Ys VIII: Lacrimosa of DANA - Nintendo Switch

Before I begin this review, I should probably state my presuppositions on this matter so that anyone reading this can kind of tailor the interpretation of this review accordingly. First off, I am a big fan of RPGs, especially JRPGs. In the past, I’ve played a few final fantasy games, a few Tales games, and other smaller JRPGs. However, this was the first experience I have had with the Ys series. I’m not really an avid gamer, and I only recently (at the time of this review) bought my Switch, and bought this game because I have heard good things about the PS4 version. Writing a game review is also a new experience for me. So then, why am I writing this review? Mostly, this is just for me. I just finished the game, and I have many thoughts on it that I just need to write down somewhere. Since I bought this game on Amazon, I figured that this place would be appropriate to post my thoughts on the game. I will also be comparing this game with Breath of the Wild a few times, not because they are similar games (which they really aren’t), but because I believe many people have played or are playing BoTW, and I need to have a baseline somewhere. With that out of the way, let’s get started. Story/Characters It’s hard to really dive deep into my personal thoughts on the story and the characters while attempting to maintain a spoil-free review. In summary, this story contains 6 total chapters, along with a prologue and an epilogue, following the journey of Adol Christin and his crew members aboard a ship called the Lombardia. The ship sinks near an island called the Isle of Seiren, and throughout the game, you follow Adol and his crew members exploring the island while attempting to uncover some of the island’s mysteries. Like many JRPGs, this game contains different “ending routes”, depending on your decisions that you make in the game. I would recommend that you attempt to shoot for the “true ending”, which requires you to complete many more side quests and conduct more exploring. Overall, the game takes a good 40 hours to complete, and perhaps even longer if you really want to go in-depth. There were times in Chapter 2 when I felt that the story kind of took a temporary hiatus, which was a little unfortunate for the otherwise excellent pacing of the game. Chapter 2 is definitely one of the longer chapters in the game, and at some points in this chapter the game felt a little repetitive when you attempt to (slight spoilers) search the island to find your crew members. However, once you get through this chapter, the rest of the chapters are great, as Chapter 3 is really when the meat of the Ys VIII story takes off. The characters are also definitely a highlight in the overall game. As the story progresses, you start to learn more about the background of all of the playable characters as well as their motivations. These characters definitely feel genuine, and I found myself really getting emotionally connected to many of the characters. Gameplay I’ll first start off by saying that this is an “open-world” JRPG, but take the “open-world” part with a little grain of salt. Yes, you can travel and fast-travel to different parts of the Isle of Seiren at will, but the map is slightly restricted to where you are able to roam around. Unlike say Breath of the Wild, where you can climb on any mountain or rock that you see, the map and landscape in Ys VIII seems to guide you more on where you should go in order not to get lost. In a sense, that is a good thing, because it makes it easier for people like me, who have never played a Ys game before, adapt to the gameplay a lot better, and doesn’t have that convoluted feel to the game. The gameplay is simple, and I’d say that that is a strength. The combat is where the game really shines. This game requires mashing certain buttons to constantly attack enemies, and certain playable characters have different combat abilities that can be more advantageous to different types of enemies you encounter. At any time, you can have up to 3 playable characters alongside you, the other two controlled via AI, and you can switch between the characters at will. The combat is very smooth (more on that in the Animation section) and very addicting. Unlike some games, I actually liked to grind in order to level up my characters. On that note, I will say that there was not a time during the game when I felt that I was stuck because I was too low of a level to continue on with the story. The leveling mechanic is amazing, and as long as I did the story and went to do some side missions and maybe a little bit of exploring, I found that my level kept meeting the level recommendations that the game had. There wasn’t a time when I had to grind for 3 or 4 hours in order to proceed with the quests; as long as you just play the game, you’ll find yourself continuing with the story at a reasonable pace. Slight tip: do make sure to use potions religiously in the beginning of the game to heal yourself, as you do take a LOT of damage early on and will see your health bar kind of plummet (or maybe I’m just bad at the game haha). If I did have a slight complaint, it would be that I wish the A button, which was the default button to attack, and the Y button, which was the default button to switch characters, were flipped. Yes, you can change the button layout in the Options menu, but doing so would result in all interactions (such as opening treasure chests and talking to people) being Y instead of A, so I swapped back to default. Again, this is a VERY small complaint and completely a personal preference. Sound If I had to describe the OST in one word, I feel that the word “AMAZING” written in all caps would not even begin to describe the soundtrack. Seriously, this is easily the best thing about the game. 100%. You’ll be doing yourself a disservice not cranking the score volume up to the max. The soundtrack is so good that I found myself searching online for the OST and just having it play in the background whenever I’m doing something productive. Seriously, I dare you to search the OST “Sunshine Coastline” and try not to fall at least a little bit in love with the work that Falcom Music has done with this game. Fantastic. In terms of the voice acting, this is a little bit more of a mixed bag. To be fair, the english voice acting isn’t all bad, but it is pretty...forgettable. Once the 1.04 patch update came out for the game, I decided to switch the voice acting to Japanese (still with English subtitles) just to see how that sounded, and I never went back after that point. This is, of course, a personal taste, and your tolerance will of course vary. Animation The frame-rate and resolution quality is definitely a controversial topic on the Nintendo Switch for Ys VIII. In all of the other reviews that I read, watched, and listened to, this was a topic that was always mentioned. The Nintendo Switch never really has the latest and greatest GPU, so of course the frame-rate (maxed out at 30 FPS) and resolution quality would take a toll. I am happy to note that this was never really an issue for me. Yes, I was able to notice frame-rate drops, but these were more evident on faraway enemies. Once I got closer to said enemies, their movements became much more smooth. The resolution quality was a little more noticeable, but it also wasn’t a huge deal. When attempting to play this game on the TV, it would blow up the poor resolution onto a bigger screen, making the resolution quality a lot more daunting. For me personally, this was not an entirely huge deal since I usually play handheld, but the complaints that other reviewers seem to have with the game in terms of the resolution is justified. However, I will say though that this is a relatively small price to pay for buttery smooth combat performance, and should not stop you from buying the game if you are already considering it. Enjoyment/Conclusion By now, it should be very obvious that I really, really like this game. The music is great, story is great, characters are relatable, and the animation, while not the best, is definitely not flawed. When I was playing this game, it got to the point where I was kind of conflicted to continue playing; on one hand, this game is extremely addicting, but on the other hand, I didn’t want the adventure to end. Once I finished, it left me with this void in my heart, which, again, is a major reason why I’m writing this review in the first place. Other reviewers call this a hidden gem, and I hate that it’s being called that, because it shows that not many people know about this game; this is definitely a game that deserves everyone’s attention. $60 is a pretty big price for a game, but I never once regretted my purchase. I found this completely enjoyable, and I really hope this review convinces those few people that are reading this to give this game a shot. Extra Note I thought I’d share small information on the battery life playing this game on handheld. As a small benchmark comparison, Nintendo claims that the Switch has a 3 hour battery life with Breath of the Wild. For Ys VIII, I found that the battery life was far better than Nintendo’s claim with BoTW, easily lasting 4+ hours of nonstop playing. I also played with the Pro Controller for this game, and after the first 20 hours of gameplay, I still had about half a charge.

