Ys VIII: Lacrimosa of DANA

 Switch
Metascore
82

Generally favorable reviews - based on 21 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 18 out of 21
  2. Mixed: 3 out of 21
  3. Negative: 0 out of 21
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  1. Eurogamer Italy
    Sep 23, 2018
    70
    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.
  2. Gameblog.fr
    Jul 9, 2018
    70
    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.
  3. RPG Site
    Jun 25, 2018
    70
    Ys VIII on Switch is a polarizing experience. It does some things so well, such as offering the full breadth of PS4 content on the go and a mostly solid framerate - but resolution woes, a translation that still leaves a lot to be desired despite seeing an overhaul, and more makes it somewhat hard to recommend this version of the game.

Awards & Rankings

68
#68 Best Switch Game of 2018
29
#29 Most Discussed Switch Game of 2018
44
#44 Most Shared Switch Game of 2018

User Reviews

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User Score
8.6

Generally favorable reviews- based on 322 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 268 out of 322
  2. Mixed: 27 out of 322
  3. Negative: 27 out of 322
  1. rumbledore
    Jul 22, 2018
    10
    Just finished this game and I miss the experience already... The story was breathtaking, the characters were admirable and the gameplay wasJust finished this game and I miss the experience already... The story was breathtaking, the characters were admirable and the gameplay was topnotch... Can't wait for Ys IX. This is truly a hidden gem more people should know about. This is the first Ys game I've played and this makes me want to play the previous Ys games.… Full Review »
  2. GBG_Jason
    Jun 26, 2018
    9
    It may just be me, but I really miss the style of older JRPGs. Having grown up on them, they’re a sort of comfort food for me. As much as IIt may just be me, but I really miss the style of older JRPGs. Having grown up on them, they’re a sort of comfort food for me. As much as I enjoy modern RPGs and all the new mechanics they’ve brought about, I love to venture back to the olden days of the genre, typically by replaying games from decades past, but this manages to bring a lot of what those games had while still keeping things a bit up-to-date. The dialogue and characters are very reminiscent of older games, and similarly, the dialogue options selected don’t affect the gameplay, so you don’t have to worry about what you’re selecting. This is obvious should you choose to pause during a section of dialogue and see the option of skipping it. Yes, if you feel like RPGs have too much dialogue and you’d rather just swing your sword, you are more than welcome to do that in this. While a strange feature to include, it was very welcome in the prologue having played through it just recently on PC. Should something happen for you to lose your progress, like the power going out, this will undoubtedly save you time if you were in the middle of a narrative heavy section.

    Once you get past the fact that this game won’t be winning any visual awards, you can focus on the fact that the game plays wonderfully. Ys has always been great for combat, and the latest game is no exception. Falcom didn’t sacrifice gameplay for graphics in the way that Final Fantasy XIII did. It could be argued they did the opposite in lieu of not only showing a great game is not dependent on its visuals, but also to spend more time with the mechanics they implemented into this. Combat with any of the characters you acquire throughout is fluid, with three of your party members being a button press away at any given moment – in battle or out. This is important not only for the types of eclectic battles you’ll face, but for the skills each one has for exploration. Battles are mainly hack and slash, with dodges, blocks, and skills to use. It’s a fairly simple system, but it can’t be overstated how well it works. You’ll be faced with using weaknesses on enemies, forcing you to strategize with the different cast members you acquire.

    While certainly not something that’s alien to the series, I can’t think of many RPGs that make use of the Metroidvania level design which taunts you with areas you can’t access until you gain abilities later on. And yet, it’s one of the things that make this so enjoyable. One of the other large portions of the game you’ll be introduced to fairly early on is building your base and recruiting people into it. Having just recently played through Ni no Kuni 2, this was a familiar yet very welcome addition to the rest of the game. Building up your base with differently skilled denizens while defending them from external threats will undoubtedly take up a major portion of your time.

    One of the more notably weak portions of the game will be dependent on your experience with the genre. If you’re like me, you’ll appreciate the story despite its shortcomings. If you’ve never seen anything like this, it can go either way – it can be seen as shallow or it may serve as an introduction to many tropes. As mentioned previously, should you really hate it, you can always skip it altogether. Did I mention there are dinosaurs in this game? You wash up on an island where boats are known to crash if they come within a certain distance of it for reasons unknown (sort of a Bermuda Triangle deal). Do note that if you’re not familiar with the series at all, that’s not a reason to skip out on this, as very little from the other games will help or hinder your experience with this. The one thing you don’t have to worry about is the localization, as this comes with the newly updated script that came out several months after its initial release.

    While this review started off rocky with the PC port, I believe the game is playable for most people there now. Should you not have a console, you would probably be safe nabbing it there. However, I definitely recommend the PS4, Vita, or Switch versions for the reassurance of it working properly. The Switch has that wonderful little feature that doesn’t tie you to a TV, and I enjoyed my time in the recliner with the screen a few inches from my face more than on the 4K TV across the room. This is especially true considering the fact that the game appears better on a smaller screen when played on Switch. I can honestly say this is probably the best Ys game I’ve played on all fronts, and am happy to see it make out of the PlayStation ecosystem, as it’s a game and series that deserves much more love than it gets.    … Full Review »
  3. AliasOrion
    Jul 16, 2018
    10
    This game was good enough to convince me to make a metacritic account just to combat the shameful score critics gave it. As with Xenoblade 2,This game was good enough to convince me to make a metacritic account just to combat the shameful score critics gave it. As with Xenoblade 2, the best game to date for switch, this game is hurt by short attention spans and the logistical difficulty for critics to play such a massive game to completion before launch. I am by no means a JRPG fan, but despite this heavily abiding by the laws of the genre, it does so in such a way that it doesn't feel like tedious constant micro-managing, but just fun preparation. The pacing teaches you everything you need to know and prepares you for things to get harder. The bosses are well thought out and the combat system is phenomenal. The primary story does not really even begin until 40% through the content of the game, which explains in large part the low scores of critics who recognized fantastic combat, a well thought out map and world, perfect music and many more positive aspects, but had not yet made it to the engrossing plot. This is a port of a ps4 port of a ps vita game, and as such it is heavily instanced and the graphics are not exactly BotW tier, however, it is easy to look past these few short-comings with everything else this game has going for it.… Full Review »
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