A classic RPG polished to perfection. While other recent Role Playing Games have continually dealt with more "post modern" themes, Dragon Quest 8 sticks the the tried and true that was established during the SNES era.
The style and structure of the game can seem almost retro. However, the graphics, sound and gameplay definitely hold their own against any RPG for the Playstation 2.
The graphics are cell-shaded and very detailed. Human characters almost look hand illustrated and the monsters look even better (and are beautifully animated). This is one of the first 3D games to retain the character and charm possible with "hand drawn" 2D art.
The backgrounds are not as detailed, but make up for it in terms of freedom of movement. This first Japanese style RPG that I've played that allows full exploration of its game world in a realistic scale with no load times like Jak and Daxter or Grand Theft Auto. Throw in day and night cycles and it's fun just exploring and fighting monsters.
The sound and music are excellent. The fully orchestrated symphonic score adds a level of richness missing in the synthesized soundtracks that are usually found in these games.
The dialog is well written and is matched by excellent british voice acting—versus the same "anime dub" voice actors we usually get. Sound effects are varied, particularly during battles.
Gameplay is like most RPGs, consisting of story, battles and exploration. Dragon Quest 8 doesn't reinvent the wheel—you never have more than four characters, there is no elaborate level up system, battles are turn based and better armor and weapons are bought and sold in shops. The battles are fast paced which is good since you be doing a lot of it!
Two areas worth special mention are the alchemy pot and the monster arena. The alchemy pot allows you to combined items—which is often the best way to get the best armor and weapons.
The monster arena allows you to recruit a monster team and fight them in elimination combat. You don't control them so it's about finding the right combination of monsters for your team. Later in the game, you can have your monster team fight for you in real battles.
The story keeps to the teen level for the most part. The plot sticks to right and wrong moral themes and avoids more adult or post modern material. While not particularly ambitious, it is very well written, has more than a few nice plot twists and uses humor in the right places. There are also several emotionally compelling moments that don't feel cheap.
In terms of depth, this game has it in spades. I put in over 100 hours before beating it and I was entertained throughout. The difficulty is good. Most RPG veterans will have no trouble for the most part, but there are a few battles where you'll want to be leveled up and really understand how to use your characters as a team.
Dragon Quest 8 is a classic style RPG with near perfect gameplay and great production values. If you are a fan of RPGs made during the 16-bit era, this is a must buy. If you like RPGs at all, this is a must buy.
Even if you are lukewarm on the genre you should give it a try—it's straight forward enough and you just might love it. One of the finest games of this generation.
2008 ben langberg, all rights reserved.