I am a huge fan of the Ys series, particularly the ones with a team-based combat system that originated with Ys Seven on the PSP. This game has been out for a while but it wasn't until this year that I played it after getting a Nintendo Switch. After finishing this adventure, I have to say that this may be the best of the Ys games... but one I dearly wish I had experienced on a different system. The switch version is graphically compromised. Ys 8 is not a graphically intensive game but it looks awful if you try to play it on the Switch docking station. Frame rate drops, screen tearing, slow down. Many of these problems are fixed if you play using hand held mode, but this is not ideal for me. I find the Switch quite heavy and not the most comfortable thing for my hands. Even then, not all graphical errors were fixed. There was a particularly memorable incident where a character's head sprouted a huge purple polygon for about three cutscenes. I made sure that I had every software patch and system update installed but I could not get rid of all the visual hiccups. If you've played Ys Seven or Memories of Celceta, not much has changed combat-wise. You control a party of 3 characters, one directly and the other two through AI, battling your way through the various dungeons and landscapes. Each character deals slashing, smashing, or piercing damage, and most enemies are vulnerable to one attack type in particular. It's a very fast paced and fun system. The real star of the show is the exploration aspect, although the story is no slouch. Normally, Ys stories are enjoyable enough to take you through the journey but quite forgettable. Ys 8 is probably the first one that I would call memorable. Red haired adventure Adol Christin is stranded on Seiren Island after a sea monster attacks his ship. The island is crawling with dangerous dinosaurs. Adol must band together with the other survivors of the shipwreck to explore the island and find away off of it. But the island itself soon poses greater mysteries. Seiren was once home to a civilization that was wiped out practically overnight by a terrible cataclysm. Adol begins to dream of a girl named Dana who lived centuries ago during the final days of that civilization. And Dana in turns begins to dream of Adol in the future. The story revolves around exploring the link between Adol, Dana, and the island itself. But as I mentioned earlier, the real star of the show is the exploration. This is as close as I think I have ever seen to a 3D metroidvania type game. There is a lot of stuff on Seiren that is technically optional - special areas, castaways for your village, collecting various kinds of fish in the fishing mini-game, base defense type challenges - that you will not be guided directly to as part of the main story campaign. You have to explore to find them. As you discover adventuring tools and more castaways, more optional areas are potentially unlocked by backtracking through areas you previously explored. This has a direct bearing on the story as certain discoveries and optional activities generate reputation points that at the end of the game determine if you get the bad, good, or true ending. So yes, slack off on looking into every nook and cranny, and its possible you'll miss out on the game's final story bits. I give this game a big thumbs up. I can't vouch for how the PS4 or Steam versions run, but I can't shake the feeling I experienced the game via an inferior port and my already great enjoyment would have been enhanced by playing on a different system. Jan 2022 Update: I am currently on a second play through of this game on the PS4. While the PS4 version is not 100% perfect, (there are still minor instances of framerate drop in certain areas), it corrects about 95% of the problems with the Switch version (no one's head sprouts an enormous purple polygon). My final word on Ys 8 is that it's a 5 star game, 4 stars for the Switch port due to the graphical issues. Switch version only recommended if you really want to play it on while the move. PS4 is the way to go if you want to experience it on the big screen.

