It seems like all i am getting recently is interesting looking RPG games, and don't get me wrong I loved YS VIII but this time around I have been passed a game I have never heard of  before, Utawarerumono: Mask Of Truth, a game which unfortunately I really struggled to get into to the point where, if i'm honest, I didn't last very long with before giving up.

Now just because I didn't get on with the game, it doesn't mean that there isn't  a market for it. Alot of RPG fans, especially those who love the more story based elements of games and fans of Anime comics and shows, will lap this up but there are a few factors which didn't sit with me. For example I am not really a big fan of games where 90% of the time you are reading text. YES I know final fantasy is alot of text but with Mask of Truth it is more like a virtual novel, which i'm not hugely into. Un-Like the telltale series or Life is Strange there is no real interaction or choices to make to effect the story to any major degree, and while the fighting system is interesting there wasn't much to keep my coming back for more.

If you are an anime show lover, or a fan of japanese animated ladies with huge breasts, you may get something out of this but if you are lacking patience and time, or you are looking for a more action based RPG, this isn't really one I would suggest to western RPG fans. 

On a side note: If you ARE planning on trying this then I would suggest starting from the first game as there is ALOT of back story in this which will confuse you if you don't.

During my younger days as a gamer there are many random JRPG games that filled up my days for hours and hours. Games like Suikoden and Grandia were up there with the likes of Final Fantasy as some my favorite games of all time, but alas due to time, and the fact I spent my RPG hours playing mostly Final Fantasy games in my young adult life, alot of the more obscure JRPG games went under the radar for me. So why I was given the chance to review the 8th entry in the Ys franchise I thought what the hell, lets give this one a shot.

I am glad I did. Ys VII Lacrimosa of Dana was the throwback I needed to get me back into the mood for a lesser known (at least in the UK) series of games. The game follows the story of Adol Christian, an adventurer who is on his way to Xandria when the ship he is own is attacked by a monstrous sea creature. Adol finds himself shipwrecked on a deserted island, along with the rest of the ships passengers and it is your job to find the survivors.

The game has so many plus points. I love the survivor camp aspect, bringing all the shipwrecked survivors into the game with different skills to help Adol and his companions on their journey. I like the addiction of the mini game which sees the survivors fighting the protect the camp from monsters, it can give you a nice break from the travelling. The story is well put together, the setting is beautiful but there are a small amount of things that sets it back.

The graphics are very early PS3 style at times. While yes the look of the island is very beautiful, the animations of the actual characters were very old fashioned. For me that isn't a major issue, at the end of the day this is the visual style I grew up with, but for new fans I can see a few people turning off. Which is a bloody shame as the game is bloody good.

The fight system takes a bit of getting use to, and at times feels clunky. there are too many buttons doing to many different things. Final Fantasy XV showed us you can do this style of fighting well but with Ys VIII it may take you some practice not hitting the wrong bloody buttons when trying to fight off hordes of monsters.

Overall Ys VIII is such a fun game. The story is fun, the setting is great and the overall feel is a throw back to the JRPG games of the past. Gives this one a shot you will not be disappointed.