The combined forces of Square and Enix under the same umbrella at first glance seemed to be a golden age for the latter company’s Dragon Quest series in North America, given the unique localization of the eighth installment for the PlayStation 2 and decent sales. Countries outside Japan had before then endured a dark age of the franchise where the fifth and sixth main installments lacked English versions. However, the announced trio of remakes of the fourth through sixth games for the Nintendo DS, collectively known as the Zenithian trilogy, gave the fifth game, Dragon Quest V: Hand of the Heavenly Bride, a chance in North America, one well-deserved, later released on iOS and Android devices.
The fifth game, at first, seems to have a structure like that of prior games when it comes to the battle system, with random encounters (their rate reducible through magic and Holy Water) and turn-based battles often having random and unpredictable turn order, which can fudge with things such as healing weak characters. During the second generation, however, defeated enemies may randomly ask to join the party; they can both level and wear equipment like the human characters, which abound more during the third generation when fewer vanquished foes offer to ally with the protagonist.
One major highlight is the rapid pace of most encounters, with adjustable battle text speed increasing the pacing of encounters. However, there are some slow parts, for instance, when the player or the enemy uses magic or abilities that affect multiple allies or every available character when the caravan is present, which can tax patience. AI options return from the fourth entry that can save players time inputting commands for their allies, although they aren’t foolproof. Grinding for experience and money is also necessary near the end, but the mechanics still work decently.
Dragon Quest V also inherits some of the shortcomings of its predecessors in terms of control, where shopping brings with it countless conversations and confirmations that can spoil the pace of the game, and a useless quicksave feature only available on the game’s various overworlds. While the Evac spell allows players to escape from deep within dungeons, and the Zoom spell eventually allows players instant conveyance among visited towns, it doesn’t go everywhere. The direction on advancing the main plot is sometimes poor also, with the party chat not clueing in players on this. Control doesn’t break the game but leaves room for improvement.
The story is one of the fifth entry’s high points, taking place across three generations, the first following the hero as a young boy traveling alongside his father, Pankraz. There are possible variations during the second and third generations that add replay value. However, the game does not always tell players explicitly where to go next to advance the plot. The translation uses regional dialects like the fourth game, with the primary antagonists, for instance, having Russian accents, the script consequentially being memorable. In the end, the writing of the game is solid.
Koichi Sugiyama, as always, provided an excellent soundtrack, with sweeping epic tracks such as the sailing and battle themes, but the fifth game retains the series’ primitive sound effects.
The graphics also derive from the fourth game but admittedly show their age. They have many positive aspects like fitting colors, Akira Toriyama’s character and enemy designs (albeit with some reskins in the latter instance), and the fluid animation of foes in combat. However, battles remain in the first person, with plenty of pixilation and blurriness regarding the character sprites and environments. The game is scarcely an eyesore but could have looked better.
Finally, the fifth game will take players around twenty-four hours to finish, with the big plot decision in the second generation making it replayable at least two times, and things like postgame content and recruiting every possible monster adding more lasting appeal. However, the amenities of contemporary RPGs like a New Game+ and achievements are absent.
In summation, Dragon Quest V is a solid continuation of the Zenithian trilogy, its original version having been one of the forefathers in the monster collection RPG subgenre initiated by the Megami Tensei franchise and carried on through the Pokémon series. The narrative is also a highlight, given the three divergent paths, and the late Koichi Sugiyama, as always, composed an epic soundtrack. However, dated combat and interface elements may repel contemporary gamers, and time hasn’t been kind to the visuals. Regardless, owners of iOS and Android devices will be happy to know the fifth game is freely available for new generations of players to discover.
This review is based on a single playthrough to the standard ending.
Score Breakdown | |
---|---|
The Good | The Bad |
|
|
The Bottom Line | |
An enjoyable entry of the franchise in spite of some archaic design areas. | |
Platform | iOS |
Game Mechanics | 7.0/10 |
Control | 7.0/10 |
Story | 9.0/10 |
Localization | 9.5/10 |
Aurals | 9.5/10 |
Visuals | 7.0/10 |
Lasting Appeal | 7.0/10 |
Difficulty | Hard |
Playtime | 24+ Hours |
Overall: 8.0/10 |