Subtle changes bring a welcome evolution to the Dragon Quest series. http://www.nintendoworldreport.com/impressionsArt.cfm?artid=23103 Dragon Quest IX is the first mainline handheld iteration of the long-running RPG series. In the game, players start as a city guardian, sent to retrieve wish-granting fruits. The game is said to span dozens of hours, and features a number of side-quests.
The core mechanic of Dragon Quest IX is still the venerable turn-based battle. Players use the touch screen or traditional controls to navigate menus to play their actions each turn. The resulting actions are played out in fluid cel-shaded 3D. The usual types of attack, magic, and item-based attacks remain intact.
What's new is the elimination of random battles. Now, enemies can be seen on the overworld allowing potential avoidance. In fact, enemies that are too weak compared to the player will actually run away. While traditional controls can be used to walk around, navigation can also be performed smoothly by touching the screen and dragging the stylus in the desired direction.
Dragon Quest IX features a high level of character customization, though not quite as comprehensive as Monster Hunter Tri. Players can choose their character's gender, body type, hair, eye, and skin color, allowing for some pretty funny combinations. Throughout the game players can also choose various weapon and armor types. Equipment is actually displayed on the character rather than simply giving specific stat boosts.
The game also features a job class system where job-specific abilities can be mastered. Some skills are kept between job changes, though experience and magic are specific to the vocation. Six classes are available from the start, while an additional six are unlockable through side-quests within the game.
Another key feature of Dragon Quest IX is its multiplayer mode. Up to four players can play via local wireless. Each player is transported into the host's game and may travel independently - you're not restricted to the same party or even the same map. Players can drop in and out of the game at will. Individuals can send out calls for help in order to get a party transported to the same location quickly. If one player enters a battle, those in close proximity will automatically be sucked in as well. However, players away from the battle can join the fray midway, a very cool feature that makes you ask why you haven't seen it in more games. Experience points are scaled based on level.
Unfortunately, the game's great multiplayer mode does not extend to Wi-Fi, which is a real shame. The multiplayer battles I played were a lot of fun, but it does require getting a bunch of people together to do it. It does, however, include "Tag Mode," where character info, greetings, and maps are shared automatically with nearby players as long as the mode is running.
Dragon Quest IX has been designed to cater to both veterans and those unfamiliar with the series. While the basic mechanics are the same, a number of improvements have been made to streamline the gameplay. The game's multiplayer mode has a solid design and is fun, though sadly limited to local play. More specifics will be revealed in the future, but the game's expansiveness promises to satisfy in single-player mode as well.
Topic: IMPRESSIONS: Dragon Quest IX: Sentinels of the Starry Skies (Read 1468 times)
