Dragon Quest VIII: Journey of the Cursed King

Play Magazine

DQ8 is the epitome and ultimate maturation of traditional role-playing, nothing more, nothing less. [Nov 2005, p.26]

Gaming Age

Sure, the story may be a little weak, but that doesn't stop Dragon Quest VIII: Journey of the Cursed King from being among the best, not to mention most polished, role-playing games of the generation. If you’re at all a fan of the genre, don’t miss it.

GameSpy

This game stays truer to its roots than any other currently surviving hit game series from the 80s, and it's all the better for it; it shows us that radical rethinking isn't always the key -- that developers can preserve the look, feel, and soul of a series across decades.

G4 TV

Thanks to careful balancing, rewarding pacing, and an excellent translation, Dragon Quest VIII is one of those rare games that's more than the sum of its parts.

GameShark

The ease of play and deep gaming experience are a perfect blend for whiling away far too many hours, and marathon sessions with this game are going to be commonplace. It is just really hard to put down.

Weekly Famitsu

10 / 9 / 10 / 10 - 39 platinum [Dec 2004]

BonusStage

In its elegant simplicity DQVIII comes together as one damn near flawless RPG that exemplifies superb game design, narrative work and presentation all in one sweeping stroke.

My Gamer

But those willing to give it a chance will find the best role playing GAME -- emphasis on the game part -- they've played in a long time. It might just be enough to make a fan out of you.

TotalPlayStation

This was absolutely worth waiting for, and credit must be given to Squenix for releasing a game that bravely sticks to its guns in the face of all these ridiculously complex additions to the formula that Dragon Quest got right all along.

Game Chronicles

You can’t go wrong with a game that’s got beauty, personality, and fun, and Dragon Quest VIII has all these in abundance.

Deeko

Dragon Quest hits every check-mark on the list: it looks and sounds great, plays well, and tells a heart-warming and comical story that is never heavy-handed and is always enjoyable.

Worth Playing

There's also a powerful shot of nostalgia for folks who grew up on NES "Dragon Warrior," as the menus are patterned after that style - and yet as usable and slick as anything you'll find in an RPG. All told, Dragon Quest VIII is one of those rare games that can be fairly called a masterpiece.

Gaming Horizon

Just an extremely enjoyable, beautiful, nostalgic, and engaging RPG for the PlayStation 2. This charming, atmospheric RPG is not to be missed.

1UP

The reason I know Dragon Quest VIII is 90 hours long is because that was my time when I finished it. It's that good.

GameCritics

Dragon Quest VIII succeeds brilliantly by taking time-tested traditional-RPG gameplay and placing it in a uniquely vast and beautiful world that is a pure joy to explore and inhabit.

eToychest

The game’s presentation is second to none, and serves as a new benchmark for role-playing games in general.

Next Level Gaming

One of my favorite games of the year. Great graphics, storyline, characters, gameplay, controls and polish, this is simply a fantastic title. I have not been this addicted to a Dragon Warrior (Quest) game since the original on the NES.

RPG Fan

Dragon Quest VIII may not revolutionize the console RPG genre, but it has done one thing that all the older RPGs have strived to be: it has become the greatest classic RPG experience of all time. [JPN Import]

TotalGames.net

Dragon Quest VIII's world flows. It moves. It's utterly huge. It reminds one of "Zelda: Ocarina of Time" on a "Grand Theft Auto" scale. It is an adventure. It's possible to get hopelessly lost in mountain paths, or on tributaries in rivers that dissect giant continents with no place to land a boat outside of a shady hidden casino in the rocks. [JPN Import]

GameZone

The blend of cel-shading with the more realistic, yet light-hearted, world works really well.

Pelit (Finland)

An excellent RPG. The whole is significantly more than the sum of its parts. [May 2006]

Games Master UK

Dragon Quest is absolutely beautiful. [June 2006, p.60]

GameBrink

It features great old-school RPG gaming, a cool graphic style, nice sceneries are times and it’s just plain fun to play.

