The Dragon Quest series has been one of the most successful RPG series in Japan and it’s slowly catching up here in the United States. A hardcore RPG fan should know that there are some Dragon Quest games that weren’t able to make it here in the United States due to licensing issues; particularly Dragon Quest IV, V, and VI. Thanks to the successful release of Dragon Quest VIII: Journey of the Cursed King for the Playstation 2 and other Dragon Quest titles here in the United States, Square-Enix is bringing the first of the three games right on your Nintendo DS. Dragon Quest IV: Chapters of the Chosen for the Nintendo DS is a remake of the classic game that was previously released on the NES and Playstation consoles.
Following the story of five brave heroes, each of them has their own Chapter in the game for everyone to play until they are able to meet the Hero that is destined to save the world. The story is pretty common by now as nothing has changed from the original version. There are a total of five chapters plus an additional chapter made exclusive to the DS version. Each chapter is basically a background for each character and once Chapter 5 is reached, the real adventure starts where the Hero, destined to save the world from the Lord of Underworld will be on the quest to find a way to free the world from the clutches of evil.
Just like a traditional RPG, Chapters of the Chosen isn’t different from the other RPG games that were released on the Nintendo DS. It is the traditional turned based battle system where characters have to wait their turn and it also depends on how many agility points you have. Instead of seeing your characters in the battlefield, you’ll only be able to see your enemies in the first person view mode of the characters. This has been the traditional way of Dragon Quest games so there is really no difference here.
As a traditional RPG, you’ll be spending more time in raising your characters and equipping them with the best weapons and armor that you can purchase but beware, money in this game is so hard to come across so be prepared to grind and grind away for hours until you get the money you want. There will be times when you enter a boss fight, you can die in a single hit, well, the best solution there is to go out and grind levels until you think you are strong enough.
Dragon Quest IV has appeared on two platforms before the remake was done for the Nintendo DS. First, Dragon Quest IV was released on the NES system entitled Dragon Warrior IV, and then it was followed by a Playstation remake but was never given a chance to be localized here in the United States. As I mentioned before, one of the things that makes the DS version stand out is the additional chapter that’s been added in the game. After defeating the Lord of the Underworld at the end of Chapter 5, the credits will roll but the adventure doesn’t stop there! An epilogue chapter will be followed which really adds stuff, so it’s worth it.
When looking at the graphics of the game, Chapters of the Chosen for the Nintendo DS looks better than its predecessor. It is a crystal clear 2D adventure and it will really feel old-school which is a good thing since we haven’t seen any old school RPG graphics for years now. If you are looking for full touch screen interaction in this game, you won’t find it here, as you won’t be using your touch screen. The entire game will be displayed on both of your DS screen but of course, you won’t have to look at the top screen that much because the Hero will always be on your bottom screen. This can get annoying at first but give it time and you’ll get used to it.
Chapters of the Chosen isn’t that long of an adventure. If you are looking for a decent game length that takes up to 30 hours to finish the RPG, Chapters of the Chosen is the game for you. Don’t expect a super humongous length in this game as you won’t find it in here. For me, the game has a pretty decent length and I pretty much enjoyed it from start to finish.
One of the things that is so frustrating in Chapters of the Chosen is that the game doesn’t tell you where to go next. You will really have to talk to everyone you see and find out where your next destination would be. This will really take a lot of time and you’ll be spending your time back and forth until you figured out where your next stop is. As I said, get used to the gameplay of this game and you’ll learn to fall in love with it.
As for the music of the game, if you’ve been playing Dragon Quest VIII or any other Dragon Quest games, you’ll be familiarized with the themes used in the game. Personally, I like it and I enjoy it because I am a big Dragon Quest fan and hardcore RPG gamer and I really enjoy the remix of soundtracks used in this game. There is no voice-overs in this game though so don’t get your hopes up already. This isn’t Final Fantasy IV…
Overall, Dragon Quest IV: Chapters of the Chosen did its job to impress hardcore RPG fans out there with its classic, traditional adventure. I must admit that the game can get pretty hard if you don’t grind but overall, if you put your time in this game, you’ll play it non-stop. Just don’t get frustrated finding your next destination though!
SCORING BREAKDOWN:
STORY – 8.4/10
The traditional story is finally back! The way the story of each character is laid out is a very nice idea to get to know them. I won’t say that the story is deep but it lives up to the expectation of a hardcore RPG gamer.
GAMEPLAY – 8.0/10
No real complaints here except the frustration of finding the next destination. Aside from that, it plays like an old-school game, which is good for RPG fans out there wanting to experience how RPG’s were like in the 1990s.
GRAPHICS – 7.8/10
I just wish they would have used the touch screen to add more innovation but the graphics are really crisp looking but the top screen can distract you if you are not used to it.
MUSIC – 8.2/10
I personally loved the soundtrack of this game. I just wish Square-Enix would release a CD of it but oh well. Remix of classic Dragon Quest/Warrior themes are in this game!
OVERALL- 8.1/10
Dragon Quest IV: Chapters of the Chosen is the game all RPG fans are looking for on the Nintendo DS. With over 30 hours of gameplay, it is a sure non-forgettable adventure. A part of the trilogy, there are two more Dragon Quest games that we can expect that were never released here in the United States. Hoo-yah!
