Absolutely incredible game and an amazing introduction to the YS series as a whole! It took me a while to finish but the atmosphere, characters, and especially the combat kept me enthralled from beginning to end
DANA UOOOH
Fun, satisfying combat, banger music, and great bosses. Ys games were always more focused on gameplay and never really about telling a story, but this one is pretty good, it has great moments and likeable characters. The last sections felt a bit too long but other than that brilliant game would recommend one of my favourite games.
Fun, satisfying combat, banger music, and great bosses. Ys games were always more focused on gameplay and never really about telling a story, but this one is pretty good, it has great moments and likeable characters. The last sections felt a bit too long but other than that brilliant game would recommend one of my favourite games.
captain barbaros built like minecraft steve
YS VIII brought me back to my childhood, when every minute in the game brings a lot of fun. 55 hours in 4 days flew like a day. Awesome soundtrack, dynamic combat, enjoyable characters and exploring - everything is so good!
This review contains spoilers
Ys VIII: Lacrimosa of Dana is a masterpiece with satisfying combat, lovable characters, criminally good music, and an evocative story unlike any other. I borrowed it from a friend at the beginning of February at his request, and a month later, I have seen it through and watched it become one of my favorite games of all time. Allow me to elaborate.
If the Backloggd tag wasn’t enough of a warning, there will be spoilers. If you haven’t played this game yet, I highly recommend you play it with little to no information going in.
Ys VIII follows series protagonist Adol Christin, who along with his longtime companion, Dogi, is caught up in a shipwreck that strands the ship’s passengers on the Isle of Seiren, an island that no human has ever managed to leave alive. I will talk about the story in more detail near the end of this review, because I have a fair amount to say, but at the game’s outset, this is a survival game about you exploring the island, rescuing other castaways, and trying to find a means of escape.
When it comes to outside-of-combat mechanics, I was really fond of the systems within castaway village (basically your home base). The lack of any conventional towns means that you don’t need currency to buy things. Instead, you craft nearly every item with materials that you use. Material scarcity is handled masterfully, ensuring you have enough materials to get what you need with a bit of elbow grease, but you never have so much of any given material that you can craft a massive surplus and render crafting obsolete.
Cooking is also handled really well. You don’t have a hunger meter or anything, as while this is a game about survival, it’s an action RPG at the end of the day. However, meals serve as potent restoratives that heal the party for sizable chunks of HP that may be smaller than the more scarce heal potions, but are markedly better than the fruit that you can find around the island (for when you unlock them, some of these recipes fall off in the late game). In addition, they give decent buffs. However, you can’t rely on them as your only restorative, as you can’t have another meal while you have a buff applied (there’s items that reset buffs, but they cost a lot of materials). Also as a side note, fishing is really fun in Ys 8, possibly my favorite implementation of fishing in an RPG ever.
Combat seems like a typical hack and slash on the surface. Some enemies have a specific weakness to a specific weapon type though, so each one of your three party members should use one of the three weapon types (this also makes Adol nigh irreplaceable for the first two thirds of the game if you want to pursue perfect coverage). You have skills, which you access by hitting the right bumper and a face button. They’re great, but not revolutionary. The SaGa idea of sparking skills is used for some reason, and it’s a bit strange to see. Each character has an Extra Skill, used by hitting both bumpers to do a devastating attack. However, you have to wait a good while to use it again, though some resources can expedite the process. The bosses are also well designed, even if I found a couple annoying. I rarely hated fighting a boss, and none of the forty or so felt the same.
The best part about combat though is what I call the flash system. If you dodge roll out of the way of an enemy attack, you do a flash move. A flash move makes you briefly move faster and slows down the enemy in question. If you hit the right bumper right before an enemy attacks, you do a flash guard, which turns all of your attacks into critical hits. Pro tip: Extra Skills and some multi-hit skills pause the flash guard timer (same with flash move, but why would you), so use those if you really want to max out your damage. Both the flash move and flash guard make you briefly invulnerable, though certain things like extra skills can suck up the invulnerability because it doesn’t last the length of the flash move/guard, but its intended length. I love the flash system because it feels so tactile, and when used effectively, you can get an upper hand on neutralizing even the biggest threats.
The characters are vibrant, varied, and memorable. I loved all of them to certain degrees, even the elitist Sir Carlan, who gets some character development/a redemption arc of sorts in the game’s final hours. My favorite character has probably got to be either Sahad Nautilus or Hummel Trabaldo. Sahad’s this boisterous and somewhat dumb man with a heart of gold. Even though some of his lines can be really goofy, he has his moments where he talks about his family, and they tugged at my heart strings. Hummel is kind of the opposite. When you first meet him, he seems like this overly serious, aloof-to-the-point-of-trying-to-look-edgy guy. However, as the game goes on and you have more interactions with him, his professionalism starts to manifest in more goofy ways, which combines with his soft spot for kids that made him really endearing to me. Some characters are definitely more fleshed out than others. The party members (which include Sahad and Hummel) are much more fleshed out than some of the optional castaways. However, I’d say everyone is compelling.
The music is amazing, which from what I’ve heard is normal for a Ys game (I should probably mention that this is the first Ys game I got into. I have played 1 and 2, but in the worst way possible). It’s varied, catchy, and covers so many emotions. It’s not my favorite soundtrack of all time, but this is top tier stuff. Some of the slower, more somber songs gave me legitimate chills (partially because the notation present in more melancholy music makes my brain all fuzzy).
At the end of the say, what is going to stick with me most about Ys VIII (aside from my favorite tracks) is the story. This is going to sound bold, but Ys 8 might have the best story I’ve ever experienced in a video game. It starts off very slow, as a long portion of the early game is built around getting your bearings, learning the unwritten rules of the island, and setting up castaway village’s facilities. I found that entertaining, but I completely understand the people that thought the game’s start was too slow.
When the story really kicks off after you cross Mt. Gendarme, it takes the themes of life and survival and kicks them up to 11. What was once only a story of trying to find a way off this deserted island becomes one that still has that same end goal, but a sweeping narrative of what happened to a long-lost civilization, with you playing as the game’s deuteragonist, Dana, in its final days.
The segments where you play as Dana in the past have to be some of my favorite, as it is both surreal and depressing, especially as the game goes on and the flashback segments get worse and worse for the Eternians, to see this doomed civilization start out on a day like any other, just to be thrown into despair. The final sequence in Castaway Village right before you fight Theos de Endogram in particular was so dark, and it gave me chills seeing Dana all alone.
One thing I’ve noticed about Ys’ world is that it takes loosely from the real world, and it helps make the characters and their actions more grounded than in a super high fantasy setting. Supernatural stuff still happens. Don’t get me wrong. It just feels more impactful as it’s clearer than other games that it is very abnormal, even without dialog. This is helped by the fact that most of the game’s bestiary is native flora and fauna. While their attack patterns may make them unrealistic, they feel like a part of the world, like nature is trying to reabsorb our heroes into the ground from which it came, people trying to defy fate and that have already broken nature’s bonds. As I typed that, I realized how much it echoed the Lacrimosa.
Speaking of the Lacrimosa, it brings up one of my gripes with Ys VIII’s story: The Wardens. I absolutely LOVE the idea behind them, sole survivors of bygone races, heralds of the ultimate cycle of intelligent life. However, due to a lack of time, with the Lacrimosa being introduced so late into the game and all, as well as the game expressly trying to not make them evil, they become characters that don’t get the screen time they really could use and of ill conviction, as they forgo their directive pretty quickly to enable Adol and co. to stop the Lacrimosa. However, the concept here is so unbelievably amazing. It’s a shame how underbaked they were.
Also, there were a few arcs with little to no bearing on the story, like the Nameless arc and the Ghost Ship arc. They have little to no bearing on the plot as a whole, and their short length makes me wonder why they’re even here. At least they’re short.
I have a few other gripes with this otherwise masterpiece, but they’re not major.
I’m obligated to mention the original localization being ungodly terrible. I played the game with the fixed version, and there were maybe three tiny mistakes I found in the very late game. However, I did not mind. Plus, Archeozoic Big Hole is such a terrible bastardization that I find it hilarious.
