Ys VIII: Lacrimosa of DANA

 Switch
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
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  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 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.
  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 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 thingsIt 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.    … Expand
  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, 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 lawsThis 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.… Expand
  4. TheFlannelFox
    Jun 26, 2018
    8
    Get ready for another grindy JRPG!
    With the wind in your hair and the horizon in the distance Adol is aboard a passenger vessel at sea, while proclaiming himself an adventurer he is working as a hired hand doing whatever the Captain requires. Beginning you tasks with patrolling as security during a dinner party, the ship is attacked by a huge kraken when Adol is tossed a sword and is    Get ready for another grindy JRPG!
    With the wind in your hair and the horizon in the distance Adol is aboard a passenger vessel at sea, while proclaiming himself an adventurer he is working as a hired hand doing whatever the Captain requires. Beginning you tasks with patrolling as security during a dinner party, the ship is attacked by a huge kraken when Adol is tossed a sword and is thrown into battle. While he is able to fend off the beast for just enough time for you to learn the basic mechanics of combat, the ship is sunk and you find yourself stranded on a legendary island known for explorers not returning from it.
    Quickly you realize that you are not alone on this island, you find a rusty sword and must defend yourself from the thousands of beasts that cover the island like sea salt. Soon you find Laxi and she joins you on your adventure, shortly followed by the Captain who sets you on the quest to map the entire island looking for more survivors from the shipwreck.
    On your adventure to find more survivors they will join your team and pressing the Y button during combat allows you to rotate between characters on the fly. Each character having a different color based skill set, where certain classed character will cause more damage to certain enemies. The difference is incredibly noticeable as attacking a green classed enemy with Adol is a red class will take you two to three times longer to defeat, than fighting with Laxia who is green class.
    Basic combat in YsVIII feels surprisingly good, as soon as I began running and jumping around the ship I was taken aback by the very responsive movement, jumping, and dodge-rolls. This feeling continued as I ventured further into the game. After locking onto your target you attack with A for short combos or hold down A to execute a more powerful attack. Then you have skills that you learn as you level up that you map to four slots connected to each face button while holding down the R button, these are all used to charge up ultimate attacks that will come in incredibly handy when encountering difficult boss fights. Which happen a lot more often than this cute anime 3d art-style would suggest and are welcome moments of strategy and challenge.
    As you find more survivors from the shipwreck they become a part of your settlement and how fortunate for you that they all have skill sets that you are in need of. Finding a blacksmith, seamstress, and many others soon has your town becoming more robust allowing you to upgrade all of your gear. Which is very rewarding as you have to using crafting items that you find when out exploring. Along with upgrading your gear, metroidvania style skill upgrades allow you to unlock new sections of the map that you were previously unable to travel to.
    Passing loads of green vines leading upward, at first is a huge environmental road block until you eventually get a pair of gloves that allows you to traverse them with ease. As you will travel through each area many many times grinding your way up in level, it’s great to have these areas that allow some new discoveries even though you’ve searched them many times before. As you work your way through, each little section of the map is broken up into loading points and the enemies respawn if you reenter a cleared area, which is great to level up your squad but can cause a frustrating challenge when your a lost on your way to an objective, which will certainly happen a lot. Certain environments can be quite the maze when slashing your way through, like the dungeons, which are the only areas in the game that your health doesn’t regenerate when you stand still, which raises the stakes quite a bit when retracing your path through dangerous monsters your third time in a row.
    I did want to add that while I have heard when originally launching in the states the dialogue localization was a bit rough, but has been fixed and I had no issues in my playthrough. Also when starting the game you do have a lot of DLC available, which is mostly just cosmetic and switching through costumes during gameplay is a nice way to feel fresh while grinding.
    YsVIII: Lacrimosa of Dana is a great experience that should appeal to more than the average action jrpg fan. Yes the story and conversations between characters feels quite cliche and at times you just want to fast forward through the drawn out dialogue, which is an option, but it makes up for it the moment that you hit the ground running. Everything from the special moves, to dodging, jumping, blocking, and climbing feels so fantastic to execute that the hours upon hours you spend slicing through monsters does not get old. With rewarding RPG progression and base building, a weak story and yes very lengthy cutscenes, but amazing combat I can happily say yes to this island adventure.    … Expand
  5. inkling_girl
    Jul 14, 2018
    10
    I'm not a fan of JRPGs at all so I was pleasantly surprised when I found myself enjoying this game. This is probably the only JRPG I've actually enjoyed. I haven't played the other games in the series but I read Ys games are standalone and can be played in any order since the storylines are not connected so I decided to give it a try and I am so glad I did. I loved everything about thisI'm not a fan of JRPGs at all so I was pleasantly surprised when I found myself enjoying this game. This is probably the only JRPG I've actually enjoyed. I haven't played the other games in the series but I read Ys games are standalone and can be played in any order since the storylines are not connected so I decided to give it a try and I am so glad I did. I loved everything about this game- the compelling and action-packed storyline, the seamless combat, the characters, the exploration and environments, and of course the music. I had an absolute blast playing this game, there was never a dull moment. Highly recommended.… Expand
  6. kell32669
    Jul 8, 2018
    9
    Being My first Ys game playing, it is very welcoming with a great experience, love the story, the gameplay, and how its all put together, it gets you hooked to the game within the first few minutes of playing, some people complain about the visuals of the switch version, but to me, it looks amazing, i even tested the demo version, on the ps4, while its the graphics look slightly better,Being My first Ys game playing, it is very welcoming with a great experience, love the story, the gameplay, and how its all put together, it gets you hooked to the game within the first few minutes of playing, some people complain about the visuals of the switch version, but to me, it looks amazing, i even tested the demo version, on the ps4, while its the graphics look slightly better, its barely noticeable when playing on switch, which is acceptable being that u can take this on the go. AWESOME GAME, HIGHLY RECOMMENDED. only downside imo, is that it should have contained more costumes either by in game or dlc.… Expand
  7. vahn
    Jan 24, 2019
    5
    I had to return this game and get myself a copy of the ps4 version instead, making this the third game I returned for the switch (Bayonetta, Doom and this one) for the sole reason that it's practically a crappier version on almost every level.

