User Score
8.6

Generally favorable reviews- based on 322 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Negative: 27 out of 322
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  1. ket
    Sep 4, 2023
    6
    Ys 8 (VIII) is a fun game, well structured, a lot to do and plenty to explore with a solid enough story. On Switch though talking from a technical perspective out in the open (anything past the opening on the ship) it looks like total crap with shimmer all over the place, a result of either no TAA (Temporal Anti Aliasing) being used on Switch or mipmaps being removed from diffuse texturesYs 8 (VIII) is a fun game, well structured, a lot to do and plenty to explore with a solid enough story. On Switch though talking from a technical perspective out in the open (anything past the opening on the ship) it looks like total crap with shimmer all over the place, a result of either no TAA (Temporal Anti Aliasing) being used on Switch or mipmaps being removed from diffuse textures (likely to save space) which results in a harsh, grainy, uncomfortable viewing experience which ends up hurting your eyes (literally, I'm not talking figuratively). Even a minimal amount of TAA would dramatically cut down this shimmer and make for a vastly improved experience. Shadow quality also isn't great. Neither of these things should have been deemed acceptable when put together, bad shadow resolution you could live with if the overall image didn't have such absurd levels of noise and is easily enough to drag what should be a 9/10 down to a 6/10. The devs REALLY need to release a patch enabling a small amount of TAA even now because without SOMETHING being done to reduce the amount of noise it is truly horrendous. In terms of frame rate however I've not noticed anything drastic it has remained very consistent so there is at least that in favour for the Switch port.

    Until a patch is released (if ever) to drastically tone down or fix the image shimmer buy it on PS4 instead for £20 (or less) rather than blowing £35 (or more) on this Switch version because on anything larger than the tiny screen of the Switch the image shimmer will absolutely ruin your experience.

    An extremely disappointing port that didn't have to be this way.
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  2. May 25, 2023
    9
    This game is long, and I'm glad you are able to quick read the story and sort of fast forward it. But the story is worth it, even speed reading it. You'll get to know the characters and the plot is pretty well made. However, I'm here for the gameplay and that's what I enjoyed the best. There wasn't too much variation in the items you could wear, but the variety of characters and skillsThis game is long, and I'm glad you are able to quick read the story and sort of fast forward it. But the story is worth it, even speed reading it. You'll get to know the characters and the plot is pretty well made. However, I'm here for the gameplay and that's what I enjoyed the best. There wasn't too much variation in the items you could wear, but the variety of characters and skills made up for it.

    It's very fast paced action. Good side quests. It never felt like grinding. Also I played on normal mode.
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  3. Jan 28, 2023
    10
    This is an RPG well worth playing, 100+ hours of fun in my case. 50 hours in the game is still introducing new features that fit well and add to the loop. finding new castaways always brings progress and the story was a big surprise as I did not expect something so grand. The whole game was a wonderful surprise. As a big RPG player who has been playing final fantasy, dragon quest and y'sThis is an RPG well worth playing, 100+ hours of fun in my case. 50 hours in the game is still introducing new features that fit well and add to the loop. finding new castaways always brings progress and the story was a big surprise as I did not expect something so grand. The whole game was a wonderful surprise. As a big RPG player who has been playing final fantasy, dragon quest and y's this game is truly a great. Expand
  4. Sep 4, 2022
    8
    Pro
    - Fast paced action
    - Challenging bosses

    Cons
    - Spongy enemies HP
    - Characters not memorable
    - 30 fps not satisfying for fast paced action game, although it is not too distracting in Switch.
  5. Sep 1, 2022
    0
    this game is very very boring with no good content the gameplay is very empty
  6. Aug 26, 2022
    0
    a very cheap game with no good quality gameplay. the improvements are so boring
  7. Jun 30, 2022
    0
    this game is not good. really the worst soundtrack and the story is not fun it all
  8. 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. Feb 25, 2022
    3
    I can't get past the terrible dialogue and writing. The game feels like a lame, poorly-written anime that is too horny. The camera feels janky and the combat feels hollow. Ys Origin had much better action, though it similarly suffered from horrendous storytelling. I wouldn't recommend this unless you consider yourself a weeb and a fan of the action RPG genre.
  10. Feb 8, 2022
    5
    I would have given a 4 but I think an amber rating is more fair than a red. I rarely ever score in the middle ground because I either really enjoy a game and rate it high, or have wasted my money and give a 0. I don't often get a game I like just enough to persevere with but not enough to call it a good game.

