Dragon Quest V: Hand of the Heavenly Bride Review
Never before officially released in North America, Dragon Quest V: Hand of the Heavenly Bride is the second piece of Square Enix’s three part effort to port older Dragon Quest games to the Nintendo DS. Like the other games in the Dragon Quest franchise, DQV is a traditional, turn-based RPG with all the classic trimmings; explore caves and dungeons, rub elbows with royalty, and, of course, save the world from a great evil. DQV is unique in that its story is a little more complex than that, though, delving into the personal quest of the nameless hero. Fans of traditional RPGs will surely love the classic formula at play here, though it may prove frustrating for anyone unaccustomed to the old fashioned gameplay.
DQV takes a decidedly bold approach to the story; across three generations, the protagonist searches for his mother who was kidnapped by demons on the day of his birth. First with his father, then later with a wife of your choosing and their two children, the hero quests not just for the salvation of the world (though that does come up), but to be reunited with his mother. The resulting story has a lot of emotional weight, as characters and friends you meet along the way forge some significant relationships with one another. A lot of it feels rather cut and dry, but the simple relationships of the characters still create a charming and sweet exploration of love and duty to one another. Unlike many other RPGs, the main goal actually pertains to the main character specifically and pulls you into his individual plight, creating a much more immediate conflict. Though the hero maintains a typical stoical silence throughout the game, his journey still reflects his devotion and care to everyone around him, and carries a lot of personality.
Start your quest as a child, befriend humans and monsters, and find your mother.
The gameplay itself is about as traditional as you can get for an RPG: fight random monster battles, buy armor and weapons, gradually explore the entire known world, etc. Though DQV also comes with the bad of old RPGs: several portions have a severe lack of direction so you’ll have to scour the entire earth to figure out what to do next, certain enemies have a nasty habit of simply swarming over you quickly and unfairly, and magic power is a precious commodity that cannot be wasted in long dungeons. Though the game is challenging, it’s not quite as soul-crushing as some old-school RPGs–level grinding isn’t as vital as it is in many other games. If you don’t already love these old RPGs, you likely won’t enjoy DQV–the game is largely catered toward die-hard RPG fans and those familiar with these gameplay systems.
One area that DQV is distinctly unique, though, is in the monster raising system, a first for the Dragon Quest series. Occasionally after defeating a rogue monster, he will request to join your party. If you allow him to join, he becomes a party member and will fight with you, lending you his strength and whatever magic abilities he might possess. This adds a significant layer of strategy to the game; since you can only use four characters in battle, which monsters will you train? Will they be physically offensive, or magical focused? Creating a unique party adds a lot of replayability to the game, and gives you a chance to create your own challenges for yourself–a team of nothing but slimes and the hero would certainly prove interesting. Though the monster mechanic becomes somewhat superfluous by the end of the game as human characters join your quest, this system offers a lot of variety, assuming you’re willing to manage a large amount of monsters.
You can quickly direct your allies by selecting a certain tactic for them to use.
Since DQV is an old-school RPG, the controls are almost exclusively mapped to the buttons and D-pad, and are exceedingly simple at that. The only notable exceptions are the ability to rotate the camera with L and R (very useful and necessary for exploring towns) and the few stylus based minigames. For the most part, though, the controls are simple and intuitive enough that you shouldn’t have any trouble scrolling through menus and talking to townspeople.
Graphically the game is essentially exactly the same as DQIV on the DS; characters appear as sprites on the overworld, monsters in battle are flat images, and buildings or towns have a three-dimensional appearance. The resulting mishmash of visual styles creates a simple and elegant design that is both clear and charming. Similarly, the music borrows heavily from DQIV, and has a very familiar tone that is easy on the ears but not terribly distinctive. Though there are few portions of the game that will make you stand up and take notice of the presentation, the quality is consistently smooth.
Take advantage of the spells and unique abilities of allied monsters.
Like the great RPGs of old, DQV has a lengthy game time, which is easily padded with a variety of minigames, side quests, and of course, level grinding. Finishing the game can take up to 30 hours, but it’s easy to spend time on minigames such as the casino, or collecting rare items for the knick-knack emporium. Furthermore, you can greatly alter your approach to the game by changing which monsters you raise and bring into battle, as well as your wife. There are three marital options, and each bride has different strengths and weaknesses, such as physical strength or different magic spells. If you’re looking to experience everything the game has to offer, there is plenty of options and variables to keep you entertained for hours upon end.
Dragon Quest V: Hand of the Heavenly Bride exemplifies a simple yet compelling story, told through the lens of tried-and-true RPG elements. The game definitely has a certain type of appeal: it’s not terribly welcoming to new RPG players, but if you can appreciate the somewhat old-fashioned design, the game is a blast. Fans of Dragon Quest or traditional RPGs in general cannot miss the opportunity to experience this classic.
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