Dragon Quest Thread

[avatar! | 1,811]

Apparently today, May 27th is "Dragon Quest Day" since it was first released on this day, 35 years ago in 1986!

Now's a decent time to have a thread

Squenix announced Dragon Quest XII - Flames of Fate

Quite honestly, the announcement trailer is boring, but eh, here it is

 

Also, Dragon Quest X, the MMO game, will now be ported to... offline? Apparently. No news as to whether it will be released outside of Japan, but fairly decent change I'd say!

 

[Pendragonx | 117]

1 minute ago, avatar! said:

Also, Dragon Quest X, the MMO game, will now be ported to... offline? Apparently. No news as to whether it will be released outside of Japan, but fairly decent change I'd say!

oh wow! that's pretty neat!

I still have to play the earlier games in the franchise.. I beat 1 and stalled out playing #2 ..also played a little bit of #8

 

[Tabonga | 2,317]

Here is a neat 3d dragonquest map.  (This isn't mine but I do have one.)

 

[Hammerfestus | 3,840]

My collecting activities recently have taken a pretty Dragon Questy turn.  I’ve been contemplating completing my copy of 3 and started selling again in preparation.  
 

Sure would like to see some sort of version of 10 come stateside.  If they could port us over PlayStation based versions of 5 & 6 that’d be great too.  
 

[Murray | 2,448]

[YOURTURN | 1,256]

If it was not for the fact that I got rid of my Dragon Quest Monsters Super Light event prizes, my Dragon Quest the Real souvenir photo, the stuff I kept when I visited the Nagoya version of the Dragon Quest Museum, and the stuff I got after I ate at Luida's Bar... I'd be mildly disappointed. 

But realistically, I am disappointed with me doing those things (despite the situation I was facing). And can openly say that I have some opinions on the games they have announced.

- Dragon Quest Erase!: This will be a tester game for me. Both 'of the Stars' and 'Tact' were not for me, and they shut down Rivals (which did look like fun). But it is a must for those who have kids. 

- Dragon Quest X: Version 6: Not going to be able to play this. So there is some disappointment in that for me.

- Dragon Quest X Offline: I have been expecting this for a few years now. And it is only on my "to play" list because I have the Wii version (this game is based on) in my collection. That might change.

- Dragon Quest Treasures: The rumor mill had this being Dragon Quest Monsters 3. With reasons tied to both Monsters and Caravan Hearts. I think this is better and do have it on my "to play" list.

- Dragon Quest III: HD 2D Remake: I knew this was coming. And it has me thinking that "XII" will be based on Ortega. This is on my "to play" list as well. I might get a physical copy if I expand my goals.

- Dragon Quest XII: The Flames of Fate: The announcement felt like a "Breath of Fire" homage. But seeing how I own at least one copy of this game in my collection, this is both a "to buy" and "to play" title for me.

What did disappoint me was based on two factors:

1) A remake of Dragon Quest IX was not announced.

2) The Tenkuu (Zenethia) trilogy will not be added to the PS4/5 and Switch (again).

[avatar! | 1,811]

Oh yeah, the Dragon Quest III remake looks gorgeous

 

[Sumez | 2,950]

I like Dragon Quest

  

11 hours ago, Murray said:

[Tanooki | 4,933]

Strange re-doing just DQ3 like that but blowing off the two before it considering it's a trilogy of sorts.

 

That 12 announcement was pathetic, sorry, it just is as it gives nothing but nearly nothing to care about other than hey it exists.  I'm kind of curious how 10 will work out though converting a MMO to not, or if not, then I guess it's going global like some of those other DQ mobile games.

This reminds me I really do want to get back DQ4 on the DS, the NES one would be nice, but DS more practical by far.

[avatar! | 1,811]

3 minutes ago, Tanooki said:

Strange re-doing just DQ3 like that but blowing off the two before it considering it's a trilogy of sorts.

 

That 12 announcement was pathetic, sorry, it just is as it gives nothing but nearly nothing to care about other than hey it exists.  I'm kind of curious how 10 will work out though converting a MMO to not, or if not, then I guess it's going global like some of those other DQ mobile games.

