Gaming Dragon Quest VIII: Journey of the Cursed King

[Deathsite]

[FONT=Tahoma]I am a big fan of rpg's and Square Enix and i was wondering whether or not if i should get the new Dragon Quest,I've never played any of the other Dragon Quest's and I bet i am missing out alot, i just wanted some feedback on some who have played it and some who havent before i get it. And i hear there is a Final Fantasy XII playable demo another thing i am also looking forward to. [/FONT]

[Semjaza]

The FFXII demo is okay, but definitely not an insanely interesting bonus when it comes down to it. The Dragon Quest VIII game itself is infinitely more entertaining for obvious reasons.

The game itself is great. I got it the day it came out and have been playing it when I have time (which has been about 5 hours so far). I don't really feel like writing a lot about it, but there are some things to touch upon so I'll do it in a bullet format:

[list]
[*]The game is absolutely gorgeous and captures Akira Toriyama's character designs well for the first time
[*]A lot of people hated the first person battles of the previous titles. In this game, choices are made in first person, but the battle itself is fully animated in third person. Looks great.
[*]TDungeons are large, but not needlessly mazelike. Their design makes more realworld sense than what is present in titles such as Shin Megami Tensei.
[*]The battle system is very traditional, but fast paced. The addition of a new Skill system and the Psyche Up command add to the battles, as does the fact that enemy HP is slightly randomized.
[*]The game has a full night/day cycle. It progresses at a slower rate than the past games, but you can stay at an Inn until evening if you wish. Some scenes, dialogue and so forth only occur at night.
[*]In the US version, the music is fully orchestrated.
[*]In the US version, major cutscenes have full voice overs. The Japanese version had none. The voices are great overall and suitably cartoony.
[*]The menu system has been spruced up graphically and modernized for US release.
[*]The game has an insane sense of scale and the world map and towns reflect this. In this sense, it's more reminiscent of Zelda than most other RPGs out there.
[*]The main storyline is pretty basic fare, but the pacing is very good. The characters, in turn, are just fun and likable. They develop well over time.
[/list]

I think that's all there really is to mention right now. This is a very strong contender of best RPG on PS2 for me... fighting only SMT: Nocturne. I'm not sure which I'd give it to, but it's definitely the best RPG I've played this year. It's enough like the old titles to interest older players, but it's been added to and modernized to a degree that I think it will interest many new players as well. It sure as hell makes up for that Dragon Warrior VII mess.

[Tatsubei Yagyu]

[COLOR=Navy][FONT=Comic Sans MS][B]IS[/B] it [I]true[/I] that you can raise monsters? Because the game that got me into the series, Dragon Warrior Monsters, had an excellent monster raising system, and I was wondering if it was as deep... ;) [/FONT][/COLOR]

[Semjaza]

I'm not exactly sure how complex the system is since I've not reached that point yet, but I do know you can catch monsters and use them on your team in some way.

[Kenshin DX]

This is a great game a must have for RPG fans.The FFXII demo is really dissapointing thoguh. This can be a toguh game thoguh so you need past RPG experiince to play. I had to lvl up 3 times before I foguht the second boss.

[Turkey]

I got this game on the 23th, clocked about 30 hours yet in the game, and I haven't even touched the monster raising. While the game throws you on some blatant fetch quests, they end up being loads of fun. From what I've heard, the game is [B]very[/B] long, easily clocking 60-80 hours without the sidequests. Truly a masterpiece.

As for the FFXII demo, it's grown on me with each playthrough. If there's an option to speed up the action bars in the final version, it'll be another must-buy for me.

[Semjaza]

The game also has something you can't even access until you complete the game once... so it has that going for it as well.

I'm just posting because I thought of something. I'm thinking this whole "monster raising" idea has simply just been a lot of confusion on the internet and how things are worded. It seems to me that it's probably just a misunderstanding and that it's actually referring to Monster Teams.

