In recent years, the classic JRPG franchise, "Dragon Quest," has experienced somewhat of a resurgence. Since the spin off titles, "Dragon Quest Heroes" and "Builders," proved successful in Europe and America, Square Enix quickly confirmed that "Dragon Quest XI" will also be receiving an English translation. Once available on consoles, it will be the first English release for the main series since 2004 when the eight entry was produced.
Complimenting the confirmation that a "Builders 2" is in development, Square Enix announced that Japan is also receiving digital ports of the first three games of the series.
Ps4 and 3DS owners can purchase them later on this month. At this point, Square Enix has yet to mention whether they shall be made available for Western players.
'Dragon Quest' has been around for more than 30 years
The first game hit stores over three decades ago, as it was available to purchase in 1986. The ambitious JRPG proved popular enough that a follow up was produced and released within a year. Fun fact, in North America, the games were published as "Dragon Warrior" and not "Dragon Quest" until 2005.
The original game's importance to the development of JRPG genre can not be underestimated, as its core gameplay mechanics and narrative style would be used as a template for franchises like "Final Fantasy."
Do they hold up?
This is not the easiest of questions to answer, as it depends on whether the player associates as nostalgia with the original games.
"Dragon Quest" has always prided itself on offering a simplistic and accessible experience, with the gameplay often feeling bare-bones compared to its contemporaries. The combat, which takes place in an overworld or a dungeon, boils down to selecting between attack, magic or an item and hoping that your enemy loses all their HP before your party does.
Admittedly, the above could be used to describe most JRPGs, but what you see is what you get with "Dragon Quest." The story was perfect for its time but will come across a cliche nowadays due to how often the formula has been repeated in other games. It should be noted that this simplicity is not necessarily a flaw, as it means that the gameplay mechanics are timeless.
Despite the NES era being long gone, even new players should find the gameplay almost second nature. The franchise can be enjoyed by any generation since they never included any obtuse mechanics which made them feel dated.