This reminds me I really do want to get back DQ4 on the DS, the NES one would be nice, but DS more practical by far.

I also wish they would redo the first three DQ games. Glad they're doing III, maybe I & II will follow if it sells well?

DQ4 on the DS is fabulous. My favorite DQ game after VIII and VII. Well worth playing.

[Tanooki | 4,933]

Just now, avatar! said:

I also wish they would redo the first three DQ games. Glad they're doing III, maybe I & II will follow if it sells well?

DQ4 on the DS is fabulous. My favorite DQ game after VIII and VII. Well worth playing.

While I enjoy the franchise, of all the games, 4 is probably  my favorite followed by 1 just because it's so compact you can get a nice sense of quicker accomplishment knocking it off.  I get why 3 and 5 are liked a lot, but I don't enjoy them as much, not to say I dislike them.  11S I was digging quite a bit but got pulled off it and never went back so now I don't know if I should or not as starting over isn't ideal.

 

DQ9 I used to enjoy but I did get it back a few years ago and really couldn't get far into it, maybe it's just mood or not so great as others.  I had considered snapping up 7 again on 3DS I got far, but didn't finish, and 8 I never did play, ever.  Truthfully I've only finished the first 4 titles, and 2-4 were done on GBC/DS versions and 1 was on NES, GBC, mobile.

[Hammerfestus | 3,840]

I don’t like NES DQs with graphical upgrades.  I played them back during lifespan and to me they are evocative of a very special time and place as they were.  I think the “improved” graphics take that away.

[Tanooki | 4,933]

9 minutes ago, Hammerfestus said:

I don’t like NES DQs with graphical upgrades.  I played them back during lifespan and to me they are evocative of a very special time and place as they were.  I think the “improved” graphics take that away.

THen I take it you don't have much of a beef with DW1+2 and DW3 on the GBC?  Redrawn a bit more colorful, nicer translation, and a few thankful save gimmes being on a handheld so they're not messed with really.

[Hammerfestus | 3,840]

13 minutes ago, Tanooki said:

THen I take it you don't have much of a beef with DW1+2 and DW3 on the GBC?  Redrawn a bit more colorful, nicer translation, and a few thankful save gimmes being on a handheld so they're not messed with really.

Watching a bit that seems like something I’d give a shot.  Graphics look pretty true to feel of the original.

 I don’t feel like anything was wrong with the original translation.  I think it was a fine translation into pseudo Elizabethan English aimed at appealing to your k-6 kids.
 

and shucks,  I guess I can live with kids having a few save points.

[Tanooki | 4,933]

@HammerfestusYeah I can see that, don't disagree either.  You see the GBC games basically were 8bit-ified versions of the Super Famicom ports of the old DQ games, so they're kind of a middle ground between the 80s and earlier 90s style of their more grounded work ported finally outside of Japan to the NA market back to the GBC.

[Aguy | 772]

The DQ XII reveal makes me think that we aren't getting it till fall '23.

4 hours ago, Tanooki said:

 11S I was digging quite a bit but got pulled off it and never went back so now I don't know if I should or not as starting over isn't ideal.

How far did you get? I'm getting the itch to play it again, this time on Xbox.

The DQ XII reveal makes me think that we aren't getting it till fall '23.

[Tanooki | 4,933]

I don't remember really anymore, I think I got to some desert town, I remember something with races, I think I may have done those, but didn't proceed through some valley from there.  I know it wasn't super far, but DQ games are super long, slow too, so it got waylaid.

Sad thing is I have a LOT of games like that barely/untouched on Switch, mainly as I like JRPGs and keep buying them but hardly can make the time.  DQ11S, Grandia HD(untouched), Xenoblade (untouched but did on 3DS), FF9 (maybe 40% done), sold off Tales of Vesperia due to it, Pokemon Shield is like 1/2, Pokemon Lets Go Pikachu is maybe that far too.  And that's just that system, I throw in my GB stash...ugh.