I don’t like raid battles. It’s Ys trying to play like a musou game almost, yet it doesn’t have the systems in place to play like a good one. Same with hunts, but to a lesser extent (they kind of do a good job as a musou-like).
The Epilogue makes sense, but it felt like a somewhat weak ending. All I’m saying is that all of the wardens finally dying made for a better ending in my opinion. (EDIT: I did get the good ending)
Ys VIII is a masterpiece, I cannot stress it enough. In my month with it, I enjoyed my experience fully, and through fun combat, amazing characters, godly music, and an evocative story, the game has become one of my favorites of all time.
10/10 - God tier
If the Backloggd tag wasn’t enough of a warning, there will be spoilers. If you haven’t played this game yet, I highly recommend you play it with little to no information going in.
Ys VIII follows series protagonist Adol Christin, who along with his longtime companion, Dogi, is caught up in a shipwreck that strands the ship’s passengers on the Isle of Seiren, an island that no human has ever managed to leave alive. I will talk about the story in more detail near the end of this review, because I have a fair amount to say, but at the game’s outset, this is a survival game about you exploring the island, rescuing other castaways, and trying to find a means of escape.
When it comes to outside-of-combat mechanics, I was really fond of the systems within castaway village (basically your home base). The lack of any conventional towns means that you don’t need currency to buy things. Instead, you craft nearly every item with materials that you use. Material scarcity is handled masterfully, ensuring you have enough materials to get what you need with a bit of elbow grease, but you never have so much of any given material that you can craft a massive surplus and render crafting obsolete.
Cooking is also handled really well. You don’t have a hunger meter or anything, as while this is a game about survival, it’s an action RPG at the end of the day. However, meals serve as potent restoratives that heal the party for sizable chunks of HP that may be smaller than the more scarce heal potions, but are markedly better than the fruit that you can find around the island (for when you unlock them, some of these recipes fall off in the late game). In addition, they give decent buffs. However, you can’t rely on them as your only restorative, as you can’t have another meal while you have a buff applied (there’s items that reset buffs, but they cost a lot of materials). Also as a side note, fishing is really fun in Ys 8, possibly my favorite implementation of fishing in an RPG ever.
Combat seems like a typical hack and slash on the surface. Some enemies have a specific weakness to a specific weapon type though, so each one of your three party members should use one of the three weapon types (this also makes Adol nigh irreplaceable for the first two thirds of the game if you want to pursue perfect coverage). You have skills, which you access by hitting the right bumper and a face button. They’re great, but not revolutionary. The SaGa idea of sparking skills is used for some reason, and it’s a bit strange to see. Each character has an Extra Skill, used by hitting both bumpers to do a devastating attack. However, you have to wait a good while to use it again, though some resources can expedite the process. The bosses are also well designed, even if I found a couple annoying. I rarely hated fighting a boss, and none of the forty or so felt the same.
The best part about combat though is what I call the flash system. If you dodge roll out of the way of an enemy attack, you do a flash move. A flash move makes you briefly move faster and slows down the enemy in question. If you hit the right bumper right before an enemy attacks, you do a flash guard, which turns all of your attacks into critical hits. Pro tip: Extra Skills and some multi-hit skills pause the flash guard timer (same with flash move, but why would you), so use those if you really want to max out your damage. Both the flash move and flash guard make you briefly invulnerable, though certain things like extra skills can suck up the invulnerability because it doesn’t last the length of the flash move/guard, but its intended length. I love the flash system because it feels so tactile, and when used effectively, you can get an upper hand on neutralizing even the biggest threats.
The characters are vibrant, varied, and memorable. I loved all of them to certain degrees, even the elitist Sir Carlan, who gets some character development/a redemption arc of sorts in the game’s final hours. My favorite character has probably got to be either Sahad Nautilus or Hummel Trabaldo. Sahad’s this boisterous and somewhat dumb man with a heart of gold. Even though some of his lines can be really goofy, he has his moments where he talks about his family, and they tugged at my heart strings. Hummel is kind of the opposite. When you first meet him, he seems like this overly serious, aloof-to-the-point-of-trying-to-look-edgy guy. However, as the game goes on and you have more interactions with him, his professionalism starts to manifest in more goofy ways, which combines with his soft spot for kids that made him really endearing to me. Some characters are definitely more fleshed out than others. The party members (which include Sahad and Hummel) are much more fleshed out than some of the optional castaways. However, I’d say everyone is compelling.
The music is amazing, which from what I’ve heard is normal for a Ys game (I should probably mention that this is the first Ys game I got into. I have played 1 and 2, but in the worst way possible). It’s varied, catchy, and covers so many emotions. It’s not my favorite soundtrack of all time, but this is top tier stuff. Some of the slower, more somber songs gave me legitimate chills (partially because the notation present in more melancholy music makes my brain all fuzzy).
At the end of the say, what is going to stick with me most about Ys VIII (aside from my favorite tracks) is the story. This is going to sound bold, but Ys 8 might have the best story I’ve ever experienced in a video game. It starts off very slow, as a long portion of the early game is built around getting your bearings, learning the unwritten rules of the island, and setting up castaway village’s facilities. I found that entertaining, but I completely understand the people that thought the game’s start was too slow.
When the story really kicks off after you cross Mt. Gendarme, it takes the themes of life and survival and kicks them up to 11. What was once only a story of trying to find a way off this deserted island becomes one that still has that same end goal, but a sweeping narrative of what happened to a long-lost civilization, with you playing as the game’s deuteragonist, Dana, in its final days.
The segments where you play as Dana in the past have to be some of my favorite, as it is both surreal and depressing, especially as the game goes on and the flashback segments get worse and worse for the Eternians, to see this doomed civilization start out on a day like any other, just to be thrown into despair. The final sequence in Castaway Village right before you fight Theos de Endogram in particular was so dark, and it gave me chills seeing Dana all alone.
One thing I’ve noticed about Ys’ world is that it takes loosely from the real world, and it helps make the characters and their actions more grounded than in a super high fantasy setting. Supernatural stuff still happens. Don’t get me wrong. It just feels more impactful as it’s clearer than other games that it is very abnormal, even without dialog. This is helped by the fact that most of the game’s bestiary is native flora and fauna. While their attack patterns may make them unrealistic, they feel like a part of the world, like nature is trying to reabsorb our heroes into the ground from which it came, people trying to defy fate and that have already broken nature’s bonds. As I typed that, I realized how much it echoed the Lacrimosa.
Speaking of the Lacrimosa, it brings up one of my gripes with Ys VIII’s story: The Wardens. I absolutely LOVE the idea behind them, sole survivors of bygone races, heralds of the ultimate cycle of intelligent life. However, due to a lack of time, with the Lacrimosa being introduced so late into the game and all, as well as the game expressly trying to not make them evil, they become characters that don’t get the screen time they really could use and of ill conviction, as they forgo their directive pretty quickly to enable Adol and co. to stop the Lacrimosa. However, the concept here is so unbelievably amazing. It’s a shame how underbaked they were.
Also, there were a few arcs with little to no bearing on the story, like the Nameless arc and the Ghost Ship arc. They have little to no bearing on the plot as a whole, and their short length makes me wonder why they’re even here. At least they’re short.
I have a few other gripes with this otherwise masterpiece, but they’re not major.
I’m obligated to mention the original localization being ungodly terrible. I played the game with the fixed version, and there were maybe three tiny mistakes I found in the very late game. However, I did not mind. Plus, Archeozoic Big Hole is such a terrible bastardization that I find it hilarious.
I don’t like raid battles. It’s Ys trying to play like a musou game almost, yet it doesn’t have the systems in place to play like a good one. Same with hunts, but to a lesser extent (they kind of do a good job as a musou-like).
The Epilogue makes sense, but it felt like a somewhat weak ending. All I’m saying is that all of the wardens finally dying made for a better ending in my opinion. (EDIT: I did get the good ending)
Ys VIII is a masterpiece, I cannot stress it enough. In my month with it, I enjoyed my experience fully, and through fun combat, amazing characters, godly music, and an evocative story, the game has become one of my favorites of all time.
