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| Jesse Woo |
Escape from Siren Island.
02.29.16 - 11:51 AM
Ys VIII: Lacrimosa of Dana features the unluckiest traveler in the world, Adol Christin, as he once again must escape a mysterious island after a disaster at sea. Adol finds himself on Siren Island, a small island south of Greece that is home to monsters called the Ancient Species and a mysterious curse. Adol takes it upon himself to build a community called the Drifting Village to protect others who are stranded on Siren Island. He will be joined by two other adventurers as well as a mysterious young woman out of his dreams.
Laxia is a 19 year old woman from the noble Roswell family of Garmin who tries to maintain an aristocratic bearing but struggles to keep her pride and obstinacy in check. She struggles to fit in to the non-hierarchical Drifting Village but proves her worth through her knowledge of ancient ruins and wilderness. She fights with a rapier, and her extended reach can allow the party to take advantage of preemptive strikes and consecutive attacks. Her home of Garmin is situated in the Northeast of part of the Roman Empire and populated by strong, hearty people.
Sahad is a 41 year old fisherman who wants nothing more than to return to his family in Greece. His boisterous and carefree attitude causes friction with Laxia, but he is also capable of great empathy. Fighting with an anchor, he has tremendous strength and and attacks that hit multiple enemies but can leave him open to counterattack.
The mysterious blue-haired girl is Dana, a woman of unknown origin who's story unfolds in Adol's dreams. Her actions in his dreams effect Adol's world and vice versa. Her role is so vital to the story that the developers are calling her the second protagonist of the game. Little is known of her, but she appears to come from an entirely different world with advanced technology. She fights using two crescent moon swords with speed, agility, and power that exceeds even Adol's.
The Ancient Species is a generic name given to the multitudinous and diverse set of creatures that prowl Siren Island. Mysterious in themselves, it is clear that they are unlike any other creatures found in the world and are unrelated to the Five Dragons of Altago.
Adol and friends will fight the Ancients with attacks that have either a Slash, Shoot, or Strike attribute. Normally, only the correct attribute will be effective against an enemy, but by hitting a weak spot players can put the enemy into "Break" status, leaving them susceptible to all types of attack. They will also drop rare loot in this state, and flying enemies will come down to earth for the party to punish. Adol deals Slash damage most effective against enemies whose soft bodies absorb impacts. Sahad uses Strike damage to deal with armored enemies, while Laxia's Shoot attacks are best against agile enemies and fliers. Players can jump and switch between characters easily, but all party members will be visible on screen as you explore the dungeons of Siren Island.
Ys VIII: Lacrimosa of Dana comes out this summer in Japan on PS4 and Vita.
