FA+
Shop
"The Jet Gamer" Dragon Quest V: Hand of the Heavenly Bride
8 years ago
Its RPG time again everyone!
Dragon Quest V: Hand of the Heavenly Bride
I’m sure many of you have heard of the Dragon Quest series, and this isn’t my first time playing the series either. This is the first time you are seeing me review one of them though. They are a neat little series that has been around for quite some time. This is the DS version of this game, so we are getting to play it on the go. The other DQ games I’ve played have been good, so let us see if this one shares that positive experience shall we?
Gameplay
The basic gameplay of DQ5 is pretty much what you expect if you have played any game in this series before. You roam around a world map trying to fulfill your overall quest. You level up by fighting enemies in the old school style of you see the enemies in front of you while you just see text for who your party members are supposed to be. This style has worked from the beginning, and I see no sign of them getting rid of it, as it is sort of this series thing. So yeah, I know it is sort of simple, but that is the basic gameplay of the game, which is basically your typical rpg. We all know the style of roaming around, visiting towns and dungeons while leveling up. That is no different here. Though one major thing I need to bring up, that keeps that classic style from being as enjoyable as it could be, is that this one of those games that doesn’t do a well enough job of explaining what you need to do next, so you can choose if you want to do that just yet or not. Basically, this game has several, where the heck do I go now moments in it. You finish a certain quest in the story and it either doesn’t mention where you need to go next or the hints are so subtle that you barely are able to catch what they want you to do now. I know some of that is that the game wants you to be exploring to figure out what you need to be doing next, but there is a difference between suddenly being given a new area and you don’t know what you need to be doing in that area right away, and being able to revisit older areas to get to new things, or going to places out of the way, that you wouldn’t likely run into, unless you were scowering every little bit around you to find them. Other than that though, the rest of the gameplay is pretty simple and self-explanatory. You work trying to level up your characters to be able to take on bosses and progress the story. I know I skipped to talking about one of the major negatives about the gameplay right away though, but it something that brings the game down for sure, especially later in the game. But do let me explain one of the major features of the game that is unique to this game. Well, in this game, you get to capture monsters, and are able to add them to your four member party to fight for you. So as you play the game, you will be using them more or less, because you are not always going to have human characters in your party that you can use. Even then, when you do have human characters, there are chances that the monsters have been trained to points where they are better than the humans, or are placeholders while the humans level up in the background. So yeah, as you play through the game, you can slowly recruit monsters, which you do by battling them and waiting for them to want to join you. When they do, you can either start training them right away, or send them back to a camp where they will wait for you if you want them anymore. So yeah, this is basically a collect them all sort of thing. You can choose who and how many you want with you, up to eight, though this does include the human party members as well. So in the end, do you want to use the humans, mostly monsters, or a mix of both? It will depend on who you recruit and also how the stats look throughout the game. Other than this neat little gameplay element, and the negative one I mentioned before, the game is very fun and I can see people getting plenty of enjoyment out of it, if this is the type of game they are looking to play.
Story
The story of DQ5 is basically showing you the live of your hero as he is growing up from a little kid all the way up until he is an adult. You get to watch him have little adventures as a kid, and then endure the lots of tragedy he has to go through as he becomes an adult and goes through his life of finding a wife and starting a family. That’s certainly unique, as most rpg’s don’t tend to take place over the course of many years and instead seem to occur in a rather compressed or undisclosed amount of time. In this game, you actually get to see the passage of time as people around you change and as you grow from the little kid, until you start are the strong adult looking to save the world. I’m not going to spoil too much here, as that’s the beauty of the story, is that you never see some of this coming. Starting your life out following your dad as you are looking for your mom, as you watch the tragedy that befalls your father as he gets killed in front of you, and then have to many years later get back to the journey of not only looking for the legendary hero to save the world, but to also continue looking for your mother. That’s the main goal of the story, and it is something you will be spending most of the time working towards. The legendary is also someone you would never expect, and your mom, even after all those years is still alive, but where you are looking to find her at is also not someplace you would expect either. I do have to say, the story is neat and has some fun twists, but one of the downers I have to mention is that you have to be a fan of tragedy at time though, or you are going to get pissed or upset at certain parts of this game. This is one of those stories that constantly have these massive downers when things start to look good again, and it isn’t just one or the simple your dad has died stereotype. They do it several times throughout the game. Believe me, I’m just glad there are some happy times throughout the game, or else this would be a pretty depressing story at times. It is still a good story, but there are definitely some sad or depressing times throughout the game.
