Games like Dragon Quest are huge in Japan. Over 50 million games have been sold worldwide by Square Enix’s long running role playing series. Dragon Quest IX: Sentinels of the Starry Skies launched in Japan in 2009 to record sales. It’s finally here for western Nintendo DS owners after a year of waiting.
Stormy weather is upon us
Celestials are guardian angels of towns and people in the mortal world in this latest entry in the Dragon Quest universe. You’re finally ready to be sole guardian of Angel Falls as a budding caretaker. Your protector ship doesn’t go smoothly or entirely according to plan. After two-three hours, the pace picks up, a series stable. Despite its lighter manuscript, the game retains its cute characters, funny dialog, and Japanese flavor.
Evolution or extinction
Fans of Japanese roleplaying games instantly recognize Dragon Quest IX. A huge world of dungeons, cities and adventures awaits you. Spend hours tinkering with your party, ensuring they have the best equipment and survival skills. You can control every member of your party individually or let the capable AI decide for faster execution.
Producer Ryutaro Ichimura wasn’t satisfied with following convention, and the development team looked to western games like Oblivion for inspiration. After many, many hours, the result is a Dragon Quest game that is streamlined, modernized, and enjoyable.
Beware of Pandora’s box
Dragon Quest IX’s main story is, to put it mildly, lengthy. In addition, up to four players can connect locally. In this way, players can explore the host’s world, participate in the storyline or just help out. Multiplayer is fantastic, perfect for families and friends with DSs.
Compared to Square Enix’s previous Dragon Quest titles for the DS, Sentinels of the Starry Skies looks great. The game’s fully realized 3D engine and Koichi Sugiyama’s elegant soundtrack bring it firmly into the new millennium.
Don’t let it pass you by!
On any platform, on any continent, Dragon Quest IX is one of the best games this year. With this game, Square Enix has managed to stay true to the series core, remove old stagnant truisms, and deliver some of the most enjoyable multiplayer experiences on Nintendo DS.
The verdict is: Get it! (Verdict: ‘Get it! ‘, ‘Rent’ or ‘Never mind’)