Ys VIII’s is shooting for the big time this holiday season

September is usually the time of year you’d expect to the slightly minor games on the AAA scale like Shadows of Mordor or a BioShock sequel. It’s hardly the time of year you’d expect to see the nichest of niche Japanese franchises come out, but NIS America is defying traditions by throwing Ys VIII: Lacrimosa of Dana into direct competition with the early holiday hits.

Ys VIII, the latest in the 30-year-old video game series, will hit the PlayStation 4 and PS Vita on Sept. 12 in North America and Europe on Sept. 15.

About

Ys returns with a brand new adventure for the first time in 8 years! Adol awakens shipwrecked and stranded on a cursed island. There, he and the other shipwrecked passengers he rescues form a village to challenge fearsome beasts and mysterious ruins on the isolated island. Amidst this, Adol begins to dream of a mysterious blue-haired maiden living in a unknown world.

Join Adol as he unravels the riddle of the cursed isle and the bluehaired maiden Dana in Ys VIII: Lacrimosa of Dana.

Key Features

• An Epic Tale – Follow Adol and his companions on his latest adventure to unlock the mysteries of the cursed island.
• Another Side – Unravel the mystery of the blue-haired maiden Dana through her own, unique gameplay segments.
• It Takes a Village – Rescue your fellow shipwrecked passengers and bring them to your village where they will provide valuable services.
• Party On – Switch characters on the fly as you battle ferocious foes in lightning-fast combat.

Do you know the name Adol Christin?

Ys, pronounced “eez,” is a series I’ve always had a crush on but have never outright loved. The rise in Japanese PC games in North America has helped greatly in exposing it to wider audiences, and I’ve stumbled through a few of them with nothing but positive impressions. The series is best described as a linear Legend of Zelda with a stronger focus on combat and stellar soundtracks that rock insane guitar riffs.

This is the first game to hit a home console in North America since the PlayStation 2 days, and even that one was a sketchy port that didn’t live up to the PC versions’ reputation. If you’re a console gamer new to Nihon Falcom’s fabled series, you’re in for a treat.

Ys VIII: Lacrimosa of Dana could have the series’ biggest audience yet if more open up to the crimson haired Adol Christin and is seafaring adventures.

Article source: https://www.technobuffalo.com/2017/05/30/ys-viiis-north-american-release-date/