This isn't really a spoiler since it's a basic aspect of the game. I'm not going to say anything specific about where stuff is or how to do it.... but I'll block it out anyway.

[spoiler]So basically, in the game, you're given a quest to find three monsters by Morrie. These are special monsters, stronger than normal ones and with specific names. You can see them running around on the field, they're not randomized like normal battles.

After you get those three, Morrie unlocks his Monster Arena. From then on, whenever you find one of those special monsters and beat them, you can choose to have them join you. Obviously the goal is to have the strongest team and make it to the Championship.[/spoiler]

[Deathsite]

Wow thanks for the in Dept Coverage, i still think im gonna get it, im jsut playing alot of other games right now theres jsut not enough hours in the day to play them all, and besides my laser for my ps2 is really ****** :mad: i keep getting disc read errors which is really lame but once i fix it dragon quest is definity on my must buy list.

[hisoka]

Dragon Quest is a great game! I had gotten it for Chistmas and have played about 46hrs on it so far.... I have gotten to the monster teams part and it is a great thing... but, the monsters work better in groups in which they are complemented.... For example, have monsters with swords in a group and it gives you a new type of move for the team. It's very good! Also, try to get some items to make the female character to look different. [SPOILER]You really need to get her to look like a play boy bunny! You need a bunny suit, bunny ears, fishnet sockings, and a bunny tail. I think it's pretty smexy![/SPOILER] I would definetly get it!

[Aaryanna]

[COLOR=SeaGreen]I just got this game and so far I?m really enjoying it. The game itself is beautiful and the character designs are wonderful. Even if they do look like characters from Dragonball. I?ve never cared for that anime, but the characters look great in a game.

The music has a nice grand feel to it and the battle system though you initially choose the actions, is still fun to watch as they play out their moves. Depending on what you?ve chosen each move has a nice different animation of them carrying out the attack against the enemy.

I also like how the world you walk through has more of a real feel to it instead of looking like they are walking on a map. It brings the story alive in that you feel like you really are walking though the town or fields or forests. And even the land has ups and downs so you actually have to walk to the top of a hill to see what?s on the other side. ^_^

It?s also fun how changing their weapons is reflected in how they look. If you are using a sword the main character has a sword strapped to his back, or if it?s a spear then he has a spear. And though the main character?s clothes do not change, if you change the armor of the girl, some of them she?s actually wearing them in battle!

Anyway, so far the story is rather enjoyable and paced well and even the monsters you face are kind of funny in the way that they are drawn. Some of their attacks are funny as well. Like the one where they make your character catch the dancing bug and they start dancing uncontrollably during battle. Hehe! It was annoying and yet funny to see them dancing! [/COLOR]

[Horendithas]

[COLOR=DeepSkyBlue]I have this game, though I?ve yet to finish it. I was playing it but then got sidetracked by finals and never went back to it. I was in the middle of a quest to get a [spoiler]magic mirror to dispel the dark barrier on a cursed island if I remember correctly.[/spoiler] It?s been so long I?ve thought about just starting over since I?ve forgotten most of what I did.

I really ought to since I remember it being quite fun to play. The graphics were beautiful and really did an excellent job of capturing Akira Toriyama?s character designs. The battle though turn based is still beautifully executed as it?s fully animated. The music was well done and even the voice overs matched the characters quite well.

Also like you mentioned Aaryanna the landscape has a nice realistic feel to it when you are traveling and I remember that you got some pretty handy spells, like the one that allowed you to instantly return to any town you had already visited. Making it more fun as you didn?t have the tedious task of having to actually travel back and forth between each location. Unless you wanted to that is.

Anyway, pity school has started up again. I just don?t have time for this game at the moment. What with homework and all. Well I suppose I could if I dropped playing the hardest level of Star Ocean. Then I could focus on this game instead. [/COLOR]

[Aberinkula]

I sometimes remember the music. i actually rented it from Videoking. I got pretty far all thanks to my codebreaker :D . The landscape was amazing and so was the view if you remember the female charecter. Just kiding. The games turn based combat didn't dissapoit me. I loved every minute of it and so will you.

