As a gamer, I don't like JRPG's. Reasons include linearity, random encounters, rigid turn-based combat, and constant, tedious grinding. That's not to mention the other Japanese aesthetics that are inherently alien to me (pretty boys with way to many belts, etc.). To put it short: the JRPG is an inherently rigid genre of videogame compared to their western cousins which allow non-linearity and a more open form of playing.
I am, however, not immune to a good game. My favorite JRPG's include the Golden Sun series, the Pokemon series, and Chrono Trigger, possibly the greatest JRPG to date. Dragon Quest represents the apex of the JRPG: compared to their former rival and now second cousin Final Fantasy, Dragon Quest has stayed stable and traditional over the years which has appealed more to the tradition minded Japanese as opposed to the more change minded American audiences which Final Fantasy is more popular since each subsequent sequel is radically different from its predecessor. Riding the success of Nintendo and realizing that the JRPG was on the eve of a revolution, Dragon Quest IX was released on the DS and can be best described as a cross between Dragon Quest proper and, of all things, Elder Scrolls IV.
The story is straight forward: you play a Celestrian, a member of a vanguard of like-minded supernatural beings dedicated to the protection of humanity in the name of the Allmighty. Switch out "Celestrian" with "angel" and the "Almighty" with "God" and you can see where this is going. Thankfully, to those who adverse to the...ahem...interesting Japanese interpretation of Christianity as a whole like myself (Evangellion, et all), the "Almighty" is portrayed less as a benevolent and faceless Judeo-Christian Jehova and more like a fickle and vengeance-minded Classical Zeus, and they throw in the world tree Yggdrasil for proper distance. After an unforseen attack upon the Observatory (read: heaven), your character falls down to earth and finds himself in limbo: not human and yet not a Celestrian. With no direct way to regain your Celestrian status, your mission now is to regain the 7 lost Fyggs of the World Tree which are practically like Kryptonite as they grant the wish of whoever eats it, but corrupts it as per the wisher's corrupted nature. Yes, your character is a Messiah and for those of you who grew up in the church or at least have a basic knowledge of the Bible, I'll give you two guesses who the main villain is...
Let me get the worse part of the game out of the way: the graphics. I'm not much one for graphics: as long as it looks great and plays better, I'll play it. I'm not a stickler for "next gen" graphics or hi-def worthy graphics. However: I will balk at when the design choice crosses the uncanny valley. Let me explain: the game uses full 3D, albeit limited to the DS specifications which look more like N64-era graphics. What ruins it for me is the fact that I'm not playing a N64: I'm playing a DS which isn't a home console and shouldn't really be handling straight 3D graphics as they just look ugly. Compare the 3D capabilities of the DS in IX to the 2D capabilities in any of the Castlevania games and you can see that the DS works far better 2D or even 2.5D as seen in New Super Mario Bros. than straight 3D. Another flaw in the design is the creator: Akira Toriyama, the creator of the classic Dragon Ball anime series and designer behind Chrono Trigger and the Dragon Quest series to date. He's a accomplished 2D designer, and for him developing 3D graphics is a step backward. If the DS was used to its full potential, it'd be in beautiful 2D. Unfortunately, the trend is full 3D, and because of that we've got ugly, N64 era graphics.
Now on to the gameplay. The battle system is standard JRPG fare with the option to go AI options on your characters (heal, all-out, defense, etc.) You're better off going full manual: micro-management is the way to go. The class system and skill system are the best parts of the gameplay. A thankful deviation from the JRPG norm is no random battles. Rathter, similar to Paper Mario or the Tales series, monsters appear on the battlefeild and engagement starts teh moment you bump into them. The main drawback is that some dungeons (particularly the endgame ones) where the corridors are so narrow that you're bound to bump into one despite wearing repellent. Both elements are inspired by the best in Western RPG's. You recruit and choose class and appearance your party members as opposed to recruiting set characters and classes. The skill system is similar to Final Fantasy V, in that skill points are given at level ups and can be allocated to class and weapon skills. The problem is that they're permanently set, and when you can actievly change character classes which revert to Lv. 1, it gets frustrating. The worst elements are the Alchemy and sidequest systems, as they've failed in their Elder Scrolls emulations. The alchemy system is a straight-foward item/equipment upgrading where raw materials and weapons are combined in the Alchemy pot to produce better ones. Unfortunetly, the ingredients are too sparse to make it an effective system, as drops and environment finds are few and far between. You're better off having a full-time Thief on your party to fully take advantage of the system. The sidequest system is inadequate at best. On one hand you can keep track of them easily thru a special menu option. The objectives are the typical MMO fare of item/creature kill quotas. Unlike MMO quests, however, there's no XP awarded on completion: just weapons or equipment. If only the alchemy system was more robust and streamlined and sidequests awarded XP, IX would've been an exceptional East/West blend, not seen since Chrono Trigger. Instead, these elements come off as awkward and unwieldy, all way too dependent on grinding for their own good. The uncanny valley is in effect, as the more apparent the Western elements are, the more wrong they appear.
In summary, IX is a solid yet inadequate game. The Western-inspired elements are unrealized and under utilized in a game that defines a genre and would've meant an incredible step forward for the JRPG. Instead, we've got ugly 3D graphics and weak sidequest and alchemy systems which are all too tied down to the grind. JRPG fans will enjoy this game despite the flaws, but those looking for a more inviting and newbie friendly JRPG should look elsewhere.
Final rating: B- (genre fans and the adventurous need apply): Dragon Quest IX tries to put JRPG peanut butter in my Western RPG chocolate, but there's too much peanut butter in this mix and not enough sugar in the chocolate, leaving a bitter mix that sticks to the roof of your mouth. Those with an acquired JRPG taste will eat it up, but those of us with more sensitive palettes will have to look elsewhere.
Other Recommendations: Tales of Symponia (Gamecube), Paper Mario and the Thousand-Year Door (Gamecube), Chrono Trigger (DS)
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