9
    Ys VIII was honestly a game I picked up on a whim, knowing nothing about the Ys series so keep in mind this review comes from that perspective.

    It's fun, pure and simple. I was entertained and looked forward to playing the game whenever I could get the chance until I beat it. This is the kind of game that makes you realize that a game doesn't need to spend an absurd amount of money on    Ys VIII was honestly a game I picked up on a whim, knowing nothing about the Ys series so keep in mind this review comes from that perspective.

    It's fun, pure and simple. I was entertained and looked forward to playing the game whenever I could get the chance until I beat it. This is the kind of game that makes you realize that a game doesn't need to spend an absurd amount of money on graphics in order to be good.

    Graphics 6/10 - It's dated, this is that common last gen lower textured standard Anime Style JRPG graphics that have been around since the PS2. However the colour pallete is well suited to the environments and it services the game well enough. Overall it's actually pretty good once you take into consideration you can also get this game for the PSVita.

    Sound 8/10 - The sounds in the game are done well enough. By no means are you going to get Final Fantasy level epic orchestral symphony tracks but the music is solid, there are several really good tracks and most importantly it adds to the game instead of detracting from it. The background music never overtakes the action, it doesn't become a distraction.

    Gameplay 9/10 - The gameplay is simple and straightforward but varied enough especially as you will want to switch gear around to best suit your environment. You can play as any of the members in your party so if you don't like how one character handles you can play as one that suits you. While there are some challenging areas of the game, especially if your looking to find all the treasure chests however nothing was overly frustrating or required a guide nor did it ever feel like I had to waste a ton of time grinding and its balanced well enough I never felt like I had to play a certain character to progress unlike alot of action JRPGS where your basically forced to play as the main protag because they have an ability you need to get through boss fights. Overall it's the gameplay and Story that will have you coming back. It's just fun to play.

    Story 8/10 - As I mentioned earlier this is by no means a summer blockbuster and personally I've never been a fan of stories that use time and or character jumping as it usually winds up filling the plot with massive holes or just making things a convoluted mess. However Ys VIII manages to keep everything moving forward and cohesive while doing so. Overall I found myself with grand adventure feeling and was entertained during my play. There was a few anime tropey things but they were not overdone and it avoided the whole "OMG main protag you are just the best" constant gushing, the characters felt rounded out well enough, even the npc survivors you meet along the way and overall it avoids the pitfall I find in a lot of these games where npc's and party members tend to fade away the moment your done with their "arc".

    Overall 9/10 - This is one of those games that is better than the sum of its parts because everything just comes together to give you a good, fun and entertaining experience.    … Expand
  23. DrewHLMW
    Jul 1, 2020
    10
    I cant give 9.9 so this gets rounded up to 10.
    I love this game, the island setting is a cool decision, and exploring the giant beautiful island for shipwrecked passengers to build your village and community makes exploring interesting.
    The Combat is lots of fun and all the characters play well and the story is really good, I can't say anything about it due to spoilers though but it kept    I cant give 9.9 so this gets rounded up to 10.
    I love this game, the island setting is a cool decision, and exploring the giant beautiful island for shipwrecked passengers to build your village and community makes exploring interesting.
    The Combat is lots of fun and all the characters play well and the story is really good, I can't say anything about it due to spoilers though but it kept me entertained.
    If your looking for an action-rpg thats easy to get into and that will suck you in then this is a great place to start and if you like this make sure you grab Memories of Celceta next.    … Expand
  24. MrMiggins
    Apr 29, 2020
    10
    One of the most amazing games I've ever played. I'm not a huge RPG fan, but Ys VIII is very special.

    Technically, it's about as good as it could be, with excellent graphics and sound. The localization is par excellence, with great voice acting and translations. The music is fantastic. Frame-rate rarely if ever suffers with intense action scenes during combat. Most importantly, for me,    One of the most amazing games I've ever played. I'm not a huge RPG fan, but Ys VIII is very special.

    Technically, it's about as good as it could be, with excellent graphics and sound. The localization is par excellence, with great voice acting and translations. The music is fantastic. Frame-rate rarely if ever suffers with intense action scenes during combat. Most importantly, for me, you can save the game at any time. I absolutely hate games which make you find save points, with very rare exceptions. Who has time for that? There is fast travel to previously visited locations and all the nice quality of life you would expect from a polished game.

