DragonQuestVIII Reviews

[LadyTevar]

This was one of my Xmas presents, and I've been so wrapped up playing the game, I've not even touched the FinalFantasy Demo!

The artwork is lovely, everything is beautifully drawn. The voice recordings are amusing British sterotypes, although once again "The Hero" does not speak. A bit annoying, honestly, but better than hearing yet another British accent.

The story thus-far (I'm in the third town) is very good, revealing a just enough each time to keep you interested. Your party starts with two fighters, so you *will* be spending a lot of money on medicinal herbs, even after TheHero learns "Heal". I have found that leveling up is a MUST. Unlike Final Fantasy where you can hit up the first dungeon while still level 1, this game will kill your party unless you've built up to at least 4th level. I've been making sure to attempt at least two level-ups between each town ever since.

One thing that works really nicely is the day/night cycle. I've not quite timed it, but it's roughly a 60min cycle from dawn til dawn. At night, some shops close, people are in different areas, and they say different things when you speak to them. Outside, monsters get tougher, and unique named monsters appear in certain areas. Killing these monsters nets a lot of XP and gold, but it's not easy as they're basically respawning mini-bosses. However, they are not random battles, so you can see them walking around and avoid them easily if you chose.

You can also avoid random battles with weak monsters with the "Intimidate" option. When the random battle starts, you have the option to Fight, Flee, or Indimidate. When chosen, you get a nice closeup animation and voiceover of one of the characters shouting to scare away the monsters. After about 5th level, this works on any daytime monster in the first town.

As I mentioned before, the animation is pure DBZ manga. The cutscenes have some of the normal manga emoticons, some of the monsters do amusing things when they're attacking (or unable to attack, like an Imp trying to spellcast with no MagicPoints "Eeep!" *THUD*).

Well, that's my review so far. As I play more, I'll probably have more to say about how great this game is. Just one parting thought: Buy your pet mouse Cheese. TRUST ME.

[Ghost Rider]

Okay...I've beaten this monster because I am obsessed with level 99.

7.5 million experience....yeah it takes a while.

Let's break it down to the basics.

Music? Actually quite good. the tunes aren't spectacular mind blowing, but they are catchy and honestly enough to make me hum them while killing my 15th billion critter who stands between me and godhood.

Graphics? Given it's DQ...I am fucking AMAZED they went 3D...and it's a fine tuned cel shaded 3-D.

Story? Cute, short and sweet. Not going into any revelations but iafter playing my four thousandth whiny bishy bicth mangirl, I'll take it.

Gameplay? Okay nothing stunning but there are loads of little things...and Alchemy rocks. Hard as fuck to figure out, but there are loads of Alchemy only things, that truly and honestly kickass.

Other? Okay the Voice acting is like traveling through out England...but really it's done pretty well, and they don't sound like they are reading a cue card for each line. Day/Night is nice touch especially since it changes beastie. And Psyche is pretty neat....too bad you'll hate some bosses.

And oh yeah for spoilers The ending is not the ending...you can get the true ending by facing some ugly fuckers and then see the real one. But a warning it will replace entirely the old ending

[Mr Bean]

Well, that's my review so far. As I play more, I'll probably have more to say about how great this game is. Just one parting thought: Buy your pet mouse Cheese. TRUST ME.

I got this game yesterday, It's competing with Beyond Good and Evil, The Warriors, Various old games I've picked up and Lego Star Wars. Your review conviced me to drop everything else, I must know the secrets of the mouse called Cheese... I must know!

[Typhonis 1]

Well once you gain the Alchemy pot all you need is renet powder, and milk to make cheese. Strategy guide is a MUST. one cheese you can make can restore 100hp to all characters if it is eaten by Munchie.

[Ghost Rider]

Well once you gain the Alchemy pot all you need is renet powder, and milk to make cheese. Strategy guide is a MUST. one cheese you can make can restore 100hp to all characters if it is eaten by Munchie.

Cheese kicks so much ass, when you get the right materials. Many cool things.

Though when you can made the Tamborine of Tension....truly the best item in the game.

[Typhonis 1]

BTW here is a thing they DON'T mention in the guide....after completing the Baruamens Bell sidequest from Chateau Felix ...return to where the Ygdrasylll tree is and you can get a free Ygdrasyll leaf. put one in your alchemy pot and a second will appear.....

