ith lines of people snaking from the locked doors of a small Tokyo software retailer into the city’s neon-lit streets, the arrival of a new chapter in Enix’s Dragon Quest series commands a level of fanfare comparable in America only to the release of a new Star Wars film. As powerful of a game as Dragon Quest has become over the years in its native country, this series has not found a way to apply a stranglehold on the American market. It has, in fact, bombed miserably while its closest competitor, Square Soft’s Final Fantasy, which has always trailed in a distant second in Japan, has grown into a worldwide phenomenon. Just when it appeared that Final Fantasy would rule the west and Dragon Quest would control the east, Square Soft merged with Enix in 2003, putting an end to the decade-long rivalry.
In many ways Dragon Quest VIII is the first release that truly exemplifies how the marriage of these two role-playing giants is affecting the philosophy of design. Dragon Quest’s traditional gameplay dominates this release, but you’ll also see concepts borrowed from Final Fantasy sprinkled about. It wouldn’t be fair of me to say that American gamers are graphics snobs, but one of the biggest reasons why Dragon Quest VII didn’t move off of retail shelves was because of its severely dated visuals. Renowned comic artist Akira Toriyama’s brilliant character designs simply went to waste. This is perhaps the biggest area where you can see Square’s influence. With the sure-handed Level 5 at the development helm, Dragon Quest is no longer the ugly duckling. Level 5 has brought Toriyama’s art to life through what I believe are the most striking cel-shaded graphics to date. It’s an absolutely gorgeous game.
The red carpet has definitely been rolled out for this sequel. Dragon Quest VIII moves the role-playing genre forward in a number of key areas, but as it tries to soar, nostalgia tugs at its shirt tail and keeps it grounded. When gamers can spend 100-plus hours with an RPG, the gameplay needs to be the driving force. As much as I want to bow down and praise the gorgeous graphics, I continually find myself wondering why the combat system is so simple, why character progression is this linear, and why the world seems to be based off of 16-bit blueprints. It’s an enjoyable game, but in a retro "I’ve already done this a billion times" kind of way.
Given how drastically the majority of the game has changed, I really expected to see the series deviate from its heritage in the most crucial area: gameplay. If you can live with the concept of simply getting a new spell when your character gains a level, don’t mind wandering aimlessly to find your next destination, and can handle the concept of backtracking to town to revive a fallen party member, Dragon Quest VIII will absolutely knock you off of your feet with its phenomenal story. The visuals may convey the playfulness of a Saturday morning cartoon, but in a surprise, this tale is quite dark. It touches on a number of controversial themes, is loaded with unexpected death and chaos, and is quite clever in its delivery of dialogue. Even within the early stages of the quest, you’ll see that the villain Dhoulmagus gives Sephiroth a run for his money in terms of sheer, undisguised evil. The only area where this story stumbles is through the silent hero concept. As lively as the rest of the party is, having a wooden protagonist spearheading the adventure just doesn’t work.
Holding onto the past works for some games, but it keeps this title from making an impact in this market like Final Fantasy does consistently with each release. It has the "I need to see what happens next" plot hooks, offers great longevity in the form of monster recruits, and continually baffles the mind with its visuals. However, it will likely only appease battle-hardened role-players who have already lived through a thousand hours of gameplay just like this and wouldn’t mind taking on another hundred.