Dragon Quest Swords: The Masked Queen and the Tower of Mirrors

"The first of a new wave of Wii RPGs..."

Follow-up of Kenshin Dragon Quest (which could be translated as Dragon Quest Swordsmaster - a TV game that came with a sword and a shield), Dragon Quest Swords is one thing for sure, and that's not your typical RPG. People are very sensitive about calling it an RPG and will deny it being one, but the truth is that whether it is or not, it does carry a lot of elements of an RPG, except that the experience is close to nothing, and this sequel (of sorts) could only be brought back to life on the Wii.

What's so special about this spin-off of the Dragon Quest series is that you use the Wiimote as a sword, in a first-person view. Think of a shooter, but with a sword. As said, although not everyone will agree about it being an RPG, DQ Swords is actually a lot closer to the true definition and nature of an RPG. It goes back to the roots of old RPGs, when the genre used to present a first-person perspective and left you off to explore dark dungeons set out like mazes. DQ Swords plays more similarly to that than any other recent RPG.

Instead of gloomy dungeons, you'll explore sunny landscapes, and of course, still some dark caves and even burning lava lands. The first-person view is a nice change, but unfortunately doesn't render the experience any better than it could have been in third-person. It doesn't make exploring any more immersive, for the simple fact that there is no exploration to be done in DQ Swords. The game being on rails, all you can do is move forward and follow a set path, sometimes choosing to go left or right at a branching path. These paths usually lead to treasure chests and dead-ends, so there is still only one path to each level.

The only place you can actually walk around is the only town of the game, which is also quite small in proportions, only consisting of a few scattered buildings. You'll find a pub, three shops, a mini-games stand, a church, your very own house, and the castle. Here you can talk to NPCs in-between levels, sell and buy items, and play a few mini-games. Truth is, you won't really spend much time in town, usually going from a level to the other, even though the game forces you to head back into the castle after every level to advance the storyline.

DQ Swords's plot is very simple, but also very effective in such a small game. The story itself is nothing worth rambling about (a villain re surfaces, the queen disappears, a mysterious mask appears, a tower that holds a dark secret... you can put the pieces of the puzzle together), but what really comes out of the predictable lot are the fleshed out characters. What makes them so credible is the surprisingly impressive voice-acting and the originality of the main girl character, Fleurette. It's fun to travel with these characters during the game's short lifespan.

After each visit to the town, you'll be heading back to the world map from where you can choose one of the game's eight areas. Although the game is made of only those eight levels, each takes quite a while to go through. Not that the game is very long (somewhere between 8 to 15 hours), but if you know how to extend the quest, some might find a way to spend hours collecting all swords and replaying levels to burst out high scores.

While in any of the levels, you will encounter monsters on your way, that you'll need to fight off, still in first-person view. Out of your three party members, one will accompany you. This party member can be controlled via a menu or button shortcuts, but otherwise, it will act on its own and support you based on the tactic you assigned it. It will either concentrate on healing, attacking, or a mix of both. The AI is a real teammate in DQ Swords; it never lets you down when you need healing.

To defeat enemies, you'll need to slash the Wiimote horizontally, vertically or diagonally, depending on the enemies's position on the screen. Bonus are awarded at the end of each level for how well you scored and how fast you completed the stage. The mechanism works pretty well for the most part and the controls are very responsible (though not perfect). You can also block attacks with your shield by holding down the B button, and can lock-on to enemies with the A Button. Your party member will occasionally help you defeat large groups of enemies with spells.

Defeating enemies will fill up your Master Stroke gauge, which will allow you to perform powerful special attacks when reaching 100%. Each of the attacks has a different motion to perform with the Wiimote. You'll probably feel stupid brandishing the Wiimote over your head, but as long as there's no one around, it's kind of fun. The different Master Strokes are obtainable from your sword, which can be crafted into various other swords. To temper your old sword into a new one, you'll need to gather materials from the levels and bring them to the blacksmith in town. The sword you start with has three different paths, but you'll also get other swords later on that also have other branches leading to more powerful swords.

For those worried about the RPG aspect of the game, worry not, the RPG elements are all there. As you defeat enemies and gain EXP, you will also gain levels and get stronger. You can equip various body armor pieces, and as you already know, it's possible to craft your sword. Your party members also learn new spells as they level-up. With all that in place though, it's too bad there isn't more. The game's limited mobility and simplistic, straightforward nature will not please everyone.

Because of the first-person view, DQ Swords's world and graphics are even more noticeable. The game looks great for the most part, with quite impressive landscapes, but since you can't get off the path and actually walk through them, it makes them feel rather shallow despite the grandiosity of some of the environments. Where it really falls apart though, is within the town, where the buildings look hideous up-close. There is a certain lack of details that isn't noticeable from afar, but overall, the game looks fairly alright -- nothing that couldn't have been done on PS2, for one. The character models otherwise shine upon the rest; they look exceptionally good, and so do the monster models.

Obviously, if you're expecting Dragon Quest Swords to be the Wii's RPG, then you might end up disappointed. It's not like other Dragon Quest games, and not like other more traditional RPGs. If you're willing to try something new and like the series however, it's a good, fun game. Short, but sweet. Once the game is over, extra bosses are available and you can replay in Payback Mode to up your high scores. A rental would be the wise thing to do, but definitely give it a try.

The game in a few words:

Gameplay 7/10 Too simple, too linear, but it's fun.
Graphics 7/10 Holds the road, but could have been better.
Music 8/10 Great score, old-school DQ sounds.
Replayability 7/10 Very short game, but has extra bosses and a Payback mode.

Verdict: Good and original, but not indispensable.

Reviewer's Score: 7/10, Originally Posted: 03/12/08

Game Release: Dragon Quest Swords: The Masked Queen and the Tower of Mirrors (US, 02/19/08)