10/10 - God tier
Ys VIII was my first time trying a non-Trails Falcom game, and I definitely had a lot of fun with this. The way the story unfolds begins simple enough, yet evolves into something much grander, and although I think the progression wasn't as smooth as I had hoped the characters are so charming on their own and as a group where I think it's quite well done. The atmosphere of the game was very intriguing, being dropped on a deserted island just makes you want to explore, a perfect setting for this series. And the exploration is done very well too, I always felt like I knew what to do next (not just because of story markers) and that's something that really kept me coming back to this. Combat was a bit button mashy for me, but done in an acceptable way for my tastes. Exploration was the name of the game here, after all. It was so fun and rewarding gathering all the castaways, it really felt like I was accomplishing something bigger, and the fact that everyone had their own quest made it feel like that so much more so. The characters are all so cute as a group and it helped me enjoy the moments I got with them so much. I feel like I could remember all of their names!
Overall this is a pretty good game, and I'm glad I bought it on a whim. I for sure want to try even more stuff made by Falcom now, their games are always done in a way with such soul and charm :D
Overall this is a pretty good game, and I'm glad I bought it on a whim. I for sure want to try even more stuff made by Falcom now, their games are always done in a way with such soul and charm :D
Sunshine Coastline is my all-time favorite piece of video game music.
I came in hoping that it would not disappoint me and not only did that not happen but its also one of my fav games of all time now, Falcom thank you for shackling me once again
Sure I think the narrative is basic for jrpg standards, and the animation isn't exactly the best, but other than that its just pure magic. From the vibrant personalities of the main 6 party members, some of the best npcs, beautiful settings, side quests that end up being rewarding in the long run, easily one of the best OSTs in anything I ever experienced, this game captures the essence of adventure, wonders, growth and connections while also understanding why I love Falcom games through and through. The combat actually feels great in comparison to Celceta, but maybe that's just because I'm playing on controller this time.
I feel like the game does have quite a few flaws, like some of Dana's PoV being a bit tedious to get through at times but man the stuff that appeals to me in this game is unreal.
Sure I think the narrative is basic for jrpg standards, and the animation isn't exactly the best, but other than that its just pure magic. From the vibrant personalities of the main 6 party members, some of the best npcs, beautiful settings, side quests that end up being rewarding in the long run, easily one of the best OSTs in anything I ever experienced, this game captures the essence of adventure, wonders, growth and connections while also understanding why I love Falcom games through and through. The combat actually feels great in comparison to Celceta, but maybe that's just because I'm playing on controller this time.
I feel like the game does have quite a few flaws, like some of Dana's PoV being a bit tedious to get through at times but man the stuff that appeals to me in this game is unreal.
This game was amazingly fun from start to finish, I did everything in the game to be done (besides playing it on Inferno mode for a second true ending play), this game was amazing, I loved the graphic style, the world was pretty open and fun to get around, the story was amazing because it didn't have a "bad guy" so to speak, the story was natural and never felt slow or dull and the music was awesome ^^ This game was just open, action paced RPG fun, Pure and simple. GOTY
This review contains spoilers
What an absolutely fantastic game. I've really enjoyed the Ys series up until now, they are very charming and excel in the gameplay department—always aiming to be fun, rarely have frustrating moments—but Ys 8 takes it to another level. Seven and Celceta both introduced a lot of new elements, which were admittedly a bit rough around the edges as fun as the games were, so it was nice to see 8 take those and integrate them significantly better. Exploring the map was a joy, every party member was fun to play as, and resource collection was never really a drag.
The central focus of 8 was of course the exploration and survival aspect, and it nailed that in every way. There is a strong sense of exploring an untamed yet beautiful wilderness that could kill you at any moment, and I'd say it's easily Falcom's most immersive game out of the ones I've played. The music, gameplay, story, and town all tie together wonderfully to make a cohesive experience, and not a single element feels all that out of place. I enjoyed a lot of the little things like growing crops with the rebellious rich merchant son, and helping Alison through childbirth to deliver her baby safely in unfortunate circumstances. By the end I felt attached to every single castaway (including Sir Calan!) and it was sad to say goodbye to them. I think this was enhanced by the fact we had to rescue them all, and every one of them got moments to shine and well placed side quests that ensured they all got the right amount of focus. Final bond events for npcs was an especially nice surprise. I can't forget the joy of developing the castaway village from an empty beach to somewhere that genuinely felt like home—Falcom have always been talented at showing a sense of progression, but this was something else.
To dive specifically into combat, this was a significant improvement on Celceta's system and felt much better. Don't really have too much to say here, just had more fun than I ever had in Ys, which is saying something. Dana sections in the optional dungeon (which I can't believe the vita version doesn't have!) were especially cool, loved how she changed between different forms and the complexity it added to combat, particularly the Io fight.
Characters, well they were all wonderful. Let's separate them individually.
Adol - He's Adol, your enthusiastic red haired adventurer. As a self proclaimed silent protagonist hater, I'm shocked I've never had a problem with him. He has a very clearly defined personality, and I don't feel like I'm playing as much of a self-insert, which is something I never felt with games like Persona 5 despite people claiming otherwise. Love how he helped all the villagers and built relationships with this cast, and I especially loved his relationship with Dana.
Laxia - Terrible introduction inside (what were they thinking!), I loved Laxia. Was nice to see her grow as a person through the adventure and deal with her family issues via a bit of introspection, also cool how she contributed with her knowledge of primordials. The whole romance with Adol is pretty unnecessary lol (do we really need one of these every game), but thankfully wasn't too prominent. As always, Falcom is pretty good at developing tsunderes.
Sahad - He was fun to have around, kind of the amusing dad of the group. Did like how he was able to connect with his ancestry through this adventure. You could say he has the least reason to be part of the main cast, which is true but I also wouldn't have it any other way.
Ricotta - Cute! Wouldn't be a deserted island survival story without a character like this. I liked her relationship with her dad, and it was sweet seeing her adjust to society and become part of a family.
Hummel - The unexpected comedic relief of the cast, he's hilarious. Despite his seemingly cold exterior, he's honestly a massive sweetheart and clumsy do-gooder. I really liked his backstory once we eventually got it. Also white hair bias applies.
Dana - One of my favourite Falcom characters ever! Her story was absolutely gripping from start to finish, and I loved the secondary protagonist role she took for the game. Her sections were all a joy to play and felt like a complete story in of themselves, and I felt her struggles and sadness as she tried and failed to save her world. She avoids basically every pitfall that makes me not so hot on a lot of Falcom heroines, and I loved the platonic relationship she had with Adol. Despite being 'introduced' quite late into the story, she fits into the cast dynamic perfectly. I was quite impressed with the dual narrative and how cleverly it was interwoven together, unravelling mysteries at an engaging pace and handling emotional beats perfectly, and since Dana is at the core of this, well, how could I not love her! I also liked that while she was portrayed as strong, she was not totally invulnerable and had to use clever tactics to avoid the inevitable consequences of isolating herself for millennia. I'm so sad that she won't be able to travel on adventures with Adol and Dogi, but I'm happy they got to say one last goodbye
Storywise, well this was absolutely fantastic and kind of insane. I think the only problem I had was really the serial killer being a bit shallow, but it led to good story moments like the death of the poor captain and the village having to take over his responsibilities—it's easy to see the hole his loss creates. As I mentioned earlier, the survival plot was quite immersive, and I loved the climactic battle against the Oceanus. But of course, there's more to this game's story than that. The evolutionary tree was a pretty... existentially horrifying idea, and I was shocked how massive the scope of the plot ended up being. Yet despite the massive scope, the game never forgets its core themes, and always makes sure Dana is at the centre of the conflict—completed by how the finale isn't saving the world, but fighting the origin of life itself just to say one final goodbye to her. The wardens of evolution were all interesting characters and I found what we learnt of their civilizations quite interesting, as well as how Dana's friend tied into it. Much of the story felt incredibly hopeless, which is hard to accomplish in a story like Ys where we all know things will turn out alright by the end. Undeniably, this was enhanced by Dana's story being a prequel... and we all know how prequels end.
