Dragon Quest Heroes: Final Impressions & Verdict (PS4)

At first "Dragon Quest Heroes" seemed to be a simple bare bones JRPG brawler akin to the 'Dynasty Warriors' series, and not much more than that. You had short lived missions that you could take on with applicable in-depth battle mechanics, and after battle intermissions that left the player wanting more. I personally longed for that epic battlefield experience that 'Dynasty Warriors' is known for, but the game seemed to fall short of living up to such a grand in-game spectacle. Sure the game looked, and sounded amazing, but one couldn't help but ask "Where is all the epic stuff?". Thankfully the more I played the more the game opened up to me. There were plenty of new playable characters to play as, and plenty of new vendors that offered up even more things to do in between the various mission objectives. Not only did you have the enemy clearing challenges, and boss battles adorned with story driven cutscenes, but things like grinding levels that could go on forever began to show up. Those lucrative extra missions, and the weekend bonuses really got me excited about actually dedicating some time to my playthrough. While it may not be a game that's for everyone I do feel that 'Dragon Quest Heroes', and it's unique approach to the JRPG formula has earned it it's rightful place on the PS4 as a true gem of a game. A "Must Have!!!" title!

If you find yourself looking for that perfect present day JRPG experience that pays homage to it's well grounded retro roots while doing something innovative then I think you'll enjoy 'Dragon Quest Heroes: The World Tree's Woe & The Blight Below". The gameplay feels as action packed as a 'Dynasty Warriors' adventure, but also harnesses all the features, and mechanics that make a JRPG a JRPG. You'll find yourself managing your party members stats, abilities, and equipment between battles, and will enjoy plenty of time on the battlefield. With Akira Toriyama on board as lead artist the game's world comes to life as it should both in-game, and within the cutscenes that follow encounters of importance. It looks like a modern-day "Dragon's Quest", or "Dragon Warriors" game, and does something new at the same time with Tecmo Koei's signature 'Dynasty Warriors' battle system in place.

The missions, or battles you'll take on in-game do vary, and range from simple enemy clearings to boss battles, and even escort objectives. You'll even find in place the occasional defense battle where waves of enemies will head towards the target while you, and your four man/woman party try to fend them off. For those of you interested in material looting side-quests those are also a thing. When it comes to variety this game definitely has it. If you read my previous impressions article you'll know that I mentioned the village shops being limited, and constantly the same. Well, it turns out that once you reach a certain point you, and your party will board an island airship, and will have many more shop vendors become available to you. As of now I've still not completed the game, so you can imagine even more features will become available to me as I continue my journey with the children of light, their king, and the mismatched party members who choose to join the fray. I just hope that you too will give this game a chance as it is truly, and undeniably enjoyable. The only downside, if any comes with the copyright notice regarding streaming which restricts anyone who monetizes their videos, or anyone who is outright sharing the soundtrack from streaming the game. Having attempted to upload videos of past Tecmo Koei games it comes at no surprise to me as I know they are notorious for not letting the sound go through to the uploaded videos. Why Square Enix, and the associated companies don't want the extra publicity is beyond me, but at least the game is still awesome.

In closing I'm gonna stand by this game in saying DO NOT miss out!!! Be sure to buy this game if you are a PS4 owner. You will not be disappointed. Even if you have to get the digital download version! It get's the Inferno's official seal of approval!!!