Support NeoGAF

[jb1234]

How is the story and characters? I loved DQ8 and it's in my top 3 RPGs. I thought 9 was decent. I played about 10 hours of DW7 on the ps1 and thought it was alright but hated the old school menu interface with Talk, Cast, Item etc.

I'm not sure if I can push myself through a 100 hour RPG without good characters and story.

I played all of DW7 back in the day and I can't remember much of anything about the cast. Some of the vignettes are alright but don't go into this game expecting a gripping story.

I still haven't decided whether I'm grabbing this or not. I barely finished the original, all 104 hours of it. It just went on and on, despite some highlights.

 

[Matt Attack]

Only DQs I've put any significant time into are Rocket Slime (finished it, awesome game) and DQIX (liked it a lot, didn't end up finishing). I need something for 3DS now that I've finished AA6, so I'm really looking forward to giving this a shot!

 

[Mazre]

So hyped and happy this is finally here (Thanks Nintendo!)

I had played the NES titles when they originally released but this is the game that re-ignited my love for the series. The remake looks to by and large be for the better across the board.

 

[BatDan]

So hyped. So very hyped. Shame I can't get it until the afternoon on Friday due to work, but I am so ready!

 

[magnetic]

DQ7 has some of the most emotional and well written stories in the series, and some of the funnest characters. If you loved VIII you should love VII imo. VII isn't as plot-focused or character-focused as VIII, but the overall storytelling and writing surpass it.

DQ really has fantastic moment to moment writing. I tend to not be all that interested in the overall stories of games, but the quaint style of writing in the DQ series is just so heartwarming.

Playing Earthbound for the first time right now and it has a very similar vibe. Just being in the world feels great.

 

[Arkeband]

I played all of DW7 back in the day and I can't remember much of anything about the cast. Some of the vignettes are alright but don't go into this game expecting a gripping story.

I still haven't decided whether I'm grabbing this or not. I barely finished the original, all 104 hours of it. It just went on and on, despite some highlights.

Kiefer probably had the best writing out of the whole cast, which is probably why they starred him in Caravan Hearts.

Spoiler

Melvin and Gabo

were also pretty fun and unconventional.

I feel like I may have asked this before, but does anyone know if swapping party members is easier in this version? In the PS1 version, I had to trek back to the starting town and track down the person, which was a total drag compared to the wagon 4-6 had.

 

[Lothar]

I play DQ mostly for the story and DQ8 was a bit of a letdown for me in that but DQ7 definitely delivered. It was usually intriguing and at times moving. (Didn't get that from 8). I do think it was a bit long and could have been shortened by 20 hours and been better for it though. But not the beginning. I thought the slow beginning was perfect. It built up anticipation for the first battle. I was disappointed they trimmed that.

 

[Already Torn]

Preordered this because the slimes are cute, the game is super cheap on Amazon, and GAF/EZA has been trying to convince me Dragon Quest is underrated in the West for years. If I don't like it I'll loose all trust in GAF for non-virtual novel recommendations.

 

[Jarnet87]

Third person camera view means I will give this a shot a some point.

 

[magnetic]

Checking out some footage on YouTube, it´s incredible how much more expressive this game is with the detailed characters, the battle animations and the visible gear.

Now I realize that I never liked the stereotypical "dot faces" of the 8 and 16 bit era. And why I don´t always like Akira Toriyama, but I really enjoy the designs of the characters in VII, so being able to see them fully modelled in game will likely be a bit contributor to my enjoyment.

Weird how the PSX original looked like the DS remakes (but with completely static battles), while the remake looks like a PS2 title. The jump between the PSX VII and the PS2 VIII back in the day must have been mindblowing!

Given how super traditional the series has been, the remakes really throw in a lot of improvements that upgrade the base games in significant ways.

 

[Faustek]

Oh yeah, this is tomorrow. Saga kinda erased everything else out for a while there. Anyway, I'm really looking forward to playing it again. Btw the speedup in the beginning is cut to a third of the PS1 version? Miss informed or a button masher?