    When it comes to story and characters, Ys VIII is up there with the best that the Final Fantasy series has to offer. Laxia in particular is a brilliantly realized character who has a fully realized character arc during the game, as does the titular Dana. But all the characters are great and fully fleshed out. They are never shrill and annoying like many inferior Japanese RPGs. You can talk to anyone during your adventure and they'll always have something interesting to say.

    The mark of a true genius RPG is when you think you have almost finished it, and then you realize you are only about half-way through! The story is absolutely compelling, with mysteries to solve and time travel playing an integral part. I put 60 hours into Lacrimosa of Dana on my first play-through and finishing this game was a bittersweet experience that brought a tear to my eye. I wanted to stay in this world with my new friends forever. And that's what a real RPG should be like. I cannot recommend it highly enough.    … Expand
  25. lerh
    Apr 11, 2020
    9
    From 6,F,O,7 to 8,it is the fifth Ys game I have Played.To be honest,I prefect to 6FO's gameplay,but Dana is so impressive for me.
  26. Rukru
    Apr 8, 2020
    10
    Amazing game, great music, this is my first ys game and I am now a fan of the series it is a must pay for JRPG fans
  27. khhogan
    Apr 1, 2020
    8
    Great JRPG - First one I've completed in awhile. it's fun, has measured exploration, great characters, enemies, locations, etc. The only reason I didn't give it a 9 is the characters talk way too much. I really wish that the creators of JRPGs would limit that a bit more.
  28. monks99
    Feb 1, 2020
    10
    One of the best overall jrpg games I have ever played. A must own!!!! Support this series!
  29. Ralthiel1983
    Jan 26, 2020
    8
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. This game was my first entry to the Legacy of Ys series and overall I was extremely impressed by this game, finding its story and cast of characters to very enjoyable. There is something about this game's plot and double protagonist that really draws you in and makes the game feel like the truly unique and unforgettable experience that it is. In my opinion, the way that Dana's storyline is slowly intertwined into Adol's really works well and your time on the isle of seiren feels fantastic and the game makes you want to explore and find everything. I have started new playthroughs of this game probably more than any other game and that reflects how magical the experience is. My only complaint for the ps4 version is it did not get all of the costume dlcs available to other platforms.… Expand
  30. dyne_laike
    Jan 14, 2020
    10
    The game is perfect. The art style is lively and beautiful, every character well developed and designed. The gameplay is an absolute blast that no other action RPG comes even close to. Every Ys game has a soundtrack that reflects the greatest in the entire video game industry has to offer. And of course, the main grade in any RPG is the story, and this one is utterly unique and wellThe game is perfect. The art style is lively and beautiful, every character well developed and designed. The gameplay is an absolute blast that no other action RPG comes even close to. Every Ys game has a soundtrack that reflects the greatest in the entire video game industry has to offer. And of course, the main grade in any RPG is the story, and this one is utterly unique and well realized. Everybody needs to play this, as the YS series is a complete bastion of greatness that should have the recognition is so well deserves.… Expand
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Awards & Rankings

23
#23 Best PS4 Game of 2017
59
#59 Most Discussed PS4 Game of 2017
98
#98 Most Shared PS4 Game of 2017

Critic Reviews

All reviews »
Metascore
85

Generally favorable reviews - based on 39 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 38 out of 39
  2. Mixed: 1 out of 39
  3. Negative: 0 out of 39
  1. GameGrin
    Oct 18, 2017
    90
    If you’ve never played a previous Ys game, like me, this is a great game to experience despite the long history and number in its title. Lasting just over 40 hours for me, this is a relatively easy recommendation for even none JRPG fans who prefer more mechanically driven games.
    Read full review
  2. 4P.de
    Oct 18, 2017
    87
    The visuals are a little outdated but that can’t take away much from the rest of this gem, that.
    Read full review
  3. Impulsegamer
    Oct 13, 2017
    80
    While obviously not without its flaws, Ys VIII: Lacrimosa of Dana is one of the stronger, albeit more obscure, JRPG offerings to hit the PS4 this year.
    Read full review
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