Let's start with the good news: if you like JRPGs, then you will like this game. It is worth a play through and I would give it four stars were it not for the shortcomings on the Switch (more on that below.) The battle system is solid; nothing amazing, but good and engaging. Battles are active, not turned base, so it plays like an action RPG. Before I purchased this game, I watch a few reviews that stated that the battle system was very strategic and much deeper than Xenoblade Chronicles 2, the other big JRPG for the Switch. I did not find the battle system that deep; it was mostly a modified rock-paper-scissor setup. There is a need to manage energy levels to make sure you can execute special moves, but this was not very difficult to do, except occasionally in boss battles. I played the game in Normal mode, so the strategy element may be more important in harder difficulty levels. The party members you are not controlling help adequately during battles and they are not able to be injured as far as I can tell, so they do not hold back or slow down battles. The story is engaging, but it took a long time for it to reach that point. I found the first twenty hours or so to be pretty bland. The characters are interesting, but I did not feel particularly attached to them; this may be because it felt like the choices you were making did not really affect the outcome of the game and the characters were not very customizable unless you want to pay for DLC. This game is less grindy than many JRPGs and I felt like I was always close to the level I needed to be to progress. To complete all the quests, however, I had to grind to get certain materials and items. The item drop system was *very* frustrating and while you can trade in common items for some rare items, you couldn't always do this. I am almost done with the game (at 50 hours or so) and I don't think that I will take the time to go through a New Game+ since I don't think it would enrich the story since choices seem inconsequential. The graphics for this game certainly suffered from being ported to the Switch. I mostly played this game in handheld mode and the resolution was fine, but when I docked my Switch and played on the big screen, the graphics looked pixelated. Objects and buildings in the distance just looked wrong in a way I don't know how to describe. In both handheld and docked mode, enemies in the distance moved in a very choppy way that was extremely distracting. I assume that this was a function of being ported from the PS4, rather than built for the Switch. In summary, the game is a solid, long, enjoyable experience. If you are choosing between the Switch and PS4 version, I would recommend going with the PS4.

