Ys VIII Switch Trailer, My Thoughts

Ys. To the West, this title may not be as well known as the Final Fantasy and Dragon Quest series of games, but in its native Japan, it's one of the most popular RPG series in history since it started in 1987 on the NEC PC-8801, which is a computer.

The Ys series is one of the flagship franchises of a company called Nihon Falcom. Never heard of them? Don't blame you. You should give them a look if you love RPGs, though. Nihon Falcom played a key role in the creation of RPG video games, and they are considered a pioneer in the genre. Nihon Falcom's games would be ported to various consoles like the NES (Dragon Slayer, Faxanadu), and the Sony consoles. However, Nihon Falcom preferred to develop games for the PC, which arguably hurt their ability to build a fanbase in the West for many years. Despite this, Nihon Falcom would continue to be a beloved and respected game company.

The latest game in the Ys series is Ys VIII: Lacrimosa of Dana. I looked up "Lacrimosa", and it is the Latin word for "weeping". It also has been used as a name, referring to the Virgin Mary. So, I'm assuming based on this title, it'll refer to some named "Dana", and her crying. Okay, then. Well, this game was originally released everywhere for the PlayStation 4 in 2017, after coming out for the PlayStation Vita in 2016. But now, it's being ported to the Nintendo Switch. And here's the trailer for it!

The trailer begins with a...design. Could have sworn I saw the Triforce in it, though. I have no idea what that is. And there's a couple of moons. The tides in that world must be insane.

Adol got shipwrecked again, didn't he? Yeah, it's a running gag of the Ys games that Adl gets shipwrecked. He is friggin' cursed when it comes to boats. I imagine in the Ys world, there are signs in marinas that have his face on them that say "DO NOT LET THIS MAN ON YOUR BOAT. HE WILL WRECK IT."

CGI dragon is neat. I wonder if that blue-haired girl is the eponymous Dana.

I think the dragon has a beak. Like a bird's beak.

Heh heh, mutant parrot.

I wonder if the animation we're seeing in this game are cutscenes.

Yeah, so Adol shipwrecks and ends up in this mysterious island called the Isle of Seiren, dreaming of a woman he's never met. This is going to be a Link's Awakening type of situation, isn't it?

HOLY JURASSIC PARK, I THINK THAT'S A DINOSAUR.

I think the four characters with Adol there will be his party for the game. And I like that each has a unique weapon. One has a GUN. It's not often you see guns in RPGs, in my experience. I can imagine each of these characters have their own unique strengths and weaknesses, which makes a player think and strategize on how to use them.

Well, I have to admit, this game looks pretty darn cool. I'll give it a try when it comes out. Besides, it's got dragons and dinosaurs, so it should be awesome.