Okay, so this is the one game on the nominee list that I haven't actually managed to finish. Considering it is a 80+ hour RPG, I hope you can excuse me (and I'm already about 40 hours in, meaning I've still played it for longer than a lot of other games this year).
If you know me well, it may seem odd to find a Square Enix game being nominated for favorite game of 2005. But remember: the company is Square Enix now, and this happens to come from the Enix side of business (along with Level 5, the developers behind the whimsical Dark Cloud 2). The result is a perfect blend of old and new designs that reminded me of just what makes this genre worthwhile. Forget Final Fantasy: this is the game that will save role playing.
Dragon Quest 8 is a game that is unashamedly old fashioned. You travel the overworld, fight random battles against classic DQ monsters, and level up. You can only rest in save in a village, and you just might have to do some level grinding to conquer that dungeon. The story is the simple tale of a boy and his friends on a journey to stop an evil mage and aid his king. It is the textbook example of how to make a Japanese RPG, but the game feels far from generic. Dragon Quest director Yuji Hori has been making this type of game for twenty years now. He knows what works and what doesn't, and as a result, Dragon Quest 8 tastes like a finely aged whisky (pardon the bad analogy) rather than really old saki. Battles are quick, status ailments work, and there is room for both strategy and "mash x till they die" styles of play. It feels old, but it feels right. I'd much rather play a proven, battle tested combat system like this than the hit or miss flavors that mark every Final Fantasy.
As great as Dragon Quest's foundation is, it still isn't enough to push the title out of the realm of "fans only", where the series has rested all these years (on American shores that is). What pushes it over the edge is its ability to join the old with some new and very refreshing design choices. The biggest of these is the overworld which, as you can judge by the screenshot, actually is an overworld. It has forests, mountains, lakes and valleys, and it is all yours to explore. It is also large without being massive (*cough*Morrowind*cough*) . The level grinding that is famous in this series is practically transparent thanks to the huge overworld. By the time you've explored a new region, you'll find yourself more than prepared for the next area. It just works so well; the aggravations of old style RPG overworlds are gone, and the genre is better for it.
Then there are the graphics. Dark Cloud 2 proved that Level 5 can do cel shading as well as anyone else in the industry. Couple this with the character designs of Akira Toriyama, and you have an incredibly beautiful game, the closest thing to an interactive anime without all the annoying anime cliches.
Rounding out the whole package are all the little things that add some polish to DQ 8's new coat of paint. The skill point system adds deep customization with little hassle. The alchemy pot allows those power gamers out there to create strong weapons and armor far before they are supposed to gain them. There is a plethora of extra things to do, everything from uncovering chests to cleaning out the casino to completing the Monster Arena, which is almost complex enough to stand as a separate game. And of course the American version has been given unorthodox (but entertaining) British voice actors, and a fully orchestrated score to replace the midis of the Japanese original. Square Enix wanted this game to do well across the pond, and their hard work shows.
Ever since Final Fantasy VII and the Playstation Generation, Japanese RPGs have gone down a path much different than the one they started on. They are often pretentious, always crammed with overly long cutscenes and story sequences, and are based on some of the worst stereotypes of anime (ie. angsty villain with a flowing coat and silver hair) . They also come with convoluted and often inane combat/magic systems that are either easily broken or not fun to play. Dragon Quest 8 throws this all out of the window, in an attempt to bring the genre back to its roots, all the while trying to push the state of the art. It is a simple and rollicking adventure, one that manages to be epic without forgetting to be fun. There are very, very few jRPGs I enjoy, but this has given me hope for the genre. Square Enix, forget about Final Fantasy, and cut out the crap with Kingdom Hearts. You've got the best thing you've made in years right here, and I can't wait for the next one.
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