After taking an extended detour to wrap up my loose ends across earlier Ys titles, I’ve finally started Ys VIII: Lacrimosa of Dana. Within the first ten hours alone, the game has already exceeded my expectations. Having played Ys: Memories of Celceta on PS Vita about a decade ago, which is the previous entry before Falcom made Ys VIII. Lacrimosa of Dana feels like a significant leap forward in almost every respect.
While Lacrimosa doesn’t fully align with my ideal “pure” Ys experience, leaning more heavily toward systems reminiscent of Monster Hunter and even elements of Trails, Ys VIII nonetheless delivers a production quality and narrative scope that feels distinctly AAA within the series. Falcom clearly pushed far beyond its usual weight class with this entry, and it stands as a culmination of the design direction established since Ys Seven. It’s easy to see why this game became a mainstream breakthrough and a favorite entry point for many newcomers to the series.
For my part, I’m most looking forward to exploring the macro-level worldbuilding and historical layers that Ys VIII had to offer into the broader Ys narrative. That long-form lore and continuity remains one of my main motivations for staying invested in Ys series.
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