In my fifth and final Dragon Quest post of the year (probably), I review, rate, and rank the first nine main-series Dragon Quest titles. You probably knew this was coming. And probably can guess the top two.
I'm glad I started blogging in earnest again, because it feels like a healthy pastime. I always want to write more, even if it's mostly about video games and superhero shows, and the lull in my blogging from the past three years is a bit of a personal shame (I blame podcasting). And my urge to write Dragon Quest list articles got me on this twice-weekly blogging schedule again. Sounds good to me.
Over the past two months I've blogged about my favorite Dragon Quest heroes, companions, major villains, and minor monsters, and now it's time to list my favorite games of the series. My criteria are as vaguely defined as ever: these nine (actually ten) are all games I've played to completion, and I'm ranking them by preference. The game order here will often reflect my earlier lists from this summer, since all of these lists come from the same weird brain, I guess. Whatever, I don't have anything left to explain. Here are the nine main-series Dragon Quest games ranked in order of my least-favorite to overall favorite, after one honorable mention.
Sollosi's Top Nine Favorite Dragon Quest Games
Honorable Mention
The second game in the Slime MoriMori Dragon Quest sub-series is the only one that got localized for a Western release (MoriMori 1 was on GBA and MoriMori 3 is for 3DS), and it was re-christened Rocket Slime. Rocket Slime is fun and adorable, so I'm glad we got it! Top-down action gameplay revolving around communities of Dragon Quest monsters, with big grandiose tank battles and a main quest revolving around rescuing 100 of Rocket's slime brethren. Rocket Slime is a rock-solid DS game and a fun diversion of a Dragon Quest spinoff. I wish that more than one was available in English.
Number Nine
Dragon Quest II makes several important improvements over its predecessor, especially by increasing party size from one to three. The design of the main quest is pretty decent, and adds future Dragon Quest mainstays like the Thunder Sword and Water Flying Clothes (Flowing Dress) in neat ways. Dragon Quest II grinds (ha!) to a halt during the endgame, though, with one of the least-fun sets of final dungeons I've ever encountered. By far the Dragon Quest game I'm least interested in replaying.
Number Eight
Dragon Quest is important to JRPGs in general and Dragon Quest in particular, for setting many of the traditions and designs signature to Dragon Quest for 31 years since. It's also so bare-bones and simple that I'm not sure I'm interested in replaying it. The near-mandatory grind isn't as heinous as that of Dragon Quest II and the nonlinear questing and exploring still feels pretty good in the 2010s, but having a single party member and so little in the way of strategy and customization isn't a great look for an RPG today. DQ I is important, but it's not excellent.
Number Seven
Dragon Quest IX is better if you regularly engage in multiplayer, take advantage of the online quest and store features, and use SpotPass to get more optional maps. Sadly, those elements don't apply to single-player fans or those that don't take their DSes out of the house. Even sadder, the OG DS's online servers are down permanently and some of those features are now lost. I did a tiny bit of multiplayer and a LOT of SpotPass (MAGFest helped) and online store stuff, but even with those very cool bits Dragon Quest IX is a below-average Dragon Quest game. The class system is robust-but-slow-to-progress, the grind is pretty bad, and the characterization is weak until you start meeting endgame antagonists. The story vignettes are good and the online extras are very nice, but in 2018 Dragon Quest IX doesn't stand up well to its series contemporaries.
Number Six
Dragon Quest VI has a pretty entertaining main quest, with a few cool character and villain ideas and a very interesting (and sometimes confusing) dream world gimmick. DQ VI also incorporates the job system from Dragon Quest III in a more individualist way, stretching out the grind a little (sped up for the DS remake), but making for some fun skill rewards and customization options. I think Dragon Quest VI is more interesting in concept than in execution (mostly for Dream World stuff), but it's a solid, lengthy Dragon Quest quest that is somehow the only game in this list to match its series number and ranking number.
Number Five
Dragon Quest VII isn't the best Dragon Quest, but it's definitely the MOST Dragon Quest, clocking in at 70 to 100 hours (depending on what version you're playing). In either case, it's probably the most fun version of the Dragon Quest job system (breakable and grindy on PS1, more streamlined and confined on 3DS) and has a great main story that comes full circle in the late-game and post-game. Good story, good characters, good class system, definitely an above-average Dragon Quest that has some story and character high points.
Number Four
Dragon Quest III feels ahead of its time, with a high degree of customization in its job system and a world-map-ranging nonlinear main quest. At a certain point, the player is required to collect six multicolored orbs with only the barest of breadcrumbs to work with, but the storytelling and quest design never feels unfair or bad. I wish that there were more unique characters and that either Baramos or Zoma was more present in the story, but goddamn. This is a 1988 NES RPG I'm describing here. Dragon Quest III is excellent.
Number Three
Dragon Quest IV basically ascribes several unique characters to the different DQ III jobs, and then executes on a character introduction concept that seems smart in 2018 and must have been goddamn brilliant in 1990. Introducing the principal characters one by one in individual stories before uniting the team in the main narrative... is almost like a better version of what Octopath Traveler does? Whatever. Anyhow, Dragon Quest IV has an outstanding cast, an excellent main story, and a satisfying level of party customization. Very different from Dragon Quest III, but every bit as shockingly good for being a NES title.
Number Two
Dragon Quest VIII brought the series into true 3D and also to a worldwide audience, and did so with the most beautiful game in the entire series. Dragon Quest VIII is the best realization of Akira Toriyama's human and monster designs we've ever seen, and backs that up with an awesome core cast and a fantastic fairy tale of a main story starring four lovable misfits, a goblin-king, and a horse-princess. They ditch the job system for a weapon / skill system that is fun and satisfying, but the pace of the story is admittedly on the slow side compared to other PS2 RPGs. But that doesn't matter. DQ VIII is one of the best Dragon Quest games and one of the best PS2 RPGs, full stop.
Number One
This was probably obvious. A Dragon Quest V character finished first or second in each of the past four lists, so naturally it was going to finish at least that high in my list of favorite Dragon Quest games. Dragon Quest V feels better every time I revisit it. Its quest design emphasizes monster hunting in a way unlike any other Dragon Quest game, and choosing who the hero marries is the biggest branching story path in any Dragon Quest game. Dragon Quest V's persistent family theme makes for some of the best character moments in series history and one of the most dramatic hero's journeys in all of RPGs. Dragon Quest V is special and I'll never forget its characters, monsters, story, or presentation. Pankraz. Never Forget.
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Still playing Suikoden II, and VERY EXCITED about Dragon Quest XI releasing in one week. For the blog, I have Kamen Rider and Mega Man posts in the oven, but I'm not sure which one is coming first. Those will both drop in September. Thanks for reading, everyone!
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