Dragon Quest VIII: Journey of the Cursed King for PlayStation 2

GF Rating

9

Excellent

Dragon Quest is a must have RPG

posted by rpggamer79 (VIROQUA, WI) Apr 27, 2006

Member since Apr 2006

13 out of 13 gamers (100%) found this review helpful

Having played DW games since the NES days I had a fair idea as to how the controls would handle. Being the game is the first fully 3-D game and with the addition of the Cel-shading I was wondering how this game would handle. The character movement is sharp and the response time for the commands is just right. I found that the controls have a fluid feel and the menu and such is well laid out. The Menu has been redefined and it takes some getting used to but after a half hour it was like second nature to me. Controls Rating = B+
Next up Visuals. The game looks beautiful. This is some of the best cel-shading I have ever seen in a game. The look and feel of the world is breathtaking. One of the neat features is the ability to go into first person viewing and take a look at your surroundings. I highly recommend running around the lush environment and taking peeks at all there is to see. Visual Rating = A+
Voice Acting. Superb from what I have seen so far. This is also the First Dragon Quest game to have voice acting and it is spot on. Pleasant voices seem to capture the emotion of the characters speaking. Voice Acting = A
Interest value. This game has set the stage for a mystery or two. The opening intro leaves a lot of question to be answered and during the first mission to the waterfall cavern still much is left out in the open. After a couple hours the game still has not really explained the relationship to the other members in your party. I believe these relationships will be slowly introduced as time goes on though. Interest Value = B-
Overall rating. So far this game is an exceptional addition to the Dragon Quest series. I am willing to bet this will be trumpeted as one of the best games in the series. Square-Enix has put together a exceptional game and it should attract fans young and old. I highly recommend picking this game up! Overall Rating = A-

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GF Rating

8

Very Good

Excellent, but not without flaws

posted by UserError (MOUNT JOY, PA) Jun 25, 2006

Member since Jun 2006

8 out of 8 gamers (100%) found this review helpful

The Good:
1) Incredibly engaging gameplay and a enjoyable storyline thats easy to follow
2) Fun and cartoony graphics
3) Easy to jump right in without concerning oneself with becoming immersed in the universe first (a la Morrowind)
4) It's not too repetitive, and the skills have a lot of variety.

The Bad:
1)It's difficult to put down, as you'll quickly forget what you were doing and spend hours trying to remember (not a huge deal for a rental, though)
2)It's sometimes neccisary to powerlevel yourself for hours just to beat that one obnoxious boss(not unlike some final fantasy games I recall)
3) The biggest clincher for me was that it was impossible to get more than two of the 'best' weapons because of the limited number of the high end components.

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GF Rating

9

Excellent

Old School, maybe, but it feels so new!

posted by Venomous (ARKANSAS CITY, KS) Apr 22, 2006

Member since Apr 2006

17 out of 18 gamers (94%) found this review helpful

I had seen tv commercials for this game and I just kinda shrugged it off. Looked like DBZ graphics, eh why did I care. But then I read the reviews for it, and it felt like I should really give this a try. Well, in short, it was worth it. This is old school perfection of rpgs. If you like 'em that way, then here's your game.

Graphics - 10
Clear cut, cell shaded, and the good old style of DBZ graphics. They were pulled off very nicely, and even the bosses and baddies have their own unique styles to them.

Sound - 8
Dragonquest 8 delivers what ALMOST every rpg should have: an orchestral soundtrack. You can just feel more emotion flowing through it whenever you are doing those final battles, or have beaten the game. The voices are also very good, and so overall this was a pretty good soundtrack and voicetrack.

Plot - 10
A king and his kingdom have become cursed. You, playing as the unspoken main character, are on a quest with the king, his cursed daughter (who has been turned into a horse), and a bandit friend, to restore the kingdom to it's once former glory. Along the way, more friends, and yes, more plot twists than you can shake a stick at.

Gameplay - 8
Turn-based goodness. The usual style, but one very interesting aspect added to the style is that your characters are not limited to one style of weapon fighting. Instead, every character has 4 styles of fighting (with the final style always being their fists), and you can level up the style of your choice. Overall, it's done pretty well, however it just sometimes did feel like it was too easy, then suddenly got too hard. But pretty solid.

