Dragon Quest V: Tenkuu no Hanayome (1992)

Preliminary: Hallleullllljah I read that finally DQ dropped the Talk, Search, etc. menu and you just simply talk/search what you clicked as any JRPG of its time should do. Also excited for the monster collecting aspect, tho it sounds more akin to Final Fantasy Legends than Pokemons.

So far it definitely looks more elaborate and regal than even the earlier SNES RPGs like FF4. Oh so there is a context menu but a different button seems to get around that? Hm. So much of this is reminding me of the earlier DQs still, but just with a fancier skin. And slow movement ugh why.

Even tho as hesitant as I am, because usually DQs besides the first one just don't click with me and this is showing signs of being very much like those, I am loving this relaxing music.

Early Game

Even tho I'm feeling meh about this (despite the great Look and Sound... odd), I'm sure I'll end up playing most if not all of it heh smh. I'm doing my frist grind. The walking sure is slow, but I'm glad I can hold down the action button to not have to spam click through battles.

For whatever reason, the positive music reminds me of Kingdom Hearts. I'm glad to see that when equipping tihngs you can see how they affect your stats. (Oooo and at the equipment stores!) And that you can equip from the store menu. Glad to see some QoL updates. Selling equipment still takes a bit too long but I can't complain. It's a JRPG

I'm really surprised that with this excellent Look and Sound I am just not clicking with it. The Feel just isn't there. The plotline is boring so far (tho I'm sure it will develop) and the inventory is the same as the earlier DQs, extremely limiting, and I dunno how to explain it, it's just meh gameplay-wise to me so far. Ok, Fairie Village... hopefully something comes from this.

Wow that ice movement was annoying.

Yeahhhh I'm surprised to say this but I'm dropping this. Pretty rare for an RPG. The Dragon Quest series just has not been particularly good since the first one.

Look: 8/10

Sound: 8/10

Play: 6.5/10 It's not necessarily bad, just disappointing. And just like its predecessors, it does so little to improve on the prior games' gameplay.

Feel: 7/10 Just meh. Tho the Look and Sound help boost this.

Attachment: 7/10

Overall: 7.3/10

What's there to say about the critical darling that's swept the hearts and minds of many a Dragon Quest fan? For a game that easily takes the top spot for a lot of fans, Dragon Quest V is just ok.

The game is regular Dragon Quest fare, even with the fancy SNES visuals. Battles use a different background again and although sprites are static, they look gorgeous. The story tells a tale of a child growing up through hardship, friendship, and family, but is very narrow, especially compared to the grandiose story of the previous game. Many who say this is the peak of storytelling in Dragon Quest may want to revisit and compare, though it is a matter of breadth vs. depth.

As for mechanics? There are two that stand out from the "yeah whatever, every Dragon Quest does that" crowd - monster catching and a context-specific button. The monster catching is OK; monsters randomly joining aren't as reliable as you might think, and your actual mainstay party members (very few, must've been focusing more on the monsters) end up being better overall. Still, a monster here and there does well in a pinch. Compared to Pokemon fans, this system seems rather novel but the Megami Tensei series has done this to a far better extent for 4 or so games at this point.

As for the context button? One of the finest improvements ever brought to Dragon Quest V. Gone are the annoying Talk/Door/Search/Item/whatever menu selections (though they're still there) and is replaced by a button that knows whether you need to talk to someone, search, or open something. It's a wonderful streamlining that the series needed to stand out.

Otherwise, it's fairly good but standard. Not the impressiveness of Dragon Quest IV, but solid enough and makes it easier to do the same old thing players have been doing for the past five games.