I Need To Be HONEST About YS VIII for Nintendo Switch 

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I don’t know if you realized it yet, but this huge island full of deadly creatures is basically Australia

I feel like you need to finish Xenoblade Chronicles 2, because similar to yourself I didn't really feel a connection to most the characters, but throughout the later chapters, they truly start to develope and you learn so much about them. The entire story is just a huge character developement arc of them opening up more and more to eachother and they just exponentially open up more. They are incredibly well thought out, and well presented. I feel like you can't really talk about the characters in XC2 if you haven't played it through. From what I understood from your "Why i wont review XC2" video, you didnt even pass the 3rd chapter. Yes Ys VIII is a great game with great characters, but XC2 has far better characters and a better developement arc. Just please, before you talk about a game as if you know all about it, at least complete the game.

Ys VIII has a touching and amazing story. After 3 chapters, I found myself couldn't stop playing the game. Some moments in the game were so emotional that I almost cried.

Oh good, it wasn't just me with the Dogi pronunciation.

I totally agree ....we need more Y's style games ...IMHO this is how RPG games should work.

I just finished Ys Vlll and it was a great JRPG! It's one of my new favorites now. I will agree that the graphics weren't the best, and look dated, but holy crap the gameplay is solid the entire game. A LOT was done right. Fast travel from the get go, fast combat, loads of item drops, exploration, side quests that are more than just fetch quests, different modes within the game that are optional. Overall it's a great game and I cant wait to go back and play the earlier games. I have not Played Xenoblade Chronicles 2 yet, wasnt going to because I couldn't stand Xenoblade Chronicles X gameplay (first Xenoblade game I played) but I may check out 2 now.

I really love the Ys series with a passion. I look forward to getting this when I finally buy a switch but I just wish there were more areas and not only the island, unless I'm missing something and it's varied in environmental design? But so far the combat of Ys is what has me enthralled. Great review!

If you liked Ys VIII more than Xenoblade 2 that's great man. It's all your opinion bro. No need to apologize. I loved Xenoblade but I can understand your complaints. Not everyone will always agree. Thanks for the great review. Can't wait to pick it up.

xenoblade 2 has my heart

Hey have you ever played YS Memories of Celceta? It is a masterpiece I love it. I completely recommend if u haven’t played it.

When Adol Christine get onto a ship, we get a new Ys

Oh my god finally someone (that I watch) reviewing this on youtube

Look, I get it. You're tired of Xenoblade 2...

Ordered it for PS4, looking forward to play it. Will be my first "Ys" game.

Because of you I have become addicted to YS VIII. And I am ok with this.

Another 7 days Wood. Unacceptable! Hope everything is ok on the home front, great to see you back in business.

I love Xenoblade 2 so far (about 15 hours in)! I’ll probably get Ys VIII after I’m done with XC2, though probably on PS4.

I agree with you completely about XB2. You actually convinced me to get Ys 8

Yea I didn't like Xenoblade Chronicles 2 as well, but Ys looks more exciting so it might be my type of JRPG.

man everytime you bring up xenobalde 2 i know what you mean but it still stings a ton. if only you got past the first 3 chapters

Im wondering how far you actually got into Xenoblade Chronicles 2 because I beat it and it was beautiful, the story was awsome and brought tears to my eyes more than once. The combat system is on point it just takes a bit to figure out all the nueonces and get used to. At first I was like "ehhh idk" but after a bit I really liked it and even after beating the game im sure there's more to the game than I understood or experienced because it's so intricate and huge.

Bought the game last night after watching this video and I'm having a blast! Thanks Wood! I've been overlooking the title for ages! Also gives me star ocean and monster hunter vibes.