    So Ys 8 has a lot going for it. The soundtrack although not as good as some
    I would have given a 4 but I think an amber rating is more fair than a red. I rarely ever score in the middle ground because I either really enjoy a game and rate it high, or have wasted my money and give a 0. I don't often get a game I like just enough to persevere with but not enough to call it a good 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 bit 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 Path 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.
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  11. Jan 25, 2022
    3
    Low budget game plus looks extra awful on Switch
  12. Jan 4, 2022
    9
    A beautiful experience that I would recommend to any JRPG fan; the characters' interactions are a joy to watch and I liked every party member, Dana in particular. The adventure grows into something bigger as you go through it, through exciting boss battles and dungeons, and it is worth it to stick through to the end. There are a few issues like with the translation or the framerate onA beautiful experience that I would recommend to any JRPG fan; the characters' interactions are a joy to watch and I liked every party member, Dana in particular. The adventure grows into something bigger as you go through it, through exciting boss battles and dungeons, and it is worth it to stick through to the end. There are a few issues like with the translation or the framerate on distant large enemies, but you would be a fool to let it put you off experiencing this beautiful tale. Expand
  13. Jan 1, 2022
    9
    Disclaimer: my first Y’s game
    This game was extremely satisfying to play! The story and the characters are full of life. Never seen a game have so many characters yet each so distinct and their own personalities. The island atmosphere is done very well and the world is fun to explore. The combat is nothing ground breaking nor extremely deep, however it is so satisfying and does not get
    Disclaimer: my first Y’s game
    This game was extremely satisfying to play! The story and the characters are full of life. Never seen a game have so many characters yet each so distinct and their own personalities. The island atmosphere is done very well and the world is fun to explore. The combat is nothing ground breaking nor extremely deep, however it is so satisfying and does not get boring over many many hours of gameplay. The boss fights are fun and quite challenging. The pacing was very nice to me because you can go from very story heavy and intense to fast paced and very causal exploring. Would definitely recommend to any RPG/ Action RPG fan
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  14. Nov 18, 2021
    7
    The story, plot, and characters of Ys VIII are all good, but the combat and length really ruin the game. It feels as if the game is dragging on forever. Long games aren't a bad thing, but when nothing new is introduced, it gets quite boring. Still, the game is memorable enough and isn't bad by any metric.
  15. Jun 19, 2020
    9
    graphics 8/10
    story 9/10
    music 9/10
    control 9/10
    fun factor 9/10

    TOTAL 8.4
  16. Sep 11, 2021
    9
    The story is what drives this game up. The pacing is excellent and supports the game play. Music is linked very well with what's happening on screen.
  17. Sep 6, 2021
    9
    The game, story and gameplay wise, is fantastic! I like to describe the gameplay as Xenoblade, but more engaging. The story is ok, although somewhat predictable at times. The biggest flaw of both the Switch and PS4 version are the graphics and performance (more more of an issue on Switch). It's a Vita port, so the graphics are definitely outdated (arguably PS2 or GameCube graphics), butThe game, story and gameplay wise, is fantastic! I like to describe the gameplay as Xenoblade, but more engaging. The story is ok, although somewhat predictable at times. The biggest flaw of both the Switch and PS4 version are the graphics and performance (more more of an issue on Switch). It's a Vita port, so the graphics are definitely outdated (arguably PS2 or GameCube graphics), but even then the performance isn't great. Look up Ana comparison on YouTube because words do not express my disappointment in the performance of the Switch version. It isn't absolutely atrocious like the follow up game, but it definitely looks "offensive" to use the words of another review. But if you can get past the graphics and performance issues, the game is fantastic. However, if you have a PS4, I'd recommend getting that version over the Switch version. It preforms much, MUCH better and doesn't lower the resolution to what looks like 360p. Again, if you can get past the graphics and anime bs that often accompanies games like this, this is easily one of the best JRPGs in terms of gameplay. Expand
  18. Apr 26, 2021
    10
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. This game is something else, let me tell you. Starting out with a simple RPG plot of returning home to a plot that will make you love each character no matter what, alongside gameplay addicting that will be super satisfyingly to master, and makes each character super unique. Graphics are also super charming with great character designs and expressive characters. This game is perfect, no doubt about it. Ys 8 should set the standard when it comes to ARPGs, especially with story. Dana especially is an amazing character with so much depth. Falcom does a great job at making the player sympathize with her. And yes, you will cry. Especially in the true ending where Dana thanks you for everything you did for her. That ending deserves to be framed on a wall Expand
  19. Mar 29, 2021
    9
    Excellent game! Great combat, great story, great characters. The start seems slow, but the game keeps getting better and better and the combat is always fresh! Lots of bosses to fight and different enemies too.