Overall - 9
Go try it. It really is quite worth it. Once you start, you'll be engrossed like I was, rushing home from school to see what happened next. Just remember this: IT WILL SUCK YOUR SOUL AWAY! XD

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GF Rating

9

Excellent

A great game.

posted by Zeifear (RENO, TX) Apr 12, 2006

Member since Apr 2006

3 out of 3 gamers (100%) found this review helpful

Game play 10/10
My favorite part of ANY game, was the battles, and this really did the trick to me. The battles were random encounters that occurred anywhere in the world except towns. If you've ever played any other Dragon Quest, there almost exactly like that except you saw your characters attacking. The world map was huge, with so many places to explore, I couldn't have been happier. But that didn't make it so it took a long time to get to a place half way around the world, since you had a spell that could teleport you to any important place you'd visited in the past.

Story 6/10
This is where the game failed in my opinion. It just lacked any kind of serious story to keep the player going, and there were certainly no twists that made the game make up for this. But it didn't screw up bad enough that it didn't recover.

Sound 10/10
All the music in Dragon Quest VIII was orchestrated, which was a big okay from me, being a fan of that kind of music. This also kept me drawn to the game, so much so that I couldn't get enough of the music and almost had me buying some kind of soundtrack.

UI/Control 8/10
The UI and controls were good, except that you had to go through many of your party members inventory just to find that one particular object, which was very annoying. I also had some troubles getting to things like the options menu.

Overall 9/10
This game is definitely worth buying, especially if your a die hard RPG fan!

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GF Rating

9

Excellent

GREAT Game

posted by tpbutch (TOLLESON, AZ) Sep 6, 2006

Member since Nov 2004

2 out of 2 gamers (100%) found this review helpful

For me, this was one of those games that I was sad when I had finished. Great story, great character development and the game play was phenomenal. Many many hours of game play and side quests. I'd recommend this game to anyone, in a heartbeat.

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GF Rating

9

Excellent

Next to perfection

posted by Tattooed (LELAND, NC) Apr 16, 2006

Member since Mar 2006

2 out of 2 gamers (100%) found this review helpful

Easy to pick up & go while detailed enough in gameplay aspects to keep you hooked instantly. The graphics are top notch and a definate boost for cel shading. Crisp, clean control and a brilliant storyline with all the usual RPG elements. The best PS2 rpg since FFX and should definately hold you over untill FFXII comes out. Must try this one out to believe.

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GF Rating

8

Very Good

DragonQuest VII:Journey of the Cursed King

posted by esaias (SACRAMENTO, CA) Jan 3, 2007

Member since Jan 2006

1 out of 1 gamers (100%) found this review helpful

This is a great game.I`ve always compared dragonquest to final fantasy and always thought that final fantasy was the better series but this game has changed my mind. I myself highly recommend this game.

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GF Rating

10

Perfect

Highly addicting!!! Best nonlinear rpg ever!!!!!!

posted by deadeyejac (SCOTTSDALE, AZ) Dec 23, 2006

Member since Dec 2006

1 out of 1 gamers (100%) found this review helpful

If you like non linear games like gta where you don't have to do what the game wants you to do, u can do what ever goes through your mind then this is the best rpg you can ever choose. With the drawers of Dragonball z and creators of the legendary Kingdom Hearts, it's should be one of the top games for ps2. The best parts of the game is the free roaming. You can enter a casino and gamble your money away, fight creatures and level up your peeps and train them to master the art of weaponry, walk around and look through different shops that sell different things such as an herb shop, sword shop, shield shop, accessory shop, armor shop, etc. Now the only bad part of this game are the occasional puzzle like obstacles you'll have to pass. But this in the end just makes it more exciting to get through with it's amazing story. Final fantasy (fighting system), GTA (free roaming), Dragonball z (art), and Kingdom Hearts (story) all combined into one game, Dragonquest VIII: Journey of the Cursed King.

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GF Rating

9

Excellent

Old School RPG

posted by jetrac (WASHINGTON, DC) Sep 1, 2006

Member since Aug 2006

1 out of 1 gamers (100%) found this review helpful

Excellent and engaging game, the kind that you just don't want to stop playing. Many years ago I was hooked on Might and Magic, and this is the first game since then that I've enjoyed so much. You don't get to create your party, but the folks you're given are a good variety and have much to say.