Into Liquid Sky

Few old school series get such a great modernization like this. Considering the game easily clocks in well over 50 hours, any RPG fan will get their money's worth.

Game Revolution

The core of Dragon Quest VIII is the epitome of elegant design while the aesthetics are nearly unmatched. What it lacks in innovation it makes up for in refinement and delivery, leading to the new king of the old school.

Cheat Code Central

The graphics do an excellent job of immersing us into this fantasy world. Characters are charming, funny, evil and mysterious.

IGN

To be totally upfront, I haven't played an RPG all year that's had me this excited to see what happens next as Dragon Quest VIII has... even if I could figure out what that "next" was probably going to be.

GameSpot

There are plenty of good reasons for RPG fans to pay attention, too, because Dragon Quest VIII is a beautiful, lighthearted adventure that pairs satisfying, classic-style gameplay with a whole lot of charm.

Official U.S. Playstation Magazine

The landscape could be considered a character in itself - it rivals the state of San Andreas in size and detail. It's one of the few landscapes where you can look in any direction and realize that the mountain in the distance isn't scenery. [Dec 2005, p.116]

games(TM)

For the first time in the series’ beleaguered overseas history, the game is going to hook westerners long enough to draw them in past the insane difficulty and into one of the most rewarding, player-loving games of the last decade. [JPN Import; Feb 2005, p.86]

Gaming Target

Dragon Quest VIII: Journey of the Cursed King isn't like "Final Fantasy" with its over-the-top visual carvings and boundary-pushing gameplay. Here, Dragon Quest VIII is the comfy but less attractive affordable footwear. It's the trim without the finesse. It's the vanilla milkshake without the need of additional toppings.

DarkStation

Dragon Quest comtinues its tradition of excellence with this perfect blend of strong storytelling, enchanting visuals and solid combat system.

Game Over Online

It proves that placing more attention into the gameplay and taking these few characters on a massive journey can still be appealing to both the hardcore RPG fan and the mainstream gamer, and could spark a flash of imports as players seek out older Dragon Quest titles to play.

Eurogamer

So, the most beautiful world in a game? Perhaps. To look at it’s cohesive, well-formed, has some of the best, most inventive enemy designs ever conceived, and the shimmering draw distance constantly beckons you into it’s hazy good-looking promise.

Jolt Online Gaming UK

It’s easy enough for complete beginners to pick up and play, and it has more than enough content and depth for hardcore gamers to enjoy. It’s beautiful and engrossing with literally days of gameplay.

PSM2 Magazine UK

An absolutely massive game world, an amazing soundtrack, gorgeous visuals, and some of the best RPG combat we've ever tussled with. Social Life? What's that? [May 2006, p.60]

Games Radar (in-house)

The ultimate descendant of classic console RPGs. It's what all RPGs might be like if Final Fantasy VII hadn't come along and changed everything.

Official Playstation 2 Magazine UK

Looks sensational, plays tightly and lasts like a marathon-running robot. Not for casuals but a hardcore delight. [Apr 2006, p.102]

Gamenikki

It all boils down to the extremely high quality and production values of this title. The gameplay IS a bit old-school and the story isn’t extremely intricate, but that’s part of the magic to behold. Don’t let anything turn you away from trying out Square Enix’s latest blockbuster.

PSM Magazine

Check it out and experience the wonder Japanese gamers have felt for nearly 20 years. [Feb 2006, p.78]

PSW Magazine UK

It's full of numerous, wonderful touches you'll remember long after the game's end - a cheeky little devil's Sultry Dance attack, which cause your party members to dance uncontrollably; the way the blue slimes do deadpan better than Bill Murray; even the way saving your game requires a trip to the church to confess.

Boomtown

Whatever the situation, we can only judge the game as it is now. And one thing is for sure: playing it for the first time is a journey that borders on magical.

