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5 Responses to “Dragon Quest IX: Sentinels of the Starry Skies Reviews”

1. 
   Bill Nguyen
   Jul 28th, 2010 at 10:56 pm

   Review by Bill Nguyen for Dragon Quest IX: Sentinels of the Starry Skies
   Rating:
   Okay, I’ll admit it. When I first heard that the FULL-ON SEQUEL for the PS2′s Dragon Quest VIII was coming to the DS, I thought, “Exactly how much are they gonna have to dumb this game down?” Needless to say, I had very low expectations for the game.

   Then it was released in the Japan, and over two million copies flew off the shelves in just two days. Those sales, combined with rave reviews from Japanese and American critics alike, meant one thing: I had to play Dragon Quest IX.

   I’m telling you, if for any reason you’ve been holding off on buying this game, get to the nearest store immediately. I’ve barely been able to put it down.

   STORY (9.0/10)

   The story begins with the main character, who is named and fully customized by the player, as an angelic guardian who watches over a town. He/she is part of a group of other guardians known as Celestrians, whose primary goal is to ascend into the “realm of the Almighty,” which I can only assume is heaven. Unfortunately, right when the plan seems to be working, everything goes wrong, and the main character is stripped of his/her wings and halo. He/she then has to cooperate with a sassy fairy to help people in order to regain Celestrian status.

   Sounds simple, right? The story actually becomes much more complex and endearing as you play and interact with the motley bunch of people you meet. There’s a lot of character development for sure, but it’s not so much a part of the plot as it is the gameplay (more on that soon). Sadly, neither the main character nor his/her party members, who are also yours to customize, ever talk.

   GAMEPLAY (10/10)

   The gameplay has changed dramatically from past Dragon Quest games here, and all of it has been for the better. DQIX takes advantage of the DS’s dual screens by using the top screen as a map and the bottom screen for input and movement. All characters in the party, as well as any guests, are visible as they travel. This sometimes results in a minor slowdown because of the excessive pixel-pushing, but it’s more than tolerable.

   The revamped battle system is a breath of fresh air. Encounters are no longer random, as monsters now visibly roam the lands. A huge variety of spells, abilities, and items are available for use in battle. Players can also use a “coup de grace” when their characters are taking a beating for special effects such as zero MP cost or increased counterattacks, depending on the character’s class. The execution is much more modernized, too. You can see the characters and monsters scurry around the field to maul each other; it’s pretty fun to watch. As usual, dungeons can be incredibly hard and punishing, especially the bosses lurking at the end. The penalty for a wiped out party is half your gold, so don’t die! (Or use a bank.)

   The new multiplayer system is a welcome change to the old formula. By connecting with up to three friends locally, players can complete the adventure together, loot treasure from other worlds, or if they choose, continue alone and ask for help when they need it. The last option is perhaps the most intriguing one. Players don’t have to be stuck with each other in multiplayer, which allows for some independence.

   Although I have yet to finish the game myself, I expect that the replayability will be excellent. (The main game itself is quite long already at about 60 hours.) Farming items for the new alchemy system, scouring the world in search of gold and EXP, and doing all the silly sidequests that NPCs have will tack on (from what I’ve heard) upward of 80 hours; the addition of wi-fi to buy items and obtain new quests online should also be interesting.

   DESIGN (10/10)

   DQIX’s graphics are absolutely breathtaking, from watching the animated cutscenes to simply traversing the world. The environments are meticulously detailed, and the NPC sprites are prepared to give witty conversation. Players can distinguish between important and trivial NPCs by whether they are 3D or 2D, respectively.

   The world is astonishingly MASSIVE, incorporating all sorts of different backgrounds and intimidating enemies. Everything, even weapons and armors and the ugliest monsters, introduces sweet, sweet eye candy. In-battle spells and abilities are magnificent, and the smooth animation of attacks and the like bespeak true, through-the-roof-quality production values.