  20. Feb 28, 2021
    7
    Framerate isn't great, combat can get repetitive, resource gathering was shoehorned in to pad out the game length. Music is forgettable, character art is simple but clean.
  21. Jan 2, 2021
    10
    Is one of the very veryyy few games that got me sentimental and I have played a lot of games, truly a majestic brilliant story that made me to become such a fan!
  22. Jan 1, 2021
    10
    Amazing games, just as good as the ps4 version. Very few visual downgrades and with all the amazing story combat and exploring.
  23. Dec 31, 2020
    8
    When I heard that you are a castaway on a mysterious island, it had me intrigued. The plot had a 'Lost' TV show vibe, along with being an ARPG I had to get it.
    I found the music to be stellar and only judging by the music I would award a 10/10. Not my favourite type of music but enjoyed it as the guitarist seemed to have a blast jamming at times.
    Without going through details, the plot
    When I heard that you are a castaway on a mysterious island, it had me intrigued. The plot had a 'Lost' TV show vibe, along with being an ARPG I had to get it.
    I found the music to be stellar and only judging by the music I would award a 10/10. Not my favourite type of music but enjoyed it as the guitarist seemed to have a blast jamming at times.
    Without going through details, the plot is well illustrated and makes you invested in every character. There is some plot twists and interesting ideas to keep you motivated. However, I feel the plot later sways to the JRPG cliché which loses a unique identity. The combat is deep yet straight forward and changing characters within the team add variety as they each have different moves and attributes. The button mapping is unsatisfactory, however you can customise this in the menu options.
    The upgrade system is easy to understand making it less of a chore to get into the action.
    A few issues I encountered on the Switch version I played are:
    - Enemies in the far background have a terrible framerate (like single digits) and is comical in a way. When approaching the enemy, the frame rate increases. I am not a FPS snob but something to notice if you are.
    - Graphics look strongly like an early PS3 game. Great attempt on their first 3D game but did disappoint me given the framerate issue above.
    - Some scenes seem to stretch too for and the characters seems to blurt out the obvious. There are moment I am not playing the game at for for over 20minutes and get me impatient to play the game
    - Some scenes jump from full voice audio to just text boxes and seem to be quite random when this happens. Wasn't a major complaint as file size and cost of voice actors, but was it was the inconsistent nature that was jarring.
    - The game is riddled with invisible walls that break immersion for me. The game seems more open-world in the images then what is actually happening also. The game is not fully linear but could be more open to explore this wonderful island.
    The game took me around 70 hours to finish on hard mode and I got the true ending. Some parts could be streamlined to make it a 60hour experience for me. I recommend playing but cannot say I will play again due to the investment made and long cut scenes in certain areas.
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  24. Dec 14, 2020
    8
    solid game fairly engaging just missing endgame/high level content to make you feel like there was a reason for getting all the unlock-ables.
  25. Sep 25, 2020
    10
    This was one of the best gaming experiences I have ever had.
    This game has rewarding meaningful exploration with a nice central story progression.
    If you like Robinson Crusoe, the Mysterious Island, Treasure Island, Land of the Lost, or King Kong, you will probably love this game. I technically give this a 9.5 because the ending gets convoluted as almost every JRPG does. I cannot knock
    This was one of the best gaming experiences I have ever had.
    This game has rewarding meaningful exploration with a nice central story progression.
    If you like Robinson Crusoe, the Mysterious Island, Treasure Island, Land of the Lost, or King Kong, you will probably love this game.
    I technically give this a 9.5 because the ending gets convoluted as almost every JRPG does. I cannot knock it down to a 9 because the experience it gave me for the first 3/4ths of it was absolutely superb.
    Simply an amazing adventure.