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GF Rating

9

Excellent

One of the best RPG's to date.

posted by DavidO (BEACON, NY) Aug 29, 2006

Member since Dec 2004

1 out of 1 gamers (100%) found this review helpful

After hearing about how good Dragon Quest series was I decided to give this game and try and definitely glad I did.

The story of this game is your main hero who you name, and is the silent type which we have seen in many games before and I personally don't like.
He is accompany a king and princes who have been transformed into a ugly green guy and a uh horse.

You will start off with Yangus a scruffy guy who might look like a thief of some sort at first glance. Along the way you will pick up Jessica a girl out to destroy Dhoulmagus (The main villain in the beginning) and Angelo a man who was adopted and lives in the Abbey, and is looked at as a troublemaker to the Abbey.

The world of Dragon Quest VIII is very beautiful and vibrant. The characters also have a very nice cell shade look. The style might also look firmilier to Dragonball Z because it was designed by Akira Toriyama. Another thing you will quickly notice in DQ8 is that well.. everyone is British you get use to it after awhile but still... British >.<

The game also comes with a free Final Fantasy XII demo disc, which is another very nice touch to the game.

I would definitely recommend getting this game it will offer you about 60+ hours of gameplay, a great storyline, and a beautiful world to explore. Of course there are also the great slime's which ya gotta love.

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GF Rating

10

Perfect

Back into the Mix!

posted by Techtar (PITTSBURGH, PA) Jul 6, 2006

Member since Jul 2006

1 out of 1 gamers (100%) found this review helpful

Well I haven't played a DQ(DragonWarrior)game since it was on the nes and I was really looking forward to getting it but I didnt.Hearing about how it feels like its still on the nes and I wasn't to fond of the DBZ like graphics. But it came in the mail after being influenced by friends to rent it.I love it I don't mind the graphics now cause I just got used to them the story may not compare to FF but it brings its own storytelling style to the mix. Also the land is enormous I couldn't put it down when it came.I would recommend this to anyone who wants a good rpg that is not to complicated and is just right. But be warned new style rpg players might not catch onto the battle system as quickly as others but once you've got the hang of it clocks in about a month or more of fun!

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GF Rating

9

Excellent

Cliche in a Good Way

posted by SocoLime (BARRE, MA) Jun 23, 2006

Member since Mar 2005

1 out of 1 gamers (100%) found this review helpful

The Dragon Quest series is widely popular in Japan, even more popular than Final Fantasy. So when a series that hasn't been released in the US for several years finally makes a return you know it's going to be good. In fact it was better than good it was near perfect. The story of DQ is very cliche, evil emperor, a kind, a reluctant hero blah blah. It's nothing new but it's just interesting enough to push the story along. What makes this game so good is the scale the world you travel in is built apon. There are basically no boundaries, you can literally venture off the main map for hours without invisible boarderes blocking you. Another positive are the battles, the battles are turn based but they are fast and fun. Leveling up is something you wont mind doing for once. There are tons of wacky characters, and there are plenty upgradeable weapons, items and armor.

I guess the only remaining downside is you may or may not like art choice for the game. If you don't like Dragonball then you probably wont like the character and art design. one more little negative is the game at first is a little slow moving and may take a little bit to get into the flow of things. Other than that this game is amazing. Everyone should give this game a chance so that more DQ games will see their way over to the US.

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GF Rating

9

Excellent

Dragon Quest VIII: Journey of the Cursed King

posted by bigboy101 (OMAHA, NE) Jun 18, 2006

Member since Jun 2005

1 out of 1 gamers (100%) found this review helpful

Wow, this game is great. One of the best RPG's that I have ever played. It has everything that a good game needs. Battling, weapons, armor, strategy, and even an awesome storyline. It's kind of slow at the start, but once the action starts it keeps going. It all starts with this guy named Dhoulmagus, he takes this scepter that is containing a great evil, I won't tell you what is is though. The king and his daughter were cursed and they join you as you try to catch Dhoulmagus, along the way you will get new weapons, armor, and skills. You even get new partners and battle different beasts as you travel on. If you are looking for a game that will keep you busy then this is it. This game is fun and has it's hard points. Just some training and hard work and you can do anything is this game. Hope you enjoy it.

