Dragon Quest

[Rylee Fox]

With the upcoming release of Dragon Quest 8 on the 3DS, it made me wonder: Why is this series so popular? I have played a bit of 7, and finished 8 and 9. They are incredibly generic in both gameplay and story. There is nothing unique about them.

8 and 9 have pretty much the exact same plot. I can only deal with the "gather the 7 maguffins" story so many times and it's everywhere!

I see people saying that 8 is really good. I just don't see it. Dark God is about to be released, gather 7 items before the bad guys do, fail, dark god is released, kill dark god. I've seen that story so many times I lost count!

Also gathering 7 items with characters that look identical to DBZ characters? (yeah same artist but they can be more original at least) It's like they are trying to make a bunch of different versions of DBZ.

The series is just unbearably generic and I don't see why people like it. Can anyone let me know? (I do plan to try 7 again as I recall actually being interested in that story)

 

[Sniper Team 4]

Oooo...someone else who thinks this.

The first, and only, Dragon Quest game I played was 8 and I have to agree with pretty much everything you just said. It was a perfectly fine game with very nice graphics. No issues in terms of quality control or anything like that, but just like you, I found the experience to be very generic and middle-of-the-road.
I went in expecting something like Final Fantasy--with a sprawling world that I could explore and find hidden sidequests buried in the far corners--but all I ended up doing was one main story that I can't even really remember now.
I do recall being impressed that you could change the ending if you went back after you beat the game, but that's it. The whole game just left me wondering, "What did I miss? Why does Japan shut down when this series is released?"

My guess would be it's kind of a loyalty/special place in people's hearts kind of thing. Like how there are people out there who just don't like or "get" Star Wars, which to me seems completely insane.

 

[Fox12]

Yeah, the Star Wars comparison is apt. It's the most literal, bare bones version of the heroes journey out there. People still manage to love it for the style and characters.

Chrono Trigger is better.

 

[Saelune]

Because Dragon Quest maintains the classic JRPG formula that many people like, as opposed to Final Fantasy that has discarded it.

I mostly like the ones where you make your own party. I used to think that was all of them, but apparently not.

 

[MerlinCross]

Because Dragon Quest maintains the classic JRPG formula that many people like, as opposed to Final Fantasy that has discarded it.

I mostly like the ones where you make your own party. I used to think that was all of them, but apparently not.

I believe it's this as well. Sometimes I just want to play a Jrpg and for the most part Dragon Quest sticks to it. This isn't good at times but at least it's what they know.

Dragon Quest 3 is my favorite. I like the "Make 3 characters and go fight" and mix and matching classes. I also like Dragon Quest 8. All the side activities make it feel fun and I like the idea of 4 skill sets to build from for the characters. And the Tension system was interesting.

 

[Saelune]

Because Dragon Quest maintains the classic JRPG formula that many people like, as opposed to Final Fantasy that has discarded it.

I mostly like the ones where you make your own party. I used to think that was all of them, but apparently not.

I believe it's this as well. Sometimes I just want to play a Jrpg and for the most part Dragon Quest sticks to it. This isn't good at times but at least it's what they know.

Dragon Quest 3 is my favorite. I like the "Make 3 characters and go fight" and mix and matching classes. I also like Dragon Quest 8. All the side activities make it feel fun and I like the idea of 4 skill sets to build from for the characters. And the Tension system was interesting.

Dragon Quest IX also has you make your own party. And when you change equipment, it shows. Also apparently you can play up to 4 player co-op, but I dont know how it works, or how likely it is to find people to play with, but still, its pretty neat. (Or if it even is online, since it may require other people in the same room with a DS and copy of the game)

 

[Johnny Novgorod]

Dragon Quest VIII, to me, is the Platonic ideal of a (J)RPG. It's massive, immersive, beautiful and turn-based. I don't need anything else. It has a simple, upbeat story featuring colorful characters and just a bit of a somber streak that had me invested in ways the convoluted emo claptrap plot of dream-within-the-heart-of-the-dream from Final Fantasy and Kingdom Hearts never did.

 

[Rylee Fox]

Because Dragon Quest maintains the classic JRPG formula that many people like, as opposed to Final Fantasy that has discarded it.

I mostly like the ones where you make your own party. I used to think that was all of them, but apparently not.

In my case, I tend to largely play rpgs for the storyline so I'm always looking for stories that actually stand out. When I encounter games like Dragon Quest 8, which has the exact same plot as countless others, it gets dull.

I do want to try 7 again though, like I said. I recall from what I played of it, the story interested me. I believe I stopped after being so frustrated by the idiot ai controlled party members that were forced upon me and would be completely useless for a battle plan since what they did was seemingly completely random.

 

[Saelune]

Because Dragon Quest maintains the classic JRPG formula that many people like, as opposed to Final Fantasy that has discarded it.

I mostly like the ones where you make your own party. I used to think that was all of them, but apparently not.

In my case, I tend to largely play rpgs for the storyline so I'm always looking for stories that actually stand out. When I encounter games like Dragon Quest 8, which has the exact same plot as countless others, it gets dull.

I do want to try 7 again though, like I said. I recall from what I played of it, the story interested me. I believe I stopped after being so frustrated by the idiot ai controlled party members that were forced upon me and would be completely useless for a battle plan since what they did was seemingly completely random.

Not everyone wants what you do from games. Some people care more for the mechanics of a game.

The story was never the biggest draw for me with Dragon Quest. I liked making my own party and exploring a neat rather open JRPG world.

 

[Chanticoblues]

Simplicity is key. The DQ games all look and sound great. They're breezy, charming, light-hearted, with an emphasis on journey rather than high-drama. It also should be noted that a lot of what JRPGs are, comes pretty directly from Dragon Quest.