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  26. Sep 9, 2020
    10
    So, I picked up Ys VIII after I finished Memories of Celceta, and I loved every minute of it. I loved the story which turned out to be more than just the vanilla "Escape the Island" scenario. The gameplay was fun and addictive, there was a good amount of quests, and the music(chef's kiss) was some of the best music that I've heard this past decade. I regret not buying the limited editionSo, I picked up Ys VIII after I finished Memories of Celceta, and I loved every minute of it. I loved the story which turned out to be more than just the vanilla "Escape the Island" scenario. The gameplay was fun and addictive, there was a good amount of quests, and the music(chef's kiss) was some of the best music that I've heard this past decade. I regret not buying the limited edition of the game because it includes the CD for some of the music in the game. I just recently started playing the Ys series in 2018 and since then, it's become one of my favourite series, and Ys VIII pretty much cemented it. In my opinion, Ys VIII is the best game in the series. So looking forward to Ys IX! Expand
  27. Aug 31, 2020
    8
    The game looks really good and I like the option to use original voice; however, the English translation is really bad sometimes, with sentences that have missing words and don’t make much sense. For such an expensive and popular game, I expected more thorough checks...
  28. Jun 20, 2020
    9
    >>Story: It centers around a adventurer named, Adol, with his bud Dogi.Where he starts off on a ship coming from Xandria and heading to Eresia.(It takes place shortly after YsV)
    In search of his next adventure till they come close to a "Cursed" island, Seiren, tht has caused many a ship wreck.They got a lil too close and get attacked by a undersea creature tht sinks the ship.
    Adol ends
    >>Story: It centers around a adventurer named, Adol, with his bud Dogi.Where he starts off on a ship coming from Xandria and heading to Eresia.(It takes place shortly after YsV)
    In search of his next adventure till they come close to a "Cursed" island, Seiren, tht has caused many a ship wreck.They got a lil too close and get attacked by a undersea creature tht sinks the ship.
    Adol ends up on the island as a castaway.He starts off his adventure trying to find any surviving castaways and a way to get off the island.But their seems to be more to wht this island contains
    Honestly the story was pretty engaging and when u find out a pretty good bit of wht this island is at the halfway point of the story, the pacing of the story just keeps hitting moment to moment and honestly never slows down, in a good way.
    Also has a Bad, Normal and Good ending.
    >>Graphics: Its a game ported from the PS Vita with a bump n resolution and higher res UI. Thts pretty much it....a pretty bare bones port imo They didnt bother updating some of the assets to look good on a tv.Shadows are still blocky, render distance for grass is pretty short, enemies move at half framerate at a distance and a few smaller things. BUT still the game looks great overall despite the noticeable Vita assets. (Switch version when played in handheld keeps constantly switching between 576p and 720p, even when there isnt much goin on and ur just standing. Most notable in the "hub" area of the game; but overall not noticeable in normal gameplay.) Plus the locations are pretty varied so never looks bland.
    >>Gameplay: So like typical jrpg fashion u start out as Level 1. As u continue to level up, u get incremental boosts to ur stats. As u level up, u unlock more skills for ur character (and other party members) to use in combat and the skills are pretty varied from each member. They may hav some similarities but overall hav their own "identity" to make it entertaining. U can hav up to 4 skills slotted to use in combat.The more and more u use a skill, it will level up and boost its stats to be more effective in damage or reduced SP use. (SP is essentially the currency in ur meter to use skills) Skills can be like slash upwards to air, dive honing onto a enemy, parry into a big blast, big wide aoe spin, blast radius shot, etc.; SP can be recovered by just normal attacks onto enemy, if u wait till a blue TING visual/noise pops on ur character then ur next attack will fill a good portion of SP to use.
    Now there is a skill called a, EXTRA skill where its unique to the individuals of the party; its a separate meter tht can be filled from constant use of ur regular skills. Once it fills completely, u can unleash it to a big powerful attack. (Pretty anime in nature u culd say. lol)
    >>Gameplay Part 2: Now as u find more castaways as u progress the story (some require ur own searching tht isnt in line with the story entirely), tht help open up more facilities. Blacksmith, clothing maker, Trade shop, Farming, Accessory making, etc.
    The ones I listed (except) farmer will be given to u just by following the story missions instead of a need to search.
    Also u need to rescue castaways to help clear blocks in paths to get to the next part of the island; story related and side stuff.
    Blacksmith is where u upgrade ur weps and get armor (obviously lol); For wep upgrading u can level up wep to lvl 3 if u bring the right materials; as u progress through the story u will find "Fire Stones" tht will help upgrade ur wep to the next Tier and affects them visually. (some cool designs) Same with armor on needing to find materials.
