torsdag 12 juni 2014

Dragon Quest V: Hand of the Heavenly Bride


Have been playing Dragon Quest V recently and just finished the main quest around 50 hours (not counting the time wasted playing in the casinos getting enough tokens for some of the best equipments and items for the endgame). Overall I start to see why Dragon Quest beat Final Fantasy in Japan and might explain how DQ seems to grow in appreciation comparably to FF. The story is better, better explained, shorter although more stream lined it has more emotional value. You actually cares for these characters and are allowed to grow with them. Not to mention, they dared to switch around things. First of, you aren't the legendary hero set out to save the world in the Zenithian armour like other games which really is a really great move for the otherwise chosen hero cliche. Of course they solve this by appointing your son as the hero, but still, he ain't the main character.

The story overall is that you are the son of Pankraz, a wandering warrior on a mission to seek the Zenithian equipment and the legendary hero. On your adventures you meet Bianca, Nera and Debora (all potential wives later on, the canon one I guess being Bianca due more screen-time and the cover of the game) and while on a mission protecting Prince Harry of Coburg you and Harry gets kidnapped and Pankraz steps in, but ultimately faces an enemy to strong for him, bishop Ladja. With his final breath he reveals that your mother is alive and only the legendary hero can save her. 10 years later you are a slave building a temple but escapes with Harry and Maria, a girl who's brother was one of the guards and let them escape. Traveling the world you are reunited with the girlfriends and choose one to marry. You then travel to Gotha where you find out that you are heir to the throne as Pankraz was the king at the same time your wife is suddenly 9 months pregnant. You are installed king, and your wife gives birth to twins, but the joy is short as the wife is kidnapped and you go after her, climbing a tower and comes beside her and who show up if not Bishop Ladja, turning you both to stone and you are again separated as you are sold on an auction to a rich man and she is dragged of to the temple you built as a slave. 8 years pass and you see the mans boy grow from toddler until he is kidnapped by monsters. In an act of desperation he throws you down screaming at the "good luck" statue he bought. Rather gut wrenching as it also reflects on the time the hero lost on his children as well. But who comes around if not your fathers servant Sancho with two twins, your kids who resurrect you from your stone prison. And the hunt for your wife and mother is on.

Really effective storytelling and you feel for their plight. Does the choice of wife change the story in any way? I don't know, but I was smart enough to make a separate save file right before the decision with a good deal of tokens, but not enough sadly, so I at least save 20+ hours on replays. Another mechanic is the monster recruits. You can recruit most of the monsters, some good some bad. If you want to go all in I highly recommend some kind of guide to know what monster to devote your time on. Didn't realize until the end that it is probably a good idea to focus on monsters that have a chance to survive the endgame, not Dwoght Da Dwarf.

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