Looking to get into Dragon Quest

I'm going to assume it's another one of those RPG series where the numbers mean nothing and I can jump in anywhere without feeling lost. So which of the DQ games would you recommend I try first?

Having only played the DS entries so far, I'd heartily recommend number 5. I thought it's story presentation was fairly unique among most JRPGs, and it's the one that drew me in the most. I don't know if this is normal for later titles in the series, but in that game you actually play the protagonist from early childhood to early adulthood. Give it a shot!

@ronnieav: You'd be correct, like Final Fantasy each game takes place in it's own world and story.

Definitely a fantastic RPG series though, I started with 8 back on the PS2. Has the best story and visuals hands down in my opinion, and is still my favorite in the series, as well as one of my favorite JRPGs period. 4 and 5 are also great entry points into the series as well.

Ultimately, though, Dragon Quest is just simple enough that it doesn't overwhelm you with lore or terminology, while at the same time still having some depth to it, so none of the main games are really a bad start to the series. I haven't played the original 3 games though, as I focused on the DS/3DS ports after I played 8, so I can't speak for the early games.

Hope you have fun!

@baron_machina:
@Cheddarchet:

Thanks guys! I'll look into V DS and VIII 3DS

I agree that either V or VIII would be a good place to start. I recently picked up VII but haven't played it yet. For the early ones, III is quite good for it's time and I feel it's aged better than some other NES RPGs. However though I did play the GBC version so it may have some updates.

I'd very much recommend Dragon Quest VIII to start.

If you're looking for something more "old-school" 4-5-6 are all great entry points with great stories. DQ8 goes more down the path of 3D RPGs that were more frequent after Final Fantasy 7. It's also a great jumping on point with a straightforward story and fun voice acting.

While it's cool that DQ7 was finally re-released, I'd only recommend that if you end up really, really, really loving the franchise and are ready for a very long slog.

I really really reccomend you start with Dragon Quest 8. Trust me, I think it will be the easiest to get into for you.

I would recommend Dragon Quest VIII either on the PS2 or 3DS you can easily spent hours exploring and 3D visuals look impressive. But would also recommend Dragon Quest III on Game Boy Colour