    Now on gathering materials, its typical to like survival games or MH, where u need to gather from material spots. Veins, trees, plants, fishing, etc.
    Now in the game as u reach a point in the story early on, u hav to partake in Raids. Where beasts attack ur hub.U need to build fortifications, support, etc. from materials u find out on ur adventure; level them up as well. Once u complete raids, u are graded with how u performed. Eradication, EXTRA skill use, no damage, etc. The higher ur grade, the better materials u get as ur rewards.
    Later on in the story, u partake into something similar called, Hunts. Where u eradicate overpopulation areas of the island tht might be a threat to ur hub. Where u places torches in set locations and protect them, since they weaken beast nests and enemies to make easier and faster to kill; till at the end the Boss appears tht u must defeat.
    Now to get the Good ending in the game, u must acquire 200 Rep by doing story, castaway related sidequests, giving castaways gifts (tht appear in the Trade shop or Chests u find in the game), rescuing more castaways, etc.Its not too hard to get it if u keep doin alot of stuff;Took me 46 hrs to get nearly everything done.
    >>Music: I'll just list some tracks tht I like and let u judge. I really luv the OST of the game overall. SunshineCoastline, NextStepTowardTheUnknown,AtoZ(best 1)
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  29. Jun 6, 2020
    10
    Juegazo donde los hayan.
    Ys siempre ha sido una saga de ActionRPGs que ha destacado por su jugabilidad y su música, y esta entrega no decepciona. También su historia resulta muy interesante siguiendose un cierto hilo en todas sus entregas que comparten los viajes del protagonista Adol, compartiendo personajes recurrentes y narrandose antiguos sucesos pero, exceptuando los primeros,
    Juegazo donde los hayan.
    Ys siempre ha sido una saga de ActionRPGs que ha destacado por su jugabilidad y su música, y esta entrega no decepciona. También su historia resulta muy interesante siguiendose un cierto hilo en todas sus entregas que comparten los viajes del protagonista Adol, compartiendo personajes recurrentes y narrandose antiguos sucesos pero, exceptuando los primeros, siendo entregas independientes (no es necesario jugar a los anteriores, las referencias son mínimas).
    En ese sentido este juego no decepciona para nada, con una historia que francamente me recuerda mucho a la serie "Lost" pero con temática más medieval.
    Al principio del juego naufragaremos en una isla aparentemente desierta, que tendremos que ir explorando mientras rescatamos a los supervivientes del naufragio, reclutándolos para nuestra base que iremos haciendo crecer, y girando las misiones en la exploración y en la supervivencia de esta, buscando los recursos o personal necesarios; mientras que por supuesto, buscaremos la manera de escapar de la isla. Pero la isla esconde intrigantes misterios que resolver: ¿qué es la criatura que hace naufragar en el barco y cómo poder escapar en el mar de ella? ¿Qué son los monstruos (dinosaurios) jamás vistos en el continente que pueblan la isla? ¿Cuál es el motivo de los sueños de Adol con la extraña chica peliazul y quién es ella?
    Como digo, una historia muy interesante de principio a fin, un sistema de batalla genial, geniales personajes con los que te unirá un fuerte vínculo por la estrecha colaboración con ellos para escapar de la isla durante las decenas de horas de juego, y una sensación de exploración de una isla como pocas.
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  30. Apr 9, 2020
    9
    If you prefer action rpg more than turnbased. We probably have thesame taste and This is the game for you! I wouldve gave it a 10 but i am spoiled in BOTW and XC2 graphics, ys viii graphics is good but someone took the standards way up there . Anyway the gameplay outshines its flaws. I was thinking this or xenoblade chro 2.I prefer better gameplay than better graphics so here i am. HereIf you prefer action rpg more than turnbased. We probably have thesame taste and This is the game for you! I wouldve gave it a 10 but i am spoiled in BOTW and XC2 graphics, ys viii graphics is good but someone took the standards way up there . Anyway the gameplay outshines its flaws. I was thinking this or xenoblade chro 2.I prefer better gameplay than better graphics so here i am. Here you can grind but the battles depnds on the player itself, dodging blocking using the skill at the right time but still its an rpg. I reccomend it. Expand
Metascore
82

Generally favorable reviews - based on 21 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 18 out of 21
  2. Negative: 0 out of 21
  1. Nintendo Force Magazine
    Oct 29, 2018
    95
    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]
  2. 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.
  3. Jul 26, 2018
    90
    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.