Current Events > What are the best Dragon Quest games?

(+) Yeah! (+)

I recently picked up 11 in a bundle, and am planning on playing it, but have a couple other big RPGs on my to-do list before I get to it.

In the meantime, what are the best games in the series, in your opinion?
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8

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8 is a must-play

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3,4,5,7,8,11

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3,7,8,9,11

warlock7735 posted...

8

Tyranthraxus posted...

8 is a must-play

It's on 3DS, nice. I've been looking for a new handheld game to play.
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Yes.

But seriously, 4 and 8

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DeathVelvien posted...

Yes.

But seriously, 4 and 8

Nice, 4 is on the DS as well. I think I have my handheld games sorted for the upcoming future.
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Corrupt_Power posted...

Nice, 4 is on the DS as well.

DS is by far the least-awful way to play DQ4. Don't even consider the NES version.

builders 2

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I agree with what others have said. I personally like 6 as well, probably one of my favorite in the series.

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7 is good if you have a lot of patience. It's imo the most difficult of the games(at least of the ones I've played). I'm currently stuck at a point and getting past it is very difficult. It's only more unsettling to find out that the version I have is easier than the PS1 edition.

Ivany2008 posted...

7 is good if you have a lot of patience.

This. Oh so much this.
DQ7 is a boring slog until Alltrades, then suddenly it becomes awesome.

Questionmarktarius posted...

This. Oh so much this.
DQ7 is a boring slog until Dharma Temple, then suddenly it becomes awesome.

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DQ7 is like 5 years long so be prepared for a marathon with that one

Sayoria posted...

That's even the more boring-er slog.

8
5
9

my top 3

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Delirious_Beard posted...

my top 3

What's so great about 5? All I remember is "meh".

9 doesn't get the respect it deserves since it has a silent protag and generic party. It has arguably the best NPCs in all of Dragon Quest as well as amazing game mechanics. Game is huge, too, and is paced well. Its an easy 60 hours without ever feeling slow or boring.

1 is a classic that everyone should play exactly once just to see what it is. The randomizer for it is actually really fun for people who enjoy it, removing the worst aspects of the game (the ridiculous grind) while keeping the best (the purest JRPG combat of all time).

I'm a sucker for job class games (see also my high praise for 9) so 3 is an easy fit for me, both from a narrative perspective and mechanically. Its a fairly simple class system but the GBC remake adds enough high level content to make it worth min/maxing.

Of the more traditional games 4 is easily my favorite. Love how the game is broken up into unique chapters each with its own special playstyles. It has one of the more interesting worlds as well imo. Unfortunately it is either ball-breakingly hard (NES version) or trivially easy (DS version) because the game was originally balanced around the concept that in the final chapter you could not control anyone but your Hero directly. In the NES version everyone except the Hero was controlled by AI which you could set to a few different settings which would alter party member actions. This resulted in a few boss fights being absolute slugfests that you had little control over. The DS version added a manual setting for all party members (which, ironically, is objectively worse for one party member) and with full control of your team pretty much every fight is a stomp. Still, like I said its world and lore are really solid. Good game.

As for the rest, 8 is great. 5 was ok. Not played 11 yet. 2, 6, and 7 were just not good to me. 2 is just lackluster in all regards, the series' growing pains game. 6 I found utterly boring. It couldn't keep my attention at all. The PS1 version of 7 was just plain bad. Conflicting mechanics (leveling up your characters made leveling up their classes harder), the most extreme difficulty spikes of any game I've ever played, insanely grindy, and probably the longest main story of anything I've ever played all combined together to make the game a horrible slog. The one bright spot in it was the story which was mostly quite good, probably one of the best in the series, but it was locked behind so much grind that I don't think its worth it. I've been told the 3DS version fixed a lot of those complaints though.
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fire_bolt posted...

9 doesn't get the respect it deserves since it has a silent protag and generic party.

9 is by far the best if you want to mess around with party builds. All it needed to be perfect was DQ3's spell portability.

Dragon Quest of the Stars

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I've only played 8 and 9. 8 is a must play.

winged_weltall posted...

8 is a must play.

8 is a good one, but 3DS should be preferred over PS2.

Alteres posted...

I heard 8 for 3ds had all the best items as part of an online schedule that is no longer available.

I'm pretty sure that's actually DQ9, and you can still do that anyway by messing with your wireless router.
https://gamefaqs.gamespot.com/boards/937281-dragon-quest-ix-sentinels-of-the-starry-skies/77723677

Questionmarktarius posted...

I'm pretty sure that's actually DQ9, and you can still do that anyway by messing with your wireless router.
https://gamefaqs.gamespot.com/boards/937281-dragon-quest-ix-sentinels-of-the-starry-skies/77723677

Ahh, I might be confused on that.

Also, cool, thanks.

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5, 7, 8, 11 are my favorites.

9 gets special mention because I loved the co-op with my wife. But otherwise, is mediocre.

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You all can hate on the PS1 DQ7, but I still prefer it over the remake.