Graphics
For a DS game, this game looks very good I must say. It has that traditional 2D look that shows you it was made awhile back ago, but it has been nicely polished up for the DS. The animation has that certain look to it, where yes it is minimal at times, but it does enough to where it doesn’t look cheap either. Really, I have never minded the 2D look with the 3D feel to it, so this game looks fine to me. If you were expecting something that was going to blow you away, then yeah, that’s not here. If you get too high as well, or go to certain areas, you definitely can see this game as a bit pixely at time. I know some of that is just from it being a normal DS game, but it also just shows that while they did put some great care in the game, there were still some limitations in certain places. Still, I must say, that for an rpg you can take on the game, and from a series that has always been someone about simplicity while holding onto that DBZ style, I must say that I’m still impressed. And yes, as I just said, all DQ games have that same art style as the DBZ series, so all the characters look like they are right out of the DBZ series. Hey, if you want something that is sort of iconic in terms of art style, the Dragon Quest series definitely is going to be a series that is memorable and able to be told apart from the other rpg’s out there.
Sound
The sound is pretty good throughout the game, though it does miss some of the memorable moments at times. Yes, I did say at times, as DQ games have iconic music that has been around for a long time, and that music and those sound effects are of course present here and still nice to listen to, but other than those, I can’t really tell you much about the music after that. While the music I remember wasn’t that bad, it again lacks that memorable feeling to it that makes me want to go back and listen to it some more after the fact. If you enjoy the old school music that you know from this series and the other music that is provided, I can see this being a nice little bit of music to listen to, though there were still times I didn’t miss listening to it and would listen to other things while playing the game.
Control
The control in the game is just fine really. You are mostly navigating menus throughout the game and are just roaming around the world map when you aren’t in battles or in towns. Getting around is not really a problem. Yes, there are a few times, where it felt like you were getting a bit confused on which direction you needed to go, though some of that was due to the layout of certain areas crossing over in certain ways or just from the game trying to make use of the ability of being able rotate the game camera three hundred sixty degrees. The camera can be a bit tricky sometimes, though for the most part, you don’t need to rotate it that much throughout the game. It is nice that it is there as it does let you see things from a difference angle if you don’t like how things are looking at the moment. It can also sometimes let you see hidden doors or treasures when you rotate the camera. It is a neat little gimmick for sure, though it really wasn’t used that much. Still, overall, the controls are fine, and really not an issue you are going to have to deal with during the game.
Replay Value
The replay value is actually better than you may think when it comes to an rpg. While most rpgs are very similar on repeat playthroughs of the game, this one has one big difference, and that is the recruiting of the monsters. While you are doing the same story and can choose if you wish to not do the side quests or not, the fact that each play through could result in different party members being used does bring a bit of randomness to each playthrough. Do you want to try to mostly use human characters, or do you want to try different mixtures of humans and monsters? Some of this will come randomly based on which monsters end up wanting to join the party, or if you try and find them all along the way. Still, either way, that’s a nice little replay bonus. While you still are going to be doing the same story with little to no change, that is a nice little bonus that I can see easily adding replayability. When you have no idea which party you are going to end up with in the end, that’s a nice little bonus for sure. There is also the fact that this game isn’t grind heavy when it comes to leveling. Yes, I spent some time leveling to make some areas a bit easier or more reliable, but often times, I didn’t need to stop as leveling seems to be very balanced, and unless you are just skipping all the battles you are usually going to be around the level you need to be when you are fighting the big boss and the local monsters of the area you are in at the moment. Leveling is a good idea at times though, but just be aware that this game was never a grindfest, which is such a good thing, as many rpgs go way overboard with it. That means making more playthroughs isn’t a hundred hour slog through mindless grinding over and over again. So yeah, there is a good amount of playthrough here still in my opinion.
Overall, I must say this is a nice little rpg and one that is a nice pick up for someone that likes rpgs and wants one on the go. Other than the few things I mentioned, such as the where the heck do I go now moments, you really are going to be a bit hard pressed to find many things wrong with this game. I know I’ve played other Dragon Quest games, and the fifth game in the series is another great addition and does make me want to play other games in the series at some point in the future. If you enjoy a good rpg, pick this one up.
Overall, in my opinion at least, I give Dragon Quest V: Hand of the Heavenly Bride an eight point five out of ten.
