onsdag 19 oktober 2016

Dragon Quest IV: Chapters of the Chosen

Yeah, show only the male main character when it doesn't matter if the hero is male or female

My second game in the series was Dragon Quest IV, which I've played twice, once as a male and the other as a female, since that is the only customisable choice you have in this game it can alter certain dialogue options or how you go around in one quest I believe. Originally the game was made for the NES, later remade for Playstation and finally remade for the DS and with that it even crossed over to Europe for the first time. And playing it gave me a huge interest in writing dialogue since the game was to me even more heavy on different dialects representing different countries within the world. For example you have a scottish nation, a russian one and even a french, and I could identify people from different parts of the world thanks to that. To me that was amazing, genuinely simple to get points across.

Only manly men wears pink

The story begin with a prologue as you are introduced in a small village with gives you the background, demons harass the world and you are the chosen hero, but must be in hiding due to being to young and need to train for the coming conflict, you are introduced to some towns people and the most important one being a shape shifter girl that is your best friend. Apparently you are the child of an angel and human. And that's it. Apparently this was in the newer version since the original game starts up with chapter 1 and you take control of Ragnar, a Burland warrior that is tasked to find the missing children of the kingdom. He teams up with a slime and discovers a plot by the monsters to find and kidnap the chosen child and the only way is for Ragnar to find the Chosen one himself before the monster does.

A fighting princess

Scene change and you now play as a princess Alena who want to fight evil, but are kept locked up by her father. She escapes, but are followed by her best friend/priest and teacher (?) and Alena enters an arena battle to become the champion. While fighting she hears rumours about Psaro the Slayer, a fighter beyond human strengths. As the final draws near and she is about to meet Psaros eye to eye. She waits... and waits... well, Psaros doesn't show up so she is declared winner by default. As her company returns home they find that the castle is completely empty and she has to set out to find her father and people.

An ordinary merchant that saves the world

Next is a small interlude as we follow Tallon, a buddying entrepreneur that wish for grander things in live as he works by selling weapons for the blacksmith. His wife and kids encouraging him to go out in the world and he's of. He begin by buying weapons in one town and selling them in the next, he starts lending money for enterprises that will pay a high return. He even comes across a village of foxes in human disguises. He sets up shop in another town and invites his family over and the next project is building a tunnel to the other side across the river to speed up trade routes. This is what I mean that Dragon Quest has a longer impact on people and people starts to appreciate the games more today. They have whole chapter dedicated to the sales person in an RPG, a merchant that works for his family's fortune and he is around 40 years old. It's pretty much unheard of. And it's basically Economics 101. I'm amazed at this, and it was in the original NES from the 90's? Not many modern games get this deep beyond brave hero of destiny or circumstance protect the world from evil.

Meena, the younger sister and fortune teller

Next chapter is about twin sisters Maya and Meena who set out on a quest to avenge their father that was murdered. Their father was a famed alchemist that tried to figure out the power of transmutation, evolving lead to gold, man to god aka the stone of sages (or I assume that is what they getting at). One is a dancer and the other is a fortune teller and they set out. First they locate their father's apprentice who can tell them that it was their fathers other apprentice, Balzack... should I censor that name? with this knowledge they storm the castle. It doesn't go as planned. Apparently he have been kidnapping maidens and is to much for the twin sisters as it turns out he evolved himself to a monster. The apprentice sacrifices himself so that they can escape and regroup (he doesn't die, but gets captured instead). They flee to a coastal town and journeys across the sea thinking about the next step.

And finally we return to the chosen hero. One day as he/she is training the townspeople hid the hero away under a building, the shape-shifting girl even go as far as impersonating the hero. Locked away underground the hero can't do naught than hear the battle and the victorious monsters that have attacked their hidden village, slaying the chosen hero that could have threatened them. Alright, motivation is vengeance. You set out and pretty much the first person you meet is your grandfather who condemned the love between his son (your father) and the angel. He lets you stay the night, but nothing else. Travelling the world you meet up with your destined companions. Maya and Meena you meet in the town they arrived in since the older sister used all their cash in the casino. You pretty much solve the problems they couldn't in opposite order as you played the game up until this point. The last one you get is Ragnar if I recall correctly. So what is the deal? The monsters are rallying under Psaro the Slayer as he seek revenge on humankind since they hurt his girlfriend who cried tears of rubies and finally killed her in their greed. That pushed him to seek out the power of evolution to become stronger . He entered the arena battles to slay the worlds greatest fighters so no one could stop him while his monster servants searched for the chosen hero of destiny. You travel around the world and even enters the sky to meet with the great dragon who lives in the sky palace surrounded by angels. And finally you and your comrades travels to the underworld where the monsters lives and confront Psaro in a long fight where he evolves in 4 stages I believe until he is defeated. And that is the game, Everyone is saved and peace is restored. The hero travels back to his desolated home town to look at once was, the hero stands at the grave built for the shape-shifting friend and suddenly she materialises and they embrace... does that have lesbian undertones if you play as female hero?

Of course there is post-credits content. You can actually recruit Psaro and fight another end boss, this time one of his lieutenants that actually gave up Rose's (the ruby elf) location, just so that Psaro would be pushed to exterminate humankind. So he is redeemed somewhat. He also looks cool in his white hair and black outfit. Overall this game is fun playing the different mode, especially when you pick up that it's not important to grind for cash, but instead weapons and armours that you can sell in the final chapter since that follows the characters, while money gets spent. I also recall casino token does and since we already know, to win you got to play the casino for the really good weapon and armours so we don't have to grind forever to reach a decent level. One irritating thing the localisation did, was removing the party conversation that really can flesh out the characters. Without them you miss certain hints like the priest/friend of Alena has a crush on her and so on. And it's really annoying when you have the command, but all they say is that none have anything to say at the moment. Before I read the explanation on the internet it almost drove me insane.

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