[Aguy | 772]

21 minutes ago, Tanooki said:

I don't remember really anymore, I think I got to some desert town, I remember something with races, I think I may have done those, but didn't proceed through some valley from there.  I know it wasn't super far, but DQ games are super long, slow too, so it got waylaid.

Sad thing is I have a LOT of games like that barely/untouched on Switch, mainly as I like JRPGs and keep buying them but hardly can make the time.  DQ11S, Grandia HD(untouched), Xenoblade (untouched but did on 3DS), FF9 (maybe 40% done), sold off Tales of Vesperia due to it, Pokemon Shield is like 1/2, Pokemon Lets Go Pikachu is maybe that far too.  And that's just that system, I throw in my GB stash...ugh.

I think we can all understand. That desert section is right after the end of the demo, so I'm guessing you're about 10% into the main story, not including post games (another 10-15 hours). You could easily pick up from where you left off without missing much since it's so early, plus the game has a recap feature wherever you load a save to gets you back up to speed. But at this point, there's no rush.

[Tanooki | 4,933]

Thanks, good to know.  I want to circle back to it.  Of what I listed, I can think of one or two, if necessary like Vesperia I'd just sell and say screw it.  Grandia isn't one, only because the LRG late comer trolls are dropping $200 on that $30 game now which is insane.  I still have my old Grandia II guide in the closet as well, so I'll get to it, using those maps and all.

I'm thinking I may just dump Pokemon Shield, it is so much less rewarding than UltraSun on 3DS is, just feels lifeless and a bit annoying so I can handle a few hours every 4-6months...and if my kid didn't have Sword it would be gone already.  Xenoblade maybe if it is a mental burden, but I liked it enough on 3DS so I don't know. FF9 is my favorite of the 3D FF games, but I don't have to finish it or keep it either.

[Sumez | 2,950]

A monster post draws near....

So, a few years ago I made a decision to play through every game in the DQ series in succession. I'd played DQ4 not that long before then, when the DS remake came out, so it was the only one I skipped at the time, and I speculate that returning to it now I'd probably hold it in higher regard than I did when I was less familiar with the series. I also didn't play 10 for obvious reasons.

Either way, whenever I do things like this I have a tendency to write down my thoughts, not necessarily post them anywhere, but just for my own sake, to keep them jotted down to help myself process my thoughts and opinions on the games. But since it seems fitting here, here's my thought on every single mainline Dragon Quest game at the time I played them, in the order I played them, and noting which version I played. Worth noting that with only one exception, the games I liked the most were the ones I played in their original version, so I might go back and try the originals of some of the others.

 

DRAGON QUEST 4 (DS):

This was my first completion, back when the DS version came out. I always heard great things about the original, especially from a Japanese acquaintance who'd talk eagerly about how the game would introduce all these different characters in their own chapters. I gotta say, though, I wasn't thoroughly impressed with the game. I really loved the initial chapters, and the early start where you really gotta work for your levels, healing and starting gear is usually my favourite part of a classic JRPG, so having to do that several times was really cool, especially Torneko's unique take on it.

Following that, though, I feel the game fell a bit short. It never gets particularly interesting, and despite trying to build Psaro as a character, the story remains pretty uninteresting. I barely remember anything about the hero's chapter, despite it being the biggest part of the game. I can see why this game was something special when it came out on the Famicom, but nowadays it's just not as unique.
I think I might want to return to this some time in the future after having finished all the other games in the series. Perhaps I will be able to pick up on some more qualities that went over my head the first time around. Maybe try out the NES version, too.

DRAGON QUEST 6 (DS):

This one, however, is my idea of what a classic JRPG should be like. Once again, the main story is nothing much, but it sets a nice foundation for some solid world building. The dual world concept is a little underplayed when you think of stuff like Zelda's dark world, or WoR in FF6, but it's really expertly used to paint the stories of the villages and townpeople that you come across on your journey, right down to the little pieces of dialogue with vague references in their dreamworld counterparts, that are very easy to miss. I love the little stuff, like the dog that is human in its dreams, or the lonely man who dreams up an entire mercantile city that you visit early in the game before learning of its origins. But my absolute favourite "vignette" is the story of the doomed castle that summoned Nokturnus, resulting in everyone's demise, forced to relive the same disastrous day over and over.

