This is exactly what I like about it. DW7 suffered from a bit of the problem that IMO FF5/6 and beyond suffer from. What I call every-character-can-do-everything-syndrome.

You know, for example, Barret shouldn't be using Knights of the Round or Healing people. Sabin in FF6 shouldn't be throwing Life2. Etc. FF6 is one of my most favorite RPGs, but it suffers by the late midgame/endgame from this syndrome.

Some customization is good. But the over-customization that FF has been victim to (FFX exempted, that was well handled) is not here.

Jessica will till be your only REAL mage, Yangus will the be the REAL fighter, etc. Jessica shouldn't be whacking people for 999 damage and Yangus throwing Blazemost spells. This is the key to a realistic and balanced RPG IMO. The struggle to keep your mages/healers alive while thumping down the enemy.

No party of, say, Sabin, Cyan, Setzer and Locke throwing around Ultima spells.


So far I'm grabbing all the low-point skills. Dumping points in Boomerangs and Swords for the Hero, and Yangus I grabbed the 6pt Axe skill before realizing I can't get an axe yet So now I'm focusing on Courage.

I'm doing boomerang for Beer, Humanity and Scythes for Yangus, Fisticuffs for Jessica and Bows and Staves for Angelo. I agree with you and am loving the new skill system, it's like GreenMonkey said, the every character gets every skill system got old fast though I don't agree with his type-casting of the characters (Barret was always my primary healer).

I didn't get to play much last night.. I had to find a part for my car and my stupid friends made me go out but from the sounds of it I'm heading off to the castle destroyed in the intro and am working on getting a ship! Alas, at work I am now. The long weekend coming up is going to be sweet.

was planning on holding off on this game until Christmas, but I had some reward zone certificates burning a hole in my pocket and I shamelessly broke down. These are the kind of games I want to see on consoles and so im doing my little part to send that message.

The demo (which I found out about on these very forums) totally sold me. Its funny how enjoyable a game can be by keeping things simple and adding a lot of polish rather than needless complexity. My friend calls it a "dumbed down FF", but I consider it a "FF without ADHD" As someone who fondly remembers the original Dragon Warrior its nice to hear a familiar music tune or see one of the old enemies looking straight out of the 80s.

gonna be splitting time between dq8, shadow of the colossus, and the bf2 expansion. I need like a month off.

I think that's a funny comparison. All of the recent Final Fantasy games needlessly complex "systems" have yet to save them from becoming more-or-less button mashing battles; even IX suffered from this and I really liked the weapon/skill system in that one. On the other hand, Dragon Quest's relatively "simpler" skill system is so tightened that almost every skill seems useful. I'm not saying the game is difficult or a strategy masterpiece, but I've been finding myself thinking a lot more about how to handle each battle in this game than in ANY of the modern Final Fantasies. I've even had to use defensive tactics often which amazes me as I can't remember the last time the defense command was a pertinent part of battle strategy.

It may seem "dumbed down" on the surface and probably rightfully so in the scope of its story and characters, but deep down the core gameplay is the best I've experienced in an RPG in a very long time. It's definitely an old-school RPG fan's dream come true.

Attack
Attack
Attack
*repeat impatiently jamming on or holding down the X button*

OK maybe a few summons or spells in there, but still. Here you have to think, do I attack, or defend, or heal, or pysch up somone, etc..

Reminds me of DWIV. The critical way of beating one of the bosses in the early Chapter 5 game required "fendspell". You basically had to use fendspell to stop enemy spells, and try to rely on herbs to heal (since fendspell also stops your heal spells). Just whacking your way through it was a sure way to lose unless you uber-leveled.

Okay, I really like what they did with the monster collecting aspect. Instead of having them join your party you get to form a separate monster party to compete in a monster tournament (very reminiscent of Dragon Warrior Monsters). I named my team Gunstar Heroes. The Italian dude that runs the place kicks total ass.. and the Morrie-O sisters, nice.