If you loved Ys 8, you'll probably also love Falcom's other hit series: Trails. Trails contains the same large cast, lovable characters, and optimistic tone of the Ys series but on the scale of a 60 hour, turn-based JRPG. With a huge focus on worldbuilding, Trails has a significantly slower pace than Ys. But that's all in service of building a large chain of dominoes--and when they start falling, you can only sitback and watch as the dominoes fall. Until the last one sets off fireworks! I would highly recommend starting with Trails of Cold Steel on PC as the most accessible entry point for the series.

Nice review :) Cannot wait to get my head into this game. Looks great and really fun! Still think you should give Xenoblade 2 another go at some point in the future and get further along. It really is a gem that cannot be missed, but a flaw with Xenoblade 2 is that there is so many layers to the combat system that it takes a little bit to introduce all the levels and get you aquainted. Of course, I wouldnt pick it back up until there is a lull in Switch releases or something, it is a long game... minimum 80hrs i would say... If you have not played Xenoblade 1 though. BAD CHOICE. Play it!!! Xenoblade 1 is a godamn masterpiece.

It's weird how you enjoyed Pokemon Quest but not Xenoblade. I still love you though!

25 years later, they say woods is still running away from angry xenoblade fans

U cant say anything about xenoblade characters until u unlock ZEKE VON GENBU, BRINGER OF CHAOS, MOSTLY KNOWN AS ZEKE, AND OFTEN ADRESSED AS THE ZEKENAAAATOOOOOR(and best girl... I mean mòrag)

My Switch came today.

I don't know why you bother mentioning XB2 when you expressed you haven't even completed enough of it to form a full educated opinion on the game. It's fine to not like, just don't bother using it a comparing point for the basis of another game since you only know so little about it.

Great review again. It's a great game but I can't see paying $59.99 for the Switch version when I only paid $19.99 for the Vita version.

yea i would have liked xenoblade a ton more if it had Ys8 gameplay

I don't care about your thoughts or comparisons with Xenoblade 2. I want to know what YS VIII is like. You could say everything you said about YS without trashing Xenoblade.

I hear you about XC2 but I wouldn't want the battle system in XC2 to be similar to the one in Ys. I want different experiences and the battle system in Ys is nice but quite classic in the action RPG genre. I never played a XC game before i experienced XC2 and yea the learning curve was hard but once it clics with you, this is an amazing feeling to achieve the best combos and millions of damage. Ys on the other hand seems quite easy from what I heard and I am not convinced by the character design, it feels a bit dated but I am still happy to start Ys 8 and play it for hte first time on the go on Nintendo Switch. I don't understand you don't notice the problem with Ys on handle mode yet. I mean the game looks sharp during cut scenes but during gameplay, the resolution is constantly varying to the point where it is really weird. At least XC2 had a pretty stable resolution in handled mode. Yes, it was low but it was more stable. Ys8 is cool to play on the go but wtf is this unstable resolution ? I can definitely notice the dynamic resolution variations here. And it is the first time I notice this on a Switch game.

LOVE the Ys series as a whole, and VIII was no different!

Hey Dogi. Oh, hey Tommy. You are my favorite customer.

I'm about to get this game on sale and I look into your review to reaffirm my decision. Love lots.

I respect your opinion on XC2, even if it is wrong.

I bought the game because of this review, and it is by far my favorite game on the switch right now

Things I have experienced about XC2 Story - It's fantastic Characters - Amazing Voice actor - Good Combat - Chapter 1-2 it's okay, after chapter 3 perfect Soundtrack - Fantastic This is the first game I have played in the XC serie and I could't say anything negative about it. So far personaly got a little bit over 250 hours and have yet to get done with Postgame/NG+

yeah unfortunately for XC2, the beginning is painstakingly slow, but im so glad i played through all of it, in the end i thoroughly enjoyed it

Just finished the game. The ending really hit me like a truck, really did not expected that. It's feel like you lost something important to you, but you don't realize it until you actually lost it. There's a lot of greater game, even some that I call masterpiece, but did not have this kind of effects when I finished it.

Adol with heart-shaped glasses LOL. Also, seeing here a lot of people bothered by your comparison of Ys 8 and Xenoblade. Great video!

