Dragon Quest IX

[Eusis]

Ok, this topic is long overdue. Anyone grabbing it today, or already have it? It's the one RPG I've been wanting most as of late, especially since it's in the only series I've been reliably beating as of late.

[supersonic]

I might get it at some point, but I don't see myself playing it anytime soon. The importance of the multiplayer component is a huge turn off for me.

[Dice]

I might get it at some point, but I don't see myself playing it anytime soon. The importance of the multiplayer component is a huge turn off for me.

Arggh...that's lousy. I know everyone and their mothers (literally) play Dragon Quest in Japan... unfortunately, I find seeing someone play non-JRPGs here (especially Canada...mmm, our lack of population is swell) more common than someone getting the new UFC fighting game instead.

[DM Kyle E. Miller]

I'm pro single-player-only, so we'll have to see how it goes. Sam's going to review it for the site, but I might do a second opinion. I'm going to try to find it today.

[TurnBasedDude]

I picked it up at a Nintendo launch event yesterday, and nagged a friend into getting it too, but I am expecting to still play it by myself mostly. Anyhow, it's a slow start, but still enjoyable, even if quite easy thus far. Aside from the multiplayer part, DQIX is quite similar to III, so if you enjoyed that, then go for IX, but if not, well, don't think this will change your mind.

[Draak]

I'll have to wait a few weeks before I get my copy. Honestly I don't care about multiplayer even if it's supposed to be a major aspect of the game. People have been saying the main quest is around 40h packed with a nice amount of sidequests so that's good enough for me.

[Larahl]

I'm planning on getting it eventually.
I really enjoyed Dragon Quest VIII, and from what I read in 1Up's review, I'm sure I'm going to enjoy this one, as well. With or without the multi-player.

[Prime Mover]

My girlfriend and I both love Dragon Quest (she finished V, I got distracted and haven't yet). We've been waiting years for a new multiplayer jRPG that we can both play together. We played through both Tales of Symphonia and Abyss, but I had already played those through. So when we heard about DQIX, we jumped. We preordered 2 copies a few weeks back at Play n Trade, so they should be here within the week. We're also going on a vacation at the beginning of August, so this should be perfect!

[Alisha]

i saw a video of this on my wii and it seems like if you need to play solo you can just recruit people in town to help you. i'm intrigued by the fact that you get to create the main char.

[MeshGearFox]

Play n Trade

WTF I thought you lived in alaska

[DM Kyle E. Miller]

As Dennis said, it's a bit slow to start and easy, but it seems like a solid JRPG with everything that comes with it. There seems to be attention to detail and good pacing, which are often lacking in today's battle-battle-battle JRPGs. I'm ignoring the multiplayer, and the single player experience doesn't seem too different because of it. Unfortunately, the party members are created characters as everyone knows by now, and this will undoubtedly be the very worst thing about the game. A stupid, stupid decision. That and going with handheld. Boo DS 3D.

[Eusis]

Unfortunately, the party members are created characters as everyone knows by now, and this will undoubtedly be the very worst thing about the game. A stupid, stupid decision.

Ok, I understand preferring to have premade PCs with actual character development, but isn't that too harsh? It's not exactly the kind of thing that actually ruins a game, and I like having that bit of freedom to play with the character creator without having to make a character I wouldn't want to use as THE main character.

[Yggdrasil]

I'll skip this game, I'm more interested in Dragon Quest VI.

Unfortunately, the party members are created characters as everyone knows by now, and this will undoubtedly be the very worst thing about the game. A stupid, stupid decision. That and going with handheld. Boo DS 3D.

I love when characters are silent because they don't talk shit that I don't care. I mean, the cast from Final Fantasy XIII is beyond annoying. And I don't see the "problem" that this game is a portable RPG.

[Aeolus]

Unfortunately, the party members are created characters as everyone knows by now, and this will undoubtedly be the very worst thing about the game. A stupid, stupid decision.

Ok, I understand preferring to have premade PCs with actual character development, but isn't that too harsh? It's not exactly the kind of thing that actually ruins a game, and I like having that bit of freedom to play with the character creator without having to make a character I wouldn't want to use as THE main character.

To add to this DQ games are usually more about the people around you rather than your party members. Aside from IV, the latter half of V, an amount of VI that I don't know about on account of having never played it before, and VIII the plot doesn't really focus on the party or saving the world from some as of yet undetermined evil. Whereas the typical JRPG will load the game with either character building quests or barring that a mindless fetch quest for some trinket, key, or macguffin, a DQ game will usually have the region in some state of trouble extending from a local dispute to a minion of the main villain wreaking up the place and will feature at least two or more named NPCs being the ones getting the fleshing out.

The tl;dr is that DQ games tend to do more world building rather than hometown building that most JRPGs perform.

[Prime Mover]

WTF I thought you lived in alaska

I do. Play n Trade is everywhere, dude.