Ys VIII: Lacrimosa of Dana Nintendo Switch
Best RPGs of Q2 2018
The Ys series is over 30 years old, but one of its best titles yet released last year with Ys VIII: Lacrimosa of Dana. Finally, the critically acclaimed title made its way to Nintendo Switch, and it’s another quality title on the handheld hybrid. Ys VIII continues the story of Adol Christin and his friend Dogi, as they work aboard a luxury cruise liner named the Lombardia. When the ship is attacked by a Kraken, they and the rest of the passengers are marooned on the mythical island of Seiren. Adols and a handful of others need to travel the island to find survivors from the shipwreck, map their surrounding, and gather supplies to help build a village.
Ys VIII sports the same action-oriented combat system as its predecessors, and the arcadey nature of battles help them move along frantically. The game has an interesting way of combining story and gameplay as you find other survivors from the shipwreck, and they, in turn, can provide some special service or advantage for your growing village of castaways. The Nintendo Switch version does receive a minor dip in graphical quality and framerate, but all the elements that made Ys VIII great before are still great here. A vast explorable world, compelling narrative, and great ally AI are just a few of the reasons the game garnered a 4/5 from us on Switch.