   My only nitpick is that, as mentioned before, when the party is moving about on the map, the game occasionally lags a bit. It’s not too bad, considering the limitations of the DS, but it is noticeable.

   SOUNDTRACK (8.0/10)

   The music doesn’t blow my mind, but it’s not bad at all. The themes are appropriately peppy or gloomy, depending on the situation. Boss fights sound intense, and sound effects are excellent. The sorrow in Coffinwell and peacefulness of Angel Falls are properly depicted. However, the music isn’t very memorable, and some of it reminded me of the 8-bit era. Nonetheless, that’s probably just me; the soundtrack, as a whole, is good and perfectly suitable.

   OVERALL (9.0/10 – not an average)

   I definitely did not see this one coming–definitely a sleeper hit for me. DQIX wraps a great story, involving gameplay, beautiful graphics, and good music all in one package. Sure, there were some slowdown issues, and the music wasn’t as great as it could have been, but all in all, this game delivers. In spite of its faults, Dragon Quest IX stands as a strong testament to the gaming capabilities of the DS.

2. 
   Jordan
   Jul 28th, 2010 at 11:06 pm

   Review by Jordan for Dragon Quest IX: Sentinels of the Starry Skies
   Rating:
   My first impressions of this game were very high. I really enjoy the gameplay, and it has not felt like a tedious rpg for even a second. I think the story is creative, and I actually enjoy reading the text on the screen, whereas i usually just skip right on through it to keep on playing. This game fully suits what i had wanted out of an RPG experience on the ds.
   
   To begin, the story is very entertaining. The idea of being an angelic warrior is kinda cool, and it doesn’t seem like the regular run o’ the mill rpg story setup. Its fun seeing where the story is going to take me. I think most people that like this style of game will find the story entertaining as well.
   
   Next, the gameplay is just phenomenal. I have played final fantasy 3,4, Pokemon Platinum and Heartgold, and that is really the extent of my rpg playing on the ds. These games are all known for the random battles that just pop up out of nowhere. I find that to be flat-out tedious and boring after a while. On top of that it takes away from the realism of “questing.” I still enjoyed those games, but I have a new favorite here with dragon quest 9. I really like being able to see the monsters. You basically get to choose when you want to fight. Sometimes the monsters will run away from you when you are a high level, and I thought that added even more realism to the experience. The battles are also fun because all the moves, spells, etc. are very well animated. It is never boring to sit through a battle. The learning curve is also very easy. Final Fantasy kinda throws you to the wolves when you start those games, but this gently pushed you into the battling, and before long you will have a good understanding of the tactics and how it all works.
   
   I also have to commend the game for its length. I guess i qualify for the category of just starting out the game. I have gotten myself to Stornway though and am getting ready to fight the Wight Knight. I have already gotten a lot of fun out of the game, and i’m sure it will get better as it progresses. The hardest part about this game is making myself put it down.
   
   Another bonus is the fact that the game does not sync up with the clock in the ds. I have a job and responsibilities and stuff so when i used to play the pokemon games, I got to play them in the dark the whole time. That takes away from the fun factor of the game, and it isn’t fun when you cheat past this by resetting the clock on the ds. But this game changes from night to day as you battle and roam around. I’m very glad that they stayed away from making the game have a daylight setting only when its daylight in the real world. I’m sure other people can relate to what I’m saying here.
   
   The game is very fun, and if you have been searching for an RPG that you can get hooked on, this is it. I think it is one of the most detailed games to be released for the ds, and it looks great. It is fun and the pacing is great. All the optional quests make the value of the game increase a great deal. You can play this game for a very long time. I think this game is worth every dollar they charge for it. Just buy it and have some fun!!

3. 
   Surgery100
   Jul 28th, 2010 at 11:32 pm

   Review by Surgery100 for Dragon Quest IX: Sentinels of the Starry Skies
   Rating:
   Cool graphics, pretty groovy music and a mammoth-sized quest. Certainly not easy, but not so complicated to turn away the casual gamer.

