Review for Ys VIII: Lacrimosa of Dana. Game for Nintendo Switch, PC, PlayStation 4 and PlayStation Vita, the video game was released on 21/07/2016 The version for PC came out on 17/04/2018 The version for Nintendo Switch came out on 28/06/2018 The version for PlayStation 4 came out on 25/05/2017
Ys VIII: Lacrimosa of Dana is part of a series of titles, already released on rival consoles, which have had a port for Nintendo Switch. With only one year of life, the Nintendo flagship needs to establish itself in the market as a complete console, not relegated to being the machine on which to play only the exclusives of the great N. The stock of a young console also needs excellent thirds party, or already released titles that become available on it too. On Switch this has even more relevance, taking into account the portability of the console. Nihon Falcom Corporation's JRPG is a valuable addition to the Nintendo Switch library, we are talking about a quality game after all, with an acceptable porting (although not excellent).
Pros and Cons of the "Switch Factor"
Ys VIII: Lacrimosa of Dana already hit us at the release, when we faced it on Sony consoles. After a year, the astonishment has not changed, but some gaps have emerged, both in terms of the porting and the game itself. As mentioned earlier, the portability the Switch offers is invaluable, but the Nintendo flagship hardware can be problematic. In fact, YS VIII is penalized by the porting: in portable mode the resolution drops to a peak, with low resolution textures and occasional problems in particle effects. Unfortunately, the problems do not end there. Other textremely sore point of this version of YS VIII is the framerate, which has problems in both laptop and dock station. We point out that these problems are rare in the course of the fight, but arise after almost every load. In fact, although the uploads are extremely fast, especially if you choose not to view the game tips, the images on the screen tend to slow down for a few seconds after each waiting time. Despite this the experience is not ruined, thanks also to the fact that, During combat and exploration, frame rate drops are fortunately very rare. Furthermore, the title is still graphically pleasing for most of its duration, even in portable mode.
Care and Charm of the classic, brought to modern standards
As already pointed out in our last review, YS VIII: Lacrimosa of Dana is an excellent title that, despite being a niche, has managed to innovate without losing its soul. The strength of the game is the combati system, in action style and perfectly integrated into the game, which is really well done. The care taken in settings, side quests, combat and characters is almost nostalgic: brings to mind the memories of the golden age of the genre, which seems long gone. During the adventure it will be difficult not to become attached to the friendly cast of protagonists, as well as to the Isle of Seiren itself, which acts as both a trap and a playground at the same time. The integration of metroidvania-style mechanics is simply perfect, as it leads to a continuous exploration of the island that slowly opens up new roads, shortcuts, treasures and bosses. The care of the main hub is also excellent, interesting to expand and useful to use.
The charming, but slow, Lacrimosa
YS VIII is not without flaws, even apart from some performance issues. In fact, during our run we noticed a pacing problem in the game narrative. In fact, in a duration of about 30 hours, the plot will begin to mesh only in the last eight, leaving a really slow start that can discourage less patient players. During the first few hours there will still be more than valid reasons to play, but the events of the first hours of play can be excessively simple, with a particular situation in which the title even borders on banality. Even the intensity of the last hours of the game is a double-edged weapon: on the one hand we have a fast-paced and extremely interesting pace, but on the other hand the narrative fails to avoid some immense explanations, with even some confusing statements. Despite these problems, completing the adventure is recommended, even if only to enjoy an excellent plot and an exceptional soundtrack.
Leaving the island of Seiren was nostalgic and emotional. YS VIII is a title bordering on the exceptional, which conveys the emotion and love for the video game that some JRPGs of the golden age of the genre brought with them. Porting to Switch presents some problems, but in general it is a good version of the game. Narrative pacing issues can be daunting, but all JRPG lovers should give this title a try. Another thick game joins the Nintendo Switch library, hoping that this console will give the title the prominence it deserves.
► Ys VIII: Lacrimosa of Dana is an Action-JRPG type game developed by Nihon Falcom Corporation and published by NIS America for Nintendo Switch, PC, PlayStation 4 and PlayStation Vita, the video game was released on 21/07/2016 The version for PC came out on 17/04/2018 The version for Nintendo Switch came out on 28/06/2018 The version for PlayStation 4 came out on 25/05/2017
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