Another beautiful and fantastic game has graced the screen of the Nintendo Switch. YS VIII: Lacrimosa of DANA is an absolute must-have in every JRPG fan’s library. From the soundtrack filled with emotion to the bright graphics that match the story’s island setting, everything in this game is themed towards summer.
Gameplay
Playing as Adol, you awake on Seiren Island after being shipwrecked. Self-proclaimed adventurer Adol sets out on a journey to locate the other missing passengers from the majestic ship Lombardia. Wondering around the Seiren, your map expands with every new area. Along the way, Adol finds other passengers and escorts them back to prosperous Castaway Village. After reaching a certain part in the story, more of the plot unfolds into a dramatic and epic tale.
Graphics
The best part of Lacrimosa is the art. Gorgeous graphic designs pull players into the story of surviving on a mysterious island. The bright and saturated color scheme both within the gameplay and cinematic cut-scenes gives off an aura of an anime. Nihon Falcom mastered the art of blending together the cut-scenes and the actual gameplay to allow players to enjoy this game with little interruption. It is a much-appreciated feature in a JRPG.
The effort placed into the backgrounds depicting an island straight from a fantasy world to the screen shines through. And the character designs were meticulously looked after too. Each character not only sports distinctive facial features and personalities but they also have a clothing ensemble representative of them. Each character the player comes across has their own identity making them memorable while playing.
The Flaws
Unfortunately, Lacrimosa of DANA holds a few flaws. The main issue is the graphics are stretched out while playing in docked mode. The biggest selling point of the Nintendo Switch is the ability to play games as both handheld and on a television screen. And having such a gorgeous game look stretched on a television is a disappointment. Another issue is the dialogue. Occasionally you will come across characters’ dialogue that is incomplete English sentences and seems to mismatch the situation. It doesn’t happen so often to ruin the entire experience yet it is still an annoyance that breaks the fantasy illusion.
A Good JRPG For This Summer
Aside from the short list of cons, Lacrimosa of DANA is a beautiful choice to feed your JRPG craving this summer. There are so many new tasks to complete in pure fun ways that the chore-grinding feeling often felt in JRPGs is completely absent. Raid Battles are events that call your party back to Castaway Village to defend and fight against hoards of monsters. It’s a nice break to fight the hoards while gaining experience and rewards.
New players to the YS series have nothing to fear jumping into the series with the eighth installment. There are references to the history of characters sprinkled in the story. Yet, it’s hardly vital to know anything about the series before starting YS VIII. The plot of Adol washing ashore an unknown island and meeting new characters is ideal for diving into this series. Players will find the story very easy to follow as they quickly become invested in each castaway’s life. YS VIII: Lacrimosa of DANA is a wonderful JRPG to experience this summer. Everything from the emotional ties to the gorgeous fantasy setting makes this game a great addition to your Switch library.