 

[Cindi Mayweather]

I play DQ mostly for the story and DQ8 was a bit of a letdown for me in that but DQ7 definitely delivered. It was usually intriguing and at times moving. (Didn't get that from 8). I do think it was a bit long and could have been shortened by 20 hours and been better for it though. But not the beginning. I thought the slow beginning was perfect. It built up anticipation for the first battle. I was disappointed they trimmed that.

I think VIII has a lot of good highs but VII has much higher highs. It depends on what you prefer. VII's vignettes and short stories beat the crap out of VIII's. VII also has a better sense of adventure (i.e. "Why is this the only island in the world? What happened? Let's travel to find out!" Versus "let's find the guy who turned the king into a monster and the princess into a horse and restore our kingdom to greatness!"'). VIII is plot focused; VII is vignette focused. If you're about a great plot VIII has the goods, but in terms of emotional moments that have weight, sadness, and Shakespearean tragedy to them, VII wins every time.

 

[Flying Toaster]

I think VIII has a lot of good highs but VII has much higher highs. It depends on what you prefer. VII's vignettes and short stories beat the crap out of VIII's. VII also has a better sense of adventure (i.e. "Why is this the only island in the world? What happened? Let's travel to find out!" Versus "let's find the guy who turned the king into a monster and the princess into a horse and restore our kingdom to greatness!"'). VIII is plot focused; VII is vignette focused. If you're about a great plot VIII has the goods, but in terms of emotional moments that have weight, sadness, and Shakespearean tragedy to them, VII wins every time.

Great post.

 

[Cindi Mayweather]

Checking out some footage on YouTube, it´s incredible how much more expressive this game is with the detailed characters, the battle animations and the visible gear.

Now I realize that I never liked the stereotypical "dot faces" of the 8 and 16 bit era. And why I don´t always like Akira Toriyama, but I really enjoy the designs of the characters in VII, so being able to see them fully modelled in game will likely be a bit contributor to my enjoyment.

Weird how the PSX original looked like the DS remakes (but with completely static battles), while the remake looks like a PS2 title. The jump between the PSX VII and the PS2 VIII back in the day must have been mindblowing!

Given how super traditional the series has been, the remakes really throw in a lot of improvements that upgrade the base games in significant ways.

Right? I always liked the characters in VII. Having them become fully animated with facial expressions and shit is a game changer. Also party talk is so much better in the remake,

 

[magnetic]

I think VIII has a lot of good highs but VII has much higher highs. It depends on what you prefer. VII's vignettes and short stories beat the crap out of VIII's. VII also has a better sense of adventure (i.e. "Why is this the only island in the world? What happened? Let's travel to find out!" Versus "let's find the guy who turned the king into a monster and the princess into a horse and restore our kingdom to greatness!"'). VIII is plot focused; VII is vignette focused. If you're about a great plot VIII has the goods, but in terms of emotional moments that have weight, sadness, and Shakespearean tragedy to them, VII wins every time.

Okay, now I'm glad I was kinda fed up with JRPGs during this year, because I only recently remembered that this game was coming out, so the wait felt very short.

The story vignettes are easily one of the strongest points of DQ to me, so it makes me very happy to hear it goes all the way on that in VII. It makes the games almost feel like watching a series with episodes - which also makes it so easy to binge on them.

 

[scarlet]

I bought this on playstation but never played it.

So it's gonna be my 1st! Can't wait

 

[Like the hat?]

My most anticipated 3ds game for years. My amazon order had my old card on it. I got a message about it but couldn't fix it until I got home because I couldn't change it on mobile for some reason. Now it's not being delivered until Tuesday. There goes my weekend plan.

 

[Cindi Mayweather]

Okay, now I'm glad I was kinda fed up with JRPGs during this year, because I only recently remembered that this game was coming out, so the wait felt very short.

