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[takoyaki]

JP: August 27, 2015
NA: January 20, 2017
EU: January 20, 2017
AU: January 21, 2017

NeoGAF OT by Dandy Crocodile

Trailer

Official Nintendo DQ8 Website; great breakdown of the game, characters, battle system and new features

List of differences between PS2/3DS version


Aggregators

OpenCritic 85
MetaCritic 86

For comparison, DQ8 PS2 has a MC score of 89, DQ8 iOS has a MC score of 78


Reviews

• Eurogamer recommended
  
  
• Destructoid review in progress
  
  
• USGamer [unscored]
  
  
• Ars Technica [unscored]
  
  
• Nintendo Everything 👍
  
  
• IGN 8.8/10
  
  
• nintendolife 9/10
  
  
• Critical Hit 9/10
  
  
• The Sixth Axis 9/10
  
  
• God is a Geek 8/10
  
  
• Trusted Reviews 8/10
  
  
• Cubed3 9/10
  
  
• Nintendo Insider 9/10
  
  
• Metro 7/10
  
  
• Attack of the Fanboy 9/10
  
  
• Wccftech 8.5/10
  
  
• Brash Games 8/10
  
  
• SaGamer 9.2/10
  
  
• Pocket Gamer 8/10
  
  
• Gaming Boulevard 9/10
  
  
• One Large Prawn 9/10
  
  
• My Nintendo News 8.5/10
  
  
• Everybody Plays 9/10
  
  
• wiitalia 8.5/10 [Italian]
  
  
• GamesVillage 9/10 [Italian]
  
  
• IGN Italia 9/10 [Italian]
  
  
• Gamesurf 9/10 [Italian]
  
  
• Gamer Click 9.3/10 [Italian]
  
  
• Hobby Consolas 9.3/10 [Spanish]
  
  
• MeriStation 9.2/10 [Spanish]
  
  
• 3DJuegos 9/10 [Spanish]
  
  
• Vandal 8.5/10 [Spanish]
  
  
• Gamereactor 9/10 [Spanish]
  
  
• IGN Spain 8/10 [Spanish]
  
  
• FNintendo 9/10 [Portuguese]
  
  
• Gameblog 10/10 [French]
  
  
• JeuxActu 9/10 [French]
  
  
• Millenium 9/10 [French]
  
  
• Gamer Network 9/10 [French]
  
  
• jeuxvideo 8.5/10 [French]
  
  
• IGN France 8.3/10 [French]
  
  
• GamAlive 7/10 [French]
  
  
• Journal du Gamer 8.5/10 [French]
  
  
• Gamekult 7/10 [French]
  
  
• Gamekyo 8/10 [French]
  
  
• Planet3DS 9/10 [German]
  
  
• 4players 8.3/10 [German]
  
  
• XGN 8.5/10 [Dutch]
  
  
• InsideGamer 6.8/10 [Dutch]
  
  
• FOK! 9/10 [Dutch]
  
  
• Zing 7/10 [Czech]
  
  
• Unboxholics 9/10 [Greek]
  
  
• Famitsu 9/9/8/8 [34/40]

Video Reviews

• NomComms 9.7/10
  
• HappyConsoleGamer recommended
  
• Electric Playground 8.5
  

Will update the OP with more reviews
Reviews are in, Game is out, Time to actually play DQ8 GAF

Big thanks to Dakhil for keeping track of international reviews

 

[kromeo]

Already better than I would have expected from IGN

 

[Daybreaker]

Daddy needs some good news.

 

[Gunslinger]

Can't wait. This was one of the best game ever made imo.

 

[Scrawnton]

Day One. Glad IGN acknowledges this as one of the best JRPGs to date.

It is, of course, my favorite game of all time.

 

[Zalman]

Pretty excited about this. Love having mainline Dragon Quest on handhelds.

 

[LordKano]

Can't wait to play the game in its definitive version.

 

[Chesskid1]

any comments about the audio?

 

[Jonneh3003]

Posting my review tomorrow but let's just say this has distracted me from FF15, it's one of my favourite RPGs in years.