I do find the multiple endings deal a bit odd, my experience would have been notably worse if I didn't get the true ending. Basing it around approval points is bizarre to put it lightly. But putting that aside, I really enjoyed the true ending with its one final twist. Throughout this game was a feeling of existential dread, and the world itself being the dream of Goddess Maia (very obviously inspired by Azathoth) takes this to another level. I would not count this as a 'everything was a dream!' twist personally, as it doesn't make the consequences any less real (I mean, we're just in another dream now lol) and honestly makes the story feel even more hopeless in retrospect—what were the chances of Dana putting 2 and 2 together and saving the world from being annihilated. It's also rather amusing that the silly parrot was actually god itself, explaining why it kept winning so many of my raid battles. I also appreciate that Maia sleeping in the tree was foreshadowed surprisingly early on, which is easy to forget after being barraged with so many revelations throughout the story. The final hug with Dana was a bittersweet moment and the perfect conclusion to the story ;_;
I have forgotten to mention raids and hunts—raids I kind of disliked, they were novel at first but quickly got tedious as they became longer. Hunts were a lot more enjoyable and I appreciated that it never wasted my time and let me clear them at my own pace.
Graphically, obviously a huge step up from Celceta, the game looks gorgeous and I love how vibrant each area feels. 3D combat took time to get used to, but this was helped by the auto lock on. I can see how Falcom went from this to CS3, and I'm looking forward to further graphical improvements in Ys 9.
Music wise, this was my favourite Ys soundtrack yet, so many fantastic songs. My favourite is still Sunshine Coastline, but almost every track in this game was a banger and each composer did excellent work.
So yeah, overall this was easily my favourite Ys game, and I can see why it's so beloved. Very excited to move onto 9, but this is definitely a game I'll be recommending to others.
The central focus of 8 was of course the exploration and survival aspect, and it nailed that in every way. There is a strong sense of exploring an untamed yet beautiful wilderness that could kill you at any moment, and I'd say it's easily Falcom's most immersive game out of the ones I've played. The music, gameplay, story, and town all tie together wonderfully to make a cohesive experience, and not a single element feels all that out of place. I enjoyed a lot of the little things like growing crops with the rebellious rich merchant son, and helping Alison through childbirth to deliver her baby safely in unfortunate circumstances. By the end I felt attached to every single castaway (including Sir Calan!) and it was sad to say goodbye to them. I think this was enhanced by the fact we had to rescue them all, and every one of them got moments to shine and well placed side quests that ensured they all got the right amount of focus. Final bond events for npcs was an especially nice surprise. I can't forget the joy of developing the castaway village from an empty beach to somewhere that genuinely felt like home—Falcom have always been talented at showing a sense of progression, but this was something else.
To dive specifically into combat, this was a significant improvement on Celceta's system and felt much better. Don't really have too much to say here, just had more fun than I ever had in Ys, which is saying something. Dana sections in the optional dungeon (which I can't believe the vita version doesn't have!) were especially cool, loved how she changed between different forms and the complexity it added to combat, particularly the Io fight.
Characters, well they were all wonderful. Let's separate them individually.
Adol - He's Adol, your enthusiastic red haired adventurer. As a self proclaimed silent protagonist hater, I'm shocked I've never had a problem with him. He has a very clearly defined personality, and I don't feel like I'm playing as much of a self-insert, which is something I never felt with games like Persona 5 despite people claiming otherwise. Love how he helped all the villagers and built relationships with this cast, and I especially loved his relationship with Dana.
Laxia - Terrible introduction inside (what were they thinking!), I loved Laxia. Was nice to see her grow as a person through the adventure and deal with her family issues via a bit of introspection, also cool how she contributed with her knowledge of primordials. The whole romance with Adol is pretty unnecessary lol (do we really need one of these every game), but thankfully wasn't too prominent. As always, Falcom is pretty good at developing tsunderes.
Sahad - He was fun to have around, kind of the amusing dad of the group. Did like how he was able to connect with his ancestry through this adventure. You could say he has the least reason to be part of the main cast, which is true but I also wouldn't have it any other way.
Ricotta - Cute! Wouldn't be a deserted island survival story without a character like this. I liked her relationship with her dad, and it was sweet seeing her adjust to society and become part of a family.
Hummel - The unexpected comedic relief of the cast, he's hilarious. Despite his seemingly cold exterior, he's honestly a massive sweetheart and clumsy do-gooder. I really liked his backstory once we eventually got it. Also white hair bias applies.
Dana - One of my favourite Falcom characters ever! Her story was absolutely gripping from start to finish, and I loved the secondary protagonist role she took for the game. Her sections were all a joy to play and felt like a complete story in of themselves, and I felt her struggles and sadness as she tried and failed to save her world. She avoids basically every pitfall that makes me not so hot on a lot of Falcom heroines, and I loved the platonic relationship she had with Adol. Despite being 'introduced' quite late into the story, she fits into the cast dynamic perfectly. I was quite impressed with the dual narrative and how cleverly it was interwoven together, unravelling mysteries at an engaging pace and handling emotional beats perfectly, and since Dana is at the core of this, well, how could I not love her! I also liked that while she was portrayed as strong, she was not totally invulnerable and had to use clever tactics to avoid the inevitable consequences of isolating herself for millennia. I'm so sad that she won't be able to travel on adventures with Adol and Dogi, but I'm happy they got to say one last goodbye
Storywise, well this was absolutely fantastic and kind of insane. I think the only problem I had was really the serial killer being a bit shallow, but it led to good story moments like the death of the poor captain and the village having to take over his responsibilities—it's easy to see the hole his loss creates. As I mentioned earlier, the survival plot was quite immersive, and I loved the climactic battle against the Oceanus. But of course, there's more to this game's story than that. The evolutionary tree was a pretty... existentially horrifying idea, and I was shocked how massive the scope of the plot ended up being. Yet despite the massive scope, the game never forgets its core themes, and always makes sure Dana is at the centre of the conflict—completed by how the finale isn't saving the world, but fighting the origin of life itself just to say one final goodbye to her. The wardens of evolution were all interesting characters and I found what we learnt of their civilizations quite interesting, as well as how Dana's friend tied into it. Much of the story felt incredibly hopeless, which is hard to accomplish in a story like Ys where we all know things will turn out alright by the end. Undeniably, this was enhanced by Dana's story being a prequel... and we all know how prequels end.
I do find the multiple endings deal a bit odd, my experience would have been notably worse if I didn't get the true ending. Basing it around approval points is bizarre to put it lightly. But putting that aside, I really enjoyed the true ending with its one final twist. Throughout this game was a feeling of existential dread, and the world itself being the dream of Goddess Maia (very obviously inspired by Azathoth) takes this to another level. I would not count this as a 'everything was a dream!' twist personally, as it doesn't make the consequences any less real (I mean, we're just in another dream now lol) and honestly makes the story feel even more hopeless in retrospect—what were the chances of Dana putting 2 and 2 together and saving the world from being annihilated. It's also rather amusing that the silly parrot was actually god itself, explaining why it kept winning so many of my raid battles. I also appreciate that Maia sleeping in the tree was foreshadowed surprisingly early on, which is easy to forget after being barraged with so many revelations throughout the story. The final hug with Dana was a bittersweet moment and the perfect conclusion to the story ;_;
I have forgotten to mention raids and hunts—raids I kind of disliked, they were novel at first but quickly got tedious as they became longer. Hunts were a lot more enjoyable and I appreciated that it never wasted my time and let me clear them at my own pace.
Graphically, obviously a huge step up from Celceta, the game looks gorgeous and I love how vibrant each area feels. 3D combat took time to get used to, but this was helped by the auto lock on. I can see how Falcom went from this to CS3, and I'm looking forward to further graphical improvements in Ys 9.
Music wise, this was my favourite Ys soundtrack yet, so many fantastic songs. My favourite is still Sunshine Coastline, but almost every track in this game was a banger and each composer did excellent work.
So yeah, overall this was easily my favourite Ys game, and I can see why it's so beloved. Very excited to move onto 9, but this is definitely a game I'll be recommending to others.
