It took a little while, but English iOS gamers around the world finally caught up to all of the Japanese Dragon Quest releases when Dragon Quest 5 ($14.99) dropped back in late January. Unfortunately, that meant we were suddenly in the same position as Japan, having to wait patiently for the next game to arrive. Well, the first step towards that was carried out today, as Dragon Quest 6: Realms Of Revelation hit the Japanese App Store, selling for the usual price of 1800 yen, or about $15. I’ll be bringing you more detailed impressions early next week after I’ve had a chance to put it through its paces, but here’s a little introduction to get things rolling.
In Dragon Quest 6, you play as a young man from a quiet country village. It sounds like the usual Dragon Quest set-up, but things quickly start going pear-shaped, leading you into an adventure through the world of dreams and reality. Series creator Yuji Horii was working on this game at the same time as Chrono Trigger ($4.99), and I think it shows. This game has a heavier emphasis on building its characters and a lot more cut-scenes compared to prior Dragon Quest games. It also reintroduces the class change system that hadn’t been seen since Dragon Quest 3 ($9.99), offering you a ton of customization options for your party members. Honestly speaking, I don’t think it’s quite as good as the first two parts of this loose trilogy, but it’s still an outstanding game that any RPG fan should have their eye on.
As the game appears to be the same as the 2010 Nintendo DS version and already has a complete translation from its English release in 2011, we can probably count on seeing this one worldwide before too long. Judging by the last couple of games, it will probably be one or two months, but that’s just me guessing, so don’t write it on your undies in permanent marker. I’m going to further speculate that the price will be $14.99, but we’ll have to see on that one, as well. I’ll have some impressions for you as soon as I can put some time into Dragon Quest 6, so keep an eye out for further news and information.
