Unless you'd rather play in portrait. I love all the Final Fantasy games, but for some reason I enjoy playing these mobile games in portrait and that's one thing Dragon Quest has over Final Fantasy for me.
Yeah, good call. I hardly ever game on my iPad anymore. I should probably give it a try again. I've got FF IV sitting on it just waiting for me to jump back in I think. But I digress. I really am excited about Dragon Quest V. Having read about the great story telling, I'm sure it'll be worth starting even though I haven't finished II, III, IV, or VIII. Trying to hold out until my birthday around Groundhog Day... Don't know if I can, though.
Having played the series on native consoles, I'd say this is an excellent launching point. Like Final Fantasy, the first few are quite dated. While fun at the time, I've found them less enjoyable over time especially at launch prices. DQ5 has some great characterization with, dare I say it, actual development. I'm also fond of all the side extras they threw into this one. I will say, almost as a rule of thumb for many RPGs with this feature, don't burn too much time at the casino! I remember grinding out so many goodies by gambling. *_*. I wish I could remember which RPG it was that I got stupidly OP from that.... It escapes me. :3 I may break down and buy this version soon - it's been long enough that I forgot just enough of the story to make it worth another playthrough.
I just started playing this, and I already know what you're talking about with actual character development! I'm really loving this game. That first dungeon's level design and sub-plot alone! So cool!
Nice! Can't wait to try this out. Does anyone know if this was released back on the NES or SNES? I can't remember if the title numbers don't line up like in the FF series (3 is 6 etc)
It was a Japan-only SNES release, in 1992, I think. It got a 2004 remake on the PlayStation 2, but that was also Japan-only. It wasn't until the 2008/9 Nintendo DS release that it was translated. DQ numbers don't have any similar funny business as the FF games do. Just the whole Dragon Quest - Dragon Warrior thing.
Well, I mean, in the early days DQ actually got more consistent releases. The first four games were released without missing a beat. Meanwhile, the fourth FF game released in English was Final Fantasy 7. DQ5's translation had technical issues which I assume were related to Chunsoft leaving development duties on the main series. DQ6 was intended to be released as DQ5 in English, but by then the SNES market was pretty much dead and Enix of America was shut down before it could happen. We got every main game after that, in both series, but DQ spin-offs and remakes are hit or miss, while almost every FF game of any kind gets translated. That's largely owing to the gap in popularity outside Japan. As for why *that* is a thing, that's an explanation for another time.
I've been tempted to waste many a day at the Casino in Dragon Quest VIII, and I just reached the Casino in Dragon Quest IV for the first time. Spent all morning winning tokens. Right now, I feel like I could do it all weekend. If only I could level up and play poker at the same time in Dragon Quest IV. Then I'd be set! Hope the Casino in V isn't too far from the beginning. I'm only about 11 hours into IV right now because I really enjoy taking my time on these gems.
This game has been fun. However I just beat the first boss. The ghost boss at the top of the tower. I had to seriously grind till Bianca was lvl 7. Hmm... Does this game take a lot of grinding? The graphics are great and this has been the only DQ game to keep my interest.
As long as you make use of all the tools available to you, you shouldn't have to grind. Buffs and debuffs are vital in DQ games. Make sure you're using them.
How accessible would you say this game is for someone who has never played a JRPG? I played through Chaos Rings, but that's it. Does it have tutorials, or a manual?
Dragon Quest games are designed to be as accessible as possible, since they're played and enjoyed by kids and adults alike. I'd say it's a pretty pain-free way to get your JRPG feet wet. No manual or overt tutorial, but the game eases you in for the first hour and a bit so that you can get used to things. Plus, the penalty for dying is relatively light: you return to the last church you saved at with half of your gold gone, but everything else intact, including accumulated experience and any items you may have picked up. This means that if you lose a battle, you're generally guaranteed to be stronger the next time you attempt it.
Dude, I wish you at least waited for some more opinions. :/ I would've gone with Dragon Quest V and Final Fantasy 6. Believe...Dat.
