My 1st impressions after beating DQ4. With excellent pacing, characters, and exploration, DQ4 is a classic.
Starting out Dragon Quest IV I already knew I'd liked it more than VIII. I just have a thing for ported RPGs, but IV was also able to draw my attention by the chapter system it used to tell its tale. I love the chapter system, and it's one of the main reasons why I love Paper Mario so much. I feel that it provides a show of progress while still having a combined story with other smaller stories in it. It's a bit artificial, I know, but it makes the game feel fast, and for RPGs that's a need for me. The fact that these chapters are also like origin stories makes me feel all the more connected to the characters as well. I'm not really sure which chapter I like the most, but Torneko's chapter was perhaps the most interesting. And that's another thing I like about this game, the characters. Most RPGs fall on a lot of archetypes, but Dragon Quest IV just feels like it's different. I know some of the cast are typical archetype RPG characters, but the introduction of Torneko was really the one that kept me off guard. The majority of his chapter is just getting money, but the way it presents itself just makes it feel fresh, and I understand why he got a few spin-offs.
I really don't have a lot of bad things to say about DQ4 though. Sure, sometimes I would be at a loss of what to do, mainly the magic key bit, but there were enough clues that could have lead me to it eventually. Perhaps, why I never really felt lost in this game is because I never felt hindered to just explore the world, and that's another thing I like about this game. While you are restricted through all the side stories, the main game is pretty much exploring the world and getting team members back and looking for legendary armor. It really brought back memories of Final Fantasy VI and was probably the inspiration FFVI had. The only few problems I have with this game is the soundtrack, and the fact that dark moments aren't emphasized enough. I know I don't like my RPGs to be fully serious all the time, but there are several points in the game where things get really dark, but the music just doesn't drive the point nor does some of the dialogue. It took me a while to soak in some of the events that were happening in DQ4 and its like "damn, that was actually really dark and sad", but the music and dialogue just don't drive it home. It's a minor problem though, and easily over looked considering all the fun that is had throughout the game though. Also long final boss is long.
Conclusion: Dragon Quest IV knows how to push all the right buttons with me, and for that I found it to be one of my most enjoyed RPG ventures. While the story isn't always present, the exploration, and characters are, and for that DQ4 certainly deserves all the attention it gets.