 

[Scrawnton]

any comments about the audio?

It's midi. I think that was confirmed months ago.

 

[Deleted member 125677]

Oh shit, need to finish VII

 

[Raw64life]

Not that I need to see any reviews for this to be a day 1 purchase, but nice all the same that it's reviewing well.

 

[Gloam]

Expecting high scores for a fantastic game.

 

[Grief.exe]

Oh wow, that's only a week to go.

 

[casey_contra]

Color me surprised. But I still have SO MUCH of DQVII to get through.

 

[SuperSah]

I have only 35 hours in VII, effectively not even halfway through.

Unsure whether I should pick this up..

 

[Effect]

To soon. I'm still nowhere close to beating DQ7. Guess I still should pick this up just in case the supply is limited and I'd rather have a physical copy. Yikes. Even with the Switch coming out I'm still going to be playing a lot of 3DS games.

 

[Castef]

DQIX was a horrible and boring experience.

Do you think this "remake" will be any better?

 

[Scrawnton]

I have only 35 hours in VII, effectively not even halfway through.

Unsure whether I should pick this up..

Stop playing DQ7, buy this and play it and then return to DQ7 at a later time. This is the superior game by far.

 

[OddSockZA]

My site: Critical Hit (Ex Lazygamer) 9.0
http://www.criticalhit.net/gaming/d...ds-worthwhile-adventure-fans-newcomers-alike/

 

[kromeo]

DQIX was a horrible and boring experience.

Do you think this "remake" will be any better?

Depends what you found boring about IX. It does have a decent story with set characters (good ones) and voice acting unlike IX

 

[LiK]

any comments about the audio?

def not orchestral music

DQIX was a horrible and boring experience.

Do you think this "remake" will be any better?

different type of game. DQVIII is much more traditional with better characters in your party and not so freeform like with IX. i got bored with IX too but i finished VIII on PS2 way back.

 

[Dandy Crocodile]

DQIX was a horrible and boring experience.

Do you think this "remake" will be any better?

Yes.
Though I loved 9.

 

[purseowner]

Excited to play this at last.

Perfect timing, as I've almost finished Pokémon Moon.

 

[Tizoc]

Dang i should finish up smt4 a already @_@
Looking forward to replaying this gem

 

[Scrawnton]

Any word on the difficulty of the remake vs the original? I found the original game to be decently tough but the DQ7 remake was easy mode compared to the rest of the series.

 

[ZeroX03]

I got like five hours into DQVII before dropping it for DQM?

I'll probably just buy this and never play it.

 

[Spiritwalker]

Can't wait to play the game in its definitive version.

I wouldn't go that far. It has worse music and significantly worse graphics.

 

[takoyaki]

DQIX was a horrible and boring experience.

Do you think this "remake" will be any better?

IX is a bit of a mixed bag imo; without the multiplayer, it can be a boring experience.

Dragon Quest 5 and 8 are considered the best DQ games and some of the best RPGs ever made by many people. I'd say try 5 to see if you like 2D DQ, try 8 to see if you like 3D DQ. If the answer to both is no, then DQ is not for you.

 

[MatrixMan.EXE]

Yeah...I'm not finishing DQVII by next Friday. Just going to conine enjoying Pokémon until this bad boy and Gravity Rush 2 drop. What a time!

 

[Pyrrhus]

DQIX was a horrible and boring experience.

Do you think this "remake" will be any better?

The entire philosophy behind DQ8 is different from DQ9. 9 wanted to be this quasi-multiplayer endless grindfest designed around the hours people spent grinding away at stuff like Monster Hunter while riding the train endless distances between the drudge that constituted their lives in modern Japan. DQ8 was from several years earlier, from before online multiplayer was really a thing and from a time when Japanese people still played games on console. It's a thoroughly single player game with a long but varied quest and, at least in the case of PS2 version, presentation quality that was ahead of the curve.

I didn't care for 9 and I still think 8 was a fantastic game. Probably my third favorite in the series after 5 and 3.

