Ys VIII: Lacrimosa of DANA - Launching April 16th

@Gematsu Ys VIII: Lacrimosa of DANA will launch on Steam and GOG April 16th.

The PC version features the same content as the PlayStation 4 version, including the updated localization.

Users who purchase the PC version within the first week of launch will receive the following downloadable content for free:

• Adol’s Adventure Essentials DLC (including the “Silver Armor” and “Adventurer’s Clothes” costumes)
• Digital Mini Art Book
• Digital Soundtrack Sampler
• Laxia’s “Eternian Scholar” Costume

[…]

More information.

Ys7 on PC is a forgettable grinder with barely any story. Played it about 20ish hours and I couldn't bare it any more.

Did anyone play Ys8? Is it more of the same or the game took another direction?

I haven't tried any of the Ys games because they looks more like action games rather than turn based. Are any of them actually worth trying out?

I adored Ys 8 when I played it in Oct/Nov last year on PS4. There's quite a bit of story, and you can grind as much/little as you like, really.

You're shipwrecked on an island, and begin by finding survivors and building a village (that much is in the trailer). You then begin to explore the island and reveal its secrets.

The game also features a separate, threaded story featuring Dana (blue haired girl) and her adventures/explorations which ultimately connect in to the main story despite… no, I'll stop there, spoilers…!

There is certainly plenty of "action RPG" gameply - like Ys 7 you switch between chars to fight etc. But there's plenty of story/good stuff there too, as each survivor bring story/quests and while it is certainly no Skyrim (in terms of vast amounts of lore etc), it is very fun to play.

Put it this way, as someone who rarely (if ever) plays a game twice, I almost jumped back in for a nightmare run after finishing the game (and all optional bosses/dungeons) the first time. The only thing that stopped me was the promise of a new translation coming, so I figured I'd save it til then.

The game is somewhat simplistic, and has a kinda "naive" up-beat cheeriness to it, but it is fairly rapid to play each area, and you constantly feel like you're making progress.

There are certainly many JRPGs with more story (see Tales of games etc) and maybe the launch price will be a bit high, but it is definately a lot of fun. The characters are (by and large) likable, and the feeling I had whilst playing was just light, fun and interesting.

It is the only Ys game that I have finished - I have tried a number and tend to lose interest after the first few hours. Ys 8 had enough variety and things to do that this never happened - I stuck with it despite having a whole raft of other top notch games at the same time (birthday) eg. Elex, Tales of Beseria, Battle Chasers…

Some story is better than none I guess… Still… Linear or openworld, checkpoints or save anywhere?
Blue haired girl and a pair of losers… Any romance?

btw, the release price is (cca) sixty.

Originally Posted by joxer

btw, the release price is (cca) sixty.

Seems to be $45.99 at GOG, but maybe that's just my region. GreenMan Gaming also currently has a 20% off voucher (APRIL20) that I think can be used on it.

Well I'd have to wait till it is release before considering it. These ports are crap shoot with regards to proper kb/m controls.

The world is technically open in the sense that each area leads to one or more other areas that can (to some degree) be explored out of order. You'll revisit areas and unlock different paths (like a metroidvania in a way). That said, the story guides you along a path (ie. new chapters start when you reach certain regions) so in many ways it is pretty linear.

I know you were kidding around, but no, romance isn't really the order of the day here, although you will connect with the other characters, Adol is no Shephard!

Save points. I forget exactly, as I didn't really have any issue there. There's a manual save option on the menu which I think can be done anywhere, but there are also auto-save / auto-heal crystals in the game world as well. Those were my "session goals" (ie. good place to stop) but I never felt like dying was a hinderence really, nor that I had to "play on til a save point". However, do remember that modern consoles "hibernate", so I never really "turn off" the PS4, just put it to sleep and continue later. You can do the same with PCs via Sleep or Hibernate I guess.

There are also a number of different of "types" of gameplay in the game, such as the normal RPG explore/fight play, "puzzle-type" dungeons for Dana, Interception missions (capture enemy control-points, then lure out a boss) and Defence missions for the village (you can build up defences etc). This goes a long way to reducing any monotony, and quite a bit is optional, too. There is also a simple crafting system for improving gear, and a trade system too (there's no "money" since you're all castaways).

You can teleport back to the village at any point, from anywhere (more or less), but only return to the crystals, of which there are typically three per area/dungeon - beginning, midpoint, end/pre-boss.

The price seems very steep though, almost like they have a captive distribution system! My wife got the PS4 "day one" disc-edition (with soundtrack CD) for circa 30 pounds, I believe (it was a gift) which is about 40$ at current exchange. It was well worth that, but I'd baulk a bit at 60$ (for any game, really, unless collectors edition).