A shipwrecked start on a cursed island
Adol wakes up stranded after a shipwreck on a cursed island. He rescues other castaways, and together they build a village to take on the island's beasts and mysterious ruins. Alongside that, Adol dreams of Dana, a blue-haired maiden in an unknown world, and her story plays out through its own gameplay sections. The main draw is following Adol as he works out what the cursed isle and Dana are about.
Fighting with a rotating party
Combat is fast, and you can swap your playable character on the fly mid-battle, so you can change who you control as a fight goes on. It is a party-based setup rather than a solo run, and the island is open enough to wander and explore as you go.
Playing it together
Ys VIII: Lacrimosa of DANA is listed as singleplayer, so there is no co-op mode built in. The Steam features do include Remote Play Together, which lets a group watch and join in over a stream from one person's copy. Beyond that, the shared part of the experience is the story and the island to pick apart together.
Rescuing survivors for your village
As you explore, you rescue fellow shipwrecked passengers and bring them back to the village. They then provide services there, so the village grows as you find more people. Expect a long story-driven run with exploration, combat, and the separate Dana sections mixed in.