Dragon Quest VIII is probably one of the most famous titles in the franchise and was a big hit when it first came out in 2004 for the PS2. Japan has already received the enhanced 3DS version but Europe and North America will have to wait till January 2017 to go back to one of the greatest RPGs of the PS2 era. But as far as I can tell from the preview I’ve played, it’ll be worth the wait.
The game itself
Dragon Quest VIII plays like any other basic RPG and the story isn’t that unique, either. An evil wizard named Dhoulmagus turned the king of Trodain into a toad-like creature and the princess into a horse. It is up to you to find Dhoulmagus and undo the king’s and princess’s curse. The story is pretty basic, but that’s why the focus lies on the characters. Every character is memorable and is voiced excellently. They are also designed by Akira Toriyama, most famous for his work on Dragonball and other RPGs like Chrono Trigger. Every single character looks great and unique, even NPCs running through town look like they were carefully designed. Add the colorful visuals of the world and you have a game that easily gets you immersed.
The gameplay itself is also like most other RPGs. You fight your enemies in turn-based combat by using physical weapons, spells or items. You can also skip a turn in order to make your next attack more powerful, which is certainly useful when battling tough monsters. When it comes to the gameplay, Dragon Quest VIII may look like any other RPG, but it’s designed so well that you don’t mind that. Never during my playthrough have I thought that I lost a battle unfairly or that enemies were overpowered.
Differences in 3DS version
Now why should you be interested in the 3DS version that’s coming next January? Well, for starters, there are two new characters in the game that you can recruit in your party. There are some additional side-quests, further increasing the total length of the game. Battles can now also be sped up in order to shorten them, but the best and most welcomed addition is the quick-save function. In the original version, you could only save your progress when you were in a church. In the 3DS version, you can also quick-save at any time and any place. I can’t properly tell you how happy I am with this addition. Other additions include the ability to take pictures, customize and share them via Streetpass or by copying them from your SD card.
The visuals have also been updated, or in some cases downgraded. The differences aren’t that noticeable, but when you compare the 3DS version to the PS2 version, you can see that some small details were changed or simply removed. What certainly looks better in the 3DS version, though, are the colors, which have been made more vivid.
Early conclusion
So far, it looks like the 3Ds version will be exactly the same as the original, except for a few small upgrades and additions. If you’re a fan of the Dragon Quest series, then be sure to keep an eye out for the re-release of this one.
