Slashdot Mirror
Review: Dragon Quest VIII
- Title: Dragon Quest VIII
- Developer: Level 5
- Publisher: Square Enix
- System:PS2
- Score:9/10
Dragon Quest's focus is on entertaining and enjoyable gameplay, and so for the most part the game's plot can be forgiven for being fairly weak. The game's subtitle, "Journey of the Cursed King", is almost everything you need to know to understand what's going on. You, an unnamed heroic adventurer, are on the hunt for a power-hungry sorcerer. The spellcaster has stolen a potent magical artifact, and pair of royals present when the artifact was stolen are turned into a frog-demon thing and a horse. They hook up with you and your buddy Yangus (a burly fighter-type), in hopes of finding the spellcaster and reversing the magical effect that imprisons them. Along the way you encounter some typical RPG stereotypes (like the scantily clad mage Jessica), but for the most part that's the hook that drives the story. While this doesn't sound like much to go on, the NPC characterizations are so well-written and over-the-top that it's hard not to like them.
Really, it's surprisingly hard not to like everything about this game. Gameplay-wise, the latest installment of the Dragon Quest series is an unapologetic blast from the past. The game features menu-driven turn-based combat, endless hours of gameplay, a random encounter strewn overworld map, and plenty of slimes. You'd think this would tire a veteran RPG player, but the quality of the game's presentation and the obvious effort the designers put into the game's systems is inspiring. The overworld map, a tired warhorse in the gaming world, is a beautifully rendered naturescape. Beautiful glens, soaring caverns, and imposing ruins all lie hidden within the gameworld. The mini-map, a constant companion in most games, is blissfully absent. Without any easy-access artificial assistance, the temptation to explore is overwhelming, and can lead to some interesting hard-to-find creatures and treasures.
This sense of exploration is only broken by the occasional encounter with wandering monsters. The pace of encounters is well spaced out, to ensure that you won't have to fight through several encounters just to proceed a short way down a trail. The combat is a traditional RPG line-up, with enemies on one side and heroes on the other. Players navigate an intuitive menu to instruct their characters in who and how to fight, but attacks are far from the bland or ordinary. Both monsters and heroes have an array of visually interesting attacks and spells to take out opposing forces. Giant tongues seem to be a weapon of choice for the enemies, who have an array of quirky appearances and behaviors. Besides the title-identifying slimes, there are a bevy of beasts and monsters to face down. Some of the early beasts actually forgo their turns to calmly lick their fur. This variety of choice, animation, and behavior ensures that even the most jaded RPG fan is unlikely to get bored with combat. Trying to one-button push your way through combat, if you do start to glaze over, will teach you the error of your ways quickly. The challenge level here is high, and you can expect to wipe more than once at low levels. The tenacity exhibited by a gang of cute little kitty cats can easily end in tragedy.
That gang of cats, like everything else in the game, have distinct sensibilities conveyed by their unique visual design. The whole title has a beautiful cell-shaded look, and an anime quality that brings the personality of each beast and NPC to the fore. Dragon Ball Z designer Akira Toriyama helmed the look of this title, and the result is a naturalistic landscape and highly distinctive characters. The audio environment is stirring as well. Adventuring music takes center stage, with the occasional more thoughtful piece thrown in to highlight some of the game's quieter moments. Despite the tissue-paper plot, the voice acting is top-notch. The laughable whining and cowardice of the King and Yangus's thick brogue should set the standard for RPG cohorts in future titles. The dialogue's localization is also tremendous, with some jokes managing to be bitingly clever. It's hard not to appreciate the attention to detail spent here, as the inordinate amount of time you'll spend with these characters almost requires a sense of connection and empathy. While they may not make you cry, you'll definitely enjoy spending time with these likable non-people.
