Thread 11958386

So what's the fucking consensus on this game?? Back in 2000s it was like
>one of PS2's best games that made DQ relevant again in America
Now what I see is
>worst RPG ever, utterly ridiculous, dropped it
So basically from complaints I got that it's pretty damn slow, though not as bad as 7, and I guess Western jarpig fans were shocked to learn DQ had very old fashioned gameplay?

>>11958386 (OP)
>made DQ relevant again in America
It was never relevant in America to begin with.

>worst RPG ever, utterly ridiculous, dropped it

Nobody has ever said that, it's still considered one of the Dragon quest and J-RPG of the PS2

>>11958389
>considered one of the Dragon quest and J-RPG of the PS2
Can't argue with that

>>11958386 (OP)
It had the same arc as XI, in that it still felt fairly "classic" while having really strong visuals with some contemporary mechanics/design decisions. So very well received on release, but as time goes by the only people talking about it are hardcore fans. Either people who are RPG fans who might not like the game, or DQ fans who have a bone to pick.

I'm not into 6th gen RPGs, I've only played two including DQ8, but DQ8 is one of my favourites DQ and RPGs in general.

The game is slow, but in a good way. It's hypnotizing, and while DQ games were always slow, you could always read the text fast or skip it, with the voice acting DQ8 doesn't give you a choice.
You either turn off all other distractions, give in, lower your heartbeat rate, and enjoy the ride; or this game isn't for you. Which is why I'm not surprised by the opinion's you've seen which sound like they were from twitter addicted young retards.

The world is a joy to explore, there is a lot of exploration and open-ness for a game from this era, the graphics are full of soul, the characters are fun, incredible music; and the gameplay still manages to be somewhat challenging and engaging, well not on the level of the previous titles but again for the era, enough to have surprised me.

It's contrarians that hate the game that popularized the series in the west.

Zoom-zooms just do not like video games. There's your answer for why every beloved classic is supposedly terrible now, and this phenomenon is not exclusive to video games.

>>11958414
The only reason it even got noticed to begin with was because they produced too many copies of DQ1 and had to give them away via Nintendo Power.

>>11958387
.

>>11958389
>it's still considered one of the Dragon quest and J-RPG of the PS2
You're technically not wrong

>>11958414
>1. StarTropics
Game criticism was never good.

>>11958424
Even back then, Final Fantasy was kicking its ass.

>>11958430
I wouldn't read too much into it except that the "pros" are Nintendo Power's reviewers. They're just paid to shill a game published by Nintendo

>>11958424
That’s pathetic considering Dragon Quest IV had probably just been localized there, and it’s barely charting. None of the previous DQs are visible. Meanwhile, Final Fantasy was like 3 years old at that point and charting way higher.

>>11958443
Actually that's October '93 issue while DW4 was released October '92, so it really isn't too bad.

Final Fantasy still being so high is indeed amazing though. I think it really beniffited from the GB releases keeping the series relevant.

>>11958386 (OP)
>one of PS2's best games that made DQ relevant again in America
This never happened. Everyone that played it only bought it for the demo disk

>>11958386 (OP)
Does this game require alot of grinding or am I doing something wrong? I got past the first town and had to do the first cave and am doing shit damage and losing alot of health. Its also one of those games where you don't restore hp at save points or when leveling up and inns cost money. It sorta turned me off and figured I'd pick it up later since its also apparently a 60hr game

>>11958456
There is a bit of grinding yeah but the start of the game is probably where there is the most of.
Once you get other party members you should be fine; also once you do some monster catching you can summon them when you're in a pinch.
You'll only *really* need to grind for cash much later on but there is a place with those gold Golems enemies that drop a lot of gold

>>11958456
I played the 3ds version just because you heal on level up which cuts down alot of the grinding you have to do

Not terrible but pretty boring game. The difficulty is nonexistent, the dungeons are boring, the pacing is terrible and the game should have been 10 hours less, writing and characters are simply ok and exploration is not rewarding.
The skill system alone deserves scrutiny,especially the ps2 version.
The only real strengths the game has is the graphics and animations. And jessica boobs.

>>11958456
Not really. At the start with only two party members is when you might feel the need. Something to keep in mind is psyching up twice is better than attacking three times but psyching up once is worse than attacking twice. Also defending can be useful (something a lot of people just ignore).

>>11958386 (OP)
it's reddit and barebones compared to DQ7

>>11958414
>players are a more casual crowd
>pros are take a wild guess
>dealers are collectors? traders? critics? the guy who hands me the cards at the table?
What the fuck are Dealers supposed to be?

>>11958669
Players are players

Pros are Nintendo Power

Dealers are stores

>>11958386 (OP)
It's still much loved and seen as a classic. It seems like DQXI fills the same niche but better for a lot of people though.