As someone who really enjoys XC2 & YS 8 I definitely see some of your points, they both scratch a different itch while still being tangentially similar. I will point out that every aspect of Eternian architecture *screamed* Ivalice from FF12 to me though, the capitol ruins looked just like the Nabudis ruins (minus the undead hoard and those *fucking reapers* ), the stone work really looks a lot like Rabanastre. I can't be the only one who sees it! There's even a Wood spirit that insists other spirits (namely the shopkeeper) remain in the forest & the shopkeeper almost directly quotes Fran from FF12 in response! Where's that Always Sunny meme with the cork-board?? I think besides the nearly ps2 level graphics, it took my eyes a couple hours to stop screaming about the grass textures, my only big complaint is that we don't get Dana's other forms in the present.

I'm on chapter 5 of xenoblade and still don't know how to do certain stuff. Like how exactly to setup your party for cool blade combos and still haven't figured out how to break , topple, (lift?) And smash lol. But I'm still loving the game.

I can see that you dropped xc 2 at the start of the game. You should play it more, because more levels of tactic will be added to the combat system. And it all adds up to a pretty complex battle system.

Thanks man, your enthusiastic reviews always lead me to get these cool underrated games and I'm usually not disappointed

xbc2 is georgeous. i have like 416 hours of playtime now and i cant get enough of it. no other game ever bound me this long, well except wow

Xenoblade Chronicles 2 is a game you need to put in at least 50 before you can review it properly. I personally dropped the game at first for a couple week, but when I returned and put in the needed hours, it became my favorite game on the switch. By the way you talk about the game I suggest you play the Golden Country when it's released, it seems more like what you want.

I am also excited with shining resonance coming out this july! I enjoyed the demo combat and cutscenes are freaking amazing. You have to try it out...

Dana and Dogi, you spelled the names right. The PC Version of the game has the Japanese Audio for you to use, and if I have the chance of getting the game with the original voice acting, I usually use that, even if I lose a little of side dialog. And Dana and Dogi is just the way you spelled don't worry. xD At least in Japanese. Also, the true ending is way more enjoyable with the effects on the voices in Japanese, that somehow was lost on the english dub. And about the graphics issues, those doesn't exist on the PC or PS4 version, I mean, never a far away texture was weird or looked like a giant pixel like the video was shown here, so yeah. And the PC ver doesn't even require such a big ammount of things to play, so it's worth a shot if you guys want to test it.

Ys is life. The Best arpg For me.

You just convinced me to pick up YS VIII, good review. Also I played like 200 hours of XC2 and I felt burnt out do to overgrinding small aspects of the game just so I could try and unlock story for my blades and then to find out they weren't that interesting after all. The random rolls of unlocking blades really made me feel like powering them up as much as possible which always became a detriment to the story. So in the end I never really cared too much about the characters. I think that was its biggest weakness for me.

I did the same exact thing as you, I dropped Xenoblade 2 around chapter 3 of the uraya part. I had the same problems you did. However I decided to pick the game up a few months later and finish it. It was an amazing decision, I fell in love with the characters the ending made me think to myself "What an amazing game, what a game." I highly recommend that you actually finish the game before you trash talk it anymore. I was in your shoes a few months ago. Xenoblade chronicles 2 made me cry. Video games don't often make me cry.

Im new to the Y's games and i've been playing Oath of Felghana on pc and picked up Origins. So far these are my favourite rpg's as they have smooth, fast and fluid combat. The stories and characters are really well done and the game moves on quickly and doesn't drag on. I will definately be picking up Y's VIII.

Absolutely agree with everything you said concerning XC2 vs. YsVIII. Thanks for the review!

It’s worth a lot of money now. Just secured my copy!