Going in to this game, I'd never played a Ys game before - let alone even heard of the series. That said, I really came to appreciate this game early on in my playthrough. I think the graphics and overall feel of this game work really well on the Switch, so much so that I'm actually glad I didn't pick this up for my Playstation 4 or PC, despite the game only running at 30 FPS for the Switch. Overall, it's just as fun in handheld mode as it is on the TV, and I did a near 50/50 split of both modes during my playthrough. Gameplay-wise, exploration is everything and I was really sold on the spirit of adventure this game has as you explore and meet other cast aways. The combat is pretty fun, though sometimes felt a bit simple and grindy compared to other games in this genre; that said, I really enjoyed the overall rhythmic feeling from combat in this game, and fighting always had a good pace. While the voice acting was solid, I did find quite a few typos in the dialogue that really hurt my immersion a bit and it's hard for me to have sympathy about something as easy to do as correct script errors. The soundtrack was really fun and was especially energetic during boss fights. The adventurer's version of the game came with some cool inserts - a map, some character cards, and a reversible cover (the cards were my favorite), and I really love it when games come with little things like this one did. Overall, Ys VIII: Lacrimosa of DANA is a fun game that I like a lot, but its lack of polish in some areas keeps me from truly loving it.

As a casual jrpg fan, I was pleasantly surprised with Ys VIII. I don't often, if ever, write reviews but felt compelled to share my experience at this early stage in the release cycle. I put in about 50 hrs to complete the game and found the story to be overall satisfying; there were some trite moments and some surprises. By jrpg standards, the length was a little light but I did not pursue all side quests. Character development was OK but all were likable. There's a fair amount of non-linear exploration and side-quests. The voice acting is good and graphics on par. Nothing amazing but not a distraction from the story and action. In general, I enjoy action-based battle systems and this title delivered plus had few unique elements. It was less refined than xenoblade and less natural than zelda but certainly engaging. There's an emphasis on successfully-timed dodging, which can be tricky. There's also a party dynamic in battles where one can cycle through the players at will. I realized over time that the character currently controlled does the most damage - thus party formation is really about having a selection to choose from rather than working together as a team during battle. It was refreshing to witness new monsters/enemies as the game progressed right up until the end. The battle-system may be too difficult for more casual players but I enjoyed it. Overall its a good game for those who enjoy Xenoblade or the 'Tales' series. Although I would say its not as epic. Still, a fun game and well worth the cost.

Bummed out not what was shown no map or cards. Second time I have ordered a special set from this company and didn't receive what was pictured.

