Dragon Quest VIII: Journey of the Cursed King Reviews
Well made handheld port of one of the best JRPG with some sensible innovations.
Review in German | Read full review
Dragon Quest VIII: Journey of the Cursed King is an enjoyable classic RPG on the 3DS with a few 21st century mechanics thrown into the pot. I like how it has been ported to the 3DS as it works on all levels from not just the control system but how the game plays out. It’s the perfect title for this console as it allows you to get lost in this world for either quick or long gaming sessions. Fighting is a challenge, creating items is easy and all in all, it’s a game that has been tailored for lovers of role-playing games.
This game is good. I have made good memories, and hope to make many more. I'm going to miss these characters, their quirks, their catch-phrases, and their flaws. It's a good egg.
Dragon Quest VIII is hailed as a classic, and rightly so. Dragon Quest VIII on 3DS is a great place for new fans to jump on, as well as a perfect way for those who played it to relive a classic – and on the go, too! One of the PS2’s very best JRPGs is back, and it hasn’t aged a day.
Though the 3DS version falls short in a number of ways from being the definitive way to play Dragon Quest VIII, the newly-portable version of the title is still, nevertheless, an excellent way to experience an excellent RPG despite its few technical shortcomings. More than anything the pros far outweigh the cons when it comes to a title that, even after a decade after its release, still plays remarkably well and manages to put a smile on my face. Dragon Quest VIII was charmingly old-school even back when it released in 2005, but like the best and timeless stories, the 3DS version shows that this story has only gotten better with age.
The best Dragon Quest game gets bigger, but deserves a better port than this.
The 3DS version of Dragon Quest VIII is realized very carefully, with new added features able to refresh the gameplay experience.
Review in Italian | Read full review
Dragon Quest VIII for the Nintendo 3DS is the best way to get into the Dragon Quest mood. A nice way to understand why everyone loves the franchise. But for the veteran player is not mucho of an exercise of nostalgia.
Review in Spanish | Read full review
Whether you’re returning, or you’ve always wanted to play a Dragon Quest game, this is the perfect place to start.
If you have a 3DS, love RPGs and never played the PS3 original, consider Dragon Quest VIII an almost essential purchase. If anything, its easy-going style and accessibility make it a better fit for the handheld console than for the original platform, and you’ll struggle to find a JRPG that’s easier to pick up or harder to put down.
Even then, there are some concessions made in the name of more effective gameplay that aren't exactly native to the series.
The charm of Dragon Quest VIII for me has always been how it feels like a child’s fairy tale, crafted with the mediocre English impressions and memorable adventures that our parents used to read to us when we were young. While the writing can be cheesy at times, and the gameplay may appear barebones in comparison to newer titles, I actually enjoy that kind of campiness from a series like Dragon Quest and it never detracted from my personal experience.
Simple, charming, and considerably improved on the 3DS. Dragon Quest isn’t for everyone but this bridges the gap between retro and modern games very well.
The personality makes it a joy to explore
While the 3DS version adds worthwhile content and I hold Dragon Quest 8 near my heart, it's not without its faults.
Dragon Quest VIII is a massive world with well over 50 hours of gameplay. It stands out thanks to stellar voice acting and a huge, quirky set of monsters to battle. While there’s plenty to do, both the plot and the majority of the characters are flat and uninteresting. The quicksave feature and the ability to increase battle speed are significant quality of life improvements over the original, making this a solid title sure to entertain JRPG fans, but the dated and grind-heavy mechanics can make it a bit of a slog.
Dragon Quest VIII‘s almost random plot and character moments carry complex emotional weight.
A JRPG classic is revived for 3DS, and the years haven't dimmed its charm in the slightest.