I first played this game on the Switch, and when I saw it was available on Steam I had to get it and play it again. As my first Ys game, it was a fun introduction to the series and sparked an enthusiasm about the world---I'm excited to play through more games in the series to see what it's like outside of the Isle of Seiren, as well as getting a more in-depth understanding of Adol and Dogi's relationship.
The majority of the characters are super interesting and likeable and I'm incredibly emotionally attached to all of the main party. My only complaint character-wise is that Adol feels a little bit... boring? I believe he would absolutely benefit from proper voice acting and it confuses me why he didn't get any; he's not a silent protagonist, he DOES speak! Let him say things! That's just a small gripe though, he's lovely all the same and I'm excited to see more of him when I play through more games in the series.
The combat is probably one of my favourites out of any game I've ever played. I'd say it's on par with Xenoblade Chronicles (1), so it's solidly in my top 5 games as far as combat goes. The story is amazing (ignoring the weird way they introduced Laxia... I choose to ignore it) and I loved the twists and turns---the world-building is genuinely fascinating.
Overall, this game is a joy to play through and never gets old, even on replays. I like the amount of control you get over the difficulty, and the detailed completion log is INCREDIBLY satisfying for a completionist like me. It also holds speedrun potential, with some super interesting glitches and exploits that make running it look very rewarding, I will absolutely be playing this game again, even after I've achieved 100%.
The majority of the characters are super interesting and likeable and I'm incredibly emotionally attached to all of the main party. My only complaint character-wise is that Adol feels a little bit... boring? I believe he would absolutely benefit from proper voice acting and it confuses me why he didn't get any; he's not a silent protagonist, he DOES speak! Let him say things! That's just a small gripe though, he's lovely all the same and I'm excited to see more of him when I play through more games in the series.
The combat is probably one of my favourites out of any game I've ever played. I'd say it's on par with Xenoblade Chronicles (1), so it's solidly in my top 5 games as far as combat goes. The story is amazing (ignoring the weird way they introduced Laxia... I choose to ignore it) and I loved the twists and turns---the world-building is genuinely fascinating.
Overall, this game is a joy to play through and never gets old, even on replays. I like the amount of control you get over the difficulty, and the detailed completion log is INCREDIBLY satisfying for a completionist like me. It also holds speedrun potential, with some super interesting glitches and exploits that make running it look very rewarding, I will absolutely be playing this game again, even after I've achieved 100%.
This game felt like it was literally made for me. I loved everything about it. It's an action RPG where the plot / setting is you're on a ship with a group of people, the ship gets attacked, the passengers all get scattered around this island and the entire game is set on this little island, but the island is basically skull island from King Kong, in that it's full of dinosaurs (or primordials in game) in a world where they've long been extinct. Anyway, this really does feel like they reached into my brain pulled out all my thoughts and then made a game specifically for me. I really cannot praise this enough.
This review contains spoilers
Another great JRPG ! The premise of this game is that you wash up on a deserted island, and as the game goes by, you rescue more & more castaways that were part of your ship.
The main hub, the Castaway Village, becomes more & more lively as you progress in the adventure. It was such a good idea.
The game has that "We are in the same shit together, so we gotta help each other if we want to make it out of here alive" dynamic, and it made me really engaged in the story from the get go.
I can't praise this game's music enough, it's among the best video game OSTs i've ever heard. I wish the soundtrack was fully orchestrated!
The combat was really satisfying because of how fast & dynamic it was, and the Boss fights were tough but really rewarding.
But honestly, the flash and parry mechanics were too powerful because you can reset the invulnerability frames indefinitely.
The setting & music gave such a great atmosphere to the game, I can't recommand it enough.
I had a really exhausting job during the time I was playing this game, and I can't tell you how relaxing & comforting it felt listening to "Drifting Village" or "Home from Home" after a long day of work. The hub themes are really cozy.
It would have been nice if there was a day/night cycle. I recall a very few moments in the main story where the game automatically sets the time to Dawn or Twilight, and that gave such a chill vibe to the Island.
But unfortunately, it's daytime 99% of the time.
PS: If you want the true Ending, do most raids & side quests when those are available. Don't worry, there are only a few of those. The game doesn't have a lot of side content.
----------Playtime & Completion----------
[Played in November 2021]
Playtime: 70 hours
100% Completion
The main hub, the Castaway Village, becomes more & more lively as you progress in the adventure. It was such a good idea.
The game has that "We are in the same shit together, so we gotta help each other if we want to make it out of here alive" dynamic, and it made me really engaged in the story from the get go.
I can't praise this game's music enough, it's among the best video game OSTs i've ever heard. I wish the soundtrack was fully orchestrated!
The combat was really satisfying because of how fast & dynamic it was, and the Boss fights were tough but really rewarding.
But honestly, the flash and parry mechanics were too powerful because you can reset the invulnerability frames indefinitely.
The setting & music gave such a great atmosphere to the game, I can't recommand it enough.
I had a really exhausting job during the time I was playing this game, and I can't tell you how relaxing & comforting it felt listening to "Drifting Village" or "Home from Home" after a long day of work. The hub themes are really cozy.
It would have been nice if there was a day/night cycle. I recall a very few moments in the main story where the game automatically sets the time to Dawn or Twilight, and that gave such a chill vibe to the Island.
But unfortunately, it's daytime 99% of the time.
PS: If you want the true Ending, do most raids & side quests when those are available. Don't worry, there are only a few of those. The game doesn't have a lot of side content.
----------Playtime & Completion----------
[Played in November 2021]
Playtime: 70 hours
100% Completion
Dana's smile.
That's all that matters.
That's all that matters.
Intenta ser mucho más largo que los anteriores (15-20 vs 50hs) y le va de puto culo porque solo pasan cosas mínimamente interesantes al final.
En resumen: Super sobrevalorado pero sigue siendo mejor que Touhou 8: Imperishable Night
En resumen: Super sobrevalorado pero sigue siendo mejor que Touhou 8: Imperishable Night
acompanhando a vida, morte e reencarnação do universo com meus amigos
Great action RPG with simple yet satisfying combat about reacting to enemy patterns, blood-pumping music, and some of the best side characters in a videogame. The game starts super strong, you find yourself on a mysterious deserted island, now you must gather up the remaining survivors among the ship they were on and build/expand your settlement until you can leave. I was hoping the game would expand and flesh out these ideas even more than it already had but to my disappointment, it didn't. The game instead focuses on Dana and the Eternians, and I don't caaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaare. Nothing is interesting about the eternians or Dana herself that compelled me to learn more, this is where the plot lost me for a bit. Speaking of Dana, they spend a lot of time focusing on her relationship with Adol, but the problem is that their relationship is non-existent. Adol is a mostly mute character that's supposed to represent the player's sense of adventure when playing, so they already shot themselves in the foot by centering a relationship around him and as I mentioned before, I don't find Dana interesting in the slightest. Luckily the end game plot scenarios are a lot more interesting, even if the ending sucks. Lastly, For a game with such strong side characters, I was shocked to see that the main cast was really weak and underdeveloped. I wish we got more downtime for the party to bond because while I didn't care for everyone, some relationships were really charming. Sahad and Ricotta's father-daughter relationship comes to mind. Anyways great game with a kinda sucky story.
Great gameplay and premise.
It's an action-rpg where you explore an island searching for other castaways, with some of them offering new services on the village and it's nice to see the village getting more and more complete. You also get to uncover mysteries on the island
You can get giftable items that raise approval from other characters which allows you to learn more about them, and it may boost stats in certain cases.
Combat is a bit button-mashy but you can swap between three characters with a button and there's bonus damage for using the correct type of character. Also, there's other bonuses for correctly timed dodges and blocks. Some satisfying to use special moves.
There's raids and hunts which are special wave-based missions
There's optional fishing
Some light Metroid-like elements with sections of the map reachable only after obtaining certain gear
Overall very enjoyable. Loses half a star due to a few technical issues and some jankiness, like unnecessary invisible walls that makes you need to walk around certain sections that could have been jumpable.
