Dragon Quest VIII\ is an RPG. That about sums it up. Everything people love or hate about the genre is prevalent in this title. Enormous over-world? Check. Leveling up? Check. Party customization? Check. Mythical fantasy setting with a lone (sort of) hero trying to rescue it? Check. Yes, it's all there. So why bother with it at all, especially if you're not a fan of RPGs? Despite its lack of originality, this is one of the best RPGs in recent memory. And for the über-geeky, it has a playable demo of ""Final Fantasy XII"" packaged with it.
But let's focus on the game first. Like I said, there's little new here. You may think this bad at first, but the instant familiarity with the game makes getting into it comfortable and fun. You'll know what you have to do right from the get-go thanks to an easy-to-understand questing system and party members always willing to remind you what's what. There's no clunky battle or menu interface to learn. Combat is simplicity incarnate: attack, defend, magic, etc. Pausing the game to manage party members is something my mom could figure out. Again, this makes diving right in ridiculously simple.
The game looks good, too. The cell-shaded, cartoony feel helps emphasize emotion a lot more than robotic ""real"" looking games and the voice acting—over the top but still acceptable—matches the style exactly. Vistas sprawl out in all directions and getting to scenic overlooks allows for views of miles and miles of simulated landscapes. Towns are nicely laid out and it's apparent that the designers took the time to get all the details right.
The game is long. We're talking about 60 hours if you opt for the sidequests and take the time to really explore the terrain. This is great if you're really into it, and nice to know about if you're just the casual type of adventurer. The beginning few hours may be a little tougher for some since the enemies aren't the typical pushover rats and bunnies like in most games. You'll die a few times, but after a little patience and some sword time you'll really appreciate the lengths the game makes you go to in order to advance in it.
The bonus material included in the box, as mentioned, is the playable ""Final Fantasy XII"" demo. The demo runs about 15 to 30 minutes depending on what you want to do. Final Fantasy veterans will immediately notice the complete overhaul of the combat engine. The familiar random encounters are gone, replaced with a non-random encounter model. Now you can see your foes before engaging them. Should they, or you, fall into range, some attacks and spells can be triggered before they close the gap and inflict damage upon you. This will be sure to add an interesting strategic element to gameplay now, as it is foreseeable that a player will have to choose whether to fight or not.
The visuals are reminiscent of ""FF X"" and ""FF X-2,"" but some of the effects look to be pushing the aging PS2 hardware to its max. Character designs are androgynous as usual, and the hint of the story actually looks to be a welcome change to the typical teenage resistance/nasty giant corporation scenario we're used to. Well, yes there are young adults dressed in fetish gear fighting for something, but it feels different in some way. I suppose we'll have to wait for the final version before we know for sure.
This package has been available at your local game retailer for some time now. I'm sure the diehards out there probably have gotten it already and nothing I've just said has come as any surprise for them. But for the rest of us it may be worth checking out if you're planning on spending some quality time with your PS2 over the upcoming break. Not all of us are going to [insert tropical locale] after all.Catching rays in Malibu over spring break? Rub it in. Contact Jason at jmducat@gmail.com.
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