The world is huge and full of things to explore, and the game simply refuses to end. The class system is simple, but good enough to feel like you have something to work towards gameplay-wise, and opening the various skills keeps the combat interesting despite never getting particularly difficult in the DS version.

DRAGON QUEST 5 (DS):

I think I like this better than the 4th game, due to the scope of the story. But as per DQ tradition, the overall plot is completely uninteresting, which is at odds with it being pretty much the game's primary gimmick. I do love the idea of the broad spectrum of the story, spanning the life of the main character. It starts out really well, with

Spoiler

your dad getting murdered, and prince Harry growing as a character as you are both taken away for ten years,

but after that the pace feels like it hurries itself way too much through the story -

Spoiler

hurry on and find a wife, immediately get kids, then immediately seal off both parents for eight years so the kids can grow up instantly

 - Bianca has a bit of a backstory, while both Nera and Debora feel pointless in relation to the story - and despite party chat helping to add a bit to their character, all three wives become throw-away characters pretty much immediately after the wedding, due to the story moving on to focus on their kids.

The game never really gives you any incentive to marry, especially anyone other than Bianca, and

Spoiler

your kids pretty much appear out of the blue. It would have been really cool with at least a DQ4 style chapter taking over the twins from level 1 as they set out to find their parents.

In general, DQ5 just feels like a game that would have really benefited from being at least twice as big, so that the story can really feel as epic and expansive as it wants to. And maybe also give us some kind of incentive to actually feel like the final big bad is someone that we have any reason to go fight. The end sequence has people rejoicing about "peace finally returning", but despite the obvious random enouncters on the world map, the game never gave any indication of this being a big issue. Most people weren't even aware of (final boss name) being a thing that exists.

Aside from my issues with the game's story, I also felt this is the least interesting DQ game I've played in terms of gameplay (the DS version, mind you). The monster recruitment is nice, but you get enough human characters that I don't really want to reject them all, and in the end I only had one monster on my team (for attacking), with an additional one being called in occasionally in the final boss fight for healing. That fight was pretty cool, but most random battles throughout the game felt extremely uninvolving, and mostly passed by just making a party of the strongest characters, supported by the occasional wagon healer.

DRAGON QUEST 8 (PS2):

Amazingly strong game, and I can tell why people love it. Unlike the previous games, I played the original release instead of a remake, and either that is the reason why I enjoy the gameplay better (since it never got to be "dumbed down"), or maybe it just is better in this game. Throughout most of the game I was constantly finding incentives to stop up and go around looking for ways to improve individual pieces of my equipment or learn specific skills that I hoped to use to beat specific boss fights

Spoiler

(Dhoulmagus having been the primary gate keeper)

Ie. pretty much the stuff that I feel makes Dragon Quest into Dragon Quest. The story is again not that interesting, pretty standard fare anyway, but I absolutely love the characters. They are easily the best in the series out of anything I've seen so far. Especially King Trode is just such a real and likeable guy despite his hot temper and obvious flaws, and I get why Yangus is also a fan favourite. This aspect is by far the strongest point of the game, and worth playing it for alone. It was a bold choice to lower the number of possible party members to four, and I think the game really benefited from it, since that allows it to focus on these four people in addition to Trode and Medea.

This is also a beautiful game, and really gives the series a nice transition into full 3D, and the orchestral soundtrack that we got over here is amazing. The DQ soundtracks were all made to be heard played by a real orchestra, and it's a shame that we never got to actually hear that ingame until this release (and the Japanese for DQ5@PS2). I will never stop humming the overworld tune as I run around.

On the downsides, the sluggishly slow battles really bring down the pace of the game, makes grinding very annoying, and gives me a lot of reasons to use padfood and holy protection way more than in any other game. It makes me yearn for the 3DS remake, but at the same time I still prefer random encounters, as it adds that sense of danger while exploring. Another thing that slows the game down is the constant load times, even just for opening the menu. At least they are all fairly short, but it adds up.