It's an action-rpg where you explore an island searching for other castaways, with some of them offering new services on the village and it's nice to see the village getting more and more complete. You also get to uncover mysteries on the island
You can get giftable items that raise approval from other characters which allows you to learn more about them, and it may boost stats in certain cases.
Combat is a bit button-mashy but you can swap between three characters with a button and there's bonus damage for using the correct type of character. Also, there's other bonuses for correctly timed dodges and blocks. Some satisfying to use special moves.
There's raids and hunts which are special wave-based missions
There's optional fishing
Some light Metroid-like elements with sections of the map reachable only after obtaining certain gear
Overall very enjoyable. Loses half a star due to a few technical issues and some jankiness, like unnecessary invisible walls that makes you need to walk around certain sections that could have been jumpable.
Ys VIII has one of the most fun and addictive gameplay loops I have experienced in a pretty long time: fantastic action RPG combat with amazing exploration in a fun and exciting setting that changes up and expands frequently. The story is pretty good, the music is outstanding, the graphics are nice, and the whole package comes together in a way that was unexpected for me when I first picked this game up on a whim. I loved this game so much and I cannot wait to check out Ys IX and other entries in the series. My recent dip into Falcom has placed them firmly as one of my favorite developers (they have not missed) so I am excited for what they've got cooking up.
UPDATE: Finished Ys IX. This game is better, in my opinion, but that game bangs pretty hard, too!
UPDATE: Finished Ys IX. This game is better, in my opinion, but that game bangs pretty hard, too!
Minha jornada finalmente terminou, foram mais de trinta e oito horas aonde explorei quase o todo possível que o jogo tinha a me oferecer (por volta de uns 85%, por aí), com isso posso afirmar que minha experiência foi simplesmente... INCRÍVEL! Por via das dúvidas, este texto não é uma análise aprofundada do título em questão e sim um comentário sobre cada ponto do jogo que eu considero importante ressaltar, então não venha dizer “ei, isso não tem uma estrutura”, eu sei que não tem.
Começando por sua gameplay:
Posso dizer que seu combate, apesar de simples, é bastante sólido. Possuindo todas as suas mecânicas como um pilar essencial, o título exala uma paixão por parte dos desenvolvedores ao entreterem o jogador conforme a progressão for surgindo, quando se une isto ao seu combate de fácil domínio a imersão se torna uma guloseima que você aproveita até o último segundo.
Level Design + OST:
É impressionante o trabalho dado na ilha do título, todo mistério que a mesma exala casa tão bem com a temática do jogo que não se sentir atraído nela se torna quase impossível. Tendo sido construída de uma forma que incentive a exploração do jogador, a música se tornou uma peça central na forma que me vi imersivo no ambiente e quando digo isso me refiro a tudo e esse tudo vai desde os mínimos detalhes até os textos da obra.
Em uma definição mais simples, é como se acontecesse uma fusão entre o mundo, a música e a gameplay! Da mesma maneira que o título te entretém em momentos relaxantes enquanto toca “Alone on the deserted island” o mesmo faz isso na pura frenesi ao som de “Sunshine coastline” e isso muda você, muda a forma que você joga e te deixa tão unido ao jogo que você nem percebe a quanto tempo está jogando e meu amigo… isso é esplêndido. Talvez, os únicos momentos que me senti distante foram suas raids que além de exaustivas, as senti bastante convenientes. No mais, todas as atividades que o jogo me deu foram feitas sem nenhum pesar, não me senti preso ou mais fraco em certos trechos, o que, pelo menos para mim, é essencial caso queira sentir a progressão como algo natural.
HISTÓRIA:
É difícil, mas não irei rechear você com spoilers e mais spoilers desta trama esplêndida, até porquê: isto não é uma análise!
Com uma trama um tanto quanto episodica, as primeiras dez horas podem parecer algo sem muita direção mesmo com os bons momentos narrativas, porém, não se engane, está é uma parte bastante importante para tudo que veremos depois.
Cada membro da party é bastante individual e a interação que eles tem entre si e com o protagonista (Adol Christin) torna eles bastante humanos, não existe algo que pareça forçado e irreal aqui ao ponto de que até mesmo os momentos que seriam fracos utilizam uma camada de humor que o levanta. Para uma pequena exemplificação: um personagem da party é iconoclasta e não parece um cara tão amigável ao primeiro momento, conforme vamos evoluindo na jornada o mesmo vai mudando e as interações que observamos o torna um personagem melhor. Este foi apenas um exemplo, eu poderia dar vários, mas se isso acontecesse seria melhor a criação de um vídeo detalhado em casa aspecto da trama do que um comentário grande kkk.
Todos os membros da party se demonstram relevantes para a trama central e conforme você for fazendo tanto a jornada e os famosos “desvios” (sidequest) o aprofundamento que os mesmos têm e suas mensagens para a jornada se tornam mais claras e impactantes. Se você acha que somente sua equipe é relevante pra trama, não se preocupe, os personagens secundários também são importantes, mas acho melhor não focar tanto neste assunto por eles estarem ligados diretamente na trama principal e dos membros da equipe, o que posso dizer é que tudo se torna mais belo e sólido conforme você for apreciando a narrativa total da obra.
Sobre a narrativa principal, o que posso dizer é DANMMMM, QUE COISA LINDA! Sim, eu chorei. A narrativa aqui é significativa e bela ao ponto de abalar profundamente minhas emoções, era como se uma parte de mim saísse de mim e ficasse naquele jogo, não tenho palavras para descrever a experiência que tive aqui… o único culpado desse jogo não ter um 10 é um arco específico que puta merda, quem criou isso deve MORRER!
Creio que irei finalizar aqui com uma ost que representa muito o que senti com esse jogo: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xogTY-BvV6s.
Começando por sua gameplay:
Posso dizer que seu combate, apesar de simples, é bastante sólido. Possuindo todas as suas mecânicas como um pilar essencial, o título exala uma paixão por parte dos desenvolvedores ao entreterem o jogador conforme a progressão for surgindo, quando se une isto ao seu combate de fácil domínio a imersão se torna uma guloseima que você aproveita até o último segundo.
Level Design + OST:
É impressionante o trabalho dado na ilha do título, todo mistério que a mesma exala casa tão bem com a temática do jogo que não se sentir atraído nela se torna quase impossível. Tendo sido construída de uma forma que incentive a exploração do jogador, a música se tornou uma peça central na forma que me vi imersivo no ambiente e quando digo isso me refiro a tudo e esse tudo vai desde os mínimos detalhes até os textos da obra.
Em uma definição mais simples, é como se acontecesse uma fusão entre o mundo, a música e a gameplay! Da mesma maneira que o título te entretém em momentos relaxantes enquanto toca “Alone on the deserted island” o mesmo faz isso na pura frenesi ao som de “Sunshine coastline” e isso muda você, muda a forma que você joga e te deixa tão unido ao jogo que você nem percebe a quanto tempo está jogando e meu amigo… isso é esplêndido. Talvez, os únicos momentos que me senti distante foram suas raids que além de exaustivas, as senti bastante convenientes. No mais, todas as atividades que o jogo me deu foram feitas sem nenhum pesar, não me senti preso ou mais fraco em certos trechos, o que, pelo menos para mim, é essencial caso queira sentir a progressão como algo natural.
HISTÓRIA:
É difícil, mas não irei rechear você com spoilers e mais spoilers desta trama esplêndida, até porquê: isto não é uma análise!
Com uma trama um tanto quanto episodica, as primeiras dez horas podem parecer algo sem muita direção mesmo com os bons momentos narrativas, porém, não se engane, está é uma parte bastante importante para tudo que veremos depois.
Cada membro da party é bastante individual e a interação que eles tem entre si e com o protagonista (Adol Christin) torna eles bastante humanos, não existe algo que pareça forçado e irreal aqui ao ponto de que até mesmo os momentos que seriam fracos utilizam uma camada de humor que o levanta. Para uma pequena exemplificação: um personagem da party é iconoclasta e não parece um cara tão amigável ao primeiro momento, conforme vamos evoluindo na jornada o mesmo vai mudando e as interações que observamos o torna um personagem melhor. Este foi apenas um exemplo, eu poderia dar vários, mas se isso acontecesse seria melhor a criação de um vídeo detalhado em casa aspecto da trama do que um comentário grande kkk.