Okay one big issue I have with what you are saying....Xenoblade Chronicles 2 true game doesn't really start until you're about 60 hours in. They introduce new systems, teach you how to better play, tons more character development. I think the most underrated aspect of XC2 is the fact the game makes you feel how you should feel. You have no clue what's coming next, or why certain things are happening...that's a key part of the story. XC2 character development throughout the game and story line (while confusing at times) was very satisfying. Ys 8 might be amazing and ima try it out but I don't like how you are shading XC2 when you haven't played enough of the game yet.....beat the game at 120 hrs in. And all 120 was necessary.

I don't usually subscribe to channels because I don't need the constant pings from RU-vid, but you helped me make up my mind about buying Ys and you told me we'd be best friends! I could really use a friend, so... there you go, one more sub (and like, and comment, the works)!

Once XC2's battle system clicks it becomes magical, there is so much depth, strategy and a rhythm to it.

Two completely different style of JRPGs, no reason to compare them, that’s like comparing Final Fantasy 7 to FFXV or a Realm reborn

You shouldn't have compared ys with Xenoblade. Ys 8 has the combat and gameplay like with other ys games in series (except first few) while Xenoblade has the combat as the previous ones. Those are different franchise and I like both of them because they are different.

I will admit, I wasn't crazy about most of the English voices at all. When I heard Adol, I instantly wished he spoke WAY more in Ys VIII, I absolutely love Bryce Papenbrook, he is my favorite voice actor of all time. So I was happy he voiced Adol in this game.

Man I feel ya about Xenoblade 2s combat. 230 hours in my game and while i love the game, combat improved VERY minimally over the course of those hours.

I'm about 25 hours into Ys VIII and I absolutely love it. I put 90 hours into Xenoblade Chronicles 2 and then gave up. I straight up sold the game. It was such a frustrating, monotonous, overly complicated game. The best things about XBC2 were the soundtrack (which is my favorite soundtrack of 2018), and the environments/cities. Ys VIII is so much more fun to play and does everything the way I was hoping XBC2 would. Also, you should have noted that Ys VIII actually came out in July of 2016 on VITA, so it actually precedes XBC2 by a couple of years. That makes it even more frustrating. You can tell that XB2 was inspired by Ys VIII (there are so many similarities in world design, item acquisition, and even character models), but yet still managed to make it a less fun game to play. I'm really glad that so many people enjoyed XBC2, but I'm with you on this one. Ys VIII is a far, far better experience.

Meh I really prefer xenoblade. Both are excellent though.

Xenoblade's voice acting isn't that bad. Rex is the only one that needs improvement. Characters like Zeke, Morag, Brighid, Dromarch, Wulfric, Jin, and Malos have amazing voices.

I’ve put 130 hours in Xenoblade 2 and can confirm its one of the best RPGs I’ve ever played. Been playing Ys 8 and it’s very comparable to Xenoblade. Enjoying it so far!

I love this video. It makes me so happy that I found someone that literally put into words how I feel about the game and how it compares to how I felt about xenoblade. I honestly didn’t finish xenoblade because I got bored of the mechanics and i became discouraged because the idea of the world and the creatures and story were amazing and yet the fighting style was repetitive. Picking up this game I loved it instantly, it was the xenoblade I really wanted and I have to say it’s a definite favorite of mine now. The characters are definitely much more involved and the story tears at your feels, amazing review 👏🏼 I’m subscribing

If you haven’t played through Xenoblade 2, then it’s probably a bad idea to use it as a reference. Like like citing an article but you only read the headline.

LEAVE TORA ALONE HE’S TRYING HIS BEST ;_;

I have just started playing this on the PS4 instead of my Switch and I am really impressed so far. The story is interesting and I've just started to get to know some of the characters but it's got a long way to go to beat XC2, the connection to those characters by the end of the game was one like no other. You definitley should have played more of XC2 but I can understand why you prefer YS VIII, cant wait to play more!