Also, the higher production values of this game compared to the earlier 2D games, makes everything feel more "padded", and fewer locales and events take up much more of your game time than they would in the earlier games. This is both good and bad, as the world definitely feels more fleshed out and convincing, but the overall scope of the game also feels a lot smaller than something like DQ6 or 7. But in the end, the game does carry on for long enough to feel fullfilling, and the final boss fight is a delight. My only regret is that the boss fights lose some of their edge after the previously mentioned difficulty spike - once you get multiheal most of them don't pose as much of a threat, and even the final boss went down in my first attempt, with basically no extra preparation.

DRAGON WARRIOR (NES):

Maybe I just didn't expect much from the game that started it all, but I can immediately tell why Dragon Quest 1 became such a big success when it came out. Despite the series being notorious for some very archaic design choices that have sticked to it throughout almost every iteration, the first game actually doesn't feel particularly bogged down by it. Instead, it's a delightfully simple and smooth game that feels incredibly approachable for the RPG genre, even today. No annoying inventory management, just fast one-on-one battles, and a general brisk pace whenever you aren't finding yourself backtracking over the same fields a few too many times, or wasting away an hour or two in the same area trying to grind for a few levels.

The "open world" structure is really refreshing, and I love how the game doesn't force you anywhere through anything other than the immediate gameplay mechanics such as monsters kicking your butt if you go too far in the wrong direction. Any stop on your road is blocked only by withholding information until you gain access to NPCs that reveal that secrets of the world. A structure that unfortunately would never fly today due the ease of information via the internet, but if you hold back and play DQ1 without a guide, the sense of exploration is real. A really charming little masterpiece, marred only by some excessive grinding.

DRAGON QUEST 7 (3DS):

Probably the most divisive of all the DQ games. With most of the them being pretty universally loved, that doesn't say a whole lot, but I've actually seen a lot of people show contempt for this game, while others claim to love it. And playing it, I can easily see both sides of the argument. Despite playing the supposedly "cleaned up" 3DS version, some flaws are very piercing. Most notably the reuse of dungeons requiring you to visit most of them at least twice, and some times even more, although with barely any differences to them. Another issue is the basic structure of the game where you're rebuilding the world an island at a time using the fragments you find. Though the idea is pretty cool, especially from a storytelling perspective, it compromises pretty much any potential feeling of exploration. The game constantly carries you where you need to go rather than gradually opening up an existing world, which has always been a big part of the "adventuring" aspect of the Dragon Quest games to me, right back to the very first one.

So on the positive side, the game is entirely made up of a ton of smaller vignettes that pile up as you visit more and more locations each with their own little story. This is one aspect I absolutely loved in DQ6, so it was great to see that repeated, but to be honest the quality of the stories is uneven at best. A lot of them feel really lacking and rushed in the way they are told. Some of the more fleshed out ones are also my favourites, such as in the opressed village under the Alltrades Abbey, or the story of a messed up love triangle in that herb town. If more of the stories had been of this quality, I would definitely be a huge fan of DQ7.

As I started out, one thing that did stand out to me was some of the characters that were just absolutely lovable. Maribel and Kiefer who start out joining you on the quest are some of the best written main characters I can think of in the DQ series. Though their personalities are simple, it's impossible not to like them, even when Maribel is constantly trying to belittle the other guys, while doing a real bad job at hiding that she actually cares for them. It's adorable.
But as the game moves on, focus suddenly shifts entirely to other people joining your party, namely Mervyn the ancient hero and Aishe the sultry looking dancer, who immediately turns out to be a completely toothless milquetoast with pretty much no character traits. Meanwhile, Mervyn's only defining trait is his olde English and naive appreciation for everything he sees. Both are completely uninteresting with no dynamic whatsoever, which isn't helping the game as it gets more and more focused on the overarching plot.
Even though DQ7 is easily the longest of the series, reaching the final boss didn't really seem like the big climax it should, nor the end of a fantastic journey. It just kind of happened when it needed to, and for all the things the game does well, I feel it is being easily outdone by the fantastic and underappreciated DQ6.
 