Todos os membros da party se demonstram relevantes para a trama central e conforme você for fazendo tanto a jornada e os famosos “desvios” (sidequest) o aprofundamento que os mesmos têm e suas mensagens para a jornada se tornam mais claras e impactantes. Se você acha que somente sua equipe é relevante pra trama, não se preocupe, os personagens secundários também são importantes, mas acho melhor não focar tanto neste assunto por eles estarem ligados diretamente na trama principal e dos membros da equipe, o que posso dizer é que tudo se torna mais belo e sólido conforme você for apreciando a narrativa total da obra.
Sobre a narrativa principal, o que posso dizer é DANMMMM, QUE COISA LINDA! Sim, eu chorei. A narrativa aqui é significativa e bela ao ponto de abalar profundamente minhas emoções, era como se uma parte de mim saísse de mim e ficasse naquele jogo, não tenho palavras para descrever a experiência que tive aqui… o único culpado desse jogo não ter um 10 é um arco específico que puta merda, quem criou isso deve MORRER!
Creio que irei finalizar aqui com uma ost que representa muito o que senti com esse jogo: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xogTY-BvV6s.
not my adol. "that fruit looks delicious", no, my adol doesn't talk. my adol potentially doesn't even like fruit. he wouldn't say
too much rpg and flash guard sucks..
too much rpg and flash guard sucks..
Unlike with Kiseki I do not have any profound or profusely deep thoughts on Ys. That isn’t to say Ys is bad… in fact it shines as one of the most fulfilling narrative experiences one could have. However, it is to say that you receive exactly what you expect from Ys which isn’t a negative evaluation by any means. Ys is and always will be the story of one very proficient red-haired swordsman who embarks on a myriad of adventures and Ys VIII Lacrimosa of Dana is no different. In a way, I’d even say this game is the pinnacle of Ys experiences and rightfully reoriented the franchise.
Ys VIII covers the travelogue of Adol’s shipwreck on the Isle of Seiren and what a gold mine Falcom struck with such a setting. This game was many people’s initial foray into this franchise and so orienting Adol in a world that is completely unknown to him fully embraces us into his role. This island is as mysterious to him as it is to us and each new discovery, landmark and detail really allows the player to inherit the role of “Adventurer”. Rather than Ys VIII explaining to us “why” adventuring is so exciting to Adol, we learn first hand just what it means to him by instilling in us that very same awe, wonder and excitement. Throughout the game many characters scoff, ridicule or even question Adol’s self-proclaimed title but each location in this game reinforces in us “why” we adventure. To that end, Lacrimosa of Dana does an excellent job of conveying this world to us as players. It is no surprise that Falcom was operating under heavy technical limitations between the Vita and PS4 but despite this, each location is incredibly inspired and purposeful. There is purposeful intent behind every new discovery you make and this is one aspect Ys VIII absolutely excels at.. even more so than its predecessors. This game is a masterclass in environmental story-telling. There is so much to learn just from paying attention to the world and how every location is oriented in respect to each other. One detail I feel many overlook is how each location is named by the party themselves. Discovering why “Nameless Coast”, “Eroded Valley”, “Nostalgia Cape” are named as such and how the landmarks present in these locations prompted such names is so much fun. One of my favorite moments in any game comes from Ys VIII and it is when the cast finally reaches the summit of Gens d’Armes. That view from South to North has no English dictionary word describing what it makes one feel. Add to this the underlying mysteries behind each Pirate’s Note or discovery you make regarding the truth of Seiren and there is so much subtle build-up that absolutely pays off in spades as you progress. To this day, the minute approach of Eleftheria and Captain Reed’s story is some of my favorite Ys storytelling to date. Add to this how each new location is delivered with soulful art and environment direction. Even despite its release in 2016, it is hard to say this game aged poorly when so many locations look incredibly beautiful and convey just how Seiren’s isolation from the progression of mankind is as magnificent as it is awe-inspiring. This purposeful world-crafting pairs sublimely with Falcom Sound Team JDK’s pure euphoria-inducing soundtrack. Tracks such as “Eroded Valley”, “Sibylline Road”, “Gens d’Armes”, “A Slow and Deep Breath”, “Iclucian Dance” and “Valley of Kings” to name a few all help illustrate the diverse and dense world of Seiren. The pure emotions conveyed from Unisuga, Jindo, Singa and Sonoda’s work here is unparalleled. I’d even go so far as to say Ys VIII’s soundtrack illustrates the golden era of Falcom discography. Every track has so much passion poured into it, each telling a story of its own that combines flawlessly with the emotion and tragedy of each location to deliver such profound sentiment. I cannot stress enough how much of a marriage the two are. And I cannot stress enough how this fuels your desire for “adventure”. This game very much feels like a love letter to the concept of discovery and fully embodies what Adol Christin as a character represents in this world.
And regarding the “world”, Ys VIII does an excellent job of tying together its theme of unity. From the very beginning it is stressed that only together can each castaway survive on Seiren. And this very theme is ever present in them, in Dana, in Eternia, in the Wardens and in Selen Garden. It is only through unity can humanity, or rather, our collective consciousness endure. Ys VIII takes this theme and masterfully weaves it into the ever-increasing stakes so well that you can’t help but root for each character as they overcome each tribulation. And oh man, the characters. This game has an incredibly strong cast from Laxia whose arc teaches us to overcome our own indecisiveness and take action, Sahad who reminds us to be humble in the face of how great the world is, Hummel who demonstrates how duty drives humanity to be ever greater in their cause, Ricotta who shows us no matter how lost we are never alone and Dana who enforces that so long as we are unrelenting we will overcome. It is hard to feel any character ever falls behind as each proves themselves to be more than just a caricature of some niche. Sahad’s words to Adol and Laxia under the night sky on remaining humble in front of the ocean stay with me to this day. It is hard to imagine this game without any one of its cast members.
It’s amazing for me honestly. I have played this game many times before but it hasn’t resonated so deeply with me until now. This is just a really good game and certainly one of my favorite Ys experiences. It encapsulates just what Ys means. It features some phenomenal story-telling, environments, OST, characters and really embraces what it means to sit down and go on a fantastical adventure. Ys VIII embodies both the legacy and philosophy of Ys. Ys VIII is at its core the truest Ys experience.
Ys VIII covers the travelogue of Adol’s shipwreck on the Isle of Seiren and what a gold mine Falcom struck with such a setting. This game was many people’s initial foray into this franchise and so orienting Adol in a world that is completely unknown to him fully embraces us into his role. This island is as mysterious to him as it is to us and each new discovery, landmark and detail really allows the player to inherit the role of “Adventurer”. Rather than Ys VIII explaining to us “why” adventuring is so exciting to Adol, we learn first hand just what it means to him by instilling in us that very same awe, wonder and excitement. Throughout the game many characters scoff, ridicule or even question Adol’s self-proclaimed title but each location in this game reinforces in us “why” we adventure. To that end, Lacrimosa of Dana does an excellent job of conveying this world to us as players. It is no surprise that Falcom was operating under heavy technical limitations between the Vita and PS4 but despite this, each location is incredibly inspired and purposeful. There is purposeful intent behind every new discovery you make and this is one aspect Ys VIII absolutely excels at.. even more so than its predecessors. This game is a masterclass in environmental story-telling. There is so much to learn just from paying attention to the world and how every location is oriented in respect to each other. One detail I feel many overlook is how each location is named by the party themselves. Discovering why “Nameless Coast”, “Eroded Valley”, “Nostalgia Cape” are named as such and how the landmarks present in these locations prompted such names is so much fun. One of my favorite moments in any game comes from Ys VIII and it is when the cast finally reaches the summit of Gens d’Armes. That view from South to North has no English dictionary word describing what it makes one feel. Add to this the underlying mysteries behind each Pirate’s Note or discovery you make regarding the truth of Seiren and there is so much subtle build-up that absolutely pays off in spades as you progress. To this day, the minute approach of Eleftheria and Captain Reed’s story is some of my favorite Ys storytelling to date. Add to this how each new location is delivered with soulful art and environment direction. Even despite its release in 2016, it is hard to say this game aged poorly when so many locations look incredibly beautiful and convey just how Seiren’s isolation from the progression of mankind is as magnificent as it is awe-inspiring. This purposeful world-crafting pairs sublimely with Falcom Sound Team JDK’s pure euphoria-inducing soundtrack. Tracks such as “Eroded Valley”, “Sibylline Road”, “Gens d’Armes”, “A Slow and Deep Breath”, “Iclucian Dance” and “Valley of Kings” to name a few all help illustrate the diverse and dense world of Seiren. The pure emotions conveyed from Unisuga, Jindo, Singa and Sonoda’s work here is unparalleled. I’d even go so far as to say Ys VIII’s soundtrack illustrates the golden era of Falcom discography. Every track has so much passion poured into it, each telling a story of its own that combines flawlessly with the emotion and tragedy of each location to deliver such profound sentiment. I cannot stress enough how much of a marriage the two are. And I cannot stress enough how this fuels your desire for “adventure”. This game very much feels like a love letter to the concept of discovery and fully embodies what Adol Christin as a character represents in this world.