VideoGamer

While Dragon Quest VIII is content to leave the furthering of the RPG to other games, it does a brilliant job of bringing the past into the modern era by coupling old-fashioned gameplay with some beautiful art design.

Play.tm

With over fifty hours of gameplay and side questing on top, an engrossing leveling up system including the creation of new items by experimenting in an alchemy pot, and a delightful storyline, Dragon Quest offers too much to be ignored - even if RPGs have never been your bag.

Gamer 2.0

It’s an extremely hard, yet very refreshing RPG that is of the highest quality you can squeeze out of a game like this.

Game Informer

Continually baffles the mind with its visuals. [Dec 2005, p.168]

The New York Times

There's nothing especially original in Dragon's old-fashioned gameplay, but it does it all beautifully.

Electronic Gaming Monthly

DQ8 is so freaking big that it's almost like the dandy RPG fan's answer to "Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas." [Dec 2005, p.154]

PSX Extreme

While not terribly original in terms of storytelling, Dragon Quest VIII offers enough variety in presentation and gameplay to make it worth playing, especially if you're fanatic about your Japanese RPGs.

Siliconera

Dragon Quest VIII is bound to polarize RPG gamers. Veterans will appreciate Dragon Quest VIII’s challenge, excellent localization and emphasis on exploration. However, compared to most modern RPGs the story is a mere skeleton and the battle system is primitive. [JPN Import]

Just RPG

It's a huge, old-fashioned monster of a game, which both makes the game work and provides a fair bit of frustration. However, none of that can really deny how much fun the game can be when it's really on top of things.

PALGN

Provides exactly what it ought to - a premium J-RPG experience for anyone who has been yearning for a true challenge, a riveting story and a long, satisfying quest.

GameBiz

Gamers who are seeking a more modern RPG, possibly darker and a more mature western-style storyline may not really find Dragon Quest VIII to their taste; the whole game may be a little too cute for their liking.

Sydney Morning Herald

The system of character progression is elegantly simple but players still have freedom to choose weapon and magic specialties.

Total Video Games

There's nothing particularly new or original about the game, there's not even a distinctive game feature you can put your finger on as a reason to own this game; instead Dragon Quest: The Journey of the Cursed King provides a game that is just enjoyable to play due to the attention paid towards its presentation, the cast of the characters and ensuring the gameplay is robust and without fault, if largely unremarkable.

RewiredMind

A very compelling game to play and one of the few titles I will continue playing long after reviewing. In fact, that is exactly what I am going to do right now.

Edge Magazine

To call this style over substance would be grossly inaccurate. The substance is all there – weighty, deep and stretching off 90 hours into the distance. But, unmistakable, it is substance from another time. [Jan 2005, p.78]

NTSC-uk

The story is compelling, the characters interesting, well developed and likeable, and it’s all gelled together in an environment that rewards the player for exploration, as well as being an enjoyable experience just to roam about and take in the countryside.

GamePro

Granted, the underlying structure of DQ8 is totally derivative and younger gamers may find the pacing too slow, but those with an appreciation of its style will rejoice in what is essentially the culmination of kooky Japanese RPGs.

netjak

Both in terms of plot and in terms of battle engine, this could have been easily done in the 8-bit days. While certainly a workman's RPG, it's one best suited for those who want something like they were fifteen years ago.

Computer Games Magazine

It’s this emphasis on 3D exploration, as well as older style of gameplay, that might recommend the game to PC RPG folk, assuming they can get past the heavy-duty anime aesthetic. [Mar 2006, p.86]

AceGamez

For fans of the Dragon Quest series, technology advances have now meant that the transition from PC to console is a smooth one, although its appeal to non-RPG fans is limited - Final Fantasy this most definitely is not.

Thunderbolt

While I did get some enjoyment from playing it, especially the first 20 hours or so, I’m left craving something more substantial, probably something that invloves the words "Fantasy" and "Final".