[LadyTevar]

BTW here is a thing they DON'T mention in the guide....after completing the Baruamens Bell sidequest from Chateau Felix ...return to where the Ygdrasylll tree is and you can get a free Ygdrasyll leaf. put one in your alchemy pot and a second will appear.....

Do you mean put it in the pot with Something Else... or just carry it in your pot?

[Ghost Rider]

BTW here is a thing they DON'T mention in the guide....after completing the Baruamens Bell sidequest from Chateau Felix ...return to where the Ygdrasylll tree is and you can get a free Ygdrasyll leaf. put one in your alchemy pot and a second will appear.....

Do you mean put it in the pot with Something Else... or just carry it in your pot?

You have to put it in the pot, but before the combination finishes, cancel it and you have two leaves instead of the one.

[Mr Bean]

A question and a complaint about this game.


Ok complaint first, Alright the must return to the temple to revive people is fine... except as you start getting up in level(20+) you start running into enemys I consider "cheap" Cheap being that they come in groups of two to six(Knight types I'm looking at you.) who have basic attacks that do 1/10 your main fighters heath, but 1/5 your Mage's heath. Fighting wise they are not that diffcult, I can lock them down with sleeps or out-damage them. However that intial wave of fire from them normaly is more than enough to kill my mage, and they have a bad habbit of focusing on one person. Which means a one in four chance that they pick my mage appart. Which means lots of trips back to revive the mage. Outleveling won't fix the problem since she does not get that much higher heath wise. It's annoying as hell

Second a question, when does Munchie come into play? I've made it through most of the first half(Quarter?) of the game still have a two slot pot and currently trying to get myself a ship.

[Ghost Rider]

A question and a complaint about this game.


Ok complaint first, Alright the must return to the temple to revive people is fine... except as you start getting up in level(20+) you start running into enemys I consider "cheap" Cheap being that they come in groups of two to six(Knight types I'm looking at you.) who have basic attacks that do 1/10 your main fighters heath, but 1/5 your Mage's heath. Fighting wise they are not that diffcult, I can lock them down with sleeps or out-damage them. However that intial wave of fire from them normaly is more than enough to kill my mage, and they have a bad habbit of focusing on one person. Which means a one in four chance that they pick my mage appart. Which means lots of trips back to revive the mage. Outleveling won't fix the problem since she does not get that much higher heath wise. It's annoying as hell

Actually outleveling can help, but you need LOADS of levels.

So does Zing/Kazing for those death problems

Second a question, when does Munchie come into play? I've made it through most of the first half(Quarter?) of the game still have a two slot pot and currently trying to get myself a ship.

Only when you use cheese as an item.

And you should be nearing the point if not already have a third slot pot. Just sleep for a while and Trode will introduce it.

[The Dark]

"Cor Blimey!" I love this game. Actually just restarted recently (finished with the second boss yesterday) because I hated the skill setup I had done. My current goal is to max Sword and Courage with the hero, work on Axes for Yangus (I had done Club, which was.....meh), enough Whip to get Twin Dragon Lash for the mage, then go for Staff, and I'm not sure what to do with the fourth character yet. Debating between Sword and Staff.

Well once you gain the Alchemy pot all you need is renet powder, and milk to make cheese. Strategy guide is a MUST. one cheese you can make can restore 100hp to all characters if it is eaten by Munchie.

Cheese kicks so much ass, when you get the right materials. Many cool things.

Though when you can made the Tamborine of Tension....truly the best item in the game.

Timbrel of Tension. And if you manage to make two, and give one to each of your two non-fighters, and Psych with the fighters.....50 Tension in one round should help with the whupping. It would take both of the Sun Crowns you can end up with, though, and that is one of the better helms in the game for raw defense.

And I find Cheese more useful to sell. Milk + Rennet + 2 Waterweed Moulds = 110 gp (assuming everything's purchased).
Cold Cheese = 300 gp.

Most of the really powerful cheeses require to much in the way of ingredients for me to really consider them useful. If Angel Cheese cast the Ka version of its spell, maybe.....