And regarding the “world”, Ys VIII does an excellent job of tying together its theme of unity. From the very beginning it is stressed that only together can each castaway survive on Seiren. And this very theme is ever present in them, in Dana, in Eternia, in the Wardens and in Selen Garden. It is only through unity can humanity, or rather, our collective consciousness endure. Ys VIII takes this theme and masterfully weaves it into the ever-increasing stakes so well that you can’t help but root for each character as they overcome each tribulation. And oh man, the characters. This game has an incredibly strong cast from Laxia whose arc teaches us to overcome our own indecisiveness and take action, Sahad who reminds us to be humble in the face of how great the world is, Hummel who demonstrates how duty drives humanity to be ever greater in their cause, Ricotta who shows us no matter how lost we are never alone and Dana who enforces that so long as we are unrelenting we will overcome. It is hard to feel any character ever falls behind as each proves themselves to be more than just a caricature of some niche. Sahad’s words to Adol and Laxia under the night sky on remaining humble in front of the ocean stay with me to this day. It is hard to imagine this game without any one of its cast members.
It’s amazing for me honestly. I have played this game many times before but it hasn’t resonated so deeply with me until now. This is just a really good game and certainly one of my favorite Ys experiences. It encapsulates just what Ys means. It features some phenomenal story-telling, environments, OST, characters and really embraces what it means to sit down and go on a fantastical adventure. Ys VIII embodies both the legacy and philosophy of Ys. Ys VIII is at its core the truest Ys experience.
masterpiece, one of the best games ever made, sunshine coastline rocks
Having played Oath in Felghana and Origin, I expected Ys VIII to be a very competent action RPG/hack and slash with fun, fast-paced combat and a banging soundtrack.
And those expectations were definitely met, but what I didn't expect was how good the story ended up being. The pacing is a bit whack - it takes far too long to get to the point where the main plot actually really begins (and the early game murder mystery arc seems like filler to give the early game some actual stakes), but once it does get going it accelerates straight into feels territory, even if some of the twists are easily predicted. Dana is honestly an amazing character.
I'm a sucker for the town-building concept too, and even if the castaways were kinda tropey, they were generally charming enough that I enjoyed their various little stories too. Exploring the island also felt great, with little dungeons and blocked off areas that makes finding the castaways rewarding, when you can get rid of an obstacle and see what is behind it.
Overall, well worth a play. Don't be put off by the low-budget presentation, this game is an experience.
And those expectations were definitely met, but what I didn't expect was how good the story ended up being. The pacing is a bit whack - it takes far too long to get to the point where the main plot actually really begins (and the early game murder mystery arc seems like filler to give the early game some actual stakes), but once it does get going it accelerates straight into feels territory, even if some of the twists are easily predicted. Dana is honestly an amazing character.
I'm a sucker for the town-building concept too, and even if the castaways were kinda tropey, they were generally charming enough that I enjoyed their various little stories too. Exploring the island also felt great, with little dungeons and blocked off areas that makes finding the castaways rewarding, when you can get rid of an obstacle and see what is behind it.
Overall, well worth a play. Don't be put off by the low-budget presentation, this game is an experience.
This review contains spoilers
this is such a good fucking game. from the start the setting is super cool, you're thrown into an island with very little resources and practically no one to rely on but yourself and a couple others, yet slowly start rescuing every castaway, getting new facilities, exploring the island and it all just feels super satisfying. the story is amazing as well, dana is probably the best ys character so far. the cast in general is just very good, they have an awesome dynamic together and i definitely did not expect that out of ys, which has only had a couple of cool characters per game until now. im so happy this game exists, its like everything i wanted out of ys in one package and i cant wait to see how IX improves upon it. Dana Forever!
THIS is how you make a fucking video game. From the moment Sunshine Coastline started playing I was sold. There are so many games nowadays that either feel too linear, or they feel too OVERWHELMING with how big and open they are. Ys 8 reaches that perfect point in between. The game's sense of adventure and exploration is just perfect. The linearity of the story and areas actually strengthens this game so much, because you're constantly waiting to see what's gonna come next rather than the game throwing the entire map at you all at once.
Also the soundtrack...the fact that there's so many bangers in one OST is MIND BOGGLING. This was Falcom Sound Team at its peak. Unisuga went crazy, Sonoda went crazy, Jindo went crazy, and even SINGA went crazy (minus the couple guitar tracks that he did). Shit's perfect, I love this game.
Also the soundtrack...the fact that there's so many bangers in one OST is MIND BOGGLING. This was Falcom Sound Team at its peak. Unisuga went crazy, Sonoda went crazy, Jindo went crazy, and even SINGA went crazy (minus the couple guitar tracks that he did). Shit's perfect, I love this game.
not really a masterpiece but i love it
Combat is ok, smooth and comfortable, too simple though. Not as fun as 2D Ys.
Story is good, the first three chapters are too slow though.
Character is ok(except dana), not as memorable as the kiseki series but still good.
World exploration is great, but still have invisible walls that make me remember it's a falcom game and not xenoblade.
Music is as good as always. Some persona shit but not big problem.
The true end boss fight make me cry, A TO Z is amazing.
Falcom deserves more attention, people who take too much care of graphic are stupid.
Combat is ok, smooth and comfortable, too simple though. Not as fun as 2D Ys.
Story is good, the first three chapters are too slow though.
Character is ok(except dana), not as memorable as the kiseki series but still good.
World exploration is great, but still have invisible walls that make me remember it's a falcom game and not xenoblade.
Music is as good as always. Some persona shit but not big problem.
The true end boss fight make me cry, A TO Z is amazing.
Falcom deserves more attention, people who take too much care of graphic are stupid.
I have yet to play more Ys games at the time of this review, having only beaten this, Seven, and Monstrum Nox, but this is quite literally peak Ys and peak Action RPG in general. I'm dead serious, it's up there with Kingdom Hearts 2.
The combat is fast-paced, frantic, simple, yet so rewarding and addicting. The characters are well designed and mostly likeable, and the story is mysterious and intriguing. I may have a bias since it's my first Ys game but god if this wasn't an amazing experience.
Also has a fuckin banger soundtrack and I'm a proud owner of the complete OST on CD. Ripped to FLAC and I always give it a listen in Foobar. It's so damn good.
The combat is fast-paced, frantic, simple, yet so rewarding and addicting. The characters are well designed and mostly likeable, and the story is mysterious and intriguing. I may have a bias since it's my first Ys game but god if this wasn't an amazing experience.
Also has a fuckin banger soundtrack and I'm a proud owner of the complete OST on CD. Ripped to FLAC and I always give it a listen in Foobar. It's so damn good.
this is it. this is the apex of the series. this is what i originally set out to play, and it checked every box for me. the very culmination of what the series has been building on since the very beginning. absolutely beautiful game
You kill dinos to a banger OST 12/10