DRAGON WARRIOR II (NES):

Though the second game in the series is probably the least loved one, you gotta respect it for all the stuff that started here. In a lot of ways, this feels more like a "first Dragon Quest" than the previous game. So many conventions that are still mainstays of the series, right down to the odd burly guys wearing gimp masks, can be traced back to this.
Although having multiple characters in your party, and fighting multiple enemies at the time is the most obvious difference here, I was a bit thrown off initially by the linear progression requiring you to trigger events to find the prince of Cannock, etc., but once you get the boat, the game just gets amazing. Repeating the open ended approach from the first game, but in a much bigger world with more dungeons, mysteries and adventure, makes it everything I was hoping for in a sequel.

While it definitely feels more "progressive", I do miss some of the carefree simplicity of DQ1. Battles are a lot slower due to the multiple opponents, and at times it's hard to figure out exactly where the game wants me to go. However, with more places to explore, the grinding never feels half as bad as Dragon Warrior I. The game has a reputation for being one of the "hardest" JRPGs out there, I guess due to poorly balanced enemy strength by the end of the game, but I think it does have a nicely balanced sense of constant threat that makes the dungeons more exciting, much like the first game. Even the cave to Rhone is nowhere as bad as people say, but the final area does get really unfair with several encounters being able to wipe you out no matter how strong you get. The challenge in beating the game is not so much beating the final boss (who was actually really easy), but reaching him with enough MP to actually be able to put up a fight.
In the end though, I really enjoyed the experience, and the game doesn't deserve half the hate it's getting. I'd even rank it among my favourites of the series.
 

DRAGON WARRIOR III (NES):

Although the best description of DQ3 would be a bigger, more streamlined and well thought out version of DQ2, I think that comes with a few downsides too. Most importantly the game takes a long time to get started and doesn't feel particularly involving until you get the boat. DQ2 had a similar issue, but that didn't last quite as long. I must also admit that I kind of miss the overarching sense of danger and risk of being killed off.
That said though, it's hard to deny that this game does almost everything better than its immediate predecessor, and the further I get into the game, the more charming the world appears to me. Little fun details like the ruined town with ghosts haunting the place at night without realising that they are dead, is the bread of butter of the Dragon Quest experience in my book, and it's immediately clear to me that this is the game DQ6 draws all of its best qualities from, sharing much of the same charm, exploration and world building.

Although I want to be completely objective, it's hard for me to ignore the context of the game - for a 1988 title, the scope of this game is simply astonishing, and it feels leaps and bounds ahead of the first Final Fantasy that came out less than two months prior. If it hadn't taken four years for the game to make it outside of Japan, I can imagine it having been amazingly popular in the states. Even playing it today though, DQ3 ties a beautiful knot on the original trilogy, and the way it builds on the world of the first DQ game is just perfect.

Also, the symphonic soundtrack is amazing. Too bad the game itself sounds nothing like it.

DRAGON QUEST IX (DS):

It is quite interesting to play this game back to back with DQ3, and I was surprised to learn just how much DQ9 tries to replicate the third entry of the series. We have the party building mechanic where you create every character from the scratch, and an initial linear segment until you end up opening up both Alltrade's Abbey and getting the ship, marking the point where the game really takes off - and then there's the class system.
Grinding in the DQ series has always been a nice relaxing experience for me, despite how disliked that element usually is in video games, and both the combat mechanics and the class system of DQ9 managed to somehow make this aspect ridiculously satisfying. I love the fact that your level resets to 1 when you change to a new vocation, but unlike DQ3's similar system, it's a lot more intuitive how it works this time around, and you can easily start getting creative with your builds without having to resort to guides on the internet. Taking the best aspects of both 3 and 8, this system is so undeniably superior to any prior attempts at dynamic class systems in Dragon Quest, that I deeply wish I could retroactively implement it into both DQ6 and 7.