    Let me say this: the game ITSELF is great, now that I'm playing on a ps4 version instead, and it's clearly one of the best action RPGs of the    I had to return this game and get myself a copy of the ps4 version instead, making this the third game I returned for the switch (Bayonetta, Doom and this one) for the sole reason that it's practically a crappier version on almost every level.

    Let me say this: the game ITSELF is great, now that I'm playing on a ps4 version instead, and it's clearly one of the best action RPGs of the last years. However, I cannot pass over the big flaws that the switch version has and forced me to essentially switch - HAHAHA - to the ps4 version instead.

    And why am I here reviewing this game instead of ps4 version? Because I'm tired of everyone saying that "Switch version of X is better because it's portable" when it's clearly the opposite and like a dumbass, I fell for it. But this will be the last time, for sure.

    First but not least, 50 euros for an (almost) 2-year-old game...stay classy switch games! I mean it's not like I can buy this game for 30 euros NEW for ps4 and pc!

    Secondly, the game is locked at 30 fps and let me say that the difference is abysmal: on the switch, the gameplay is a lot less fluid and it feels like I'm playing an old ps2 game. Sure it works, it's functional and it's working but this game is meant to be played in full speed and having 60 fps does help a lot more. Not being able to play at 60 is a huge letdown and as a result, your actions feel not as fluid or as fast, which is honestly weird considering that, from what I found, the game was firstly considered for the VITA which is even worse, meaning that this is a port of a port! Even the PC version is better!

    And third, I experienced quite the slowdowns when there's too much action going on - and believe me you WILL have a lot of enemies on screen at times - which drops the framerate even lower and that was the moment I said "F--k it, I'm getting the ps4 version" because this is unacceptable.

    I will ignore the fact that this game had translation issues since that's an already fixed problem.

    In conclusion, I love Ys 8 and I wanted to give it a good try on the switch but it's just not really good and not worth the price, especially when for less you can get a much better version.

    "BUT IT'S PORTABLE" Yeah, I know it's portable, but so is my portable computer and guess what? It's also on steam, which is also a pretty decent port from what I know.

    So here's the thing: would you rather buy a version who has smooth 60 fps combat, no slowdowns, a better price point but no portability or buy a version who has 30 fps combat, lots of slowdowns, a full retail price with the only positive remark being it's portable?

