Ys VIII: Lacrimosa of DANA

Ys VIII gets its hooks in you with its progression loop; you're always making new discoveries and locating new materials to craft something better. Nihon Falcom also does its best to inject variety when it can, from battles that involve your entire village to Dana learning different fighting styles throughout the game. With a wealth of content to pursue, you always have something to do, even if it's merely fishing or cooking.

Ys VIII is, without a doubt, a huge step for the franchise. In stripping away a lot of the usual narrative tropes the series is usually known for, Nihon Falcom have put a fresh spin on the franchise that puts characters and small moments over grand adventures and vast mysteries. Tied together by a fast-paced combat system and great music, the negatives of Lacrimosa of Dana are far outweighed by the positives, and this is a game that any JRPG fan would be a fool to sleep on.

Ys VIII feels like a new generation Ys game for sure even though it may not as good as it should. The varied and fun combat with multiple playable characters, interesting boss fights, and an incredible soundtrack all make Ys VIII a must play. I know September is rough for everyone in gaming with the slew of releases each week but this is absolutely worth your time if you like fast paced action RPGs.