This is my first Ys game that I've played, so please read my review as such, since I have no other game in the series to compare it to. That being said, I found this game to be very enjoyable. The environments are stunning and I love the little side quests that pop up, as well as character interactions. Bartering is a breath of fresh air as opposed to constantly spending money for items and upgrades. I'm a person who loves to explore in video games and take in the scenery, and this game is tailor made for that. The island you're on is large, and there's so much to see and discover. The story itself is good, a lot better than I would've expected. It starts off simple enough and grows more and more complex. I'll be honest, I didn't go into this game expecting much, but I found myself drawn in the further the story progressed. The characters are so-so. There's a few I liked, but most of these characters fall into the stereotypical, cliche, JRPG tropes. As a result, most were predictable, but there were a select few that really shined through growth. I'm knocking off one star because I really didn't like the music. I didn't think the crazy guitar riffs or, what I would've considered "cool" in my teens, "edgy guitar rock music", was really fitting for a game that dumps you on an island where nature has taken over. It was horrible. It was so bad. It was like having a bunch of people who don't normally listen to any type of rock music compose this for people who also don't normally listen to rock music bad. I could go on about how bad the music was. But I won't because I just turned off the music, kept the voices on and sound effects, and then the game became 5 stars. Problem solved.

The good: Excellent story and character development. It has been a while since I have seen a game with a good story. Love the artwork as it reminds me of older Ys games. Game does not become repetitive and if you need to go back to an area, it is because the story demands it. It feels organic since certain missions can be done during the day and night, and the people in your village will always say something different depending on the progress in the overall story. The not so good: This is not really the game's fault, but there are two issues on this game. 1) The frame rate. At very few times, you can see that the frame rate suffers. This is obviously a limitation of the Nintendo Switch. Even Zelda with all their optimizations had some parts where the frame rate suffered. If you are too sensitive to this, you will be probably annoyed. But the story is good enough to really dismiss it. 2) Distant animation. When looking at enemies from afar, the game actually reduces the amount of frame for the enemies. This is done in order to keep frame rate issues to a minimum. Again, this game being a port from the PS4, are things that may break the game environment at the beginning, but once you get into it, you just accept it and move on. Overall, very happy with the game. I have played already more than 70+ hours and it is all fun (I like to do every quest and cover everything to try to get the best ending).

my son wanted this for his console was exspensive but he was happy to pay for it.

Ys 8 is something of a hidden gem on Nintendo Switch. It was barely if advertised at all and very few of the mainline gaming websites reviewed it. All very unfortunate. In terms of the game itself, do not let the sub par graphics deter you from the brilliance of the gameplay mechanics. You start on a ship which is attacked by a sea monster and wake up stranded on an island with nothing but a stick and rusty sword that you see lying on the beach. Of course you immediately encounter monsters and soon after you meet your first castaway who joins you on the quest to get off the island. Gradually you meet other castaways and decide to build a village. The brilliance comes in how all these systems are interwoven to create a truly unique RPG experience. Each castaway serves a purpose in the village and it can effect everything from your weapons to items and potions. Not only that, but as you gradually traverse the island, you will unravel a deep and riveting story. This game is not to be missed!!!

El paquete incluye justamente lo descrito, un póster, tres cartas (que creo yo que valen más dejarlas en su empaque dado que todas son iguales en todas las copias) y una carátula reversible. El juego es excelente, tiene un muy buen ritmo, es muy dinámico. ofrece muchas actividades pararealizar, todas muy bien pulidas y el combate, aunque simplón, es muy satisfactorio y tiene un par de cosillas que valen la pena perfeccionar. La historia y los personajes son algo mediocres pero no dejan de ser serviciales. Sin embargo, al contrario que otros RPGs, Ys VIII prescinde mucho del "farmeo" y por ello es más flexible y sientes que a lo largo de sus 50 horas estás haciendo constantemente cosas de provecho. El arte es muy bonito y en acción también lo es, a pesar de que su apartado gráfico está algo caducado. No obstante, presenta problemas en su resolución, el frame rate es algo inestable en ocasiones y la calidad de las sombras es muy pobre, pero el juego es lo suficientemente bueno para dejar pasar estos detalles.

ゲームは無事とすぐに届きました。セラーについては文句無しです。 98のプレイ時間もしましたし、ゲームは最高でした。

La caja llego maltratada y los extras que trae el juego no son la gran cosa, aun asi se me hace buen port de este rpg que es bastate entretenido.