The game was able to fascinate gamers 20 years ago and still, it has the power to do so. Epic role-playing with a brilliant story and a very well done character design!
Dragon Quest IV knows how to push all the right buttons with me, and for that I found it to be one of my most enjoyed RPG ventures. While the story isn’t always present, the exploration, and characters are, and for that DQ4 certainly deserves all the attention it gets.
***set game text speed to 1 for quick battles, and there is a setting in "miscellaneous" called 'heal all' that makes a non-equipped character heal everyone quickly!
Wow what a game. I was not expecting to shed happy tears as the story came to an end. What crunchy combat. What beautifully animated enemies that are surprisingly 3D! Each character has there own prologue chapter that shows what set them on the path of helping you, the main character. This really makes each character feel more alive, and makes the party feel more like a party. No wonder this game is considered a backbone of RPG's as whole!
It's as a never-before-played adventure that Dragon Quest most impresses. Forgive it its age and appreciate its forward-thinking. We be tellin' yers so.
Chapters of the Chosen serves as a strong reminder of just how good some of the old times really were. It's a lengthy and deep RPG that offers a solid challenge without crushing the spirits of the non-hardcore RPG enthusiast.
A heavyweight update of a marvellous game. Indeed, it emerges as the strongest RPG for the system, an extraordinary feat considering its long journey to get here. Blue moustache and all.
Outstanding port of one of my favorite NES games. I was anxiously looking forward to this one when I first heard it announced, and it did not disappoint. The graphics update was sweet, and the extra post-game content, that much sweeter. The NPC's accents were laid on a bit heavy, but it does give the game a bit more character then it had the first time around.
It's great to see a remake **** that is finally stateside! I remember Dragon Quest Seven's graphics and this title must be using the same engine. DQ IV is very colorful and vibrant and the characters are so well done, I care for each character as they go through their adventures. If you have yet to play a DQ game, this is a very good starting point.
Very much in the same vein as its 16 BIT forerunners, its graphically rather old-fashioned and not as good as the reboot of Final Fantasy III. But this addition to the series is retro fun perfect for those nostalgic for old school RPGs.
Dragon Quest IV: Chapters of the Chosen is the first DQ installment on the DS and an enhanced remake of the NES classic Dragon Warrior IV
Story:
The story is divided into various chapters, all starring your future party members and their own story or quest, it is unique in a way that you get to know your party members and their personal motives behind it all.
Eventually you'll get to the part where everyone joins forces and the main hero (you!) get introduced proper, from then onward you'll try and stop a certain Psaro the Manslayer (Who looks kinda like Sephiroth the elf?), who's out to evolve into the ultimate being and rid the world from all evil, after the story is beaten you can replay the ending with a twist, which I won't spoil here. ;-)
There's some sidequests to be done, like casino games and increasing your frontier town by looking for people interested to move there.
Gameplay:
The gameplay is similar to any console-like RPG of it's kind, you train your party members as they gain XP and other stats, talking to people to get clues on where to venture next, defeating monsters to get coins to buy upgraded armor and weapons.
There is a huge overworld where you to leave town in which you'll be able to ride a ship and even a hot air balloon as you progress trough the story.
Battles are fought out in a 1st person perspective as you can see your enemies moving and doing their own thing, the pace of these battles you can decide yourself by manually doing everything or letting the AI decide the right course of action, it makes decent decisions and ensures you stay alive, tho I advice doing it manually at boss fights, I usually had the healer controller by the AI with spellcasters under my own command.
Controls:
I played this on a 3DS XL and I must say the circle pad was heavenly, as the characters can actually move in 8 directions, but it's really annoying to do on the D-Pad, other then that I have no complaints, everything is mapped to the right button, movement is fluid.
Graphics:
It seems to be using the graphic style found in Dragon Quest VII on the PS1, personally I think it has a charm to it, it's a 3D world inhabited by 2D/Sprite characters and objects, still they look quite good.
I'm assuming it's hit or miss for some people, but it does the job well enough for me.
Music:
The music is your typical Dragon Quest kind, it's very melodical with a classical touch to it, some songs are better then others, I very much like the song Homeland, played when your hero traverses the overworld...
Positives:
+ Charming graphics that capture the Dragon Quest spirit
+ Chapter system, showing you what drove your party members to join your cause
+ The battles are fun and paced to your own desire
+ Able to continue game after beating it with a suprise twist!
+ Some songs are amazing!
Negatives:
- Having no circle pad when not on a 3DS, seems annoying to move diagonally
- While the story is good, it takes a backseat after the main quest starts
- Some songs are not!
Conclusion:
This is an excellent game and Dragon Quest experience on the go, the story while lacking near the end still holds up pretty well to keep you going all the way trough. The battles are good and the overworld is fun to explore.
SummaryA tale of epic proportions told through a unique chapter sequence that enables players to experience multiple character perspectives. Embark on an adventure with characters from different walks of life, all destined to unite with you, the hero, to save the world. [Square Enix]