So I picked up this new game by SE that blew my mind away. I was simply wow-ed.
Gameplay: 8/10
The gameplay being similar to the FF DS games I was dropped into a familiar looking world with that SE feel to it. The movement of characters is smooth and the battle system has that classic feel. The World in this game being broken into continents I knew how this game would run i.e. you would either get a ship or aircraft to proceed to neighbouring continents thus forwarding the game. The movement of camera is amazing and a full 360degrees allows you not only to search for items but to marvel at the beautiful enviroments in each city and each area. I would have preffered the battle system more like FF4 where you can also see the characters, but I guess some things need to separate the two franchises.
Graphics: 9/10
Simply stunning visuals in Dragon Quest 5 make this such a stunning game to play. I was awed by how they (SE) could create such beauty with the surroundings that I find them better than other FF DS games. The characters are sprites that can move in up down left right directions but still mesh wonderfully with the background. Battle sequences also present the quirky cartoon like animations of the monsters which always adds a good feel about it. Every time I entered a new city I would just roam around and do nothing but look at how the city moved and how the buildings would reveal each side to find hidden doors and treasures. The graphics are simply stunning.
Characters: 8.5/10
Each and every new character you meet soon becomes a life long friend and is tied up well into your adventure. As you start your adventure you are a meer child (you choose your own name) and are introduced to different characters usually by your father who protects you incase of danger. It's such a pleasure to see how these characters develop and what they become at an older stage, they're either the exact same or have changed drastically. You build amazing friendships with characters and it plays with your emotions well (DQ5).
Difficulty:8/10
Dragon Quest 5 keeps a constant difficulty to ensure you are challenged to where the smell of "I gotta train more" kicks in but not to the point of throwing your DS against the wall. Everytime I was defeated by a boss i would go train and once i defeated it, the feeling of pride was sweet. Not as hard as FF3 and definitely not as grinding; a well balanced difficulty.
Replayability:8/10
Like most SE RPG games , after you've finished the game you are able to roam the world free to do what you like. If you find this boring simply start again. In this game you have the chance to marry one of three women so starting again would serve a purpose. I continue to start this game over just for its meer replayability value and enjoyment i found from it.
Music:7.5/10
The music on DQ5 is great. However, even though I do not memorize the tune or hold it to my heart, I still enjoy hearing the familiar music for each city as I pass them. Music doesn't really concern me in games unless they are total rubbish. SE present each of their games with an melodious soundtrack which they composed and played amazingly,
Story:10/10
The thing that caught me and got me hooked so badly to DQ5 was the story. From beginning to end I was glued to my DS screen for I yearned to know what was going to happen to me or what was going to unfold. Such beautiful story telling presented in DQ5 almost had me forget what happened in FF4. The story would set you out as a little boy adventuring with his father to being faced with challenges (No spoilers so I wont carry on hehe...) at such a young age. I will tell you that storytelling in DQ5 can be matched with the FF4 story, even better in my opinion. SE meshed and wove up links wonderfully throughout the story so you encounter long lost friends and uncover hidden truths..
Conclusion: If you are looking for a solid game in the RPG genre with amazing graphics ,sound , and everything else mixed into one I insist you pick up this game and sit for a good couple of hours indulging in such excellence made my Square Enix. If you're after a story, no doubt in my mind this game is for you. With amazing graphics and lustrious storytelling I am simply awed by SE for its' masterpeice known as Dragon Quest 5.
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