In regards to storytelling, the spark from DQ8 seems to be gone, and we are back to the basic little vignettes - which in itself isn't a bad thing, but similarly to DQ7 most of the stories just aren't interesting enough to varrant taking up your time in the game. With that in mind I can understand why DQ9 wasn't super popular when it came out, but at least the villain is somewhat interesting, leaving us with a very touching ending. However the build-up is not particularly interesting, and the game just sort of ends when it wants to - and much earlier than I expected.

I've seen people put literally hundreds of hours into the game, and I have no idea how. There's a massive post-game, but not in terms of content - rather it seems to be exclusively based around grinding, and absurdly boring procedurally generated dungeons, and that's where it stops being fun to me. But the main game itself is definitely one of the better Dragon Quests.

DRAGON QUEST XI (PS4):

I started out on this game, dead set on not being blinded by the presentation of a modern console game, and see it for what it was. But there is no beating around the bush. This is absolutely the best Dragon Quest game. Not just that, it is one of the best games I have played in the genre as a whole.

Playing this brand new game so shortly after having played the others is a pleasure, as everything in here feels at home in the context of Dragon Quest as a series. The developers did an amazing job at keeping the game traditional, while also avoiding the traps of games being too "old school". Especially the turn based system features swift quick-in-quick-out battles with no loading, and no waiting for animations to play out or text to scroll through. That is probably what gives it the biggest edge over Dragon Quest VIII, which it otherwise feels very similar to, due to the larger budget. But it definitely carries over a lot of familiar aspects from IX too, most obviously the visible enemies on the overworld.
Although I really enjoy being able to see the monsters roam the land, I do think the biggest problem with this game is the fact that avoiding enemies is so easy, that every single battle in the game is essentially optional. With no threat in exploring the world, and every map being available to you as soon as you enter an area, exploration and adventure clearly isn't the primary focus. But it makes up for that, by offering the best combat system of the series to date.
It is essentially the same as we have had since the first game, but the simplified buff/debuff system carried over from DQ9, supported by icons visible at all times, makes managing this aspect much more intuitive, which is fortunate, because if you are playing on the "super strong monsters" setting (which you should be), that is absolutely mandatory. This is a tough game that forces you to use every single tool in your belt if you want a chance at surviving every individual boss battle. Where DQ8 went on the easy side once you got superpowered support skills such as multiheal, etc, DQXI never lets up, and often makes even DQ2 feel like a walk in the park.

The homerun here though is the overarching story. Though never really a focus on the DQ series, with few exceptions, this game does it well. It is as plain and simple as it needs to be, but throws enough curveballs along the way to really catch me be surprise more than once.

Spoiler

Destroying the world halfway through the game, forcing you to visit old locations and seek our your companions once again might easily be considered a direct ripoff of Final Fantasy VI, but if it were up to me, every single JRPG ever needs to do something like that. It's such an excellent way to invest the player in the story, make the best of the game's world, and naturally encourage character development for everyone.

Bravo, Square Enix. Bravo.

[YOURTURN | 1,256]

11 hours ago, Tanooki said:

Strange re-doing just DQ3 like that but blowing off the two before it considering it's a trilogy of sorts.

 

Dragon Quest III is currently the first chapter of the Roto (Erdrick) trilogy, which is pretty much an anthology at this point. In Japan, the storyline goes in the following order:

Prologue: Dragon Quest XI/Dragon Quest XI S
Chapter 1: Dragon Quest III
Chapter 1.25: Dragon Quest: Emblem of Roto (manga series)
Chapter 1.5: Dragon Quest: Emblem of Roto Returns (manga series)
Chapter 1.75: Dragon Quest: Emblem of Roto - To the Children who inherit the Emblem - (manga series)
Chapter 2: Dragon Quest
Chapter 3: Dragon Quest II
Epilogue: Dragon Quest Monsters: Caravan Hearts

So for Yuji Horii to do this first, which he ad hinted at wanting to do since 2017, makes sense. Because it was the first chapter in the series, and it also allows him to make any changes that might help it be consistent with Dragon Quest XI (and maybe XII).