    Measure your cons and pros I say, which is why I gave it a 5: it's a fantastic game, no denying that, and it's extremely fun and enjoyable and I'm having a blast exploring, fighting, fishing, crafting, everything. But on the switch, this game is only HALF of what's on the ps4 and pc version, which is why I'm giving it a 5.
    But if you only care about portability - AND ONLY CARE ABOUT THAT ONE FEATURE THAT ALSO A PORTABLE COMPUTER CAN DO AND ABSOLUTELY NOTHING ELSE - then add another 5 and enjoy yourself with yet another amazing action RPG in your collection.    … Expand
  8. pcossf
    Oct 11, 2018
    8
    Narratively speaking, the game’s storyline unfolds almost perfectly, with a pace that doesn’t seem too fast or too slow. It is a very intriguing adventure from start to finish, that evolves organically well from a survival story to an epic tale, with various emotional moments along the way, coming either from the protagonist party or the different NPCs you meet in your journey. SpeakingNarratively speaking, the game’s storyline unfolds almost perfectly, with a pace that doesn’t seem too fast or too slow. It is a very intriguing adventure from start to finish, that evolves organically well from a survival story to an epic tale, with various emotional moments along the way, coming either from the protagonist party or the different NPCs you meet in your journey. Speaking about the latter, the characters feel sufficiently developed once you get to explore all their plotlines and backgrounds, giving the player a sense of truly bonding, caring and maturing in every case (all but one, you’ll know which). And while this all makes for great storytelling, all wrapped up by a theme of personal decisions and free will vs. destiny, the only drawback in this aspect of the game is the overabundance of plot twists, each more whacky and sometimes a little bit more nonsensical than the others. Perhaps for some people it’s not a real issue, but for others—including myself—it is (by the end of my playthrough I mumbled “Ooh, shocker!” in a rather sarcastic tone). Luckily, the pace of the game itself and some well-executed hints here and there mitigated an otherwise Deux Ex Machina plot treatment that would have felt lazy and wrong. It’s still there but buried well under the ground.
    Combat and exploration are the main gameplay mechanics in this JRPG title. But unlike other games of the genre, that sometimes prefer slow pace and turn-based battles, Ys VIII: Lacrimosa of DANA surprises by its fast pace and almost hack-and-slash approach, reminding a little bit of the treatment another long-serving franchise made to its latest entrance (I’m looking at you, Final Fantasy XV). Exploration is the other side of the gameplay coin. And while this title takes place on an island, the map is surprisingly big, and the hours spent to do to a completionist playthrough are a lot (for me, it was a 70 hour-long journey). Furthermore, Ys VIII offers a plethora of activities to do: from simple tasks given by NPCs, to treasure hunts; from escort missions, to optional dungeons… you name it. Of course, as in any other RPG, there is the classic upgrade system, but this time with a twist: you exchange resources, rather than money, to get new weapons, armor and accessories that will help on battles; consumables and various other upgrades. To top it all, you get to do raid and hunt battles to defend your village, which will grow with every castaway you save, all rounded-up by a ranking system that makes the experience a little bit more fun.
    The visual aspect of the game is perhaps the one that has more flaws than any other. While it is a completely playable title, Ys VIII: Lacrimosa of DANA for Nintendo Switch suffers from frame-rate drops a lot, more so when there are a considerable number of enemies on-screen (and sometimes with less as well). While for me the game seems to run at a normal frame-rate of 40fps, the visuals can go as low as—I believe—20fps. Again, the title is playable, but it becomes increasingly annoying as you progress, specially for a product whose main strength was the graphic component. Speaking of graphics, while I was sold on an anime-style game, the art seems a little bit disappointing: the textures are 3D anime-like, but they feel at times cheap, with background details being the worse. I know this wasn’t aiming to be a visual marvel but considering what other games have done (I’m looking at you, Breath of the Wild and Octopath Traveler), I would have expected that by 2018 we would have gotten as a standard decent grass details and water effects, at the very least. Finally, the characters’ modelling is fine—few aliasing in this case—but the shadows and light system are not very good, and some animations are sterile, at best. It may not be the game’s fault, but that of the developer’s at optimizing this port for the Nintendo Switch. Or maybe the console itself. Who knows.
    Musically speaking, the game offers a great soundtrack, plagued by fast-paced rock (synth-rock?) tunes intertwined occasionally with slow orchestral arrangements. Raid battles, boss battles and key fights are accompanied by powerful tracks that excite the player and set the mood properly for some good old hacking and slashing of monsters. On the other side, orchestral arrangements serve to give the game a sense of epicness and grandiosity to the story. They are beautiful and, more than that, able to fulfill their purpose. Add good sound mixing, especially for effects, and you have a great product. The only flaw in this department is the localization of voices: English dubbing feels weird, as it is at times good for some characters, but bad for others. What’s more, voices seem sterile and don’t quite end up transmitting the feeling they intended to. I believe it would be best to experience Ys VIII with the original Japanese voiceover, which thankfully is available to select.    … Expand
  9. Carlinhos
    Feb 7, 2019
    8
    Ys VIII is an OK game, both artistically and technically. It could use better graphics, attention to localization text, framerate optimization and physics. The story, characters and addicting gameplay mechanics are its higher points. All in all, the game is enjoyable but lacks the polish that would make it stand out among other JRPGs.
  10. Sunshadow87
    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.    … Expand
  11. Patias
    May 4, 2019
    10
    An incredible masterpiece. Everything in this game is amazing. The art, the gameplay, the content, the original soundtrack. God, we talking about the king of action rpgs, and YS VIII is the best game of this incredible serie.

