LogFAQs > #885211320

1. Dragon Quest VIII: Journey of the Cursed King

DQVIII simply put made me feel the widest array of emotions that I have felt not just in a JRPG, but possibly in any video game. This doesn't specifically apply to its world, visuals, sound, or narrative but the mutualistic relationship they have with each other that results one breathtaking experience. It features a world that is vibrant as it is ominous, a tale that is as whimsical as it is somber, visuals that are striking as they are modest, and music that is serene as it is unsettling. Any lesser game would have tonal issues all over the place with such divergent themes and goals, but DQVIII absolutely nails it. It is because of this that they can survive having a cast where 95% of them are merely narrative devices as the ethos, logos, and pathos connected to their implementation never failed to elicit a response from me. Whether or not it is the intended response (this isn't exactly an ambiguous game) is not my concern.

There's one aspect of this game that seemingly would cause the game to stumble. I already mentioned that battle systems are one of the most important factors for me (I'm sure that describes everyone), and this featuring your standard-fare turn-based combat. Not only that, but Dragon Quest in particular wasn't what you would call innovative with turn-based combat. I don't know if it was the presentation or the (buzzword incoming) versatility of its combatants, but somehow it all clicked with me. That isn't to say that went out of my way to fight all the time as I did hunt for high EXP monsters called Metal Slimes, to lessen my need to grind, but unlike most JRPGs, I was looking forward to boss fights.

DQVIII was something I had always entertained the idea of replaying in recent years, but I never pulled the trigger until earlier this year. One of my biggest fears for re-experiencing a video game, movie, TV show, book, or any other work of fiction that I have high praise and great memories of is that a second encounter will cause me to replace my fondness for something far less. If not for the 3DS remake, there's a decent chance that I would never have taken the plunge again in my lifetime.

I came in with DQVIII as my favorite JRPG, and I emerged with the same general sentiment but with the perspective of someone with more than a decade's worth of life experience that provided me with new takeaways and a greater respect for the game.
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KCF can't actually be a real person but he is - greengravy
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