Dragon Quest Heroes: The World Tree's Woe and the Blight Below Reviews

Dragon Quest Heroes: The World Tree's Woe and the Blight Below is ranked in the 67th percentile of games scored on OpenCritic.
9 / 10.0
Oct 14, 2015

This has been a good year for Warriors-style games, but Dragon Quest Heroes is the best of the lot.

Read full review

IGN
Top Critic
6.2 / 10.0
Oct 14, 2015

Dragon Quest Heroes looks delightful and is bursting with characters and creatures from the history of the franchise, so anyone who has been glued to each new release since the heyday of Enix will find enough familiar sights to stay invested. However, if you're still puzzling over the differences between Dragon Quest and Dragon Warrior, there are much better fights to seek out.

Read full review

Ken McKown
Top Critic
8.5 / 10.0
Oct 13, 2015

Dragon Quest Heroes is just fun. The visual style is gorgeous, and the game play hits all the right notes with some fantastic pacing. Fans of the genre should definitely check it out, but even those usually put off by it, should definitely keep an eye on it. It quickly became one of my favorite sleeper games of the year. I didn't expect to even care, now I can't stop playing. I hope Omega Force continues to step outside the Warriors franchise to deliver these unique experiences, there are so many franchises that would benefit from this type of game.

Read full review

8 / 10.0
Oct 13, 2015

With an attractive cartoon charm and some well-integrated RPG and tactical mechanics, Dragon Quest Heroes offers more entertainment than the average musou-style game

Read full review

USgamer
Top Critic
Oct 13, 2015

There are so many ways that Dragon Quest Heroes could have gone wrong. Thankfully, Omega Force does right by the classic franchise, and they take the opportunity to streamline their own formula as well. The story could have been better, and the repetitive gameplay comes close to wearing out its welcome, but otherwise Dragon Quest Heroes counts as another win for Omega Force.

Read full review

Examiner
Top Critic
Oct 13, 2015

The focus that developer Omega Force may want is on the story itself, and potentially ruining the story with co-op might be understandable. But a game like this could easily have some sort of arcade or quick play mode where you just fight off enemies. This would add so much to this title. Overall, Dragon Age Heroes is a solidly fun action RPG experience on PS4.

Read full review

7 / 10
Oct 13, 2015

There's no escaping the game's hack and slash origins, yet Dragon Quest Heroes: The World Tree's Woe and the Blight Below certainly offers an interesting spin on the traditional Warriors template. By focusing on a smaller concentration of characters on-screen, it has a slightly more tactile, RPG feel. Combined with some inventive gameplay features and that charming Dragon Quest aesthetic, Heroes succeeds in creating its own identity. It may fall short of greatness yet serves as an ideal solution for those eagerly awaiting the series' next mainline instalment.

Read full review

8 / 10.0
Oct 13, 2015

Dragon Quest: Heroes is a fantastic spin-off with a lovable cast of characters, hilarious monsters, beautiful cartoon visuals, and addicting gameplay. However, the game does have some minor technical flaws, such as FPS issues, despite it being consistent 90% of the time. The mission objectives can get a bit tiresome by the time one finishes the game, but solid, basic gameplay is fun enough to finish the title and even continue post-game to collect everything 100%.

Read full review

8 / 10
Oct 12, 2015

Koei Tecmo has done an incredible job of bringing the world of Dragon Quest to current gen. The game's visuals are very impressive, the action is fast-paced, and the sights and sounds of the Dragon Quest series are all there. I was instantly able to recognize the fanfare that would play when a battle would end or when a hero would level up.

Read full review

Oct 12, 2015

While it has the same Dynasty Warriors meets… template as last year's disappointing Hyrule Warriors, Dragon Quest Heroes triumphs by making smarter use of the Dragon Quest franchise. Beneath the strategic brawling there are layers of RPG complexity, while above it rests a whole lot of Dragon Quest charm. It's a surprisingly irresistible combination that makes this a surprising little gem.

Read full review

9 / 10.0
Oct 12, 2015

One might call October the "Month of the JRPG" on PlayStation 4. Hot on the heels of Disgaea 5, Dragon Quest Heroes: The World Tree's Woe and the Blight Below is the next must-have title for fans of the genre on Sony's newest console. Unlike other crossover incarnations in the Warriors series, Heroes incorporates enough of the legendary RPG franchise's traditional elements to create a giddy nostalgia trip. Even if you aren't a longtime fan, though, you'll have a chance to get caught up in a whirlwind of solid action-RPG goodness.

Read full review

9 / 10
Oct 12, 2015

An incredibly enjoyable action RPG, Dragon Quest Heroes: The World Tree's Woe and the Blight Below is easily one of Omega Force's most polished productions, as it oozes charm that's amplified by fantastic presentation. Combat is accessible, satisfyingly punchy, and hides depth at higher levels of play, while there's plenty of content to keep you busy after you've seen the well paced story through. Even if you're not a fan of Warriors-style gameplay, we'd still heartily recommend Dragon Quest Heroes to anyone on the lookout for a joyous jaunt in a lovingly made fantasy world.

Read full review

7.5 / 10.0
Oct 12, 2015

Lacks depth, but Dragon Quest Heroes quirky narrative, colorful visuals and easy-to-grasp combat makes it a family-friendly RPG with plenty of character.

Read full review

8.2 / 10.0
Oct 12, 2015

Dragon Quest Heroes: The World Tree's Woe and the Blight Below is a huge step forward for Omega Force. This is the right formula for making future Dynasty Warrior-like games, as story, leveling structure and beautiful presentation form a perfect wrapper around typical/repetitive button mashing gameplay experience.

Read full review

Digitally Downloaded
Matt S.
Top Critic
Oct 12, 2015

Wrapped in the warm, happy colours and light soundtrack that it is, Dragon Quest Heroes is a genuine delight of a game. It's endlessly playable, both in short bursts and longer sessions, has a truly enjoyable cast of characters, and an infectious sense of humour. You might feel bad massacring entire family lines of slimes, but other than that I can't see anyone finding anything but joy from their time with this one.

Read full review

Oct 11, 2015

If you're looking for a classic Dragon Quest game with a twist, then this more than fits the bill, so long as you don't mind playing alone the whole through way through. As unexpected as it might be, Omega Force has proven that it can adapt popular franchises with surprising consistency.

Read full review

7.5 / 10.0
Oct 9, 2015

Dragon Quest Heroes is probably the best the series has ever looked with its great-looking monsters and interesting environments. That being said the Musou game formula is a bit of a turnoff. It bogs you down by making side quests grind fests and levelling a chore, but that's what makes a Musou game a Musou game.

Read full review

NZGamer
Top Critic
8 / 10.0
Oct 8, 2015

Overall, Dragon Quest Heroes is a game I enjoyed a lot and would recommend to anyone who likes JRPGs, especially if you're a fan of the source material. It might not be the Dragon Quest game you're expecting (let's hope this does well enough to bring Dragon Quest XI to the West), but it's certainly worth taking for a spin.

Read full review

Unscored
Oct 8, 2015

It's a must-play for Warriors fans and Dragon Quest fans alike, but I wouldn't discount fans of neither. This seems like a perfect gateway title for those who might want to give these kinds of games a shot.

Read full review

8 / 10.0
Oct 8, 2015

The balance that Dragon Quest Heroes walks between trivial fun and deeper strategizing is precarious. At any point in the 30-plus hours I played, I felt like it could have tipped over, leaving a boring, button-mashing shell of a game. Amazingly, it never did.

Read full review