    You simply NEED this game!
  12. Lesh0
    Sep 12, 2019
    10
    My top 2 jrpg after xenoblade chronicles 2 hands down. The story OMG!! no word for the story. The music man you need to buy the game only because of the music you can just stand and listen to the music thats how good it is omg. 15/10 for music hands down best music in jrpg for me ! Characters were all amazing some fun some annoying and some cool but overall you will start to care for allMy top 2 jrpg after xenoblade chronicles 2 hands down. The story OMG!! no word for the story. The music man you need to buy the game only because of the music you can just stand and listen to the music thats how good it is omg. 15/10 for music hands down best music in jrpg for me ! Characters were all amazing some fun some annoying and some cool but overall you will start to care for all of them at some point. The only negatives i can come up with are frame drops at some points and combat scaling in some areas… Expand
  13. Dino84
    Feb 28, 2019
    9
    All new to Ys. I got it quite reluctantly, with mediocre expectations, and I was somewhat disheartened when the first character introduced looked like a blue haired male prostitute...
    But, just a few moments later I found I was fully enjoying myself, and now about 30 hours later (not even halfway through!), I got to say: this game has sailed up onto my top 10 games of all time.
    Which    All new to Ys. I got it quite reluctantly, with mediocre expectations, and I was somewhat disheartened when the first character introduced looked like a blue haired male prostitute...
    But, just a few moments later I found I was fully enjoying myself, and now about 30 hours later (not even halfway through!), I got to say: this game has sailed up onto my top 10 games of all time.

    Which is odd, because the graphics are not the best (especially on the Switch), the character interactions can feel a bit stiff (and ridiculous), and invisible walls are quite frequent during exploration. And the Switch framerate is around 30 rather than 60. Under normal circumstances, for me these would be major cons.
    But, everything else; the action, setting, story, soundtrack, progression, customization, pacing, variety, stability...
    All those are nailed to a degree that simply makes me quit caring about the cons. There is also some clever optimization done here, where creatures outside a certain radius are rendered with fewer frames, while keeping the players perspective smooth. This actually works very well, almost gives it an artistic touch.

    Few games makes me feel so good while playing as Ys8.

    Hoping for more Falcom Switch ports!    … Expand
  14. Vintoz04
    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
  15. Making_war
    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!
  16. Neatqt
    Jul 6, 2019
    8
    Cast: 8/10
    Story: 7/10
    Fun: 7/10
    Gameplay: 9/10