I'm just flat out in love with this game. It will probably end up in my top 5 for this generation.

This is my review of my first 30 hours of Dragon Quest VIII.

I have to preface by stating that my expectations for this game were quite mixed. Being a lifelong Dragon Quest/Dragon Warrior fan I have to admit Dragon Warrior VII was a quick punch to the gut. Its overtly convoluted job system, slow pacing and focus of running from town to town talking to people simply made it uninteresting and boring. Now, Dragon Quest VIII is here and has given the series a much-needed rebirth!

The graphics are done in the excellent cel-shading style which really brings Akira Toriyama’s style to life like never before. The world, villages and dungeons are brought to a grand scale being the first game in the series to be truly 3D. Unfortuneatly, I’m not a big graphics guy so I can’t offer much more than that I really, really like the look of the game. It’s easily the second best-looking cel-shaded game I’ve seen (and unless Nintendo has another go at it, Zelda: Wind Waker will probably hold the crown for a long time).

Now, for the music and sound: The sound effects are mostly serviceable with the shining moments being the little effects that correspond with the monster animations. I’m a little ticked that they removed some of the classic sound effects, it just doesn’t make sense to me but as it doesn’t alter the gameplay I’ll live with it. The music however, is beautiful. The American version of the game uses the orchestrated arrangements of the songs composed for the Symphonic Suite CD in Japan. What that means is that about half the game is in your typical video game synth style and half is orchestrated. The transistions between the two styles is sometimes a bit jarring but you can’t deny the immensely epic feeling the symphonic music adds to the game (especially when you’re running around a dungeon or the world). It’s almost a wonder why Sugiyama didn’t compose the entire game in this style from the get-go since the DVD media of the PS2 would certainly allow it.

The characters and story may be a detriment to current generation RPG fans. There’s no government conspiracies, no poorly-written teen angst, no “troubled pasts”, no double and triple agents, no shameless plot-twists… just an evil guy hell-bent on becoming more powerful. The four characters in the game each have their back-story and grow a bit during the journey but the bottom line is they’re simply four people banded together to save the world. The cut-scenes in the game are generally of an enjoyable length and are spread out rather evenly to keep the story going yet not stop the game from flowing to dispense thirty minutes of needless exposistion. My favorite aspect thus far has been the flashback sequences. The game begins with your small group and an objective and you’re off into the world rather quickly. Bit by bit the introduction of the game is played out by sequences colored entirely in sepia-tones and artistically choreographed. It’s very well done.

The gameplay is the real meat to this game. The key to Dragon Quest VIII’s victory is beautifully polished simplicity. The skill system is simple yet customizable enough that your character could be totally different the next time you play and by keeping the cast to four characters each one is finely tuned to perfection. The battles are insanely fun and generally require more attention to strategy than other current-gen RPGs. The fact that I’ve spent so much time planning out how to handle each battle, whether it be from wondering the best method to keep my party alive to wondering how I can take out a group of eight monsters in a single turn, is a testament to how excellently developed the entire battle system is. Now, the world in this game is absolutely HUGE. So big, in fact, that I dare say it’s a bit intimidating. With hidden treasures spread across the world to special monsters (some only appearing at night or day) it becomes a task wondering how you’re going to cover all that ground! The dungeons are well designed yet thus far haven’t offered much in puzzle-solving elements. There are casinos to gamble for rare item and a monster arena where you can send monsters you’ve battled into a tournament. There’s an alchemy pot that, without a guide, you could probably spend hours trying to concoct new items and weapons (I’m personally building a fabulous cheese collection at the moment). And I’m sure I haven’t discovered all the extra stuff the game has to offer. It’s amazing, it really is.

