Reviews on PS4. The game was provided by the publisher for review purposes.
Ys is a long running and beloved action RPG series made by Falcom, one that I have a long history with. I first played the series on the Turbo Grafx 16 years ago and found it to be amazing, with such a unique charm. I’ve been following the series ever since and as such, Ys VIII: Lacrimosa of Dana was a title I was hotly anticipating.
Ys games are known for great action and great music, and Ys VIII: Lacrimosa of Dana continues that tradition. The game has several new innovations to help keep things fresh, such as new combat mechanics that help keep the series on par with the best of the best in terms of action games. New dodge and reactions mechanics bring a new way of approaching combat that makes this game more involving than the previous entries.
The music that we have come to expect from the series is still here of course and the composers did an excellent job. A mix of multiple styles including rock, folk, and others give Ys VIII: Lacrimosa of Dana, one of the best soundtracks in recent years. Great boss themes, incidental music, area music and so on. The voice acting is admittedly hit or miss, but that is a minor issue at best to me. I admit it could be a bit distracting at times, but not too bad,
Ys VIII: Lacrimosa of Dana, has a great story, and you will find yourself lost in the game for hours on end. In addition, the characters are mostly well written and likeable. Yes there are some overused tropes in the game, but a trope is a tool and if used well, it is fine. My issue is that some dialogue just seems stilted occasionally, which may have been why I found the voice acting hit or miss, but as I said above, it is not too bad. With Ys VIII: Lacrimosa of Dana, we have been given an epic action RPG that makes great use of resources. This is the biggest and best Ys game yet and truly feels like it can rival some of the big players in the genre.
For players new to the Ys series, don’t worry. the game does a good job of catching you up to speed in a way that will not leave you confused. Yes the series has been continuously following the adventures of Adol Christin, but you will not feel left out. If anything, you may become curious because the game does a good job of both being an epic sequel and a great entry point for new players. Grant Morrison once said that every comic book is someone’s first comic. That can also be applied to video games, and Ys VIII: Lacrimosa of Dana, is a game that is very much aware of that.
Ys VIII: Lacrimosa of Dana, is a game that honors its past while paving a bright future for itself. You may not be familiar with the series, but this is a good way to learn more about it. I highly recommend it.
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Disclaimer: A review key was provided by the publisher.