Ys VIII: Lacrimosa of Dana Review

Ys VIII: Lacrimosa of Dana (PC, PS4 [Reviewed], PS5, PS Vita, Nintendo Switch, Android, iOS)
Developer: Nihon Falcom
Publisher: Nihon Falcom (Japan) / NIS America
Released: July 21, 2016
ESRB: T – Teen

The Ys series began back in 1987, a little over a year after I was born. While I had heard of the franchise, I had never played a Ys game until this year. However, while browsing games available on PlayStation Plus, I came across Ys VIII and Ys IX.

I thought the screenshots looked good, so I read some reviews that praised it and watched a few videos. With that, I dove into Ys VIII but didn’t expect much. Still, I wasn’t prepared for just how absorbing this game would be. What starts as a seemingly straightforward tale of survival on a cursed island quickly evolves into one of the most compelling JRPG narratives in recent memory.

Ys VIII: Lacrimosa of Dana appeared on my radar with little fanfare, but it quickly consumed my free time. Now I’m hooked on the series.

The Story That Keeps You Hooked

You play as Adol Christin, a red-haired adventurer who finds himself shipwrecked on the Isle of Seiren. It’s a place rumored to swallow ships whole, and no one has ever escaped from it. Alongside a growing cast of fellow castaways, Adol explores the island, builds a makeshift village called Castaway Village, and unravels the mystery of Dana, a mysterious blue-haired woman who appears in his dreams.

The story starts slowly but builds to something genuinely epic. As a result, twists and revelations kept me glued to the screen. It’s one of those narratives where you decide to play one more mission, and it turns into four or five more.

Moreover, the Dana storyline in particular executes beautifully. It resonates in ways I did not see coming. In the end, this narrative respects the player’s patience and rewards it accordingly.

Gameplay That Truly Shines With Fast Paced Combat

Gameplay is where Ys VIII truly shines, and it shines brightly. The combat system is fast, fluid, and incredibly satisfying. You control a party of three characters and can swap between them on the fly. Each brings a different weapon type and playstyle to the battlefield. Therefore, learning when to flash guard and when to unleash devastating Extra Skills gives fights a wonderful rhythm that never really gets old.

Boss battles are particular highlights. They demand attention to attack patterns and quick reflexes, yet the fights feel genuinely rewarding rather than punishing. Whether you are cutting through waves of enemies during village raids or facing massive creatures from the island’s depths, the combat is simply fantastic from beginning to end.

Additionally, the raid defense segments deserve special mention as well. Periodically, hordes of creatures descend on Castaway Village, and you must defend it across multiple fronts. These sections break up the exploration and dungeon-crawling nicely. What’s more, they add a layer of strategic urgency that keeps things from ever feeling monotonous.

Visuals, Music, and Overall Verdict

Visually, Ys VIII is a good-looking game on PS4, but it does show its limitations. I have been playing the PS4 version on PS5, because it’s what’s on Plus. There is a PS5 version, but I can’t speak to its visuals. Character models look detailed and expressive, and the island environments feel varied enough to keep exploration fresh. That said, there are moments where you can clearly see the game’s last-generation origins. Some textures look low resolution up close, and the draw distance feels modest. It’s not going to be anyone’s graphical benchmark. Still, the colorful art direction does a lot of heavy lifting and keeps the world vibrant and inviting.

Where Ys VIII is absolutely without compromise, however, is in its music. Falcom Sound Team jdk has delivered an absolutely excellent soundtrack here. It is one of the best in any game I have played in years. The battle themes are electrifying, quietly gorgeous arrangements underscore the emotional story beats, and the island exploration themes have an adventurous quality that perfectly matches the tone of the game. The music during battles adds a lot to the experience, and I’m usually not a big music person.

Ys VIII: Lacrimosa of Dana is a fantastic action RPG that delivers in nearly every area that counts. A gripping story, phenomenal combat, and an outstanding soundtrack come together to create an experience that is genuinely hard to put down. The visuals could have used a bit more polish, and the localization had some rough patches on launch. But none of that significantly dampens what is otherwise an outstanding adventure. So if you have even a passing interest in action RPGs and have not yet visited the Isle of Seiren, correct that immediately.

If you have PS Plus Extra, then the PS4 version of Ys VIII is available in the Game Catalog. Highly recommend checking it out.