   Gameplay: Fairly linear and simple to follow. There is endless battling, but the cool graphics and the presentation (you get to see the enemies before they attack) make this fun. Each job centers around a specific set of weapon skills that you accrue as you advance in the game. There are a bunch of side quests that add to the fun.

   Characters: Can be fully customized, from choosing to focus on a single weapon or “job talent,” to mixing and matching them to your liking. My only negative here is that there is only one save slot, so you don’t get as much opportunity to experiment with the characters.

   Graphics: Pretty cool graphics that manage to avoid the creepy, puppet-like appearance of characters on other games. Every piece of armor and spear can be customized and the details transmit well. The scenarios are expansive and detailed.

   Controls are straightforward and responsive.

   Overall, this is a very entertaining, incredibly long game (so far 40 hr plus) that manages a fairly linear and simplistic story in a way that keeps you engaged without becoming stale or boring.

4. 
   Guy
   Jul 29th, 2010 at 12:10 am

   Review by Guy for Dragon Quest IX: Sentinels of the Starry Skies
   Rating:
   $35 is what this game will run you, and you can spend 40-50 hours in completing just the main story. This game is incredible value for money, just for the longevity.

   The fun in this game lies everywhere. Character creation to the point where you can have your own body style, hair style, facial expression (although it’s a permanent one, no emoting for these characters), wardrobes that wouldn’t look out of place in Las Vegas, and others that would let you fit into Victorian England, and many others. There is humor, there is tragedy, there are side quests galore. And even though it wasn’t in high-definition, this game also includes one of the coolest fully animated cut-scenes I have ever seen on any of the hundreds of games I have played over the last two decades.

   If you like old-school traditional RPGs, you’re going to like this game. It’s about as old-school as it gets, with updated beautiful graphics and animations; the frustrating, tedious gold hunting and level grinding; the rare items, the rare monsters.

   Some thing in this game are going to drive you insane: the overly-populated monsters and the 9-limit alchemy creation plateau, mostly. But once you’ve figured out how to make $52,000 gold in ten minutes (after you’ve collected about $550,000 in gold to begin with), and once you’ve leveled your party up through all the vocations you can choose to keep the best stats of each, once you get critical strikes to instantly kill metal slimes, well, then you feel like you’ve really accomplished something.

   In this sequel of Dragon Quest, the monsters spawn on the map where you can see them, so you can pick and choose what monsters you want to fight, unless they chase you down first — but don’t worry, use some holy water and you’re free of that nuisance.

   You can recruit three others players, either friends on Wi-fi or in the game itself, to make your journey easier. In the context of the game, they make little sense, but you’re happy to have them helping you.

   You can download new items and quests through DQVC, which is sort of like free DLC (downloaded content), once every 24 hours.

   Once the main story is completed, you can go back and finish side quests and hunt through all the treasure maps.

   It is a great deal of content, for a very decent price. If you like RPGs, if you really like old-school JRPGs, I would highly recommend it.

5. 
   N. Byrne
   Jul 29th, 2010 at 12:59 am

   Review by N. Byrne for Dragon Quest IX: Sentinels of the Starry Skies
   Rating:
   But this game really surprised me. Where RPGs in recent times are forgetting what make them compelling, Dragon Quest continues to build on what makes the genre work. What had me so addicted was the sheer amount of customization available. Everything from your character’s appearance to your role and specializations can be tinkered to your preferences. Particularly nice, each piece of equipment displays on your on screen character. The diversity and design of the different equipment puts even MMOs to shame. Being a powerful warrior has never been so satisfying before.

   I do have a few gripes with the game. Having no option to scroll through the text quicker is a downer, and I would have preferred an option to speed up battles.

   That all said, if you’ve grown tired of RPGs taking themselves too seriously with poorly written narratives, give Dragon Quest IX a chance. It’s not a ‘cinematic experience’, and that’s okay. It’s a video game, and a charming one at that.