Ys VIII takes place on the Isle of Seiren, where passengers of the ship Lombardia -- including ginger adventurer Adol Christin -- become castaways. So players initially comb the island in search of other survivors, who eventually form a village where they set up shops according to their skills. How convenient! Having an apothecary, tailor, and a fully functioning forge on a deserted island inhabited by dinosaurs is just one of many absurdities served up in this game. Did I mention there's a serial killer on the loose, as well?
As Adol and his companions continue their exploration of the island, the plot thickens via his connection to a woman named Dana--when he sleeps, he sees her experiences as the Maiden of the Great Tree, back in the island's past. Dana eventually becomes aware of Adol, too, and becomes instrumental both in solving the mystery of the island and in helping the castaways escape it.
In fact, Dana becomes the protagonist for the latter half of the game, which is great because she actually has a personality. While he has some voice acting this time around, Adol is mostly nonverbal--he's a blank slate that players can project themselves onto by choosing dialogue lines. Whatever Adol says has no bearing on the actual progression of the game, but this isn't as annoying as it was in, say, I Am Setsuna (my review here).
Fortunately, the gameplay is so fun that it eclipses everything else. Exploration and fighting form the core of your strategy here, yielding materials needed to craft better weapons, equipment, armor, and even gifts that increase the castaways' approval of Adol. Their approval greatly improves Adol's performance during raids, newly introduced in Ys VIII, where players stop waves of monsters trying to overcome the village's defenses. During raids, the game's fast-paced combat becomes even more frenetic as players race to multiple spots to halt the enemy advance.
Also new in Ys VIII is fishing. Thrill-wise, it's closer to the simplicity offered by the Kiseki/Trails series, as opposed to the challenge of FFXV, but it's a pleasant diversion that also nets you ingredients for meals.
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| Proof that Dana is the whole package: she can lead, fight, and catch giant fish! |
This game is also very pretty! The vistas are stunning, character animations are smooth, and there's a wide variety of nasty beasts to be dispatched. Dungeons are equally diverse: there's a research tower one, a pirate ship, a raised coral forest, dark-ass cave, misty swamp, etc. Even your weapons' looks change when upgraded, but--
*****
CAVEAT EMPTOR: APPAREL
Your tailor is lying to you! She is not making new costumes for your characters to wear. Instead, all you get is a shift in the color palette of your characters' default clothing. Do not waste your materials on this scam!
*****
--I had to get that off my chest because I was so disappointed that Laxia's "Pretty Lady" apparel was just her corset-and-booty shorts getup in purple. I wanted a full-blown noble lady costume with a hoop skirt or something equally ridiculous to match the insanity on the Isle of Seiren, but alas.
Anyway, just a couple more items to note: the soundtrack by Falcom Sound Team jdk is sublime, as usual. Standout tracks are the epic opening theme; the rock-infused battle themes "Red Line," "Smash Up!," and "A Footprint in the Wet Sand"; and the sweeping dungeon track, "The Leaning Tower of Baja." Meanwhile, "Ricordo," which plays to signal an emotional scene, is at least inoffensive, if not actually affecting. By contrast, "Whimsical Vacation," the faux-cheery comedy cue, is annoying. But hey, I'd say the soundtrack is a smash if only one of its 50+ tracks gets a negative reaction.
Sidequests are another great part of Ys VIII. They're quick, easy, and yield useful rewards. Honestly, this game's map makes everything almost too easy for the player, since it marks everything: sidequests, island views, item collection points, and where to go next to advance the main story. No bumbling around in Ys VIII, no sirree.
Finally, let me end by presenting you with some of the odder translation choices of NIS America, the company in charge of localizing this game. Most of the dialogue is fine, but sometimes, you get to read bizarre gems like:
"He's my Superior!"
"Let's overcome this place!"
"I'm sorry to put you in such a harsh situation."
The "Superior" line is particularly baffling, especially since the character is talking about a bird. Did she mean senpai? Because frankly, even "mentor" would have made more sense. Why don't these people hire me to check their work??? Anyway, the translation was apparently so bad that NIS America revised it/is revising it? More details on their blog here. As always, the comments section is the most entertaining part of the post.
*****
BONUS: LET ME EXPLAIN THE PLOT, AS I UNDERSTAND IT
When creation was brand-spanking new, the earth goddess Maia fell asleep and dreamed. She dreamed of evolution, a screening and selection process that was carried out by the Great Tree of Beginnings on the Isle of Seiren. Over millennia, the tree would choose the best individual from the ascendant species of the world and assign that being as a "protector of evolution"--and then wipe out the entire species. Dana was chosen for the people of Eternia, but she resisted by wiping her memories and sleeping until the new protector--Adol, obviously--found her.
In the human era, the Isle of Seiren is notorious because ships that sail near it disappear/get wrecked. But Adol's shipwreck is the beginning of the end for the endless cycle of ascension and destruction that originates from the island, thanks in large part to Dana's intervention. In preparation for Adol's arrival, Dana plants a "tree of notions" (yet another regrettable translation) to rival the power of the Tree of Beginnings. By kicking ass in the final dungeon, Adol and co. make the tree of notions strong enough to disrupt the cycle, and Dana makes a final move that awakens Maia and ends her own current existence. Thus is the world saved. The world of humanity, I mean, who cares about the other species, amirite?
*****
Lastly, a tiny, amused warning: it took over an hour, and another boss fight, to conclude the game after what should have been the final battle. The final final boss looked like a cockroach mounted by a midget dolphin, a visual at odds with the gorgeous setting of the dawn over a primeval ocean.
In summary, Ys VIII is great. That is all.
TL; DR: Another solid Ys game, with plenty of improvements to the series' already excellent gameplay.
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This post brought to you by lack of sleep! Spoiler: it sucks!
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