>>11958449
And also Final Fantasy "II" and Mystic Quest for SNES. Basically, Square knew to keep pushing FF in the States even if it meant skipping a few games and they won the audience.

>>11958508
That's basically DQ after V

>>11958456
>Its also one of those games where you don't restore hp at save points or when leveling up and inns cost money.
Oh the humanity!!!

DQ8 is shit, go back and play the FFXII demo.

>>11958454
This is why I dislike 8. Bunch of people who never gave a shit about the series slobbering all over it that solely bought it for a demo disk of a different game. It's mediocre as shit by DQ standards with braindead 4 option skill trees and no classes. Mediocre plot and shit villain. The only reason it gets any praise compared to the other entries is release timing piggybacking on that demo disk.

>>11958386 (OP)
>worst RPG ever, utterly ridiculous, dropped it

Your brain is just buck broken by 4chan contrarianism.
The real divisive/polarizing DQs are 2 and 7.

>>11959174
Is 2 really that controversial, or is it stuck as the middle child between 1 and 3?

>>11959225
It was polarizing at the time, and it still is now. I played it last year and actually liked it, but I get it.
Not sure what you mean by being stuck in the middle though? It has nothing to do with that.

>>11958386 (OP)
>consensus
I'm not a woman so I don't care about this.

>>11959239
Mostly trying to figure if it got sandwiched between 1 being the game that started the franchise and thus has the power of legacy behind it, and 3 as the game that is considered one of Japan's top legends and the big height the rest of the franchise has to look up to. You simply don't see people talk about 2 to the same degree despite it adding other party members and a smidge more narrative.

>>11958405
>game is slow
>but i like it
i'm nearly 40 and grew up with all these JRPGs but can't deal with how slow these games seem to me know, how do you guys enjoy the slowness? the text dialogue is so slow and there is nothing original or clever in the writing... how do you put up with it?

>>11959285
Oh, I thought you had played it, or at least had some knowledge about it.
This game has actually been talked about a lot, if you look harder you can find shit tons of information on it. Most of the problems people have with it come down to major balancing issues due to the game being rushed out and not properly tested. The game is also completely open ended after the first 1/3-1/2, and becomes full exploration with less direction.

The ones people don't really talk about are more likely DQ6 & 9.

>>11958508
>the game should have been 10 hours less,
to me this is all DQ games. maybe even 20 hours less.

will enjoy IX if I didn't like VIII?

>>11959308
Why do you think they're comparable in that way? Play it and find out.
If people actually want specific advice try actually putting more effort into your posts, like what you like/dislike.

>>11959295
I honestly couldn’t tell you, because I pretty much agree with everything you’re saying here. I think it’s like a mood thing— you just have to be in the right headspace for it. Shadow of Destiny I think is a good example of a game like that. The game’s writing isn’t spectacular but for some inexplicable reason, I found myself engaged in the very tedious gameplay that moved the story forward. And I also found that I was enjoying myself very much doing so.

Sometimes, something that would otherwise be slow and dull can actually be just what you’re looking for.

>>11959341
i know what you mean, i prefer the emulated RE2 PS1 or DC version over the Sourcenext PC version with doorskip for some reason

>>11958389
lmao

>>11958431
But you have to agree, Dragon Quest I-IV were considered some of the Dragon Quest games and J-RPGs of the NES.

>>11958414
Why is the NES library so comfy? Just reading this list feels like a nice warm blanket.

>>11959648
Because it was mostly nerds that liked games making them.

>>11958386 (OP)
Bored me to tears. Dragon Warrior ends with V for me, if it ain't Chunsoft it ain't Dragon Warrior.

>>11959303
6 never did get a finalized english patch to unfuck its technically-unfinished state, did it

>>11958386 (OP)
In love it, but it is honestly one of the more overrated games in the series, FF7 syndrome basically

>DQVII > DQVIII
How do you go from an epic 100+ hour adventure to the most basic JRPG ever. This game is very streamlined and there’s not much to see in the world.

>>11958389
Kek

>>11959793
by going from the dev team that made VI and the III remake on SNES - to Level-5, the Dark Cloud and Rogue Galaxy developers.

>>11958413
They hate video games because they yearn for the mines and the battlefield in real life. They resent millenials and gen X for being able to just kick it and enjoy games. Especially old games that we grew up with. That part is because all of their culture is just hand me down simulacra, and this makes them seethe.

>>11959793
Answer is simple - graphics. Advanced graphics degrade rpg just as much. PS2 basically killed jrpg because next gen graphics.

>>11959282
Hi Abdul.

>>11959665
Neither did DQ5 or the Super Famicom version of DQ3.

>>11959431
They were, but bad decisions cost it the chance to succeed in the US like Final Fantasy did.

>>11959174
The only controversial DQ is 6, 2 is a timeless classic and 7 was the best selling PS game in Japan.

