Ys VIII: Lacrimosa of Dana gets Worldwide release

NIS America has proudly announced a partnership with Nihon Falcon to bring Ys, one of Japan’s longest running RPG series, to the western world. The game will arrive in late 2017 to PlayStation 4, PlayStation Vita, as well as on Steam. Ys will also, thankfully, possess dual audio (English and Japanese) so players may choose between either when playing.

The story of Ys VIII: Lacrimosa of Dana centre’s around Ys’ main protagonists, Adol, who awakens to find himself shipwrecked and stranded on a cursed island. Adol and the other surviving passengers, with whom Adol rescued, form a village to challenge fearsome creatures and explore mysterious ruins found upon its soil. During this time, Adol’s dreams are intertwined with the images of a blue-haired maiden, named Dana, living in an unknown world.

Battles will flow swiftly as the gameplay style will utilise an ‘Active Time Battle mechanic’, using party members to attack foes on the fly. Similar mechanics such as dodging and “EXTRA” attacks, which allow a player to unleash damage-heavy special moves, will return in Lacrimosa of Dana. You will also be able to rotate playable characters on the fly, making for creative battle strategy and allowing for more adaptability when up against foes for which a certain character may have a specific advantage.

Players will be able to make use of the rescued passengers, now living in the “Drifting Village”, to provide valuable services as well as remove obstacles that prove too difficult to be done alone. While Adol explores the Island of Seiren, the village will expand as players find new castaways to add to the village. Special events and new areas to explore will also arise once conditions are met.

Ys VIII: Lacrimosa of Dana is set for release in Spring 2017 for those of us in the Southern Hemisphere, and will be available for physical purchase on PlayStation 4 and PlayStation Vita, and downloadable on Steam.