Plus, he did say that he will remake the other two if the game sells well enough. Which I hope is the case seeing how he had the Hero in Dragon Quest I get a new look in Kenshin Dragon Quest (which was later reprised in the Dragon Quest Monster Battle Road series), and the Princess of Moonbrooke tends to shift between blonde and purple hair. 

Then again, I guess this move makes perfect sense to me (even though I do not like the manga tie-ins). 

[Tanooki | 4,933]

You're kind of the resident DQ expert nerd so I'll believe it.  I don't know much of the franchise out of the main line games, a few of the monsters titles, and that's mostly it other than vaguely being aware of some manga/anime that never got brought over.  Hopefully is does well, love to see #1 upgrade.

[Gloves | 11,777]

6 minutes ago, FenrirZero said:

Dragon Quest III is currently the first chapter of the Roto (Erdrick) trilogy, which is pretty much an anthology at this point. In Japan, the storyline goes in the following order:

Prologue: Dragon Quest XI/Dragon Quest XI S
Chapter 1: Dragon Quest III
Chapter 1.25: Dragon Quest: Emblem of Roto (manga series)
Chapter 1.5: Dragon Quest: Emblem of Roto Returns (manga series)
Chapter 1.75: Dragon Quest: Emblem of Roto - To the Children who inherit the Emblem - (manga series)
Chapter 2: Dragon Quest
Chapter 3: Dragon Quest II
Epilogue: Dragon Quest Monsters: Caravan Hearts

So for Yuji Horii to do this first, which he ad hinted at wanting to do since 2017, makes sense. Because it was the first chapter in the series, and it also allows him to make any changes that might help it be consistent with Dragon Quest XI (and maybe XII).

Plus, he did say that he will remake the other two if the game sells well enough. Which I hope is the case seeing how he had the Hero in Dragon Quest I get a new look in Kenshin Dragon Quest (which was later reprised in the Dragon Quest Monster Battle Road series), and the Princess of Moonbrooke tends to shift between blonde and purple hair. 

Then again, I guess this move makes perfect sense to me (even though I do not like the manga tie-ins). 

[Aaron64 | 37]

Still waiting for western release of DQX.

[arch_8ngel | 1,597]

4 hours ago, Sumez said:

 

DRAGON WARRIOR II (NES

Though the second game in the series is probably the least loved one, you gotta respect it for all the stuff that started here. In a lot of ways, this feels more like a "first Dragon Quest" than the previous game. So many conventions that are still mainstays of the series, right down to the odd burly guys wearing gimp masks, can be traced back to this.
Although having multiple characters in your party, and fighting multiple enemies at the time is the most obvious difference here, I was a bit thrown off initially by the linear progression requiring you to trigger events to find the prince of Cannock, etc., but once you get the boat, the game just gets amazing. Repeating the open ended approach from the first game, but in a much bigger world with more dungeons, mysteries and adventure, makes it everything I was hoping for in a sequel.

While it definitely feels more "progressive", I do miss some of the carefree simplicity of DQ1. Battles are a lot slower due to the multiple opponents, and at times it's hard to figure out exactly where the game wants me to go. However, with more places to explore, the grinding never feels half as bad as Dragon Warrior I. The game has a reputation for being one of the "hardest" JRPGs out there, I guess due to poorly balanced enemy strength by the end of the game, but I think it does have a nicely balanced sense of constant threat that makes the dungeons more exciting, much like the first game. Even the cave to Rhone is nowhere as bad as people say, but the final area does get really unfair with several encounters being able to wipe you out no matter how strong you get. The challenge in beating the game is not so much beating the final boss (who was actually really easy), but reaching him with enough MP to actually be able to put up a fight.
In the end though, I really enjoyed the experience, and the game doesn't deserve half the hate it's getting. I'd even rank it among my favourites of the series.

Dragon Warrior 2 is my favorite game in the series, but most of that is admittedly nostalgia from having spent so much time obsessing over the posters and maps that came with the Dragon Warrior NP promo.

Though I'm definitely interested in the "HD-2D" update for DQ3.  (and I'm interested to share DQ11 with the kids when I get it for Father's Day :P)