22 hours in Ys 8: Lacrimosa of Dana and I have to say that so far it is the best Ys I´ve yet had the pleasure to play. It´s one of those rare games where I don´t want it to end, because the story is so good, the characters are so charming and likeable and the combat is so spectacular. Especially the combat is a real treat, it´s fast and fluid, running in 60 fps with a wide array of attacks and counters to your disposal. It feels energetic and pumped up, constantly switching back and forth between characters who suit the situation at best, and all of it feels so... fulfilling. It puts the action in action-rpg to the fullest, making me never wanna put down the controller.
The setting with the Island of Seiren feels somewhat fresh as does the story. Sure, it´s packed with the usual JRPG-cliches but the castaway scenario makes it feel different, and the combining of two separate storylines makes it engaging and exciting. I wanna know what´s around the corner every step of the way, discovering landmarks, terrifying creatures and ancient temples. I haven´t been this invested in a JRPG in a long time and Ys brings forth my love for the genre in the best possible way.
It has nice graphics, some beautiful vistas and runs steady as a clock for most of the time (some framedrops have occurred unfortunately). My only gripe is the bad localisation, although not as bad as pre-patch, it still features alot of typos and strange grammatical errors. The VA is top notch though, and the characters are all a bunch of lovable cast of misfits. Besides Adol, my favorites are Laxia and Ricotta, especially Ricotta, a 9-year old who fights like a figure skater on steroids, with two gigantic acorns that she slams in the ground. I mean, only in Japan.
Ys is love. May this franchise live long and prosperous.