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GF Rating

10

Perfect

A Dynamite RPG, DBZ in a D & D World

posted by Exodia1510 (LEXINGTON, KY) May 29, 2006

Member since Jun 2003

1 out of 1 gamers (100%) found this review helpful

I've heard of the Dragon Quest series for years. Finally I get to play it and the Game is Sheer perfection. It has it's running gags,"Cor Blimey!!", Serious action, and even a DBZ edge to it, mostly because of the look of the characters(Thanks, Mr. Toriyama). This game will pull NO punches! You have to stay on top of all your stats, while running across the countryside with VERY LIITLE HP left, You will breath a sigh of relief when out of the dust you see, an INN. The action is non stop and with the addition of Alchemy, the experiments to make new items and equipment never ends. To make a Long story short, from beginning to end, DQ8 is one of the greatest RPG to date! So get packed and head out Guv!

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GF Rating

10

Perfect

Fantastic Game

posted by nbroop (LEXINGTON, KY) May 18, 2006

Member since Mar 2006

1 out of 1 gamers (100%) found this review helpful

I had never played and dragon quest/warrior games until this one and if the others are even half as good as this game i have missed out on some great games.

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GF Rating

9

Excellent

Not the best game ever, but great

posted by Alasion (WOODBRIDGE, VA) Apr 17, 2006

Member since Mar 2006

1 out of 1 gamers (100%) found this review helpful

Dragon Quest VIII had been hyped as the next great RPG to hit America. And it lived up to the hype. This game is arguably the best RPG of the year and it would be hard to argue against it. This game excels in all areas. Graphically, the environments are beautiful and well drawn. The plot is engrossing and takes interesting twists throughout the game. The characters, though stereotypical, are very well done. And the extras don't require you to slug through the game all over again, so that the makers can say that it has replay value. Is it the great RPG of all time? Probably not, but it is a great game.

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GF Rating

10

Perfect

Old School Perfection

posted by Linerunner (PROVIDENCE, RI) Apr 13, 2006

Member since Dec 2005

12 out of 15 gamers (80%) found this review helpful

I've practically grown up with this series and this latest chapter is everything I could have asked for. Diverse characters, a solid storyline with plenty of twists, humour and a genuine caring for the fate of the cast. The combat is a proven, age old console staple with modern graphical flare and excellent use of cell shading gives the whole thing a great look. The game is long, but doesn't suffer the endgame slowdown many titles suffer from. I haven't had this much fun with a CRPG in years.

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GF Rating

9

Excellent

Good, plain fun

posted by chigurl (CHICAGO, IL) May 1, 2006

Member since Apr 2006

4 out of 5 gamers (80%) found this review helpful

I enjoyed this game immensely. This is one of the best RPG's ever made. There is so much depth to this game, from the side quests to the game play. When I first played the game I was not initially impressed it took maybe 5-6 hours into the game before I began to realize that this would be a fun experience. This game is highly recommended.

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GF Rating

9

Excellent

I liked it. I liked it a lot.

posted by Heimdal (ROANOKE, IN) Jul 31, 2006

Member since Jul 2006

2 out of 3 gamers (67%) found this review helpful

How to describe this game without spoiling it? Well, put simply, the graphics were great, the sound worked well, the controls were simple (so long as you didn't confuse it for a final fantasy), and the best part: European accents!!

It wouldn't have had the same quality with voice actors from America, no! If some of the characters hadn't had such awesome, over-done accents, they wouldn't have been nearly so lovable. I found myself to want to know more and more about each one!

The story was most definitely different, to say the least, and any unconventialities... (is that even a real word?) only served to make it quirky and entertaining! A definite yes!

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GF Rating

10

Perfect

the closest game to a ten

posted by kingdom8 (OAKLEY, CA) Apr 13, 2006

Member since Oct 2004

2 out of 4 gamers (50%) found this review helpful

This game opened my eyes to a new game genre, the RPG genre. When I first saw this game I thought it was some childish game, but when i first played i was angry and impressed. This game was hard at first. i had to verse the first boss numerous times. but that is why this game is so wonderful because you want tolevel up so you can beat that boss and everyone else. it is not so linear in the end but in the begining it is pretty linear but the yougot the whole world in you hands once you get your ship. There are so many good things about this game i could go on forever, but it feels like it doesn't quite reach a perfect ten. i give it a 9.9 out of 10!

