Ys 8
Let me start by saying that I am a total newbie when it comes to gaming. My boyfriend got me into it about two years ago. I have been crazy about video games since then! With that being said… here is my review for Ys 8!
Ys 8 is an action-based RPG. According to my boyfriend, “it has a strong Japanese style of art influence”. All I know are the graphics are amazing. I love the art style and the details put into the environment and characters.
Ys 8 is a story about Adol an explorer who has found himself working on a ship as one of the crew members. After talking to the ship’s captain and hearing about a dangerous island where ships are known to go missing once they sail nearby of course Adol finds himself shipwrecked on this island. He soon teams up with a few other castaways on the island and they embark on a mission to find the other castaways from the shipwreck as well as figure out a way to get off the island. While conducting their search, Adol and friends start to realize that there is something strange and mysterious about the island. They keep running into dinosaurs, known as “primordial”, and Adol is having strange dreams every night about a girl named Dana. You soon discover that fate is what has brought them to this island.
I really enjoyed this game for several reasons. As a newbie gamer, I struggle with action RPGs. I prefer turn-based because it gives me more time to think and strategize. I found Ys 8 was very easy to get the hang of! First off, you can choose your difficulty level at the beginning of the game and change it during the game if you think it feels too easy or difficult. I played this game at a normal difficulty level. After taking time to learn to flash guard and flash dodge I pretty much could button mash the rest of the game. (which my boyfriend said is a bad habit). I really enjoyed the music in this game. There was not a single bad track and they paired well with the events taking place in the game. It was really easy to learn how to equip armor, weapons, and skills for each character and you can even change the characters’ outfits. The sidequests are enjoyable and you get to know each castaway on the island and earn their affection by completing quests for them and giving them gifts. There are several alternate endings to this game so if you would like the true ending you need to make sure to do all of the side quests. Unfortunately, I did not know this until it was too late so I got the “main ending” not the true ending. One aspect of the game I struggle with was the maps. I did not learn until about a quarter of the way through the game that there was a smaller more detailed map I could be using. I struggled and ran around for a while trying to find my next destination until I learned how to access the second map!
I would recommend this game for a newbie gamer like me as well as a more experienced gamer. The storyline, graphics, and music are great! Being able to choose your difficulty level makes it a great starter game or a challenging game for those more experienced players.