 

[The Illiterati]

This is the only DQ game I ever played..and I never finished it. I plan to one day go through as much of the series as I can. I don't know if the whole series is now available on DS/3DS through re-releases?

 

[Aeana]

Any word on the difficulty of the remake vs the original? I found the original game to be decently tough but the DQ7 remake was easy mode compared to the rest of the series.

The balance itself hasn't been changed very much, but now you have visible enemies instead of random encounters which will modulate your progression compared to the original. There are some convenience features which make it slightly easier, like full refill on level up and instant alchemy.

 

[takriel]

1.5 years of localization, damn.

 

[kswiston]

I will probably skip this since I have VIII on PS2 and I still havent cracked open 7 (or 6 for that matter).

I'm still glad to see it reviewing well. Hopefully sales are a bit better in the west, since people actually played the original version.

 

[Already Torn]

Not getting burned again, VII was not fun

 

[kromeo]

This is the only DQ game I ever played..and I never finished it. I plan to one day go through as much of the series as I can. I don't know if the whole series is now available on DS/3DS through re-releases?

4-9 all are, you can play the first 3 on phone/tablet

 

[Jonneh3003]

I'll be uploading the overworld theme in a few minute if anyone is interested in hearing the new midi version.

Not getting burned again, VII was not fun

8 is leagues ahead of 7. Don't miss out on one of the best RPGs of all time, this is up there with FF7 and Chrono Trigger.

 

[Sgt.Pepper]

Any mentions of menu lag?

 

[Scrawnton]

The balance itself hasn't been changed very much, but now you have visible enemies instead of random encounters which will modulate your progression compared to the original. There are some convenience features which make it slightly easier, like full refill on level up and instant alchemy.

What about the ability to reallocate skill points down different weapon trees?

 

[Aostia]

http://www.wiitalia.it/2017/01/10/dragon-quest-8-lodissea-del-re-maledetto/


My review: 8,5


Really a good port with decent graphics, faster loading screen and turns for battles, good Italian subs with English voice over, good map on second screen and a great overall experience

I still think that DQ7 aesthetics and proportions fit the 3ds screen better but still...

 

[kswiston]

Not getting burned again, VII was not fun

If they are using the same voice acting from the original PS2 game, and you are a story in rpgs person, that will likely make a big difference. The presentation in VIII was much closer to modern standards.

 

[Jonneh3003]

Any mentions of menu lag?

No menu lag from my experience, very fluid game all around apart from the minor load times. Faster battle animations more than make up for any loading though.

If they are using the same voice acting from the original PS2 game, and you are a story in rpgs person, that will likely make a big difference. The presentation in VIII was much closer to modern standards.

Mostly the same voices from the PS2 version, Jessica has a new actress and there are some new scenerios.

 

[SuperSah]

Stop playing DQ7, buy this and play it and then return to DQ7 at a later time. This is the superior game by far.

What makes it better?

 

[robotzombie]

two random questions:

1. any chance they added a re-speccing option to this version?

2. would a team of hero, angelo, and the two new characters work out fine?

 

[LiK]

If they are using the same voice acting from the original PS2 game, and you are a story in rpgs person, that will likely make a big difference. The presentation in VIII was much closer to modern standards.

the English VO was so damn good in PS2 one. COR BLIMEY!

 

[Scrawnton]

1.5 years of localization, damn.

Way less than that. They have been sitting on this for at least six months I bet. Heck, they sat on the VII localization for months. I believe they were playing straight retail copies of VII three months prior to launch at E3.

 

[Comet]

Yeah...I'm not finishing DQVII by next Friday. Just going to conine enjoying Pokémon until this bad boy and Gravity Rush 2 drop. What a time!

This is exactly me. I have 50 hours into DQVII, not close to finishing it. I'm also shiny hunting Bagons in Pokemon Moon and training my team so yeah... I'll buy DQVIII day one but who knows when I'll get to it.

 

[Shizuka]

Day one.

 

[Scrawnton]

What makes it better?

The world design, story, pacing, character development, and amount of secrets and hidden adventures. DQVII is an extremely linear game compared to this.