Dragon Quest VIII

This game just proves you do not need to have computer generated film sequences in a game to make it good, instead why not just make the entire game a wonderful visual experience. That is what they did here as the game is just stunning to look at, it is like watching a very well done cartoon. In fact, the characters were designed by the guy who did DragonBall Z and it most certainly shows. The story has a king and his beautiful daughter cursed...he is now turned into a troll like creature and she, while still beautiful, is now a horse. They are traveling to find a way to end the curse of themselves and their home, as the castle is now overrun with thorns. They are accompanied by a young man who was a guard at the castle and somehow escaped everyone else's fate of being turned to thorns and a thief they meet along the way named Yangus. Who could have brought about such terror you ask, a strange magician clown that goes by the name Dhoulmagus. Most of the game you are tracking him in an attempt to break the curse, and along the way you meet two more allies in the form of the very lovely Jessica and Angelo a man who has a special place in his heart for the ladies. During your adventures you will run across many fiends and many lovely locales. And some not so lovely as you will find out in the thieve's paradise of Pickham. You even get to see a lovely winter land and a strange land with virtually no color. You sail the seas and soar through the skies, though not in the old standby airship. The fighting is turned based, nothing to complicated to pick up, you do have your special attacks and you can psyche yourself and make your attacks that much more effective. The only complaints I have for the game is that getting money and upgrading your equipment can be a pain as is using the alchemy pot (though that has its pluses too). Then there is the music, which is not bad, but it is not varied enough for my tastes. However, the game is overall very enjoyable and it has a very sweet ending that I thought was one of the better endings I have seen in a role playing game.