I can't speak to Dragon Quest 7-9, as I've only played the first six, but for me there were only two that didn't work (2 and 6).

If you're in it more for the operatic drama of series like Final Fantasy (let's say from 4 onwards), you aren't going to find it in Dragon Quest. Tonally, they're very different. But if you're in it more for unique story structure maybe try out Dragon Quest 4 and 5. 4 is a multi-part story where you play as a series of characters, and 5 has you play as a character over the course of a couple decades, from a kid to having kids. That said, they're still Dragon Quest games, and if you don't dig the vibe then you're outta luck.

 

[09philj]

Because they are a JRPG series without bullshit. The combat and class system aren't the deepest, but they're simple to understand and don't have needless complexity. Everything in DQ is streamlined and efficient. You won't get the best of Final Fantasy's plots, but nor will you get the worst, and you won't get the appalling clusterfuck that is it's combat (And yes, I'm saying that applies to every FF). There's not the imaginative mix of character driven linear plot and dungeon crawling that makes Persona great, but it also avoids the existential ennui that sometimes sets in during the down time in one of those games. It's not bone crushingly hard, but it's ideal for a more laid back play session. Bravely Default has probably seized it's crown as the best vanilla JRPG series, but it's still an enjoyable way to pass the time.

 

[McMarbles]

Because it's a comforting bit of familiarity in a fast changing world.

There's all manner of exotic experimental restaurants out there but sometimes, you just want mom's meatloaf.

 

[Maximum Bert]

Well I dont think it is that popular over here but in Japan sure its huge or at least was (assuming its still pretty massive).

I am guessing its popularity is due to its heritage in that it was one of if not the first of what people often term JRPG. It also has character designs by Akira Toriyama who is popular over there for the little known Dragonball series. These days you know what you are getting by and large with Dragon Quest as its formula remains largely unchanged.

Its basically their safe series any big changes are put into spinoffs while FF is their more experimental big series and I hope they keep changing FF up with every numbered title even if I dont always like the results.

Personally I am not a huge fan of the series although I do not dislike it or anything its just a bit to safe for me to enjoy many of them. I do wish they would bring the DQX MMO over to the west though as I have always wanted to play that (may end up trying it anyway if I can sort out the hassle of setting it up).

 

[Dreiko_v1legacy]

Dragon Quest is the comfort food of gaming. It's a story you know you'll love since it is so archetypal but exactly because of that you can safely enjoy your time with these games.


If you don't like anime fantasy themes and Akira Toriyama artwork (dbz mangaka) you won't take much out of it but for folks who grew up with DBZ and stuff, dragon quest is far and beyond what a disney classic would feel like to some.


DQ isn't something you play every day but once in a while it's great, it's like coming back to your hometown in a gaming sense, full of nostalgia and fun stuff.

 

[Danbo Jambo]

I REALLY struggled with dragon Quest 8 (I'm another who has only played that one).

For me the main issue lay in the exploration areas. They felt far too big, empty and uninteresting. Often littered with too many random encounters, and taking far too long to complete.

Also the items you found were rarely worth searching for anyway, so there was no real sense of reward for exploring either.

I've tried 4 times to play through the game now, and have never made it past level 17.

 

[Rylee Fox]

Dragon Quest is the comfort food of gaming. It's a story you know you'll love since it is so archetypal but exactly because of that you can safely enjoy your time with these games.

If you don't like anime fantasy themes and Akira Toriyama artwork (dbz mangaka) you won't take much out of it but for folks who grew up with DBZ and stuff, dragon quest is far and beyond what a disney classic would feel like to some.

DQ isn't something you play every day but once in a while it's great, it's like coming back to your hometown in a gaming sense, full of nostalgia and fun stuff.

It's a story I know I won't love since I've seen it over a dozen times already. I prefer games that do things differently. Give me something new, that I've never seen before. Dragon Quest being so typical is the very reason I don't like it, and the very reason tons of people do like it, it would seem. Nothing wrong with that of course, everyone has their preferences.

I did grow up with DBZ (and am currently playing DB Xenoverse, which I am enjoying) but when everyone in DQ8 is identical in looks to someone in DBZ it makes the artist look like he can't create anything original.

 

[Tanis]

It is, arguably, the purest form of the JRPG.

Fans of the series EXPECT each game to be fairly same for each game.

I like them, though I don't think many of the newer games are particularly noteworthy.

 

[kilenem]

My opinion right be a little off because the first game I played in the series was Dragon Quest 7 for the 3DS but I like the Job system. You can master multiple jobs to get a better Job. I like that progression, granted it takes 20 hours into DQ 7 to get to the Job thing. I believe Mastering Jobs were streamlined for the 3DS version.

 

[Dreiko_v1legacy]

The "it's the exact same every time" thing is also why Pokemon is huge btw. People want that. Pokemon just caught on more in the west and it is common to expect it to be like that, well, the reason Pokemon went that route is the path DQ established.

 

[Weaver]

As someone who has never played a DQ game: are all the games (dating back to the old ones) localized in English? Are ROMs the only sensible way to play them if so?

I know Japan got a Dragon Quest 25th anniversary release that had a ton of the original games re-released but we didn't get it here. I feel like over history we've gotten only some of the DQ games not all of them - is this the case?

EDIT

it seems like playing the old games is a huge pain in the ass.

A lot of ports of varying quality - with some of the best and well translated being on Android except 3 and 4 which removed animations so don't play those, then apparently the 3ds has a lot of good ports except some have "party chat" removed. Then a lot of people vouching to play the fan translated SNES remakes.

Jesus, it's no wonder this series has a weak fandom in NA! The amount of platform mismatch, missing ports, and translation quality is really hard to decipher.