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Your favorite Dragon Quest title ?

Your favorite Dragon Quest?

  • I

    Votes: 3 2.4%
  • II

    Votes: 1 0.8%
  • III

    Votes: 6 4.8%
  • IV

    Votes: 9 7.1%
  • V

    Votes: 23 18.3%
  • VI

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • VII

    Votes: 7 5.6%
  • VIII

    Votes: 29 23.0%
  • IX

    Votes: 8 6.3%
  • X

    Votes: 1 0.8%
  • XI

    Votes: 39 31.0%

  • Total voters
    126

German Hops

GAF's Nicest Lunch Thief
We all know that Final Fantasy is Square Enix's prize possession, but the other grand jewel in their library of RPGs is Dragon Quest / Warrior. Have you played the games before and do you have a favorite, if so which one is your favorite and why?

For me, I haven't played them all (VI-IX) out of those I have to say Dragon Quest VII is my favorite, although it is very long game and the beginning did drag a bit, I overall found it the most enjoyable. Characters were overall enjoyable and the game was a very good traditional RPG with a nice class set up.

VII is also my favorite so far since I love the tablet collecting and checking out islands in both the past and present. The music (especially the present time world map music) is really stunning. The NPCs all look really well-done (I think they're designed by someone famous?)

I know that Dragon Quest VIII is a fan favorite though so it's good to be moving onto that one next. Looking forward to it!
Also, I saw a stunning bit of gameplay of the world map, on Dragon Quest XI for PS4. That's another one I'm really looking forward to! 😀
 
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Velius

Banned
For me it's between VIII and XI.

VIII is a beautiful journey. It's possible it has a better world and characters than XI. But the one thing about XI that continually amazed me was how much more there was- how many secrets, big secrets you could find if you just explored a little more
 
It's V. It's got to be V. Minus the missteps of II (which I still like!), the series follows a very clear crescendo from I to V, with V culminating in everything that makes Dragon Quest great while also delivering the most intimate and personal story in the series, if not JRPGs altogether. VI may have its fans but I consider it the weakest of the main titles by far - it feels a little drab and uninteresting and it's very clear Horii's efferts were on Chrono Trigger at that time. Hence why I think Chrono Trigger actually translates better the evolution of the series up until then than DQVI does, even if the game has "Squaresoft" written all over it.

V was a game which I discovered in my adolescence while dabbling with emulation and it still astounds me how I didn't notice how long I was going on in the game until I realised I was almost at the end. Its twists are unexpected and they genuinely leave you guessing and some can really get you off guard, specially if you don't know much about it beforehand. It's a lovely, extremely personal experience. I love it and it's SNES' most underrated jRPG by western players.
 
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jshackles

Gentlemen, we can rebuild it. We have the capability to make the world's first enhanced store. Steam will be that store. Better than it was before.
Seems like an unpopular opinion, but for me it's IV. Fantastic bunch of very unique characters, and the way the game is split into multiple chapters that feature different characters exclusively is something modern RPGs really stumble with. Having all characters come together in the final chapter is brilliant. Pulling all of this off on the NES was pure magic, but the DS and mobile remakes are also very well done.

Torneko Taloon for life.
 

Metnut

Member
Been playing the series I got DW for free as a Nintendo Power subscriber.

DW4 has always been my favorite. Really enjoyed DQ5 and DQ8 as well. DQ11 was fun but just felt off for me given the awful soundtrack and boring plot.
 

p_xavier

Authorized Fister
I'm currently playing VII and the amount of padding and encounters is staggering. Game would be loads better being degreased.
 

Daymos

Member
11 was awesome but too spaced out, so I'd go with 9. I just really loved the vocation system in 9 to the point where my kid(who was obsessed with pkmn HeartGold at the time) told me I wasn't allowed to play it anymore.

DQ is an odd series. Most of the games really aren't that fun or interesting while I'm playing them, but for whatever reason when I beat them I look back with a smile and consider it one of the best experiences I ever had. Dq7 was like that.. so boring until the end, and then I was so happy I played it.
 

Fools idol

Banned
DQ11 if we are talking about the best overall game (bad soundtrack)
DQ8 if we are looking through nostalgia goggles (good soundtrack)
 

NecrosaroIII

Ask me about my terrible takes on Star Trek characters
III > VII > IX > IV > VI > V > XI > VIII > I > II

I've only played just a bit of X, but what I did play was excellent. I could see it being between VII and IX for me.
 

Topher

Gold Member
spinal tap GIF by Comic-Con HQ
 
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WoJ

Member
I've only played 3 games in the series beginning to end - III, IV, and VIII. But I've always adored this series and wanted to play it all. I have all the mobile games (minus 8), but struggle to play them on that format. Of the ones I've played I'd probably give the nod to IV as I adored that game when I played it back in the NES days.

But III and VIII are magical. I really need to just suck it up and play the mobile versions of these games. I wish they would all get ported to modern consoles.
 

DarkestHour

Banned
Seems like an unpopular opinion, but for me it's IV. Fantastic bunch of very unique characters, and the way the game is split into multiple chapters that feature different characters exclusively is something modern RPGs really stumble with. Having all characters come together in the final chapter is brilliant. Pulling all of this off on the NES was pure magic, but the DS and mobile remakes are also very well done.

Torneko Taloon for life.

