Ys VIII: Lacrimosa of DANA

Ys VIII: Lacrimosa of DANA is just a joy, and I'm so thankful that I took a chance on it. [Issue #36 – November/December 2018, p. 87]

Ys VIII: Lacrimosa of DANA is an incredible and unforgettable game. Its excellent soundtrack and sense of adventure greatly brightened the moments I spent with it. It is a must have game for owners of a Nintendo Switch.

Ys VIII: Lacrimosa of Dana does have some light, frustrating moments that await the pure completionists out there, but that comes with the territory. It is a fully realised artistic masterpiece, both visually and even more so in the audio department, and deserves a place in any serious Switch player's collection. To crown it all, everything is tightly packed into one cohesive package that, at retail, requires no additional download and even comes with some neat little bonuses.

Ys VIII is a marvelous game that truly deserves more attention. With my limited exposure to the series I am impressed each time I dive in. Those looking for a classic JRPG that hits all the right notes, you will be hard-pressed to find a better experience, especially on the Switch. I am glad this series is getting more exposure, and would love to see it eventually make its way onto every platform. Don’t be afraid of the number, this is a great game to dive head first into.

With fun, fast-paced combat, likable characters, and an enjoyable story that takes full advantage of its beautiful shipwrecked setting, Ys VIII: Lacrimosa of Dana is a top-shelf action RPG. Exploring the Isle of Seiren is as rewarding as mastering the character-swapping, hack-and-slash battle system, and both fit into an addictive feedback loop of adventuring that keeps everything moving at a quick clip. Editing issues and inconsistent image quality in handheld mode are small blemishes on an otherwise polished production, but don’t let them deter you; Ys VIII is a true gem.

Ys VIII: Lacrimosa of Dana was my first foray into the Ys universe and despite the goal of making it off the island, I find myself wishing I hadn’t left at all. What at first was my biggest concern, the action opposed to turn-based combat, turned out to be what I found the most enduring throughout my experience. In addition to an interesting story, setting, and a truly wonderful score, I can’t help but walk away singing its praises.

Once you're adventuring on the island, fishing, crafting, learning new skills, finding new secrets, and meeting new survivors, Ys VIII becomes a very memorable experience. It makes me hope we don't wait so long for a Ys IX, and that it's given the care and attention it deserves.

Ys VIII: Lacrimosa Of Dana is a title that takes a while to get going, maybe too long, which may be enough to put some people off early and the story is rather sub-par. Those that stick with it will see where the game truly shines. It features a seamless and easy to learn combat system that pretty much anybody can get a grasp of, and it also provides quite the backdrop for those wanting to wander off and explore. Sure, it has its problems, but it’s an experience that I won’t forget any time soon.

Simply put, everything in Ys VIII feels real good. The controls are tight, the action is blazingly-fast, and a lot can be accomplished without succumbing to the usual grindy affair of most RPGs. As a middle-ground RPG, Lacrimosa of Dana carries a hefty amount of content and a ton of addictive gameplay as well as challenge. Anyone looking for the polar opposite of the genre’s turn-based gameplay need not look further, as the Ys series remains the undisputed champ of the thinking man’s button masher.

With many original good ideas, Ys VIII : Lacrimosa of DANA is a pure gem. Even the Fedex quests are nicely integrated in the game and the only real flaw is that the game looks like a PS Vita game more than a Switch game.

The storytelling is lacking but otherwise this is one of the most interesting Japanese role-players of recent years, and one that isn’t afraid to take inspiration from other genres.

In the event you come into this category, porting will undoubtedly satisfy your palates and bewitch you with an engaging and long-lasting product.

With its streamlined combat system and compelling narrative, the latest entry in the Ys series is another solid addition to the Switch’s growing library and should definitely be on every JRPG lover’s list.

It’s an RPG that asks a hefty time commitment and doesn’t offer particularly deep character storylines – but the combat, overall story, and character progression make Ys VIII: Lacrimosa of DANA a journey well worth taking.

Ys VIII is a very good action RPG with looks a bit outdated but still plays wonderfully thanks to its frantic combat system and some skillfully crafted progression. The Switch version is crisp and works fine both docked and undocked but lacks smoothness and visual details.

Overall, if you want to play Ys VIII on TV, get the PS4 version by far. The Switch visuals are inconsistent and the framerate isn’t stable in some situations. The drop to 30fps would’ve been fine if it looked better but the variable resolution makes it look quite ugly in some situations. Shadow flickering is a big annoyance. On the portable side of things, this is better than playing on Vita in every aspect but shadows.

Ys VIII's smooth combat, amazing music, and fun-to-explore environments make for a memorable and rewarding experience. Unfortunately, you may want to steer clear of a Switch port that mars that experience with technical and localization issues.

YS VIII for Nintendo Switch a lazy port from Sony’s consoles. Despite the use of dynamic resolution scaling (DRS) and halving the frame-rate to 30fps, both of these aspects suffer and fail to deliver in the heat of the action. Besides these technical issues, the experience is the same of the original release and this game offer a lot to old school RPG lovers.

Well, this port is quite the disappointment: laggy framerate, blurry, not even able to reach 60fps docked. It is quite hard to recommend this port to anyone who already played Ys VIII. For the others, if you own a PS4, PC or a Vita, buy these versions instead. Otherwise, go for the Nintendo Switch because even though this port is lazy, Ys VIII remains an excellent J-RPG which deserves to be enjoyed by as many people as possible.