If the Super Nintendo and then the PlayStation consoles were the best place for role-playing games from Japan years ago, the PC is a part of that lineage now. Publisher NIS America revealed today that is launching the Steam version of Ys VIII: Lacrimosa of Dana on January 30. Developer Falcom is also planning a final beta test before the launch date, and you can sign up for a chance to participate right here.
This is part of a long ongoing trend of Japanese developers and publishers bringing their RPGs to the global audience of PC gamers that use Steam to buy games. This exposes what traditionally was a console genre to people who never owned a console or people in emerging markets where consoles are prohibitively expensive. This is a business opportunity that is working out if we go on the evidence that companies keep bringing their RPGs from Japan to Steam.
As part of the PC release, NIS America is also introducing a number of improvements to the version of Ys VIII that shipped previously on PlayStation 4 and Vita in 2017.
“Included in the PC release are game optimizations and the localization revisions originally announced in late 2017,” reads a NIS America blog post on Steam. “The localization revisions include improvements to the game’s script, adjustments to graphical text, and re-recorded audio.”
If you already own the game on PS4 or Vita, don’t worry — those revisions are coming to you also on January 30.
#YsVIII PC arrives on January 30! Sign up for beta testing now! https://t.co/ecZ446Wc2p pic.twitter.com/KBBEtfPOzO
— NIS America, Inc. (@NISAmerica) January 10, 2018
Ys VIII is the first new Ys game in eight years. It tells the story of hero, Adol, who awakes on an island after wrecking his ship. He then goes on an journey to rescue his fellow crew and to take on the challenges of the island.
Lacrimosa of Dana sticks to its RPG roots, but it is also a welcomed entry in the series for fans. Our social boss Anthony John Agnello even named it his No. 4 game of 2017. So check it out if this appeals to you.
The PC Gaming channel is presented by Intel®‘s Game Dev program.