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I loved 7 because of how open and flexible the class system is

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Sayoria posted...

You all can hate on the PS1 DQ7, but I still prefer it over the remake.

I didn't even know they remade it, what's bad about it?

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Balrog0 posted...

I didn't even know they remade it, what's bad about it?

fire_bolt posted...

The PS1 version of 7 was just plain bad. Conflicting mechanics (leveling up your characters made leveling up their classes harder), the most extreme difficulty spikes of any game I've ever played, insanely grindy, and probably the longest main story of anything I've ever played all combined together to make the game a horrible slog. The one bright spot in it was the story which was mostly quite good, probably one of the best in the series, but it was locked behind so much grind that I don't think its worth it. I've been told the 3DS version fixed a lot of those complaints though.

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3, 5, 6, 8, 11

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I meant her opinion of the remake lol

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Balrog0 posted...

I didn't even know they remade it, what's bad about it?

Eh. The localization was just awful (Alltrades Abbey, Nottagen, Ballymolloy...etc I don't even get why they changed the names, they changed practically every single name in the game), and I thought it was fine the way it was with random battles. It wasn't as bad as other JRPGs. But that's why I didn't say the remake was bad. I just said I prefer it. I grew up with DQ7 on PS1. DQ7 is my favorite JRPG of all time. It's just that.


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Having not played OG 7, I think the 3DS remake has a lot of issues. It's okay but it's a bit of a slog and some of the changes make it worse.

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I've only played 7,8 and 11 and they were all fantastic.

I need to get around to checking out more of the series.
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NinjaBreakfast posted...

Having not played OG 7, I think the 3DS remake has a lot of issues. It's okay but it's a bit of a slog and some of the changes make it worse.

To be fair, it's been forever since I saw most of the changes so the question is a bit unfair for me to even answer right now. I did hear a lot and it was instantly a turn away. I forget most of my complaints but I am not in the mood to look back on them.

Back with the localization, why the Hell did they change Gabo's name to Ruff? ............ That was one of the worst ideas the localization team had.

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NinjaBreakfast posted...

Having not played OG 7, I think the 3DS remake has a lot of issues. It's okay but it's a bit of a slog and some of the changes make it worse.

Can you elaborate? I mean I understand if you can't be assed lol

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Balrog0 posted...

Can you elaborate? I mean I understand if you can't be assed lol

https://gamefaqs.gamespot.com/boards/688276
-dragon-quest-vii-fragments-of-the-forgotten-past/74579903

Think this covers everything altho u may need context for bits

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Lmao you can't even link to another topic on gamefaqs without hitting the character limit

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NinjaBreakfast posted...

Lmao you can't even link to another topic on gamefaqs without hitting the character limit

https://gamefaqs.gamespot.com/boards/688276-dragon-quest-vii-fragments-of-the-forgotten-past/74579903
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Balrog0 posted...

Can you elaborate? I mean I understand if you can't be assed lol

it's a textbook example of how not to do visible encounters. the original game's dungeons consist entirely of cramped hallways, meaning with new on-screen encounters you have almost no space to navigate without running into enemies. in some cases there will actually be no choice but for you to fight an enemy if it's blocking an access point or if it is large enough. as if this weren't bad enough there's basically no grace period after fights before more enemies spawn, and the sheer amount of them is just completely absurd. and the game had a nasty habit of spawning them right in front of you. this leads to an experience (in dungeons) that is 100% more disruptive than random encounters ever were

i also personally don't think the vignette storytelling in 7 is all that great. I prefer 9's take on it, especially when it comes to pacing.

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IV is a must play
https://i.vgy.me/mTciv2.jpg

DRAGON QUEST XI: Echoes of an Elusive Age is the only good dragon quest game

EricDraven59 posted...

DRAGON QUEST XI: Echoes of an Elusive Age is the only good dragon quest game

Translation: It's the only game you've ever played

Delirious_Beard posted...

it's a textbook example of how not to do visible encounters. the original game's dungeons consist entirely of cramped hallways, meaning with new on-screen encounters you have almost no space to navigate without running into enemies. in some cases there will actually be no choice but for you to fight an enemy if it's blocking an access point or if it is large enough. as if this weren't bad enough there's basically no grace period after fights before more enemies spawn, and the sheer amount of them is just completely absurd. and the game had a nasty habit of spawning them right in front of you. this leads to an experience (in dungeons) that is 100% more disruptive than random encounters ever were

i also personally don't think the vignette storytelling in 7 is all that great. I prefer 9's take on it, especially when it comes to pacing.

Yeah this is better put than in my old topic tbh.

Honestly I found what you might call the gameplay loop v tiresome too. The spawning enemies are almost too easily avoided on the world map which is kinda funny by contrast

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not enough 6 rep in this thread

sure 3 got me into DQ

but the jank mostly finished DQ6 translation kept me playing until 8 came out lmao

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3, 4, 5, 8, 11 are the ones i primarily enjoyed

1/2 were too outdated
6 was super whatever
9 i didn't like but haven't played in years
7 i haven't played enough of

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