I concur. For the time it was an incredible game, but I don't see anyone not around during that era to really understand how good it is/was. I still keep the cartridge and manual for it for sentimental reasons.
 

fart town usa

Gold Member
I haven't played them all but my favorite is V.

I like them all that I've played but V just has an added level of charm for me.
 

Lady Bird

Matsuno's Goebbels
Dragon Quest V storyline had such a strong impact on me, especially with the DS version's additional party talk chat.
 
I'm a little iffy on DQ8. Yangus is great, but I didn't care so much for the skill point system, which in subsequent games would be fleshed out with more options towards growth.
 

Rodolink

Member
played VIII when it came out and enjoyed it a lot, then planned to play all the other ones but nver did, until last week i started with Dragon Quest 1 on Android grinding is becoming boring now after lvl 10 monsters are either too weak or too strong.
 

German Hops

GAF's Nicest Lunch Thief
DQV with 17 votes
DQVI with 0 votes

What happened with DQVI?
3IIe2Pf.png


I don't think it was officially released outside of Japan.

DQ I - IV were all released in the West, but Enix skipped over V and VI for the SNES , before getting back on track with DQ VII .
 
Last edited:

ethomaz

Banned
DQV with 17 votes
DQVI with 0 votes

What happened with DQVI?
It is like a smaller version of DQVII… you can call a pre-game of what was to come (thinking a bit more VII was probably VI but it was taking too much time to be made and they choose to release a smaller version of it as VI… so it is really a very small DQ).

But take in mind no DQ game is bad but VI and II and really lacking compared to others.
 
Last edited:

Doom85

Member
3IIe2Pf.png


I don't think it was officially released outside of Japan.

DQ I - IV were all released in the West, but Enix skipped over V and VI for the SNES , before getting back on track with DQ VII .

4-6 got ports for the Nintendo DS and those were released outside Japan.
 

ethomaz

Banned
3IIe2Pf.png


I don't think it was officially released outside of Japan.

DQ I - IV were all released in the West, but Enix skipped over V and VI for the SNES , before getting back on track with DQ VII .
I don’t think it has anything to do with the release only in Japan.

VI took too much time to be made and so was released in a smaller version and after they finished it as VII… they are the same game system wise and the use a similar linear story.

Most dislike it compared with o other because it was a smaller DQ game.

Edit - Removed “hate” because it is not really a hated game.
 
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German Hops

GAF's Nicest Lunch Thief
VI took too much time to be made and so was released in a smaller version and after they finished it as VII… they are the same game system wise and the use a similar linear story.

Most of hate is because it was a smaller DQ game.
That's interesting.

So, VI is basically an aborted version of VII ?
 

ethomaz

Banned
That's interesting.

So, VI is basically an aborted version of VII ?
I won’t say aborted.

There is a big pressure on Enix because they were late… FFVI was supposed to release in 1994 (it released in that year) with better graphics and they have nothing to show yet.

So they changed the development team for the first time in the franchise… giving the series to new Heartbeat Studio… they started to develop the base of the game with the class system, etc… but they were pressure to release it and so in 1995 they released it but it was clearly a very small game compared to others DQ games.

Using that base they worked and after several delays they released DQVII in 2000 (3 years after FFVII).

DQVII uses basically everything they have for DQVII… so they are pretty similar games with the same class system and all… the plot is similar and both were very linear with the story.

Due these issues DQVII is probably the longest DQ game released (and took more time to be made) and DQVI the smaller DQ game (a new studio having to develop a new game very fast).

Heartbeat released just two new games in their life: DQVI and DQVII.

Both games are good but you see that the development issues affect both… for good and bad.

PS. It is worth to note that that period was the start of the fall of Enix that ended being brought by Square in 2013… DQVII is the last main DQ game with Enix name… after that it was all Square Enix… when you can’t deliver your big franchise in time you end having financials issues… Square was living the gold age with several titles including discredit FF games while Enix was failing to delivery.
 
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I won’t say aborted.

There is a big pressure on Enix because they were late… FFVI was supposed to release in 1994 (it released in that year) with better graphics and they have nothing to show yet.

So they changed the development team for the first time in the franchise… giving the series to new Heartbeat Studio… they started to develop the base of the game with the class system, etc… but they were pressure to release it and so in 1995 they released it but it was clearly a very small game compared to others DQ games.

Using that base they worked and after several delays they released DQVII in 2000 (3 years after FFVII).

DQVII uses basically everything they have for DQVII… so they are pretty similar games with the same class system and all… the plot is similar and both were very linear with the story.

Due these issues DQVII is probably the longest DQ game released (and took more time to be made) and DQVI the smaller DQ game (a new studio having to develop a new game very fast).

Heartbeat released just two new games in their life: DQVI and DQVII.

Both games are good but you see that the development issues affect both… for good and bad.

PS. It is worth to note that that period was the start of the fall of Enix that ended being brought by Square in 2013… DQVII is the last main DQ game with Enix name… after that it was all Square Enix… when you can’t deliver your big franchise in time you end having financials issues… Square was living the gold age with several titles including discredit FF games while Enix was failing to delivery.

You have it backwards. FF TSW put Square in dire financial straits in 2001, leading to the Enix merger in 2003. Despite any developmental hiccups, DQ had been outselling FF.
 
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