If you crave just a meat and potatoes old school rpg then fire up Dragon Quest VI!
The Dragon Quest series is one of the oldest long time running video game franchises that Japan has ever created. This game goes WAY back to the old school era of gaming before alot of new video game technology was invented. Dragon Quest has always been about a tale of heroes embarking across the land to save the world from the evil Dread Fiends. The series creator Yuji Horii has kept the Dragon Quest series true to its roots with keeping the series the way it should be without fixing things that aren't broken! Dragon Quest is a very old school game that takes a REAL gamer to play and delve into. Some people may be put off by the old school battle system but thats what makes the Dragon Quest series so great! The later games change it up anyhow but I was on a mission to get a Dragon Quest game from the classic era and that's when I bumped into Dragon Quest VI: Realms Of Revelation. This Dragon Quest game dates all the way back to 1997 when it released in Japan on Super Famicon! The game was very old school and I mean REALLY old school. When I heard that a remake of this game was coming out on DS I was practically floored because I dreamed for a remake and I was not going to bother playing the Famicon version. I've finally gotten my chance to play this game after missing out on it for 15 years! And, I get to review it! Let's go!
Storyline: Dragon Quest VI takes place in a world where there is an alternate parallel world under it or above it. One world is the Dream World & the other is the Reality World. Your quest begins when you and your friends attempt to defeat the evil Murdaw only for their bodies to be spirited to the Dream World and I guess your soul gets split in half? Basically one part of you exists in reality and other part exists in the dream realm? Yeah, it takes a bit to wrap your mind around the plot but the game progresses very well once the story finally gets going.
Gameplay: Dragon Quest VI plays just as it did when it was released on the Super Famicon in 1997. The battle system is still intact just less prehistoric. There is a lot of level grinding to be done in this game and of course there is the job vocations to be mastered which should keep you busy. The over world in Dragon Quest VI is enormous as well. You will be traveling or zooming back and forth between the two realms allot! There is so much to explore in this game so naturally it's quite easy to get lost or stuck. It is recommended that you have a guide beside you while playing this game because you will find yourself stuck lots of times! Also, it is wise to master job vocations because you'll need those abilities in handy to face some really nasty monsters!
Graphics: After looking at the Famicon version and then playing the DS version it's pretty obvious that the DS version is the major improvement over the 1997 release. Dragon Quest VI really needed a makeover after 15 years of being stuck in Famicon prehistoric graphics! The graphics are a mixture of 2D & 3D artwork which is cool because I'm pretty sure that the villages, towns, castles and whatever else in the Famicon version were pitiful but hey they were the best during 1997 era. ArtePiazza developed Dragon Quest IV, V, & VI and they've done a good job remaking these classics!
Value: Dragon Quest VI has replay value once you've completed the game! You can finish getting the mini medals, kill some metal slimes, get all the weapons, or master all the vocations! That's if you aren't worn out from the LONG quest because I was after I killed the Dread Fiend. This game is defiantly pretty lengthy and I expect a long resting period before I fire it back up all over again...
Overall: Dragon Quest VI has allot to bring to the table as far as adventure & rpging goes. It's a pretty old school game and that's how it should stay. This game is defiantly great for those who have alot time to kill because that's what you will be doing in Dragon Quest VI. Dragon Quest is a big adventure for those who give it time for it to be played. Once you delve in you'll be hooked and it will feast on your time! If you love old school rpgs with no gimmicks, no too much melodrama, or: "If you crave just a meat and potatoes old school rpg then fire up Dragon Quest VI!" You'll be glad you did because you will have had your fill of old school.
Uh... Link will win. This review was brought to you by Wolflink001.
On a side note I would like to give a quick shout out to threetimes for typing an excellent Game FAQ Walkthrough that really helped me beat this game! You deserve a real mini medal man! Thank you as this game was the first Dragon Quest I've ever beaten!