>>11960332
>Japan
Japan has shit taste in JRPGs

What I hate about this game is that weak encounters, that pose no threat to you, give almost as much XP as encounters that can easily wipe out your party.
So there's basically no reason to take any risks and instead just mindlessly grind.

>>11958386 (OP)
Apparently this was the first Dragon Quest to come to latin america, during the anime mainstream boom.
The fuck, i thought you spics already had DQ the time Dragon Ball and Saint Seiya was out everywhere but America

>>11960013
>like Final Fantasy did
You mean after the PSX?

>>11960567
Persistence paid off for Final Fantasy.

>>11958386 (OP)
to this day its still the only actually good DQ game worth playing.

>>11958387
thats dumb af
dragon warrior was a big deal when i was a kid
the GBC ports were some of the best RPGs you could get on the system, if not outright the best. dragon warrior monsters was similarly the best monster catching game on GBC.
it wasnt like some pokemania, but there was definitely brand recognition. if you were buying a dragon warrior game, you knew it was going to be quality.

DQ8 was just them actually deciding to release and properly market DQ to the rest of the world
and whaddya know? it worked, cuz the games gud

I loved it. But I really hate when jrpgs give you complete freedom over character build. Character class should be based on the characters background and journey, not a universal job table or interchangeable gems.

Which dragon quest was the one where the game presents you with a puzzle like “oh we need a special rock from the desert” then you go to the desert and can’t find it, so you back to the village, talk to everyone and someone says “oh yeah that rock is in the desert and the desert is south of here” and then you back to the desert and you can actually find. And every story beat is like that, where if you pay attention to the world you can figure it out but the game won’t let you do it until a random npc explains it to you?

>>11961202
None of them

>>11961251
No there’s literally at least one of them. You just don’t know cause you idolize retro gaming and retro gamers like myself but don’t actually engage with it.

>>11958386 (OP)
Play the PS2 version.
While the 3DS remake has some extras, they censored the shit out of it and the graphics and music are not as good.

>>11961202
This sounds like something from DQ7.

>>11961309
Maybe. I’m remembering a bit more about it. Like it has a multi hour intro and I think you travel back in time and restore islands.

>>11961296
There's a patch to uncensor the 3DS version and add the orchestral OST back, but yeah you still gotta get used to the graphics.

>>11961319
Definitely VII.

>>11961296
I have a handheld so I will only go with the PS2 version anyway. I've seen how they butchered the graphics on 3DS

>>11961319
thats 7
thats the actual bad one
try 8. its a much (much) better version of what they were trying to do with 7

>>11961462
7 is good if you actually played it.

>>11958386 (OP)
It's a good DQ game. Sure it lost the job system but they kinda sorta tried to make up with it with the skill system.

>>11959070
I mean it also had a level of presentation that none of the previous games did.

>>11962356
I played 7 for 30 hours and it never got good. I could have beaten a good DQ in that time.

>>11961328
Orchestral music will still sound shitty on a 3DS. Just stick with PS2. The extra party members aren't worth it anyway since the story almost never acknolwedges their presence as canon to begin with.

>>11958424
The GBC games, especially Monsters, were very popular
>>11962586
>muh jobs

How is someone playing blind suppose to know what to invest skill points into? I guess invest my points into "axe" because I think axes are cool?

>>11964576
You can mostly choose whatever weapons you want except that you absolutely must max Staves for Jessica for the ressurection spell. Later many enemies have instant-kill magic.
This also gives her a 0 MP cost healing spell and passive MP regen which means she can heal or cast Kaboom every turn without worrying about MP too.

>>11960564
I had a Dragon Warrior cart when I was a kid, and whatever bullshit you said about anime didn't apply for vidya. Less nonsense next time.

>>11960585
Only because they paid millions on the 7th game

>>11964576
You don't know. and you can't redistribute them. but the game is easy enough that it doesn't matter too much

>>11964576
>>11964601
Jessica doesn't NEED Zing. You can buy resurrection staves at the last town in the game I think. Also, instant death spells are still really rare and by the time you're at risk of full thwacking, your Hero would have Zing as well as Angelo. In the event you are supremely unlucky and both Angelo and Hero die, just run away with Yangus or Jessica, evac, and Chimaera Wing back to town for resurrection. You have to try to get wiped out in this game. And in the event you are... all that happens is you lose half your gold, which you could even protect by storing in a bank later. It's one of the risk-free, stress-free RPGs ever.
>0MP healing spell
You mean Hustle Dance? That requires 100 points in Sex Appeal, not Staves. Staves are nice but Whips make her more powerful than anyone else if anon gets the Gringham Whip early in the Baccarat casino. If you give Angelo 65 points in Staves, he learns Oomph, so you can
>oomph Jessica with Angelo
>build 5 tension with Jessica
>give Hero the Timebrel of Tension (20 tension now)
>Yangus uses 0MP Helm Splitter to lower enemy def
>next turn, Jessica uses Twin Dragon Lash and FUCKS SHIT UP
Even if you get a Wave of Ice that fucks your setup, it's trivial to heal, rebuff, and do it again. Not even the Goddess could help your foes if you had 2 Timbrels of Tension (you get an extra Sun Crown in the postgame).

