Ys VIII: Lacrimosa of Dana is one of the best action role-playing games ever made and one of the best Ys games ever made. I've played every Ys game to date and the competition for best Ys game is well populated. While I can't say it beats Ys Origin in my opinion, it comes pretty close.

Every aspect of this game is top tier. The soundtrack is legendary, one of the best coming from a developer that is well known for their amazing soundtracks. This might actually be the best soundtrack in the entire series, every song is so packed with energy, excellent performances and catchy compositions keep you heavily invested in the game and further motivate you to discover the next area just to hear a new song.

The graphics aren't high budget, on a technical level they aren't impressive, but artistically the game is stunning. So many beautiful locations to see, and the island as a whole is extremely impressive from a design perspective as well as aesthetically. Any point of interest you see in the distance, you can travel to and see close up. Being able to see the whole island in a single frame is a great experience.

Storywise, Lacrimosa is my favorite of the Ys series. Most of the later Ys games have a pretty solid story, but this one really nails it. At first presenting itself as a basic survival story after being castaway on a seemingly deserted island, the story gets very deep the further you go. All the characters, including the lost castaways are interesting, with solid backstories and character moments through out the game.

Dana is a really great character, with a very interesting and emotional story. She is easily one of my favorite characters of all time. I won't spoil anything but the ending is both tragic and beautiful. It'll be a story I won't forget, that's for sure. And that's a good sign if you ask me.

Gameplay is a small step up from Celceta, while mostly continuing the formula presented in Ys Seven. My only issue with it is that it feels a little unbalanced at times, and the raids and hunts while fun at first, really become quite annoying later in the game, and far too long and chaotic. The world and dungeons are all pretty good for the most part.

My favorite part of the gameplay is the semi-non-linear progression, as you get to explore the world, discover new areas, scattered with secrets and optional caves and dungeons. It has some light elements of a metroidvania in that sense. Special accessories grant you abilities that allow you to traverse new areas you may not have previously, so the world is always unfolding as you find treasures and defeat bosses.

Combat is fast and fun. There are plenty of challenges to be had in this game. Plenty of memorable bosses too, though perhaps a bit too many bosses. This game is really packed with content overall. My first playthrough took me about 70 hours on Nightmare difficulty. I 100% everything, aside from getting 100% "approval" from the castaways.

I suppose I should bring this review to a close. Considering all elements of this game, I'd give it a 95 / 100. It's a truly phenomenal experience and an absolutely must-play game. Any fans of action games, RPG's and great music must check this game out!

PC port notes: Game runs smooth as butter on my GTX 1660 Ti. Over 240 fps max everything. However, there are a few bugs unfortunately. Firstly, the foliage in some areas doesn't seem to consider depth accurately, so some foliage is rendered in front of other foliage, even when they are further away in distance. Secondly, when playing at an fps above 60, there's a significant chance that enemies and bosses will just spontaneously die when you hit them.

That's a pretty serious bug, so I played the game with a 60 fps cap. Game looks and plays great at 60 so it wasn't a huge problem for me. It also allowed me to run the game at the highest internal resolution setting. So it looks pretty good at least. I did not encounter any other bugs during my playthrough. No crashes either. So while I can't say it's a perfect port, it gets the job done with few issues, so it's a passing grade at least.

Ys VIII: Lacrimosa of Dana is one of the best action role-playing games ever made and one of the best Ys games ever made. I've played every Ys game to date and the competition for best Ys game is well populated. While I can't say it beats Ys Origin in my opinion, it comes pretty close. Every aspect of this game is top tier. The soundtrack is legendary, one of the best coming from a developer that is well known for their amazing soundtracks. This might actually be the best soundtrack in the entire series, every song is so packed with energy, excellent performances and catchy compositions keep you heavily invested in the game and further motivate you to discover the next area just to hear a new song. The graphics aren't high budget, on a technical level they aren't impressive, but artistically the game is stunning. So many beautiful locations to see, and the island as a whole is extremely impressive from a design perspective as well as aesthetically. Any point of interest you see in the distance, you can travel to and see close up. Being able to see the whole island in a single frame is a great experience. Storywise, Lacrimosa is my favorite of the Ys series. Most of the later Ys games have a pretty solid story, but this one really nails it. At first presenting itself as a basic survival story after being castaway on a seemingly deserted island, the story gets very deep the further you go. All the characters, including the lost castaways are interesting, with solid backstories and character moments through out the game. Dana is a really great character, with a very interesting and emotional story. She is easily one of my favorite characters of all time. I won't spoil anything but the ending is both tragic and beautiful. It'll be a story I won't forget, that's for sure. And that's a good sign if you ask me. Gameplay is a small step up from Celceta, while mostly continuing the formula presented in Ys Seven. My only issue with it is that it feels a little unbalanced at times, and the raids and hunts while fun at first, really become quite annoying later in the game, and far too long and chaotic. The world and dungeons are all pretty good for the most part. My favorite part of the gameplay is the semi-non-linear progression, as you get to explore the world, discover new areas, scattered with secrets and optional caves and dungeons. It has some light elements of a metroidvania in that sense. Special accessories grant you abilities that allow you to traverse new areas you may not have previously, so the world is always unfolding as you find treasures and defeat bosses. Combat is fast and fun. There are plenty of challenges to be had in this game. Plenty of memorable bosses too, though perhaps a bit too many bosses. This game is really packed with content overall. My first playthrough took me about 70 hours on Nightmare difficulty. I 100% everything, aside from getting 100% "approval" from the castaways. I suppose I should bring this review to a close. Considering all elements of this game, I'd give it a 95 / 100. It's a truly phenomenal experience and an absolutely must-play game. Any fans of action games, RPG's and great music must check this game out! PC port notes: Game runs smooth as butter on my GTX 1660 Ti. Over 240 fps max everything. However, there are a few bugs unfortunately. Firstly, the foliage in some areas doesn't seem to consider depth accurately, so some foliage is rendered in front of other foliage, even when they are further away in distance. Secondly, when playing at an fps above 60, there's a significant chance that enemies and bosses will just spontaneously die when you hit them. That's a pretty serious bug, so I played the game with a 60 fps cap. Game looks and plays great at 60 so it wasn't a huge problem for me. It also allowed me to run the game at the highest internal resolution setting. So it looks pretty good at least. I did not encounter any other bugs during my playthrough. No crashes either. So while I can't say it's a perfect port, it gets the job done with few issues, so it's a passing grade at least.