Ys VIII: Lacrimosa of DANA
Ys 8: Lacrimosa of Dana is a PlayStation 5 adventure game developed by Nihon Falcom. It centers on location exploration, character and object interaction, and objective or clue progression, with controls and information arranged around the DualSense twin sticks, triggers, directional pad, and face buttons, with touchpad, motion input, adaptive triggers, and detailed haptics where the game uses them.
- AI score · out of 10
- 8.5 / 10
About this game
Ys 8: Lacrimosa of Dana is a PlayStation 5 adventure game centered on location exploration, character and object interaction, and objective or clue progression. Locations, objectives, and clues gradually open the main chapters, with progress divided into stages, tasks, matches, or growth milestones that make immediate goals understandable. Its value depends on whether these rules continue to create judgment and room for mastery rather than on length, sales, or series recognition. Short campaigns are judged by repeat-challenge value, while longer ones are judged by variety, pacing, and recovery after failure. Theme, character expression, and environmental clues need to support exploration together, while SSD streaming, 4K and HDR output, 3D audio, performance or quality modes, and high-density interfaces need to preserve feedback and information clarity together. The genre-specific limitation is that guidance, objective triggers, camera behavior, or dense text can create search and comprehension costs. Platform conditions also include install size, SSD space, patch version, DualSense battery life, visual mode and frame rate, online dependencies, PS VR2 requirements, and cross-generation version differences affect the current release. This description covers only this platform release and does not import features or conveniences from remasters, emulators, or other console editions.
Collected in series
Ys is Falcom’s action RPG series of unfamiliar lands, ancient mysteries and fast-moving battles. Most adventures follow the red-haired Adol as he meets new companions and uncovers the history beneath a place’s troubles. Combat changes between entries, but exploring a new region and moving confidently through danger remain central pleasures.
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PlayStation 5
AI review
AI reviews are subjective assessments, not player ratings. See each review for its evidence and limitations.Published date:
A substantial island adventure gains comfort on native PS5.
Ys VIII is durable because exploration and combat continually give each other purpose. Rescuing castaways grows the village and opens routes; switching among three fighters makes the next stretch of island discovery active rather than merely scenic. Dana’s other timeline gradually reveals what the island means, while music and varied spaces give the long trip emotional weight. Repeated defense tasks and some older character models show limitations, although age alone is not a quality penalty. The 2022 native PS5 edition improves clarity and responsiveness as an enhanced port rather than rebuilding the game from scratch. Its technical judgment must therefore come from that release, not from running the PS4 version through backward compatibility. It suits players ready to invest in a substantial island mystery alongside fast party battles. The review covers this native edition and its included enhancement scope.
Strengths
- Castaway growth and Dana’s story keep rewarding discovery.
Weaknesses
- Defense work repeats and some older models remain modest.
Who it is for: Players who like long mysteries and rapid three-fighter combat.
Play notes: Native 2022 PS5 enhancement, not PS4 backward compatibility.
View scoring basis
| Dimension | Review state | Score | Weight |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dimension Rescues and Dana sustain length despite repeated defense work. | Reviewed | 8.3 / 10 | Not provided |
| Dimension Fighter switching and discovery sustain each other. | Reviewed | 8.7 / 10 | Not provided |
| Dimension Music and dual timelines remain strong despite older models. | Reviewed | 8.1 / 10 | Not provided |
| Dimension Native PS5 enhancement improves clarity and response without rebuilding the game. | Reviewed | 8.5 / 10 | Not provided |
Review sources
Not provided
Core information
- Developer
- Nihon Falcom
- Publisher
- Nippon Ichi Software
- Release date
- Nov 15, 2022
- Platforms
- PlayStation 5
- Content kind
- Game
- Release state
- Released
- Region
- Worldwide
- Official website
- Not provided
- Offline minimum players
- Not provided
- Offline maximum players
- Not provided
- Online minimum players
- Not provided
- Online maximum players
- Not provided
- Categories
- Role-Playing · Primary genre
- Tags
- InvestigationThird PersonPuzzle SolvingStory-drivenSlow BurnSolo-friendlyExplorationLinear LevelsMain Story 10–20 Hours3D Graphics
- Supported game languages
- Not provided
- Requires base game
- Not provided
- Standalone
- Not provided
- Age ratings
- Not provided
- Play modes
- Co-opMultiplayerSingle player
- Perspectives
- Third person
Release editions
- PlayStation 5WorldwideNov 15, 2022
- Nintendo SwitchWorldwide2018
Game gallery
Sources
- www.nintendo.com