DRAGON QUEST V: Hand of the Heavenly Bride – NDS – Review

For years American gamers often
dreamt about two Dragon Quest games: Dragon Quest V and Dragon Quest VI. Neither
game was released in North America, which left a big void in the lineage of the
Dragon Quest series. With the release of Dragon Quest IV on the DS last year
patient gamers were finally rewarded with the official announcement that both
Dragon Quest (DQ) V and VI were finally going to be released. Instead of a true
console release Dragon Quest V continues the tradition of old school games
getting a fresh coat of paint with a release on the Nintendo DS.

DQV continues in the same style that
Dragon Quest IV had last year with a vibrant and colorful looking retro game
that looks great on the DS screen. The game will remind old-school gamers of a
16-Bit RPG on steroids, with shades of 32-Bit styling found from PlayStation 1
role-playing games. The entire game is presented in an over-the-top view with 3D
characters, buildings and dungeons. The controls allow you move the camera
around in a clockwise and counter-clockwise motion to view almost everything in
game. For fans of Japanese RPG games you should fall in love with the visuals
right away. For Dragon Quest or Dragon Ball fans all of the classic artistic
styling of Akira Toriyama is overflowing in the game. This game really does
shine on the DS and feels right at home with Dragon Quest IV from last year.

Plot-wise DQV tells a story of the
main character throughout a large portion of his life. The game starts off as
your father is nervous about the birth of your character and then jumps ahead a
few years later. Your father, Pankraz, takes you along with him on his
adventures to find the legendary hero that can save the world from darkness.
Even though you’re a child you still get to explore your own adventures while
Pankraz is off doing something else. But what sets DQV apart is your character
does get older as the game progresses. You play through several parts of the
game where the game advances by several years and you pick up the story after
those years have passed. You discover just how the world has changed during
those years and what you need to avenge those lost years. Of course, I’m leaving
several plot points out to avoid the spoilers. Needless to say the game offers
an engaging plot that does a wonderful job of building up the characters and
stories over the years the game takes place.

The actual gameplay is the classic,
if not vintage, Dragon Quest gameplay that so many gamers love or hate. This
game really does define what an old-school RPG is all about and doesn’t shy away
from it. Actually none of the Dragon Quest games have really been afraid to stay
put with the traditional RPG gameplay elements. All of the combat is turned
based and still presented in the traditional first-person view point. The
enemies are on the bottom screen, which is the main screen for the combat, while
your characters’ statistics are on the top screen. You simply select your next
command from the on screen menu and your character will follow those commands.
Even though you never see your party members’ actions, all of the enemies are
animated nicely for all of their attacks.

Another traditional element of the
gameplay is leveling up. The game is best played out if you take the time to
increase your experience points and raise your level several times before you
embark on the next area to explore. This has been the Dragon Quest way for years
and DQV is no different. If you level up first the game will flow much easier
for you as you advance in the game. If you like to keep moving and not worry
about the experience points you’ll find yourself struggling to get through the
game. For loyal Dragon Quest fans this gameplay trait is understood and well
known. For newer fans it could be a source of frustration if you expect the game
to match your level as you keep playing. It won’t, so you better get use to
random combat and grinding up a few levels after you finish the quests in the
game.

Dragon Quest V is one of the most
requested Dragon Quest games that, until now, was never released in America.
Don’t miss your chance to find out what all of the fuss was about and what
creator Yuji Hori states is his favorite in the Dragon Quest series. All of the
simple, eloquent charm of the Dragon Quest legacy is intact with DQV. Sure this
is a remake and if you by chance happened to play the original version already
there might not be much else to offer. But for the majority of you DQV is a
worthy collection to your DS library of legendary RPGs.

Gameplay: 8.5
Fans of traditional RPG’s will be right at home with Dragon Quest V. The
turn-based combat and random battles will keep you warm at night for sure.
Modern games will probably be in for a rude awakening with the old-school
gameplay.

Graphics: 8.6
The visuals look fantastic on the dual screens of the DS. Bright and colorful
visuals ensure the towns and dungeons pop out of the screens. The enemy
animations are top notch especially when compared to the original DQ games.

Sound: 8.4
Classic Dragon Quest music and sound effects are littered throughout the game.
You’ll find yourself humming the music after a few hours of playing even if
you’ve never played a Dragon Quest game before.

Concept: 8.5
Besides telling the story over a couple decades of your character’s life the
game does include other features. The wagon system from DQIV makes its return
and monsters can also join your party as well. Up to 40 monsters can be in your
wagon and you can have up to four active party members. You can choose to
control the other party members manually or allow them to control themselves
based on an assortment of commands.

Multiplayer: 7.0
The game includes a limited multiplayer section where two players can share
exotic items they have collected with each other. I guess we’re left waiting for
true multiplayer with Dragon Quest IX.

Difficulty: Medium
Make sure to pace yourself and level up appropriately and you shouldn’t have a
problem advancing in the game.

Overall: 8.2
As I stated with the Dragon Quest IV review, DQV doesn’t try to reinvent the
wheel. This is an old-school experience with traditional gameplay that fits this
game well. If you’re expecting a revolutionary experience you will be
disappointed. But if your expectations are back down on earth, especially for a
game originally released in 1992, then the simply charm and charisma of Dragon
Quest V should please. For hardcore Dragon Quest fans you won’t be disappointed,
the game you waited for is finally here. Just please be patient until part VI is
finally released.