XENOBLADE CHRONICLES 2 HAS ONE OF THE BEST, MOST FULFILLING ENDINGS EVER TO ANY RPG OR GAME FOR THAT MATTER. Especially how it connects to the first xenoblade. Thus a top 5 jrpg for me of all time and top 10 game for me ever. Ys 8 does look really good though! I’ll have to check it out... also Xenoblade 2 has AMAZING characters who each get their own arc and proper development all the way till the last scene, you’re buggin on that end.

I played this game and absolutely loved it! It was lots of fun with lots of plot twists and you definitely bond with the characters and get invested in their stories. Highly recommend and can’t wait for ys 9: monstrum nox!😄

Character connections are one of the greatest things about the Ys games. It's literally my favorite seires, for both gameplay and story, as well as character development.

Loved Ys 8 on PS4 & I would have just loved to play this game on the go, while leveling up to passing a certain level. 🙂

I just bought the Adventure Edition!! And I LOVE it! It's such an excellent game also... Wood is the best... love your content your one of the reasons I made my own channel been here since 60,000 and stay here till it's over, 😂 Also I love Xenoblade 2 it has one of my favorite music in videogames ever! But that's ok you didn't like it!!! People have their opinions, and also it actually does get better over time but some people like it and some don't

Totally agree with your opinion of Xenoblade Chronicles 2. I really wanted to like it, but the combat and overall pace of the game was just too slow for me.

Ys VIII is definitely my favourite RPG that i have ever played and probably, for a long time, the only game that makes me take it seriously. I refused to play on and finish the game after chapter 5 because of the ending to the game. I loved all the characters and how they support and contradict each other and it really stings when you know that they can't be with one another at the very end (Probably just that I can't accept the fate of a 'certain character'). When I play most of the other generic RPGs, I know it will either end in a happy or sad ending so I just play on but with Ys, all 3 endings seemed bitter-sweet, which is unique to see in fantasy games, and it truly pains me to know that how 'character' is with you but not with you at the same time. It's like how you watched this great TV show or anime and you just can't wait to know the ending but after searching it on google, you refuse to watch the remaining episodes just so you would never know how the characters even arrived at the point and keeping that inner fantasy you had of the game alive. I do really hope there will be a sequel where all of the crew members including 'said character' will be reunited and having another epic adventure or a remake featuring the same crew but with an alternate story and ending. It would probably destroy the setting from the original game but lets be honest, who did not want all the characters to be together. Curious to know how others took the game, have a nice day :)

The combat is the biggest reason I couldn't get into Xenoblade Chronicles 2. Either make it turn based or action. Auto attack feels like the game is playing itself.

Wow the comments about Xenoblade 2...in the comments section. The comparison is perfectly fine. He didn't like XB2 and the excuse of "it gets better 10+ hours in" isn't a good one. To me and probably him that just means play a game you'll actually enjoy in that time instead of wasting it in a game you'll hate. He didn't like the combat in XB2, he liked it in Ys8, we get why he didn't like one vs the other. Again, it makes sense. Yes, JRPGs take a while to get going sometimes, but TEN or 20 hours before it MIGHT get good? That's 1-4 games you might actually like. I can't think of a JRPG that took that amount of time to get going. FFVII/Tactics, Tales of Xillia & Berseria, Breath of Fire 3 and 4. I agree with him, I found Xenoblade's combat incredibly dull and some of the story moments in the very early game were VERY cringy. The part with his Dragon friend- you know the one. First impressions are important and that really didn't do it any favors for me. "But if you play for another 10 hours it gets really good" Again, in that time, I can beat a lot of more fun switch games in the time that takes. Ys 8, ship was dull and it crashes then you're greeted with one of the BEST songs in any RPG, Sunshine Coastline and you're already on an adventure, exploring, cutting up monsters. Not even a full party and it's fun. Xenoblade? Oh my goodness the combat was so slow and dull. Also, what other JRPG is he going to compare it too? Switch doesn't have a lot right now, compare it to a PS4 game? Well I'm sure everyone would be happy with that. Comparing a game that the Switch might not ever get a port of or might not be able to handle. That'd have a real nice reaction from the fans.

