Dragon Quest VIII review
Dragon Quest VIII: Journey of the Cursed KingPlaystation 2
Release Date: November 15, 2005
RPG
Review by Lostmind69
Dragon Quest VIII is definitely one of the better, if not THE best role-playing game that I've played in a long time. The quality of the cel-shading hybrid graphics and cutscenes are remarkable, with spot-on English voice-overs and lovable characters created by Akira Toriyama of Dragonball Z fame. I'll never forget Kalderasha in particular, who is a dead ringer for Hercule (except for the voice-over of course). A good example of the voice-overs being used to just the right degree is Valentina. The voice actor who portrayed her gave her just enough depth with the foreign accent to sound believable.
As far as gameplay, this game knows no bounds. In the beginning, you'll spend time interacting with NPC's (non-playable characters) in town to solve certain mysteries involving the local fortune teller Kaldershaa, his daughter Valentina, and his mysterious crystal ball. I won't give away the details, but I can definitely say I spent a fair amount of hours just in town. I would recommend hitting at least Level 4-5 (6 if you have enough patience) before heading into the cave later in the quest.
The battle system is implemented and executed in a very streamlined manner, with easy to navigate menus and a myriad of characters at your disposal. I personally love Jessica and her whip, since it can attack enemies in a single horizontal line in one turn. You're also able to "charge-up" and increase your tension level inbetween turns, which is highly reminiscent of Dragonball Z and definitely brings some originality to this well-executed RPG. In conclusion, I highly recommend this game to anyone remotely interested in role-playing games, Dragon Warrior/Quest, the Dragonball Z anime, or just gaming in particular!
Final Score:
Gameplay: 10/10; Solid role-playing mechanics at their finest.
Sound: 9/10; The orchestral compositions go well with the overall themes of the game.
Lasting Appeal: 9/10; There's some added content to play for those who complete the main game.
Graphics: 9.5/10; One of the best looking PS2 games to date.
Overall: 9.5/10