    Recommended
    ---------------------- 45 Hours Played
  17. ReyalsfoSwodahs
    Sep 14, 2018
    9
    After spending some time with YS VIII, I can safely say this game just works. The story is engaging and offers enough content to keep one entertained for hours on end. The combat is fun and switching between characters on the fly adds a more in-depth play style. Being able to switch between characters adds a sense of freshness to the game that other games lack. I have enjoyed recruitingAfter spending some time with YS VIII, I can safely say this game just works. The story is engaging and offers enough content to keep one entertained for hours on end. The combat is fun and switching between characters on the fly adds a more in-depth play style. Being able to switch between characters adds a sense of freshness to the game that other games lack. I have enjoyed recruiting people and building up the base so far (though I'm only like 15 hours in and haven't progressed a ton). Now, I will say one thing I do not like about the game is the walking/running animation. Adol and Co. seem to glide across the ground. I try not to nitpick stuff that does not really matter, but this is the main flaw I have with this game. If you're looking for a content filled RPG to keep you busy, YS VIII holds the keys to what you are looking for!… Expand
  18. Kadoosh
    Sep 30, 2018
    9
    This was an unexpected gem. Didn't know what I was getting myself into (especially with this being my first Ys game), but I stayed, and absolutely enjoyed the whole ride. Good story, great cast, and excellent gameplay. Got the true ending in one go, and while it wasn't hard by any means, is definitely the ending the shoot for. Looking forward to the next one. Just please make all ports ofThis was an unexpected gem. Didn't know what I was getting myself into (especially with this being my first Ys game), but I stayed, and absolutely enjoyed the whole ride. Good story, great cast, and excellent gameplay. Got the true ending in one go, and while it wasn't hard by any means, is definitely the ending the shoot for. Looking forward to the next one. Just please make all ports of future games better next time. I can see where the complaints are coming from for the PC version. I also hope newer titles go for a more improved artsyle, or showcase better graphics overall. The opportunity is there. They should take it.

    Note: I played the PC version. After 40+ hours for my initial playthrough, game only crashed once, had a couple of typos, and major slowdown in only one *optional* segment, so my experience overall was pretty good.    … Expand
  19. kiwijinxter
    Nov 1, 2018
    9
    This is the battle system Xenoblade Chronicles should've adopted!

    When I first picked up Xenoblade Chronicles, I expected the battle system to be like that of Ys VIII. It wasn't, but I still finished that game. However, my itch for a real-time action battle system remained... until I discovered Ys VIII. I had no idea what kind of game it was until I stumbled upon some reviews... after    This is the battle system Xenoblade Chronicles should've adopted!

    When I first picked up Xenoblade Chronicles, I expected the battle system to be like that of Ys VIII. It wasn't, but I still finished that game. However, my itch for a real-time action battle system remained... until I discovered Ys VIII. I had no idea what kind of game it was until I stumbled upon some reviews... after reading them, I decided to buy it... and I've no regrets - this game managed scratched that itch that left the battles wanting in Xenoblade Chronicles.

    Ys VIII is an action RPG, and it circumvents everything that I didn't like about Xenoblade. IN Ys VIII, I am fully in control of the battle, I use special moves when I want, I use normal moves when I want, I face the monster from the back / side / front, whenever I want. The upgrades to the weapons are straightforward, just keep going up, so I don't get flummoxed by complex systems. Almost all the time, I knew exactly where to go for my next quests / missions.

    The story is relatively straightforward, almost without any plot twists, so really, it's the entire battle system that shines through in this game. As you level up you gain new special abilities which you can assign to one of 4 buttons to execute (there are lots of abilities to choose from as you progress). In Xenoblade Chronicles, sometimes you don't really feel "in control" of the battles because of the way it's implemented. With Ys VIII on the other hand, you're completely in control every single second of the battle, which means you feel more engaged during battles.

    You also get to choose to play a number of characters each with different feel. You get the melee type character (the main character, Adol is one) which is great if you like it up close and personal. Then you get the "fencer" type which is a very agile and quick character but very good at "breaks". You get the tank which basically, well, the tank with huge HP and power hits but just slower than others. You get the AoE (area of effect) type which whacks everything around you, you get the gunner who actually has some super powerful moves, but can also jab when close up... this means you have a great variety of options to play.

    Another great design I like about this game is that, unlike Pokemon, those characters you are not using in your party of 3 at any time will also passively level up so you don't have to grind unnecessarily. The ones not in your party doesn't level up as quickly as the 3 in your party, but it's still helpful that they do level up almost as quickly. This further gives you the flexibility to interchange characters and really have fun at the action part of this RPG. That said, you could grind if you wish to grind as everytime you enter an area again, the monster respawn. Good for parts collection to upgrade weapons and armor too.

    It's a relatively long game, it took me about 60 hours to complete (I almost completed every single side quest), however, what I found was that often, when it started feeling repetitive, they introduce a new move, or new area, or new something, and it does help keep it fresh throughout. Admittedly, I changed from "Normal" to "Easy" about 3/4 way through because I wanted to get to the ending (note there's a "good", "normal" and "bad" ending depending on the reputation points you earn). Reputation points are earned as you complete side quests for characters, give gifts, etc.

