The shining star in the best era of gaming
Much like the previous Dragon Quests/Warriors, DQ5 is turn based and follows the classic DQ design. You have your slimes, your legendary heroes, and, of course, a cast that every will come to adore even though the hero doesn't speak a line. Despite this, his actions show what kind of child and, eventually, man that he is.
This is truly as epic as a tale can get. The game makers at Enix really used their heads with this game. Instead of simply making this about the hero and his one central party, it is given to you in three parts. This is fondly referred to by many as the generation system. You will meet a father, your character, and even your children. That is right folks: you shall be the husband of a lovely young girl. That is a little new, no? The fun thing is you get to actually pick which one so that if you do not like that annoying girl you can simply brush her off. This game radiates loveliness. It is as if Enix put some sort of magic dust into this game that you just breathed in as you play. From the very start your hero is shown to be strong willed. I myself call him the pimping six year old. As the first few hours unfold you will meet companions that, while not always being by your side, will become reliable in future ventures.
The character development is somewhat odd in this game. The main characters do not change much, but their roles shift over time to show how their lives have changed. You get to visit all parts of the world as you grow older and experience what things have changed. You meet people who describe your sorrowful eyes, or at other times your eyes are burning bright with an unquenchable inner fire. This is great gaming at its finest. Oh, and this game fills the need for revenge. There are many unsavory characters that do you wrong early in your life, but when you get a little bit older, equip some better gear and gain some experience, it will damn sure be payback time. If I might say so myself, Gema the sorcerer holds a very special place in my heart. You will know why once you play the game fully.
Discover who you are, your place in the world, and vanquish all those who try to take it from you. From self-absorbed prince, the graceful wife, the grateful fairies all the way back to a power hungry sorcerer, you will meet a cast of characters you will never forget. Even if you could, you wouldn't want to. I wonder who that legendary warrior people speak about could be?
They may look like Dragon Warrior IV's graphics, which is for the NES, but please talk to someone who cares. I never have been one to not like NES graphics or SNES graphics. I think the design of the game is brilliant. The cast's sprites look very good. I am a fan of the hero who always looking ragged and yet still as powerful as ever. I know it is odd to judge power and will from a sprite, but as you play the game you will notice it as I did. I liked the monster designs, which as in any Dragon Quest are top notch. I have never had a gripe with any of the designs and I do not think I will for quite a while. The towns were cute and had a fantasy feel to them, so the graphics accomplished the feel for the world quite well. Did this game age well? Most certainly. I dare say any game besides Dragon Warrior I (I loved it to death as a child, and it still holds a place in my heart, but it just hasn't aged well) in this series has ages splendidly well and DQ5 is no exception. This game beats many of the newer PS1 games in terms of graphics because it was smooth and flowing.
I have always been fond of the Dragon Warrior/Quest music so I suppose this may be heavy bias on my part (actually I'm biased towards the whole game if you hadn't noticed). The music is simply enchanting. There is no other word to describe it. Along with the fantasy world graphics, this type of music just seems to bring the world alive. Considering this was made back in the 16-bit era, this is quite extraordinary. It is not perfect since some themes got a little boring after around sixty hours of playing it, but really that takes nothing away from this game. If you want to listen to a beautiful symphony in 16-bit style, just leave the music on in one of the various towns, close your eyes, and let the fantasy over take you. Sure, some of the minor scores may be a bit off, but the main themes are wonderful. DW5 has some of my favorite music to listen to, even if it is only to bring back fond memories.
The Gameplay is very cool. It is as simple as that in my book. It did not require you to level up for hours, but it punished you for trying to get through the game too quickly. I found this out a few times during my first time through the game. The job system was not taken away in this game for each character's unique abilities. I found this a very nice change of pace. Sure, job systems are always nice, but every once in awhile I want a break from the norm and just have a good ole fashion level up and get spells kind of style. If you liked four party members during a battle, sorry, but you were denied. I think this brings more challenge and like it a lot. I've never really liked four members for some reason, three fits me just perfectly.
However, do not fret. You will not get bored with the same few characters in this game due to the wagon. With this wagon you can recruit monsters to aid you in battle. The monsters learn their own abilities as they level up. Some of my favorites are the slime, slime knight, Golem, and even a wizard for kicks. Each of them has their own name, so it is just as if you are traveling with your friends. You will have to play the game to find out their names and, frankly, some of them are quite cool. For this reason, I will not ruin them for you. I actually looked forward to finding out the new names after a few monsters had joined my side.
There are a few puzzles that can be tricky if you do not sit back and think for a while, but you should be able to get them rather quickly. A lot of them are only made difficult due to the high-level monsters in the area. If you got the legendary equipment in DQ6, the puzzles in this game will be decently easy for you. In addition, Enix threw in a few tricks at your expense throughout the game. I laugh at them now, but I remember cursing at them at the time. I am sure most will have a similar experience.
There are two big things to do in this game when you are not slaying monsters, rescuing people, and chilling with your family. The first one is the casino, which is a riot. You will probably end up wasting more gold than coins you win, but it is a ton of fun. One of the prizes is a very strong sword that will come in handy most any time throughout the game. Playing the slots is standard, but what I enjoy is the monster battle arena. You bet on different monsters and they have odds that determine the chances of them winning as well as how much you win if you bet on them and they win. I spent at least ten hours on this alone my first play through. That might seem odd to a person without playing the game, but the casino music was cool and I wanted that sword. Eventually I got the sword and it turned out to be completely broken. Oh well, I never said I would be fair, did I? Trust me, if you can get that sword, you have earned the pain you will inflict on most any monster. Ten hours of my life, do I want them back? No, this game can keep every single second.
Second is collecting tiny medals for the Medal King. This is hard because they are rare, and you probably will not get anything good unless you know a few tricks or you spend a very long time simply hunting them down. The prizes for the medals are well worth the hardship, and if nothing else, you can say that you have them. You can show others that you are the man because you got the second best prize he had to offer. Then your pride dies as your friend notes he has the best prize! Sadly, this has happened to me, so before showing off what you get, remember, and get the best prize.
Oh, and who can forget the "minor" Bonus dungeon. If you thought the last boss was easy you should simply rush headlong into the bonus boss. I will revive you when he is done eating you alive as I've got plenty of gold to pay the greedy churches in the game. Four hundred gold to revive? Where is a world leaf when you need it? The bonus dungeon was tons of fun for me and beating that demon was one of my final steps into truly completing this masterful game.
There are a few things you can try to do with this game once you have beaten it. The most challenging is using no other person but the hero of the game. The solo hero is very harsh, and sometimes you will want to throw the controller or whatever you are using to the ground and stomp it. However, all hero only challenges are hard, so this is only if you really want a challenge and loved this game the first time around. In addition to this, you can try various combinations of monsters to see what works best if the game was grueling for you the first time. Even go with a different wife this time around. It's all up to you.
A brilliant game my favorite game of all time. Surprisingly, the Dragon Quest V Hero is my favorite character of all time. Sure, he did not talk, but he just had an aura of coolness around him the whole time. If you were not a fan of the final fantasy series, I would actually try this. It is a surprising change of pace from what the mainstream of gaming is today. If you have any liking for RPGs in any way this game is a must play. If every game were like this, the gaming world would be a lot happier. Dragon Quest V is a symphony of fantasy and wonder and, with a dash of love added, makes the best game ever conceived.