I understand that you didn’t like Xenoblade Chronicles 2. That’s perfectly fine. But is that thumbnail really necessary?

Good. I have Ys VIII on Vita and love it. Definitely getting it on Switch once I get a Switch. I still wish Dogi (Dough-ghee in pronunciation: the O is an elongated vowel and the I is like how you pronounce lean) was playable, because his design is SO much better than previous games.

This port actually looks better than I thought it would for Switch. I just completed it on PC with supersampling on and ultra settings (besides ultra shadows which hampers framerate for me.) I liked it so much I am starting a new game on a higher difficulty. I would go as far as to say that I think the first time you play it should be run through on hard mode. Its too easy on normal. Fantastic game. Love your content. You ooze with personality. Ticks me off that Nintendo gave you the shaft awhile back. But mad respect to you for still supporting them in your videos. Also there is a new Ys VIII novel based on the game that fans may want to check out. I am getting a copy soon.

Hoo boy... I really disagree with you RE XC2, the voice acting was not bad, it was actually for the most part pretty good for an rpg, you're clearly just not used to welsh accents! As for you not getting attached to the characters, I'm guessing you didn't bother playing further than the first few hours. There is a shitton of character growth in that game and there were very few characters I didn't get attached to or empathise with. XC2 was game of the year for 2017 for me. It's a goddamn masterpiece. Give it another chance and play more than 6 hours of it this time!

I'm currently still playing Xenoblade, but probably will het this some day.

4:32 Augh...you wound me with that sentence, sir. That's called a rapier

Totally with you on this Wood! I played 40 hours into Xenoblade, stopped after chapter 8... but LOVING YsVIII SO MUCH MORE!!!

Xeno blade chronicles 2 for life

Beat them both XBC2 is better imo

I like Wood so much because I can almost 100% relate to him, I agreed with what he said about Skyward sword not being a bad game like how people claim, all the way to what he says about Xenoblade compared to Ys, I haven't played Ys and assuming he has the soundtrack playing in the background of this video is driving me crazy with wanting this game, I dropped Xenoblade for a similar reason he did and around the same time he did, I find it weird I find myself agreeing with him so much and knowing he puts his heart into reviews unlike most RU-vidrs that sound so monotone, I hope you get the recognition you seek Wood, you are literally the person that I want to be, and being the same age it doesn't help my case lol I'll keep supporting you how I can and bon voyage on your journey to becoming a great RU-vidr

Honestly this game wasn’t on my radar because I thought it was going to be the type of game I don’t really enjoy, but this detailed review really made me interested! Thank you as always Wood

Not to be rude, but in terms of story and content, Ys is no where near Xenoblade. You can prefer it, but saying it has better story is straight up wrong

Yeah, no, Xenoblade 2 has much more going for it than I think you allowed yourself to experience. The story really picks up and the characters are very well developed by the end of the game. I doubt you will return to it, as you do seem to have your mind set but if you ever do, know that there is a brilliant game waiting for you.

I hated xbc 2’s combat system when I first started the game but when you get the hang of it, it is one of the most satisfying combat system that I’ve played so far. It is very addicting.

I can't wait to play this game. I've always liked at the look of the YS series but I've never been sure about jumping, but I think this unit I'm going for it, thanks to your review. Shane about its look in the dock but I'd rather be able to play off the TV than have the best graphics. Could you do a Shining Resonance Refrain review, been tempted by the demo of that game.

To me so far this game looks fun but I don't see how it is better than Xenoblade Chronicles 2. I honestly really disagree about the Characters in Xenoblade 2 because I couldn't stop playing it.

I feel you should stop talking about xenoblade 2's story and characters since you stopped so early in the game you know ABSOLUTELY nothing about them

Axe anchor thing... seems like a blunt scythe weapon

Just purchased on the eShop Black Friday sale based on your review.