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GF Rating

8

Very Good

OLD SKOOL!!

posted by pooterbrwn (SPRINGFIELD, MO) Apr 28, 2006

Member since Feb 2006

1 out of 2 gamers (50%) found this review helpful

Remember the games from back in the day where you would spend like eighteen hours just fighting monsters to level up? Well, that's this. Although I spent days just fighting random battles, but unlike most games, I didn't get too bored. This game takes me back to when I was like ten playing ff1 and dw1, when story lines sucked and no stupid cut scenes to skip. This game was repetitive, way too spread out and had way too many stupid babysitting missions. I loved it.

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GF Rating

9

Excellent

Awsome!!!!!!!!!

posted by batman (NORTH BEND, WA) Apr 27, 2006

Member since Feb 2005

1 out of 2 gamers (50%) found this review helpful

I got this game not expecting much, put after playing it for an hour could not put it down. I loved everthing about it the graphics, the art, the gameplay, and yes even the british dialouge that everyone keeps complaining about. If you even remotley like RPGs or videogames in general you need to at leat give this one a chance and rent it, or just spend the like 20$ its going for now and just buy the full game!!

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GF Rating

8

Very Good

Not a Game, Work in disguise

posted by Comajama (SAN ANTONIO, TX) Jul 26, 2006

Member since Jul 2006

1 out of 3 gamers (33%) found this review helpful

This game is awesome first of all. The graphics are incredible, the story is kind of drawn out at first but it moves along. For the most part I found myself really having to spend hours and hours working, getting exp, gold and levels just to defeat one part of it. Which can get old if all you don't have this kind of time. It's nice to be challenged a little bit, but sometimes you spend the total time of an entire day or two just prepping for one fight. I'm a fan of all the other square games, but i seriously hate this one. I really hate it, and then I really love it too. There's also no way I'm going to be able to finish it. Have had this game for two weeks, put in a total of 80 hours into it and still am only at halfway. Like I said, kickass game, you should check it out. If you have that kind of time.

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GF Rating

10

Perfect

RPG of the year

posted by RATMfanboy (FERNDALE, CA) Apr 27, 2006

Member since Jun 2005

1 out of 3 gamers (33%) found this review helpful

Dragon Quest VIII or DQ8 as im going to refer to it as is one of the best games of the year by far. Although it is a back-to-basics RPG, the fundementals are what it is all about. The system is flawless to say the least, requiring strategy as well as dumb luck. When you here the sound alerting you that you've reached the next level it is like the lord has returned. Finding items and tresures to sell is a must to obtain new weapons. The Alchomey Pote is a great addition allowing you to make your own items and weapons. The cast (who all hail from Britain) are interesting, witty, and have meaning to the story. DQ8 also has some of the most eccidentally comedic monsters ever, the shere number of enemies to battle against is insane. This game is also HUGE, contiants connected by the sea and dotted with islands everywhere give you a very large area to roam, exploring is a must. I only have two complainst about the game, it ate my life and the voice acting. I am going to look over these though because if it didnt eat my life thier would be homework and voice acting is not the most important thing in a game by far. Many games have excellent gameplay but poor voice-acting, Resident Evil 4 is one of these as an example. I didnt even remember that the game came with a PLAYABLE demo Final Fantasy XII until i was forty+ hours into it. Besides RE4 this game is the best in 05.

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GF Rating

2

Really Bad

I'm just too old for this

posted by oldsappo (WASHINGTON, DC) Apr 27, 2006

Member since Nov 2005

5 out of 24 gamers (21%) found this review helpful

At the time of writing this review, this game had a rating of 8.2 based on 1618 ratings. I have a theory about this: I think the makers of this game have voted for this game 1254 times and 364 regular people gave it 2. Yes that's right, I did the math - if I'm nerdy enough to write reviews of games for no-one to read, then I'm certainly nerdy enough to be a math geek.

This game is slooooooow. This game has poor dialog. This game has the usual rag-tag team of pseudo-independent spunky characters with difficult pasts. This game plays like an actual cartoon. This game sucks if you are over 10 years old.

If you're thinking this looks like a bad version of Final Fantasy 7, then you're right. But don't bother as it has none of the charms of FF7. I sent it right back.

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Dragon Quest VIII: Journey of the Cursed King for PlayStation 2 Reviews by Gamers

GF Rating

Number of Players

ESRB

Buy