[Charles]

I fully endorse this game. Now that it is only $19.99, all of you should jump on it. Dragon Quest VIII is utterly fantastic in every way. The voice acting is perfect, the sweeping orchestrated score is superb, the graphics are among the best in the genre, and the gameplay is a blissful throwback to 16 bit RPGs. Exploring the well-crafted dungeons that populate Dragon Quest VIII was great fun after suffering through an almost complete lack of them this generation.

The fact that this thread has so few replies while the Kingdom Hearts thread has so many is understandable (since KH appeals to casuals to easily) but it's still a tragedy nonethless. From a gameplay standpoint DQ destroys KH, but even from a storytelling perspective it completely trounces KH. The characters are so genuine and endearing that it's impossible not to love them. And you get to ride on the back of a giant cat. :smooch:

Absolutely brilliant game.

[Horendithas]

[COLOR=DeepSkyBlue][quote name='Charles] Exploring the well-crafted dungeons that populate Dragon Quest VIII was great fun after suffering through an almost complete lack of them this generation. [/QUOTE]I agree completely. Not only were they well crafted, but their size was relevant in that they weren't too tiny or yet too big either. You got a good amount of exploring without feeling like the dungeon was a pain in the butt for being too massive. It made it more fun since you didn't have to worry about being stuck in a dungeon after hours and hours of game play. Though having the option to immediately escape, provided you still had enough magic left, was a nice option as well since being clobbered didn't mean you had to hope you could survive the trip back. You could just leave, go to town and get healed up and then give it another go until you got enough experience to finish the area. [QUOTE=Charles'] And you get to ride on the back of a giant cat. :smooch: [/quote]That?s one of my favorite parts. Those cats sure make the game a lot of fun. Especially when the continent is so big compared to the first one you start out on. I can?t even imagine getting around in the game with out those giant cats. ;)[/COLOR]

[Aaryanna]

[COLOR=SeaGreen]Well I?m still having a great time playing this game. ^_^ The more I play it the more I love it. It?s go so many little things in it that just makes it fun. Like earlier today. I was starting on one of the dungeons and I realized that I had forgotten to buy some supplies so I left so I could use the Zoom spell and go back to town and get what I needed.

Apparently when I cast the Zoom spell I was still standing under a bit of the roof and when my character cast the spell I got the usual special effects and sounds but then it was immediately interrupted by a Thwack and my character falling back to the ground. I then got the message that my character had hit his head on the ceiling! Hehe! I just died laughing! It was so funny! ^_^

Then I walked out a little further to make sure I was completely under the sky and then the spell worked like it should have. But still the fact that they even bothered to put that in there was just freaking hilarious! ^_^

The other thing I thought was cool was the Moonshadow Realm. That was really nifty the way they did that aspect of the game. The guys voice is a bit weird, but the whole world with the rotating moons in all their phases and the waterfalls and music was just enchanting. So far I think that?s one of the coolest looking places in the whole game. I?m kind of hoping I end up in the Moonshadow Realm again. ^_^[/COLOR]

[Horendithas]

[COLOR=DeepSkyBlue]Hehe, now I?m going to have to try and find a place and cast Zoom. I?ve never run into that little scenario before. You?re right, that is wickedly funny that they even bothered to include something like that.

As for the Moonshadow Realm. I agree, that place was awesome. It?s a pity that its been such a small part of the story as just the idea was pretty nifty. Though you?re right about his voice being a bit weird. Still it was entertaining since it was rather unexpected.

Anyway, have you reached the point where you are the [spoiler]owner of a monster team? Although I have a team I have yet to actually even try wining at the arena. I was a bit disappointed as I had thought you would get to use the monster teams in the main game play. Unless that happens later once you beat the arena. [/spoiler]

Well who knows, I guess if I want to find out I?ll have to either look it up online or actually finish that aspect of the game.[/COLOR]

[Charles]

You don't use them in the main quest.