Dragon Quest VIII is not an evolution in the genre, nor is it likely to convert a dyed-in-the-wool anti-RPG nut. It's a challenging old-school game that appeals directly to traditional fans, and does so with personality, levity, and a lot of style. The hack and slash, turn-based combat system has never been so lovingly displayed as it is in this title. If you ever find yourself pining for those long-past grind sessions, gaining levels outside of Elfland by slaying ogres, this is a game you simply must play.
HELLO WORLD
83453 83453
HELLO WORLD
24645 24645 28355 28355 13312 13312 24214 24214 06521 06521
45771 45771 09975 09975 74864 74864 26937 26937 57211 57211
04275 04275 25055 25055 18185 18185 38394 38394 85998 85998
32723 32723 72103 72103 12173 12173 67681 67681 69022 69022
50405 50405 36357 36357 53707 53707 17441 17441 25051 25051
20587 20587 85238 85238 56804 56804 12158 12158 24104 24104
58319 58319 52179 52179 07960 07960 12994 12994 81699 81699
81204 81204 54064 54064 13928 13928 45118 45118 84746 84746
05800 05800 42935 42935 00540 00540 12209 12209 18585 18585
18605 18605 64493 64493 71920 71920 36658 36658 95324 95324
98494 98494 33368 33368 08996 08996 93567 93567 21293 21293
12541 12541 08859 08859 92392 92392 60692 60692 75087 75087
72612 72612 15160 15160 53675 53675 34679 34679 21278 21278
63020 63020 14890 14890 49889 49889 61006 61006 68410 68410
15379 15379 47042 47042 72323 72323 42933 42933 12581 12581
36952 36952 24824 24824 68912 68912 72400 72400 81426 81426
14013 14013 58440 58440 29808 29808 88325 88325 46192 46192
39207 39207 55506 55506 67963 67963 64474 64474 84124 84124
94083 94083 47139 47139 81176 81176 70503 70503 71937 71937
43446 43446 28346 28346 02028 02028 44215 44215 40421 40421
85246 85246 09867 09867 69640 69640 23102 23102 20519 20519
97496 97496 72172 72172 49957 49957 19280 19280 11633 11633
33295 33295 97936 97936 84860 84860 43493 43493 36173 36173
35268 35268 99459 99459 45654 45654 62419 62419 84564 84564
88709 88709 42511 42511 30428 30428 84367 84367 05383 05383
25675 25675 62060 62060 66602 66602 37219 37219 96685 96685
89005 89005 52563 52563 55014 55014 23567 23567 68715 68715
72913 72913 90748 90748 97809 97809 92052 92052 91521 91521
31043 31043 82727 82727 09990 09990 16475 16475 09071 09071
76091 76091 21099 21099 74953 74953 36163 36163 56858 56858
36007 36007 88296 88296 11892 11892 88792 88792 42703 42703
61380 61380 50529 50529 28054 28054 33317 33317 74141 74141
76252 76252 02421 02421 68441 68441 11961 11961 59456 59456
20229 20229 67838 67838 48400 48400 36632 36632 29046 29046
07646 07646 85246 85246 39561 39561 86137 86137 03038 03038
11224 11224 56537 56537 24175 24175 33535 33535 37299 37299
97391 97391 03635 03635 56182 56182 64057 64057 29090 29090
31347 31347 50074 50074 66659 66659 97495 97495 22137 22137
79103 79103 26253 26253 64319 64319 48321 48321 59663 59663
89553 89553 43461 43461 06291 06291 24104 24104 09798 09798
90539 90539 96746 96746 52417 52417 50739 50739 09019 09019
34353 34353 04764 04764 07651 07651 51175 51175 92773 92773
43828 43828 48164 48164
K-BYE
So, Which consoles is this available for?
Anthropic principle: We see the universe the way it is because if it were different we would not be here to see it.
I know a friend who instead of listening to normal music, listens to old C64 music. I wouldn't mind coding all do to the songs to the Legend of Zelda. Where can I find this? I also remember some friend of mines playing some punk rock mix of the super mario brothers music.
at least bother to link to the real goatse picture. The main page hasn't had that particular pic in a while.