Like many modern RPGs, Ys 8: Lacrimosa of Dana features a fishing minigame. It’s introduced as part of the castaways’ efforts to survive on the Isle of Seiren, but there are also mechanical rewards for catching more fish. The latest entry in the series, Ys 10: Nordics, is also set to feature a fishing minigame. With Nordics’ release around the corner, let’s take a look at how fishing works in Lacrimosa of Dana.
Why to Fish
Catching fish in Lacrimosa of Dana has a few different benefits. Many of the fish that can be caught across the Isle of Seiren will reward Adol with food that can be used to create meals. These meals grant a range of effects to the party, from healing a large amount of health to increasing SP regeneration or the amount of experience earned in combat. Fish will also often reward the party with crafting materials, which can be used to upgrade their weapons, complete side quests, and craft accessories. For players pursuing 100% completion of Lacrimosa of Dana, catching all 28 fish is counted towards completion.
Items can also be caught, ranging from elixirs that grant experience to other food for creating meals to other crafting materials. Treasure chests, often signified by a waterfowl sitting on the water, can be caught as well. These chests will typically contain a big pearl, though on rare occasions they will contain a Prismatic Jewel. Big pearls and Prismatic Jewels can both be used as materials to craft accessories, though they can also be traded with Dina for rarer items and equipment.
How to Fish
In most of the bodies of water across the Isle of Seiren, you can find shadows of fish swimming near ripples in the water. Different fish will appear in different locations, ranging from lakes to rivers to the shoreline. The points with ripples and shadows mean a guarantee of catching either a fish or an item. However, fish and items can also be caught outside of those points, though the chances are much lower. Fishing uses bait as a resource, starting with 10 bait given by Sahad when the minigame is first introduced, but more can be found in treasure chests or by trading for them with Dina.
Lacrimosa of Dana features a dedicated button for casting the fishing line. On most platforms, this defaults to the left-hand up button. This will create a line of arrows from the controlled party member into the water, indicating where the line will be cast. The left joystick moves this line, and the A button casts the line. If it’s cast close enough to the fishing point, a circle of stars will appear and surround the point. Either way, once the line is in the water, the controlled party member will stand until either the line catches something or nothing bites.
Catching Fish
Once something is caught on the line, a short quick time event will be triggered. By repeatedly hitting the A button and moving the left joystick as indicated, a bar slowly fills up. This bar represents the progress of catching the fish or item. If the bar fully depletes, the fish or item won’t be caught and the line will be drawn back in. Successfully completing the QTE will grant the fish or item, which will also add to the controlled party member’s fishing data. Failing the QTE enough times will see the fish disappear until it respawns.
Each party member has different strengths when it comes to fishing. Some party members are better at catching the larger fish, while others have more luck with catching rare fish. Party members can be equipped with accessories that grant additional fishing skill, which cause the progress bar to increase at a faster rate during the QTE.
Master Fish
In various locations across the Isle of Seiren, larger fish shadows can be seen in the water. These are known as Master Fish, as well as Boss Fish. The QTEs for catching these Master Fish are more involved and difficult, though their rewards are also greater.
One of the items often obtained from a Master Fish is a big pearl, and they also often have higher-tier materials than other fish in their respective areas. There are four Master Fish in total. Many of them are very rare to spawn, with the fourth of the Master Fish having the lowest chance to spawn of all fish in the game.
Angry Catches
In rare places, such as the ledge at the end of Waterdrop Cave, enemies can be fished up rather than fish or items. There are 10 of these so-called Angry Catches, some of which cannot be killed (and thus cannot be logged into the Monsters section of the Journal) until the party has the Adventuring Gear known as the Purifying Bell. Most of these enemies are simply more difficult versions of other enemies, with a changed color palette.
Where to Catch Fish
Regular Fish
Many of the regular fish, such as the Sadina, Boleh, and Seiren Trout, can be caught in multiple locations. The items obtained by catching them vary, often keeping to the same tier of items found in their respective regions. For instance, the Sadina can be caught at the coast of Castaway Village, and its items include white meat, thin hide, and sturdy bone. Comparatively, the Diplomis is found in much later areas of the game, and its items include higher-tier materials such as digitalis leaves and sparkling leaves.
Master Fish
Gran Anglo
The Gran Anglo is the first Master Fish that can be found, as well as having the highest number of different locations that it can spawn at out of the four Master Fish. It can be found in the Lodinia Marshland, the night exploration of Pangaia Plains, the Great River Valley, and Schlamm Jungle.
Nebulobrim
The Nebulobrim, looking a lot like a large goldfish, can only be found in three locations: the East Coast Cave where the Eleftheria dungeon can be found, the Path of the Ocean Era at the very end of the game, and the shore of Nostalgia Cape. Catching a Nebulobrim can reward the party with an Essence stone and white meat in addition to the big pearl.
Bulldart
This Master Fish is found later in the game, with a quest in Chapter 5 from Thanatos to catch the fish in Water and Wood Hills. Like the other Master Fish, it grants a big pearl. It also can give primitive meat or a dragon crest stone. In addition to Water and Wood Hills, it can also be found in the Lodinia Marshland.
Ancient Abyss
The Ancient Abyss, aside from being the final Master Fish in Lacrimosa of Dana, is also infamous for being the most difficult to catch. This is in part due to its QTE being bugged. On the first attempt at catching the Ancient Abyss, the prompts for moving the left joystick appear and disappear too quickly, and the fish will always escape.
It can only be caught on the second attempt, where the prompts are still difficult but reasonable, as it flees the area after the second attempt fails. Combined with its low spawn chance and bugged prompts, it also only spawns in one of two locations: Solitude Island, and the night exploration of Pangaia Plains.
Angry Catches
Many of the Angry Catches can be found at the end of Waterdrop Cave, such as the Depanglo or the Orseapus. However, some of the Angry Catches can only be found in Seren Garden or on the coast of Solitude Island. The items dropped from these enemies are in line with the drops from the regular enemies, such as the Maltu and the Spamaltu.
Final Thoughts
The fishing minigame in Ys 8: Lacrimosa of Dana, though tedious at times (especially when trying to catch one of the Master Fish), is also a useful and rewarding minigame. There are many opportunities to catch fish or items across the Isle of Seiren. While Monstrum Nox didn’t include a fishing minigame, Nordics is set to include it again, with the addition of being able to fish from the boat. Will Nordics also feature enemies that can be fished out, or highly difficult fish to catch that net greater rewards? Will it use the same QTE-based system that Lacrimosa of Dana uses? If so, ideally none of Nordics’ fish will be difficult due to bugs with the prompts like with the Ancient Abyss.
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