However, there are definitely a lot of really cool weapons and pieces of armor that you can find, so they sort of make up for it.

[Horendithas]

[COLOR=DeepSkyBlue][QUOTE=Charles]You don't use them in the main quest.

However, there are definitely a lot of really cool weapons and pieces of armor that you can find, so they sort of make up for it.[/QUOTE]It never occurred to me that you would get prizes for wining the different levels. Now I have to try it just to see what you get.

Oh and by the way, your newest avatar?.*dies laughing*?and no?I don?t want to buy a vowel. ;)[/COLOR]

[Aaryanna]

[COLOR=SeaGreen][QUOTE=Charles]You don't use them in the main quest.

However, there are definitely a lot of really cool weapons and pieces of armor that you can find, so they sort of make up for it.[/QUOTE]Ah! Now that I know that I?ve been trying to get stronger monsters so I can try out the monster area then. ^_^ Hehe! It will be cool to get the prizes. It never occurred to me that you would get prizes. ^_^

Anyway, I?ve been playing this and I just got past the point where you enter the [spoiler]mooonshadow realm a second time to get the ship in the desert working again.[/spoiler] I found out what I needed to do and went back and the cut scene where [spoiler]the guy from the moon shadow realm uses the memory of the ancient ocean to get the ship out to sea was beautifully done. [/spoiler] ^_^ I loved all the effects that went into that sequence. So now I?m on my way to the next area. [/COLOR]

[Horendithas]

[COLOR=DeepSkyBlue]Well I've gone ahead and beaten some of the monster arena levels and you were right Charles, you do get some nice prizes. I just got one that's suppose to give me the ability to[spoiler] call my team during battle for a few turns so it will be interesting to give that a shot. Though they can only fight for three turns and you have to go back to the arena to get them revived if one of them dies in battle. I'm assuming that it's like the arena where you start the fight but can't control their movies. As for them possibly dying, I wonder if he charges you when that happens.[/spoiler] Only one way to find out I guess. [/COLOR]

[Rachmaninoff]

[QUOTE=Semjaza][list][*]The game is absolutely gorgeous and captures Akira Toriyama's character designs well for the first time
[*]A lot of people hated the first person battles of the previous titles. In this game, choices are made in first person, but the battle itself is fully animated in third person. Looks great.
[*]TDungeons are large, but not needlessly mazelike. Their design makes more realworld sense than what is present in titles such as Shin Megami Tensei.
[*]The battle system is very traditional, but fast paced. The addition of a new Skill system and the Psyche Up command add to the battles, as does the fact that enemy HP is slightly randomized.
[*]The game has a full night/day cycle. It progresses at a slower rate than the past games, but you can stay at an Inn until evening if you wish. Some scenes, dialogue and so forth only occur at night.
[*]In the US version, the music is fully orchestrated.
[*]In the US version, major cutscenes have full voice overs. The Japanese version had none. The voices are great overall and suitably cartoony.
[*]The menu system has been spruced up graphically and modernized for US release.
[*]The game has an insane sense of scale and the world map and towns reflect this. In this sense, it's more reminiscent of Zelda than most other RPGs out there.
[*]The main storyline is pretty basic fare, but the pacing is very good. The characters, in turn, are just fun and likable. They develop well over time.
[/list] [/QUOTE]That pretty much covers everything about this game that I really like. From the different skill paths you can take with each character to how the Dungeons aren't overly complicated, and yet big enough to feel like a challenge. To the music and different characters... it's all done in a way that just draws you in the further you go along. I've yet to find something that I don't like about the game, though I'm not that far into it yet. Still, unless it goes off the deep end somehow, I don't see that happening any time soon. So far my only regret about this game is that I didn't find it sooner, it's not often I find something like this that I instantly like.