[Ghost Rider]

Actually Soft Cheese sells best, and the drop rate on Rock Salt is high

Highly Strung Cheese is the best if for nothing else what it does in concert with the Tamborines.

[The Dark]

I have yet to get more than one rock salt, but I haven't done a whole lot of grinding by the castle. The Cool Cheese (AFAIK) gives the best cost/return ratio for something where all ingredients can be purchased fairly early.

[Mr Bean]

A note I have to toss in, it's funny as heck to watch the Hero do the whole super high tension thing. It is amusing to see the DB art designers at work.

[Ghost Rider]

I have yet to get more than one rock salt, but I haven't done a whole lot of grinding by the castle. The Cool Cheese (AFAIK) gives the best cost/return ratio for something where all ingredients can be purchased fairly early.

The castle sucks, the caverns are easier for that, and whistle makes it much faster. I've seen rock salt on a 1:5 battles, and at times every creature giving one at least.

Though as note, it's not recommended going the sell route. It has diminshing returns and is far easier soon enough to make enormous amounts of cash on the Island of Neos and whistling Gold Golems.

[Crossroads Inc.]

Dragon Quest? Is this the same as the Old Dragon Warrior series? Because if yes, Dragon 'Quest'-III was perhaps the best Video Game EVER

[The Dark]

Dragon Quest? Is this the same as the Old Dragon Warrior series? Because if yes, Dragon 'Quest'-III was perhaps the best Video Game EVER

Yes. It's always been Dragon Quest in Japan, but it was changed to Dragon Warrior in the US to avoid copyright infringement.

A note I have to toss in, it's funny as heck to watch the Hero do the whole super high tension thing. It is amusing to see the DB art designers at work.

And on that note, does anyone else think Marcello looks a bit like Vegeta?

[Ghost Rider]

Dragon Quest? Is this the same as the Old Dragon Warrior series? Because if yes, Dragon 'Quest'-III was perhaps the best Video Game EVER

It's the japanese name. They are using it for the international release rather then the Dragon Warrior name.

[Mr Bean]

A note I have to toss in, it's funny as heck to watch the Hero do the whole super high tension thing. It is amusing to see the DB art designers at work.

And on that note, does anyone else think Marcello looks a bit like Vegeta?[/quote]
I'd call him Trunks than Vegeta, Just like some of the townsfoke look like they are ripped strait from DB, or DBZ.

[LadyTevar]

A question and a complaint about this game.


Ok complaint first, Alright the must return to the temple to revive people is fine... except as you start getting up in level(20+) you start running into enemys I consider "cheap" Cheap being that they come in groups of two to six(Knight types I'm looking at you.) who have basic attacks that do 1/10 your main fighters heath, but 1/5 your Mage's heath. Fighting wise they are not that diffcult, I can lock them down with sleeps or out-damage them. However that intial wave of fire from them normaly is more than enough to kill my mage, and they have a bad habbit of focusing on one person. Which means a one in four chance that they pick my mage appart. Which means lots of trips back to revive the mage. Outleveling won't fix the problem since she does not get that much higher heath wise. It's annoying as hell

Second a question, when does Munchie come into play? I've made it through most of the first half(Quarter?) of the game still have a two slot pot and currently trying to get myself a ship.

For the first problem? Evac and Zoom or Chimera Wings returns you to town.
For the second problem... you did go to the hut on top of the waterfall (where you save the crystal ball), right? That's where you get your first cheese and the suggestion on how to use them. They have to be in TheHero's item list to be used in battle, tho, and it looks like it's only 1 per slot

[Vendetta]

I'd call him Trunks than Vegeta, Just like some of the townsfoke look like they are ripped strait from DB, or DBZ.

Akira Toriyama recycling designs? Never!

[The Dark]

For fairly early money, I'm finding a good thing to do is combine bandanas. 90 GP outlay for a 205 GP return. Whenever I'm not using the Magic Mixer for anything else, I'm chucking bandanas in there.

[Drooling Iguana]

I haven't heard too much about this game, but if cheese-making is a major gameplay element I absolutely must have it.

P.S. DW4 pwnz DW3.

[Typhonis 1]

Wait till you get to Monster Arena and see the owner. At least here the Hero isn`t an angsty, whiny teenager. He is a teenager but he also seems to know their is a job to do and he gets it done.