Post by Bytor on Oct 5, 2011 10:02:59 GMT -5
-Visuals- 8.5/10
The game is , obviously, a re-make of a Japanese only release for the PSX and it shows it's age, but overall it shows it rather nicely in my opinion. The visuals are basically a hybrid mesh of 2D and 3D but the 3D is certainly not 3D as many who play current generation consoles would think of as 3D. Instead what you have is a sprite moving around a 2D environment which is 3D is design and because you yourself can move and interact gives everything more of a 3D feel although the true perspective of depth is pretty much a matter of perception, then again except for true 3D viewing isn't all visuals simply a matter of perspective, lol). The colors are nicely done and although obviously an older game everything looks pretty crisp with little or no muted colors or vague, foggy imaging. One thing which might turn some of is the interface though. It certainly shows it age with generic white borders and thin lines which are over the game area and which show (as much as an old school game does) the actions taken and what is basically going on in the game. The interface is simply very, very old school and I can understand it might turn some off it simply added to the charm for me.
-Sound- 9.0/10
I felt I was back in an old arcade or maybe listening to the old Atari system I played as a kid. Beeps, electronic sounds all setting the mood and providing a (somewhat) majestic setting in sweeping movements and cascading symphonies...all electronic and 8 (16) bit sounds, (actually a bit better than that but it is certainly reminiscent lol). It fits the mood wonderfully although I admit part of me wonders if just maybe when it was remade the music could, perhaps, have been updated a tad. It's not horrible and i guess it certainly does fit the look and feel of the game.
-Gameplay- 8.5/10
The gameplay is a typical RPG is the sense that you traverse a map having random enemy encounters and enter cities where contact with various NPC's will give you hints and details concerning where you should explore next and what exactly you should be looking for. Fighting si traditional turn based as is equipping armor and weapons and using magic and items. Nothing ground breaking but what there is works nicely. My only serious complaint is the difficulty spike which occurs during the fifth chapter. You can waltz through the first four chapters seldom concerning yourself overly much with the mini boss battles, however, once you are into the last chapter you had better make sure you have the best equipment, the best spells leaned and the right people leveled up and in the party for specific fights, if not you will not, and I repeat, NOT be able to win some of the battles. The addition of night and day also makes for some interesting battles as well as a way to further gain information from NPC's. I found battling at night to be an especially nice way to level up. Overall the gameplay is solid and fun, just accept it for what it is, an old school turn based RPG.
-Story- 8.3/10
The story is actually pretty interesting in the concept portion. The game is basically divided into five separate chapters with each chapter focusing on a different hero. Each of these four heroes will, once you complete their missions, which to be honest only provides tidbits concerning the story line but does flesh out the world quite nicely, will then join you, the main character, in a quest to complete the last chapter and finish the main story line. I found the individual chapters to actually be more entertaining than the final quest to be honest. Each character(s) is certainly individualistic and the quests range from pretty simple and straight forward to relatively simple but a tad more time consuming, lol. There's really nothing mind blowing here to anyone familiar with typical RPG fodder but it is well written and tells the tale nicely, just don't expect a deeply philosophical quest which forces you to question your morality and spiritual conviction....cause it's not going to happen, lol.
-Overall- 8.5/10
The game is fun, it adds a bit to the previous DQ games and loses none of the charm. I just didn't feel it was a great game, quite a few hours of fun but there is simply not enough of a compelling story for me to lump into similar JRPG's which showcase wonderful characters embarking on a majestic quest. I'm not gonna go so far as to say it's shallow or fluff but it's certainly not a mind blowing experience, just a fun little romp (well, not too little, it's actually gonna take you quite a few hours to complete, @30m or so actually) into a typical RPG world inhabited with good characters but not the most interesting I've ever met.