    If you're a fan of action RPGs, and you like to be in total control of your action / battles, then this is exactly the game for you. The story is a bit light, but hey, I played this for the action, I sure got them!    … Expand
  20. Lexion
    Jul 3, 2018
    7
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. I must say that YS VIII got an incredible story and game play, but honestly i dislike the concept of there is only one place with human beings and each people blessed with talent to help Adol and his crew to solve their problem, they should make more places (villages, cities, etc). What makes this game great are the story and the gameplay, nothing else.… Expand
  21. Kee
    Dec 28, 2018
    4
    Poor optimizing. The frame is not stable and it makes me irritating. From Chapter 4 when the village has developed. Even I satisfied to play it with 30 frames but some dungeons have frame drops very frequently. So I've sick and tried to play this game. It really shames why the company doesn't make it possible to offer the game with the perfect frames for me. even that game's contents werePoor optimizing. The frame is not stable and it makes me irritating. From Chapter 4 when the village has developed. Even I satisfied to play it with 30 frames but some dungeons have frame drops very frequently. So I've sick and tried to play this game. It really shames why the company doesn't make it possible to offer the game with the perfect frames for me. even that game's contents were excellent.… Expand
  22. AllySky
    Jun 24, 2019
    9
    Ys does not what-so-ever struggle to obtain the number one slot as best rpg on the Nintendo switch, at least for me. Its competitors such as Xenoblade Chronicles and Tales of Vesperia are mighty foes, however what Ys offers over the others leaves them in the dust in the end.

    For starters, the combat, While Xenoblade is locked with auto hits and calls upon you to only tap a button for    Ys does not what-so-ever struggle to obtain the number one slot as best rpg on the Nintendo switch, at least for me. Its competitors such as Xenoblade Chronicles and Tales of Vesperia are mighty foes, however what Ys offers over the others leaves them in the dust in the end.

    For starters, the combat, While Xenoblade is locked with auto hits and calls upon you to only tap a button for specials, it quickly bores you with its repetitive and movie-like combat, where you have little control, or to the point it feels meaningless to try. And Tales of Vesperia, while the combat is nice, it's also locked in a awkward 2.5D perspective, sluggish combat, and perhaps even immersion breaking, where as Ys is far better. Ys has open, free, and full combat at your finger tips, nothing is holding you down,where you have all the control you'd want in a rpg.

    Now more about the game itself, it has a massive, wonderful world to explore, so much to explore, and lovable characters to meet and find. There were some characters I didn't like, but the game made me like them in the end through fantastic character building, not to mention the story is top notch, it'll be hard to put the controller down once you pick it up to play this game. If you've never touched this game before, I recommend getting it, it's worth every penny.    … Expand
  23. Phuz
    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.    … Expand
  24. ActualReviewer2
    Sep 2, 2019
    10
    The best JRPG available on the Switch. Period. It has EVERYTHING, literally.

    Real time combat, action, slow times when you want slowness, just to gather herbs and ore. Fast when you need fast. The soundtrack is through the roof, A+ to the sound department. The story is touching. I felt each characters pain. The only problem would be if Ys IX never came out on Switch!    The best JRPG available on the Switch. Period. It has EVERYTHING, literally.

    Real time combat, action, slow times when you want slowness, just to gather herbs and ore.

    Fast when you need fast.

    The soundtrack is through the roof, A+ to the sound department.

    The story is touching. I felt each characters pain.

    The only problem would be if Ys IX never came out on Switch!

    If you like action combat games, with plenty of time (at your discretion) to work on other game facets ..
    this game may be for you!

    I enjoyed it 100%. The only sad part is how Square-Enix games seem lackluster in comparison.    … Expand
  25. Nintendist
    Jun 30, 2022
    0
    this game is not good. really the worst soundtrack and the story is not fun it all
  26. lucinhagamer
    Aug 26, 2022
    0
    a very cheap game with no good quality gameplay. the improvements are so boring
  27. 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.    … Expand
  28. Steyraus
    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.
  29. DrZomboid
    Jan 25, 2022
    3
    Low budget game plus looks extra awful on Switch
  30. Djungelorm
    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
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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

Critic Reviews

All reviews »
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
  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. 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.
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  3. Cubed3
    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.
    Read full review
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