Gameplay: 8
Story: 9
Graphics: 9
Sound: 8
Control: 9
Replay Value: 9
Overall: 8.5
Dragon Quest V: Hand of the Heavenly Bride
I’m sure many of you have heard of the Dragon Quest series, and this isn’t my first time playing the series either. This is the first time you are seeing me review one of them though. They are a neat little series that has been around for quite some time. This is the DS version of this game, so we are getting to play it on the go. The other DQ games I’ve played have been good, so let us see if this one shares that positive experience shall we?
Gameplay
The basic gameplay of DQ5 is pretty much what you expect if you have played any game in this series before. You roam around a world map trying to fulfill your overall quest. You level up by fighting enemies in the old school style of you see the enemies in front of you while you just see text for who your party members are supposed to be. This style has worked from the beginning, and I see no sign of them getting rid of it, as it is sort of this series thing. So yeah, I know it is sort of simple, but that is the basic gameplay of the game, which is basically your typical rpg. We all know the style of roaming around, visiting towns and dungeons while leveling up. That is no different here. Though one major thing I need to bring up, that keeps that classic style from being as enjoyable as it could be, is that this one of those games that doesn’t do a well enough job of explaining what you need to do next, so you can choose if you want to do that just yet or not. Basically, this game has several, where the heck do I go now moments in it. You finish a certain quest in the story and it either doesn’t mention where you need to go next or the hints are so subtle that you barely are able to catch what they want you to do now. I know some of that is that the game wants you to be exploring to figure out what you need to be doing next, but there is a difference between suddenly being given a new area and you don’t know what you need to be doing in that area right away, and being able to revisit older areas to get to new things, or going to places out of the way, that you wouldn’t likely run into, unless you were scowering every little bit around you to find them. Other than that though, the rest of the gameplay is pretty simple and self-explanatory. You work trying to level up your characters to be able to take on bosses and progress the story. I know I skipped to talking about one of the major negatives about the gameplay right away though, but it something that brings the game down for sure, especially later in the game. But do let me explain one of the major features of the game that is unique to this game. Well, in this game, you get to capture monsters, and are able to add them to your four member party to fight for you. So as you play the game, you will be using them more or less, because you are not always going to have human characters in your party that you can use. Even then, when you do have human characters, there are chances that the monsters have been trained to points where they are better than the humans, or are placeholders while the humans level up in the background. So yeah, as you play through the game, you can slowly recruit monsters, which you do by battling them and waiting for them to want to join you. When they do, you can either start training them right away, or send them back to a camp where they will wait for you if you want them anymore. So yeah, this is basically a collect them all sort of thing. You can choose who and how many you want with you, up to eight, though this does include the human party members as well. So in the end, do you want to use the humans, mostly monsters, or a mix of both? It will depend on who you recruit and also how the stats look throughout the game. Other than this neat little gameplay element, and the negative one I mentioned before, the game is very fun and I can see people getting plenty of enjoyment out of it, if this is the type of game they are looking to play.
Story
The story of DQ5 is basically showing you the live of your hero as he is growing up from a little kid all the way up until he is an adult. You get to watch him have little adventures as a kid, and then endure the lots of tragedy he has to go through as he becomes an adult and goes through his life of finding a wife and starting a family. That’s certainly unique, as most rpg’s don’t tend to take place over the course of many years and instead seem to occur in a rather compressed or undisclosed amount of time. In this game, you actually get to see the passage of time as people around you change and as you grow from the little kid, until you start are the strong adult looking to save the world. I’m not going to spoil too much here, as that’s the beauty of the story, is that you never see some of this coming. Starting your life out following your dad as you are looking for your mom, as you watch the tragedy that befalls your father as he gets killed in front of you, and then have to many years later get back to the journey of not only looking for the legendary hero to save the world, but to also continue looking for your mother. That’s the main goal of the story, and it is something you will be spending most of the time working towards. The legendary is also someone you would never expect, and your mom, even after all those years is still alive, but where you are looking to find her at is also not someplace you would expect either. I do have to say, the story is neat and has some fun twists, but one of the downers I have to mention is that you have to be a fan of tragedy at time though, or you are going to get pissed or upset at certain parts of this game. This is one of those stories that constantly have these massive downers when things start to look good again, and it isn’t just one or the simple your dad has died stereotype. They do it several times throughout the game. Believe me, I’m just glad there are some happy times throughout the game, or else this would be a pretty depressing story at times. It is still a good story, but there are definitely some sad or depressing times throughout the game.