The story vignettes are easily one of the strongest points of DQ to me, so it makes me very happy to hear it goes all the way on that in VII. It makes the games almost feel like watching a series with episodes - which also makes it so easy to binge on them.

Watch this part of the interview. You'll like it.

https://youtu.be/ePZhKQ6MpT4?list=PL2JiZAV5BmDVQX1k9pObdd_mTOZehr7F5&t=11m46s

 

[decoyplatypus]

Okay, now I'm glad I was kinda fed up with JRPGs during this year, because I only recently remembered that this game was coming out, so the wait felt very short.

The story vignettes are easily one of the strongest points of DQ to me, so it makes me very happy to hear it goes all the way on that in VII. It makes the games almost feel like watching a series with episodes - which also makes it so easy to binge on them.

The strength of 7's vignettes, and the accompanying slow-burn of the broader story, are why I often rank it my favorite DQ. I don't know if I'll ever play the remake, but I'm sure glad it's finally here.

 

[Sammy Samusu]

Stores here in Brazil are already selling the game, quite shocking for a small print?

I was going to get my copy today, but I decided to wait until tomorrow.

I won't have time to play it though. Got a test coming next Monday.

But I'm sure I can make a 12h window for DQ7. :3

 

[Stratosphere]

I'm going in. It will be my first Dragon Quest game, and one of the few JRPGs that I've picked up in recent years. This will either be amazing a grave mistake lol.

 

[Flying Toaster]

I'm going in. It will be my first Dragon Quest game, and one of the few JRPGs that I've picked up in recent years. This will either be amazing a grave mistake lol.

Better to jump right in then stick the toe in to test the water.

 

[sir_bumble_bee]

Almost feels like a dream, in only a couple days I will have this game in my hands. Don't have a whole lot of time to play but damnit I'll make the most of it. I may even tear up a bit when I see the title screen for the first time

 

[themagicalkitsune]

Oh wow the OT was already up and I didn't even notice.

Looks like I will be getting the game on Friday, sadly I have GREs on Saturday so I might only play about an hour before then.

 

[NolbertoS]

I'm glad alot of peeps on GAF are giving this game a try. Obviously this remake is graphically superior than the PSX version with detailed animation for attacks and changing weapons and armour. I think it'll appeal to a bigger western audience this yime around. I wish they offered random encounters as a choice as I'm old school abd prefer randomness for a challenge . My life will yake a back seat as I put 160 hours again

 

[Zekes!]

This game is going to become my official commute game on the days I have to bus up to my university

it's going to take me forever to beat it and I'm stoked

 

[EVA UNIT 01]

i got the funds....just dont know if i should do it.
never played a DQ before

 

[alf717]

Did you preorder the game before the 13th or just buy it now? I'd imagine that preorders have priority right now, they may have even sold out of their first shipment (fingers crossed because that would be excellent news for Dragon Quest). The Release Day delivery upgrade period seems to no longer be eligible for this game, unfortunately.

If you did preorder it before this week and you're sure you didn't do "no rush" to get a credit, I'd get in contact with an Amazon rep and see if they can do anything to compensate you for the delay.

Way before that date in the summer time. All I did today was add some credit I had left over from a gift card.

Did you change your billing card or address on the order? I've had that screw up my pre-orders on amazon

I ordered way back when it went up the very first time and fixed a CC issue I had with the order when the date became official.

It varies. Honestly I would say Amazon isn't exactly reliable all the time for timely shipping

Man that annoys me. I'm not wasting a weekend with no DQ VII. Thinking of canceling. Amazon always f's up my orders anyway.

Thanks for the replies everyone.

 

[Lothar]

i got the funds....just dont know if i should do it.
never played a DQ before

Do you like JRPGs? If you like JRPGs at all, not trying out the most popular JRPG series in the country that makes them would be crazy.

 

[Glassboy]

So hyped for this. I preordered multiple copies because I want to see them localize dq games in the future. I will do the same for dq8 as well.