Anyways, there are really good weapons to invest in, and others like Fisticuffs are pretty fun but not amazing, but nothing about your choices can go wrong. Axes are great for Helm Splitter (0MP, lowers def), Axes of Evil (group attack for Yangus), and of course Executioner (critical hit, ignores def, great for metal slime grinding). Whatever you do, just don't spread your skill points too thin. Being indecisive weakens you. Commit and you will beat any boss the game throws at you.

>>11965019
Using tension and Falcon Swords is so much better for metal slime hunting than wasting your time betting on crits

>>11965019
Jessica gets Kazing which has a 100% success chance as opposed to Zing which the Hero and the Staves of Ressurections get.
Caducius (her first free healing spell) is gotten at 57 points in staves which can be gotten at level 16 with skill seeds and level 18 without seeds which is much earlier than Hustle Dance which requires level 38 at least. By time you get Hustle Dance you will already at least one Sage's Stone so it will matter less.

>>11958386 (OP)
It's pretty mid, play 3 or 5 instead

>>11958386 (OP)
I still love it, and still think it's a top-5 RPG from that era of systems.

>>11967219
What is the rest of the top 5? I guess FFX/KH are no brainers, but I don't know what others are. In general it's just not set in stone like with SNES and PS1, because Square games didn't always deliver
Oh and btw, I kind of had a similar experience with Xenosaga as with DQVIII. Back in 2000s mags wrote
>grandiose RPG of epic proportions, with deep themes and lots of CG movies
Today I rarely see anyone talk about these games, when they do it's often
>movie game slog that tries too hard to appear deep

>>11958386 (OP)
Played it as a kid and enjoyed it. Still remember it, so that already means it's in the top 5% of JRPGs.

>>11958456
Inn costs are a drop in the bucket unless you are in some exotic locations. One fight is usually more than enough to pay the inn costs for the entire party. Resurrection costs get exorbitant later on though, but you get spells for that.

>>11964576
Yes. Although I recommend going for sword and courage for the MC, because they give you a super skill at the end. Besides, it makes sense for the MC to be a magic swordsman.

>>11964576
You can put points in courage/humanity/sex appeal/charisma(if i remember the names correctly), which are universally useful, until you reach the third town and talk with the NPC that explains the weapon skills in more detail.

>>11958386 (OP)
Played this as my first Dragon Quest game had hated it, I finished it to make sure I was giving the series a fair go and I still hated it. I've played some mediocre PS2 JRPG's but even they had more going on than this game. The only positive thing I can say about it is that the art direction is really good and that's it. I can see a kid falling in love with this game if it's their first introduction to the genre, which is probably why it got attention in the west.

It genuinely put me off ever touching the series again.

>>11958456
Yeah you have to grind at some points, although a lot less than other DQ games from what I've heard. I remember having to grind right at the beginning for that first fish guy boss (terrible first impression), and then later for the first time you fight Dhoulmagus, but that was the only times I remember.

>>11969201
Interesting, the first time I heard anyone hate on it was actually some YouTuber JRPGfag who played like hundreds if not thousands of them

>>11969201
It has its problems, all these games require way too much grinding. But I appreciated the sincere story based on love and empathy. It was a nice change of pace when every thing else is some edgy anime bullshit.

>>11969260
I always find it interesting how DQ developed this identity of an "old-school" RPG by changing very little (or actually evolving).
It's the rest of the JRPGs that changed, they went the way of gay edgy stories and new combat mechanics

>>11958386 (OP)
It's really good, although it's not my thing. Immersive fantasy world with a good story and characters, well paced (slow, but not too slow), looks great.

Playing through it right now. Plan on playing through every Dragon Quest game or at least most of them. So far I've played 1, 3 and 6. Honestly if it weren't for the beautiful graphics and soundtrack I probably wouldn't bother with this one. I don't like how they simplified the class system. I like grinding but I like having something to grind toward. That being said I'm still enjoying it and will probably finish it.

>>11958386 (OP)
it's a dragon quest game, you're getting exactly what you expect

I first played it on real hardware and it was excruciatingly slow with the constant drawn out and repetitive random encounters but I'd imagine the experience would be better emulated with fast forward

>>11958386 (OP)
>one of PS2's best games
You're thinking too much about gameplay. Back then anything with cell shading was automatically kino. Now cell shading is considered hideous and everyone wants pixel art.

Why did they make the Steal command so fucking useless?

>>11958386 (OP)
a masterpiece