Developer: Nihon Falcom Corporation
Publisher: NIS America
Platform: PS Vita, PC, PS4, PS5, Switch
Tested on: PS5
Ys VIII: Lacrimosa of DANA (PS5) – Review
Back in 2018, we took a closer look at the Switch version of Ys VIII: Lacrimosa of DANA, a game that was already released on several other platforms back in 2016. Now, this old-school RPG title was released for the next-gen on PS5. We were mainly curious to see if the game still holds up six years after its initial release, and what new upgrades the PS5 version would bring. As we already extensively covered the game back in 2018, we will only be discussing how relevant this release is below.
The story remains the same for this rerelease. You’ll be playing as Adol Christin, who boards a large ship under the employment of captain Barbaros. The trip at first seems like a regular one, where he just needed to go from point A to B. The captain, however, tells Adol about the Island of Seiren, which is supposed to be a very mysterious and unreachable place. Before long, the ship is under the attack of a massive Kraken, and it doesn’t take long before it drags the ship to the bottom of the sea. Luckily for Adol, he washes ashore on a nearby island, which turns out to be the island the captain spoke of earlier. From this point onwards you’ll have to survive the monsters that roam the island, as well as check for other survivors if you wish to have any shot at getting back home. As a whole, the story may not have that much depth to it at first, but it does evolve nicely throughout the course of the game, and it’s fun to get to know all the different characters.
Truth be told, we didn’t notice any very big differences when playing through the PlayStation 5 version of the game. Sure, we didn’t really encounter any frame drops, the DLC was welcome, and the game might look a tiny bit crisper, but other than that, you’re just playing the same game that was released more than half a decade ago. You’re getting a solid old-school RPG, with a cast of likable characters and fairly polished gameplay mechanics. There is absolutely nothing wrong with the game, but there is also no reason to purchase the game again if you already own it for another platform. We did perhaps find the current price tag a bit high, as this is not a ‘new’ release. Those who think this is a brand-new release may find some aspects of the game a bit dated, especially when looking at the overall graphical quality of this title. While Ys VIII is still a very colorful and pretty game, it leans closer to a high-end PS3 release rather than a PS5 release.
Conclusion
All in all, Ys VIII: Lacrimosa of DANA is still a great game. We feel that this title is a slightly more relaxing RPG, and we absolutely adored the old-school vibes. That being said, if you already own the game, there is no reason to double-dip or purchase this version on PS5, if you prefer the portability of the Switch. We did not encounter any frame drops, but the game also felt a bit dated for a next-gen release. That being said, the game is still a lot of fun to play through and if you haven’t played this one before, and you are a PS5 gamer, then this one’s a no-brainer.
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[…] the eighties but didn’t get much praise outside of Japan until it released its refreshing entry Ys VIII: Lacrimosa of Dana in 2016. That successful game was followed by a sequel, Ys IX: Monstrum Nox, in 2019. Now this […]