In conclusion, it’s my opinion that Dragon Quest VIII is probably the best turn-based RPG to come out in the last generation (or two). If you’re looking for a game with a massive metaphorical and psycho-analytical plot, look elsewhere. If you’re looking for something light-hearted and adventurous this may be the game for you. If you miss the days of SNES-era RPGs go directly to the store and buy this game now, do not pass Go, do not collect... well, you get the idea. DQ8 excels beyond anything I’ve seen in years in the gameplay department, from the exploration of the world and dungeons to its finely tuned battle engine. Overall, if you like RPGs for the gameplay you need this game.

^^^^^^^

Excellent review. I should just tell my gf to forget about this being an xmas gift and give it to me for my bday (next week)

Thanks!

If you can pull it off, try to get it next week. Trust me, you'll want that holiday time away from work or school to dive into this game.

Great review, Pixy! I share the same feelings as you about this game. Thanks for saving me the time of writing my own.

While the story isn't the best, at least so far(only 15hrs in), I love the characters and even the voice acting. The idea for casting British actors for an Anime RPG would seem kind of odd but it works perfectly in this game. My favorite character by far has been Yangus. The guy they got to voice his part was perfect.

Another big thing for me is the overall size of this game. It is huge and I can definitely see how this can sometimes be intimidating. I wouldn't say my experience playing MMO's has helped any but I'm sort of used to playing in a game world this big and I love being able to explore. I hate it when an RPG forces you to stay on one path and not stray from it. What fun is there when you always know exactly where to go?

I know I'm not that far in and I'll wait until I finish it before making my final decision on where this game ranks, as far as RPG's are concerened, but this is by far the most fun I've had with an RPG since playing FFVI on the SNES.

I picked this up yesterday to keep me busy until more Xbox's are available. I haven't played a DQ game since Dragon Warrior 3 on the NES. I have only played a few hours (headed to the Port town) and am really enjoying this game. This game really does seem like one I played when I was younger.

I can't believe I forgot to mention the voice work in my review. Yes, it's inspired genius, I say. The game was already overflowing with character and that aspect just adds to it. Admittedly I skip through the dialog often simple because I can read faster and would just like to get through it but it's good work all the same. Yangus rules and I'm SO glad that Jessica isn't the typical sweet girl character, mean girls are great. Red has been my favorite NPC and Morrie is second. I love the characters in this game.

I'll agree with you that it's most fun I've had with a TURN-based RPG since FFVI. The Tales series, the new Ys and Kingdom Hearts have been quite enjoyable action-RPGs for me and I was wondering if I would ever really enjoy a turn-based again (I did like FFIX, but not in the same scale).

Great reviews and impressions.

I'll definitely pick this up down the road. Probably be a long time though as I just don't have time for such long games with my work and grad school commitments.

Whoa almost forgot about FFIX. I did really enjoy playing through that game and it is definitely the best FF game I played on the PlayStation but DQ8 surpasses even it, as far as turn-based RPG's go.

I should have been a little more specific when I said DQ8 was the best RPG I played since FFVI. Yes, it's the best turn based RPG I've played since FFVI. I've played some damn good Action RPG's over the past few years but I would put those in a seperate category. Still I prefer turn-based RPG's over action ones because I think there's a little more strategy involved. Some action RPG's tend to turn into a button mash fest.

I hear some reviews compare it to old snes rpgs but on an obviously more expanded level. Is this true, I long for the snes rpgs such as FF4, FF6, Chrono Trigger, Lufia series, Breath of Fire series, etc. Nothing compares to those games.

Oh yea, good news, my gf agreed that she will give it to me for my bday (Dec 3rd) so I took a 3 day weekend off work to get involved in it

I am currently playing Chronicles of Riddick which is a totally awesome game that I want to finish. Looks like I have a deadline to meet

I picked up Dragon Quest VIII today. I decided to take a whack at the Final Fantasy XII demo first (yeah yeah, I know ) before diving into the game, but I'll try to get some time in on it later this evening.