[Sandy]

I also played this one only recently, having found it in a discount bin. The game world is immense, and clearly has it's own features unique to the series. I loved the humor in it, it never took itself very seriously (although at the times it tried [spoiler](like in the deaths of the Sages' heirs)[/spoiler], I just couldn't feel myself very touched by them. It was probably because of the cartoony theme.

The characters were also very intriguing, and Angelo became my avatar during the game after he joined my party. I liked the battle system and the different weapons for each character, but it got repetitive quite soon. The encounter rate was way too high for a world where you have to do so much traveling.

The story itself started nicely, but there were so many twists and turns in it that I felt like I was playing three or four sequels to the game in a row. At one point the story seemed to lose it's focus because of all the sidequests, but it wrapped up nicely anyway. The story was at no point overwhelming, so "nice" is a good word to describe it. I enjoy long games, but this game certainly almost broke even my limits.

I can see why the Japanese are crazy over this series, though, which it's simple gameplay and all the wacky hijinks. But I think I'll stick with my Final Fantasies.

[Magus]

[COLOR="DarkRed"][SIZE="1"]As stated in the other thread, that I've started playing Dragon Quest 8, and I'm enjoying every bit of it. I'm on my way to Ascantha for the first time. Just acquiring Angelo and whatnot. This is turning out to be the best rpg on the ps2 for me.

- I don't have many issues with this game, and the only issue I have so far is Trode. He's not as annoying as characters in other games, (Sora, Fayt, Tidus) but he is annoying, nonetheless. Other than that the characters are great.

- I've always been a fan of Akira Toriyama's artwork, so I'm digging the cell shaded look.

- Level grinding's never been a real issue for me, and seeing how huge this game, and giving the fact that you're rewarded skill points for your hardwork is refreshing. It sort of encourages you to level grind a bit. Especially with some of the tough creatures that you encounter randomly. I just wish it didn't take so long to level up lol. By the way, is there a way to check your status? Like in the FF games you can see when your character's about to level up.

- The voice work is really good. I haven't ran across anyone with a voice that'll make my ears cringe yet, so that's a blessing. It's taking a bit for the music to click with me, though. It's not annoying, but at the same time it's nothing memorable either.

- I've never been one to talk about customization in these types of games, but I can see the sheer amount that can be done here. And the alchemy pot adds more depth as well. It's too bad I don't know what to do with it at this point of the game lol. I did make a boomerang though lol.

I'm thinking about buying the strategy guide, but I've read reviews about it, and majority of them stated that it's not detailed enough. Is it enough to get me from point A to point B?[/SIZE][/COLOR]

[Aaryanna]

[COLOR="DarkGreen"][FONT="Book Antiqua"][quote name='Phenom'][COLOR="DarkRed"][SIZE="1"]- I've never been one to talk about customization in these types of games, but I can see the sheer amount that can be done here. And the alchemy pot adds more depth as well. It's too bad I don't know what to do with it at this point of the game lol. I did make a boomerang though lol.

I'm thinking about buying the strategy guide, but I've read reviews about it, and majority of them stated that it's not detailed enough. Is it enough to get me from point A to point B?[/SIZE][/COLOR][/QUOTE]I don't remember where, but you can get a short online guide for the alchemy pot. It's well worth the time to do so since making stuff is really handy in the long run. I don't know about getting an actual game guide though, I kept meaning to check that out and never did.

Plus, your post reminds me that for whatever reason I never finished the game! o_O I really need to, it was such fun to play and it would be kind of silly to not see how it ended after I had so much fun with it.[/FONT][/COLOR]

[Aberinkula]

[COLOR="DarkSlateGray"][SIZE="1"]On no! my atrocious posting abilities of the past remain in this thread! *melts*

Ahem, well, I finally beat the game around Christmas time, and I hated to see it end. the game was phenomenal, but I wish you could have tamed all the monsters in the game, I was never able to win the last monster battle round though. Anyways, the last boss fight wasn't that great, but the bonus dungeon after winning the game is WORTH IT ALL![/SIZE][/COLOR]