Dragon Quest IV: Chapters of the Chosen

"A "true" classic worth every penny..."

The Dragon Quest games have always been my favorite role playing games to play. I remember when I first got into Dragon Quest via a spinoff game, Dragon Quest Monsters. I loved that game a lot, and I became highly interested in Dragon Quest. Before long, I had read an article in Nintendo Power about them doing a remake of Dragon Quest I and II and furthered my love for the games The series truly became a part of me as the BEST Role Playing Game series of all time. And there's many reasons to like Dragon Quest from the odd trilogy system the game follow to the classic old school feel when playing Dragon Quest. Either way it goes, the series is the best. So, when I heard that Dragon Quest IV - VI were being remade and released onto the DS, I was skeptical because Square Enix gave Final Fantasy a lot of exposure, so I was pretty sure we weren't going to even see Dragon Quest IV. But, when people started discovering a rough English translation in the game, some hope in me rose up to the surface, but I was still very skeptical.

Well, it finally released, and I was one happy Dragon Quest fanboy. But, does Dragon Quest IV live up to expectations? Hell yes, and I enjoyed this IV more than anything. It was much fresher, HARDER than ever, and very engaging.

The Chapters of Dragon Quest IV:

Basically, the story in Dragon Quest IV is pretty clear cut - a chosen one has arisen to save the world. At first approach, this seems a little cliched, but the story does provide some good twists and turns. A nice feature Dragon Quest IV introduces that I wish many RPGs would follow suit is the addition of chapters before the main quest. The game has five chapters with the fifth being the main storyline. The other four chapters deals with the characters that travel with the hero during the storyline, and it details how they end up going on a quest to meet the hero. The stories are pretty good with some memorable characters, especially the Ragnar McRyan and his chapter. In addition to the chapters, the game also has several different dialects in the game used by the different regions. It really adds a sense of reality to the game and makes me enjoy it even more. Overall, I really enjoyed the chapters and storyline of Dragon Quest IV.

Gameplay of Dragon Quest IV:

Dragon Quest IV is an old school role playing game, and I wouldn't want it to change for the world. You do the usual - travel to towns, go to dungeons and fight monsters, etc. But something in Dragon Quest keeps you wanting to play be it the large, vast world, to the different locales you visit. Yes, Dragon Quest IV is old school, and it just wouldn't be Dragon Quest without old school.

Unlike in most role playing games, you're going to have to train and battle in order to be on top along with having good equipment. And yes, Dragon Quest IV does have random encounters, but it's not really that bad. The battle system is very simplistic where you don't have these gimmicky bars filling up or anything. Just good old fashion turn based affair. You have a varied cast of characters that perform different skills and magic. Some can only cast offensive type spells and field type spells while others cast support spells like healing and status restoring. Very simple and easy to get into, and not at all complex to newcomers.

My only gripe with the gameplay in Dragon Quest IV is the absence of a quick save in dungeons. You can still quick save outside of dungeons, but in towns, you can only save at churches in towns. Another gripe I have is that you have to go to said churches if you want to find out how much experience points it'll take for your characters to go up another level. Sometimes it can be cumbersome when you're trying to train and gain a few levels to fight off stronger monsters, but most of the times it's not a real bother.

And there's a few little minigames in the game, namely the casino and the tiny medals, so there's a little variety in the game.

Overall, if you love old school, then Dragon Quest IV's gameplay is the best at what it does.

The Graphics of Dragon Quest IV:

Now, some people will probably complain about Dragon Quest IV's graphics, but really, there's nothing to complain about, The graphics are just spectacular. The game utilizes both screens for the game, which is pretty cool. Also, the game is in 3D, but the character sprites and all are in 2D, and it works really good. Usually, I would prefer Dragon Quest's original style graphics, but the updated look from the Playstation remake for which this game is based on, works like a charm. And you want find any gimmicky FMVs here, but the game doesn't need them. Everything is highly detailed from the medieval style castles to the different locations you and your part visits. In addition to that, the game incorporates different times of the day from morning all the way up into night, and each one is represented by a nice graphical touch up. All in all, the graphics are polished and updated, but the old school charm is still there.


The Tunes of Dragon Quest IV:

The Dragon Quest games have always had good music, and this one is no different. You still have the traditional Dragon Quest theme in the title, but you also have the usual battle themes and the epic boss themes. And some of them are pretty catchy, though not as catchy as Dragon Quest III's themes. Still, the music in Dragon Quest is really good and fits the scene nicely. The same can be said for the sound effects as they too fit the scene nicely and gets the job done.

Length and Replayability of Dragon Quest IV:

Dragon Quest IV is not a short game, and at times, not a very easy one. But, that only makes the game funner. The overall quest can last you at least 40 hours, and that's just for the basic playthrough. There's an additional 6th chapters to the already five chapters in the game plus the prologue, so you're looking at a heft quest. And you have a few secrets here and there, but I won't spoil them for you.

All in all, Dragon Quest IV is the best role playing game on the Nintendo DS. It has a certain old school charm that makes it better than others. It doesn't have full 3D graphics or a bunch of FMVs, but none of it's required as the game can stand up on its own. Should you buy Dragon Quest IV? Yes, I think you should BUY this game as you're getting your money's worth, and it hasn't been rereleased in the US before, so it'll be newer to a lot of gamers.

Pros:
+Highly detailed graphics
+Polished battle system
+Nice depth
+The usage of chapter scenes

Cons:
-Less cumbersome quick save feature

Reviewer's Score: 9/10, Originally Posted: 12/26/08

Game Release: Dragon Quest IV: Chapters of the Chosen (US, 09/16/08)