I did this too. I just finished playing Final Fantasy XII. It was interesting nonetheless. Quite different from what I was expecting. I still hate Vaan's character design, but the new battle system might be what the series needs. It's too early to tell. Also I'm not sure when this demo was made but it gave me a strong vibe that the game is very very early in development, hardly any story parts at all, pretty much all action. Anyway i'm actually glad it was so short because now that thats out of the way i'm gonna play dragon quest ALL NIGHT WOOO!!!! And I have a 6:50AM flight tomorrow too!

Well, it good to know somethings never change. You still have to level up alot before you even think about getting too far away from town. I'm on Level 5 and I've already been wiped out twice, once by a random encounter and once by Geyser in the Waterfall Cave.

I just made it to the second town. Joe Molotov is right, you do have to plan accordingly before you set out on a journey away from town. While not terribly difficult to do, it did make me realize that almost every RPG of today are very very easy in difficulty. I was so used to just cruising through most games, it was a nice wakeup call.

I'm doing ok, I've died several times also trying to beat the waterfall cave. I'm loving the game though, wonderful music, characters, story, and gameplay too. Learned basic sword tactics and basic club tactics, these help immensly in the beginning of the game!

I beat the waterfall cave pretty easily at level 7. Grabbing a boomerang from the town helps IMMENSELY.

I got whooped a few times by the Alexandria tower, an armor upgrade helped a lot. I keep forgetting that I have to actually pay attention to battles. Too many FF battle habits ingrained (attack attack attack fall asleep). You need to pay attention to which enemy Yangus hits (I have the Hero with a boomerang still), otherwise those extra rounds, the enemies can tear you up pretty good.

Bought the other RPGs which came out this month (Magna Carta, Wild Arms, Suikoden Tactics and Legend of Heroes) as well, but this game has my full attention. I'm 56 hours in and am loving every minute of it. If you haven't bought it yet, stop reading this and go out and buy it as soon as you can. You won't regret it.

Are you guys who are having a little trouble with the battles remembering to,
a) buy then equip better weapons/armor, b) heal after battles where your
health is noticably deplenished, or c) level up a bit before tackling that next
area (not only will this raise your basic stats, but it affords you extra skill
points)? I ask because although I'm not that far into the game (just reached
Simpleton and have triggered a few cut-scenes), the random battles are
little more than cookie-cutter basic math equasions/countdowns in that
within 2 turns I'm right back on my way... My main character throws his
boomerang which hits everyone, with the 1st enemy taking the most damage
and every one down the line taking between 1 and 3 points of damage less
than the one before it, then Yangus attacks the one on the end since
it took the least damage, and I'd finish with my main character taking his
second turn and tossing his boomerang again to clear the line (with Yangus
using his second turn if anyone dodged anything). It almost never varies.
The boss battles take a little more strategy due to their higher HP, but
I've yet to be in danger of dying.

I'd also like to ask if anyone else is a little turned off by the juvenille dialogue?
It's almost as if Working Designs did the localization (sans the toilet humor).

And why doesn't Enix bring DQ into the 21st century and add an actual
"equip" menu page to the catagory tabs at the top of the selections page.
It gets a little stale having to jump through so many hoops everytime you
want to check out the new gear you buy/find.

Can't wait to get into this game when I finish Chronicles of Riddick on xbox. I have been waiting for a good rpg for a long time.

#1) I don't level up unless absolutely necessary. It's boring, and makes the game too easy. In a well-balanced RPG you shouldn't have to do this very much at all (I flaw of DQ7 IMO). Thus I have to conserve MP a bit which sometimes leads to fighting battles at less than maximum health.

#2) Battles got a lot easier by buying the boomerang, I got it right before I beat the waterfall cave.

#3) About the "equip" menu item...axed in the move to graphical menus. Thank the localization decisions. We got voice acting but lost the simple text-based menus (including the "equip" menu) for these new awkwardly-slapped together graphical menus.

After dying twice before I beat the Waterfall Cave, I haven't had any problems with battles. I'm still using a sword with my Hero and making good progress without having to intentionally level up any. I'm headed towards the Abbey now.