Graphics
For a DS game, this game looks very good I must say. It has that traditional 2D look that shows you it was made awhile back ago, but it has been nicely polished up for the DS. The animation has that certain look to it, where yes it is minimal at times, but it does enough to where it doesn’t look cheap either. Really, I have never minded the 2D look with the 3D feel to it, so this game looks fine to me. If you were expecting something that was going to blow you away, then yeah, that’s not here. If you get too high as well, or go to certain areas, you definitely can see this game as a bit pixely at time. I know some of that is just from it being a normal DS game, but it also just shows that while they did put some great care in the game, there were still some limitations in certain places. Still, I must say, that for an rpg you can take on the game, and from a series that has always been someone about simplicity while holding onto that DBZ style, I must say that I’m still impressed. And yes, as I just said, all DQ games have that same art style as the DBZ series, so all the characters look like they are right out of the DBZ series. Hey, if you want something that is sort of iconic in terms of art style, the Dragon Quest series definitely is going to be a series that is memorable and able to be told apart from the other rpg’s out there.
Sound
The sound is pretty good throughout the game, though it does miss some of the memorable moments at times. Yes, I did say at times, as DQ games have iconic music that has been around for a long time, and that music and those sound effects are of course present here and still nice to listen to, but other than those, I can’t really tell you much about the music after that. While the music I remember wasn’t that bad, it again lacks that memorable feeling to it that makes me want to go back and listen to it some more after the fact. If you enjoy the old school music that you know from this series and the other music that is provided, I can see this being a nice little bit of music to listen to, though there were still times I didn’t miss listening to it and would listen to other things while playing the game.
Control
The control in the game is just fine really. You are mostly navigating menus throughout the game and are just roaming around the world map when you aren’t in battles or in towns. Getting around is not really a problem. Yes, there are a few times, where it felt like you were getting a bit confused on which direction you needed to go, though some of that was due to the layout of certain areas crossing over in certain ways or just from the game trying to make use of the ability of being able rotate the game camera three hundred sixty degrees. The camera can be a bit tricky sometimes, though for the most part, you don’t need to rotate it that much throughout the game. It is nice that it is there as it does let you see things from a difference angle if you don’t like how things are looking at the moment. It can also sometimes let you see hidden doors or treasures when you rotate the camera. It is a neat little gimmick for sure, though it really wasn’t used that much. Still, overall, the controls are fine, and really not an issue you are going to have to deal with during the game.
Replay Value
The replay value is actually better than you may think when it comes to an rpg. While most rpgs are very similar on repeat playthroughs of the game, this one has one big difference, and that is the recruiting of the monsters. While you are doing the same story and can choose if you wish to not do the side quests or not, the fact that each play through could result in different party members being used does bring a bit of randomness to each playthrough. Do you want to try to mostly use human characters, or do you want to try different mixtures of humans and monsters? Some of this will come randomly based on which monsters end up wanting to join the party, or if you try and find them all along the way. Still, either way, that’s a nice little replay bonus. While you still are going to be doing the same story with little to no change, that is a nice little bonus that I can see easily adding replayability. When you have no idea which party you are going to end up with in the end, that’s a nice little bonus for sure. There is also the fact that this game isn’t grind heavy when it comes to leveling. Yes, I spent some time leveling to make some areas a bit easier or more reliable, but often times, I didn’t need to stop as leveling seems to be very balanced, and unless you are just skipping all the battles you are usually going to be around the level you need to be when you are fighting the big boss and the local monsters of the area you are in at the moment. Leveling is a good idea at times though, but just be aware that this game was never a grindfest, which is such a good thing, as many rpgs go way overboard with it. That means making more playthroughs isn’t a hundred hour slog through mindless grinding over and over again. So yeah, there is a good amount of playthrough here still in my opinion.
Overall, I must say this is a nice little rpg and one that is a nice pick up for someone that likes rpgs and wants one on the go. Other than the few things I mentioned, such as the where the heck do I go now moments, you really are going to be a bit hard pressed to find many things wrong with this game. I know I’ve played other Dragon Quest games, and the fifth game in the series is another great addition and does make me want to play other games in the series at some point in the future. If you enjoy a good rpg, pick this one up.
Overall, in my opinion at least, I give Dragon Quest V: Hand of the Heavenly Bride an eight point five out of ten.
Gameplay: 8
Story: 9
Graphics: 9
Sound: 8
Control: 9
Replay Value: 9
Overall: 8.5