 

[Aeana]

It took a long time (dumping both NA and JP ROMs, decrypting, figuring out how to replace and rebuild, etc.), but I managed to pull off the music replacement. I can confirm it does work just fine.

 

[mstevens]

How straight forward is it to play this without a guide? How lost could I get or how many missables could I miss?

 

[Daouzin]

I'm so hyped for this, it's ridiculous. Thinking I'll buy at least two copies. One for me and one for a friend that is interested, but I know is too broke to get it.

 

[tim_pkmn89]

How straight forward is it to play this without a guide? How lost could I get or how many missables could I miss?

You'll be fine. Without giving too much away, there's always a logical progression as to which area to go to next, and the remake adds in new features to get rid of the bullshit parts of that.

 

[Aeana]

How straight forward is it to play this without a guide? How lost could I get or how many missables could I miss?

You don't need a guide. It has several features built-in to keep you on track.
There aren't any real missables.

 

[mstevens]

You don't need a guide. It has several features built-in to keep you on track.
There aren't any real missables.

That's what I was hoping for. Flying out for a 4-day trip tomorrow, I wish it was out now! Woulda been perfect. I'll pick this up eventually.

I played DQ 1 and 2 on iOS and liked them a lot.

 

[Mattius14]

That's what I was hoping for. Flying out for a 4-day trip tomorrow, I wish it was out now! Woulda been perfect. I'll pick this up eventually.

I played DQ 1 and 2 on iOS and liked them a lot.

If you buy it digitally now, you can preload, it would unlock tomorrow night... Just sayin.

 

[Enter the Dragon Punch]

Someone has the game early, and is comparing it to their Japanese version. Shops have been completely changed, and for the worse.

Left is localized, right is original JP release.

 

[Cindi Mayweather]

Aeana, I hate the font in the English version.

 

[inner-G]

Someone has the game early, and is comparing it to their Japanese version. Shops have been completely changed, and for the worse.



Left is localized, right is original JP release.

What, no weapon images??

Aeana, I hate the font in the English version.

I don't mind it at all - serif fonts are easier to read, especially on lower resolution displays

 

[Enter the Dragon Punch]

What, no weapon images??

Nope

 

[Megalosaro]

Someone has the game early, and is comparing it to their Japanese version. Shops have been completely changed, and for the worse.



Left is localized, right is original JP release.

...why?

 

[Zee-Row]

Nope

That sucks a lot.

 

[Amon-Lau]

Someone has the game early, and is comparing it to their Japanese version. Shops have been completely changed, and for the worse.



Left is localized, right is original JP release.

Aw man, why change it?

 

[jb1234]

...why?

I guess they want the shop screens to stay consistent with prior releases.

 

[SuperSah]

Weird they would do that...

 

[KarmaCow]

Does the game have a dense intro that would be bad to stop playing mid way through? I'm guessing no since a DQ game but I'm also getting SMTIV:A in a week I'm leaning toward finishing that first.

 

[Teriyaki Blues]

Does the game have a dense intro that would be bad to stop playing mid way through? I'm guessing no since a DQ game but I'm also getting SMTIV:A in a week I'm leaning toward finishing that first.

This game and remake in particular is designed with you taking short breaks in mind. It is made up of smaller stories strung together, and there is an optional "Your journey this far..." reminder system selectable from the main menu.

On the subject of the shop screens, that's a total bummer. The official artwork for all the items is one of the reasons I first fell completely head over heels for this series. Remember those cool posters that were included with the game manuals?

 

[Robin64]

Not a fan of the smaller "fancier" font, the 3DS just doesn't quite have the resolution to pull that off well. I feel like I have to read just a tiny bit slower than normal. The font in the Japanese one above looks much nicer.

 

[JimPanzer]

I also don't remember the UI of the Japanese version of the remake being so sluggy once you open multiple windows. Could be just my bad memory though.