Dragon Quest is a franchise that really stood the test of time, and is now popular more than it has ever been in the past. At the same time, we can see that there weren’t so many experiments over time and that all of the games are similar to each other. Plus, it can be said that people who play this game can be considered loyal consumers that are stuck with the game for a good amount of time. Furthermore, it should be said that the developers succeeded in keeping this game as interesting and entertaining as it was the beginning. Props for that guys! Anyway, now we are going to talk about the history of the franchise and we are going to talk about the games we consider to be the best. The first title from this franchise was released back in the late eighties, more precisely 1986.
The creator of Dragon Quest is called Yuji Horri who was directly responsible for a high majority as a developer or writer, and for all of them as a general director. At some point, Dragon Quest became so large that it was needed to develop some spin-offs like Mystery Dragon and Dragon Quest: Monsters Slime. Over time we have witnessed that this franchise managed to win numerous awards. Just to provide you with information that will support our claim of this being a highly popular game, we would like to say that there are numerous Anime and Manga that was inspired by these games. Now, we would like to talk about the titles of this franchise. Since there a lot of them we are going to focus only on those we consider to be the best. Buckle up and let’s go.
Number #5: Dragon Quest – 1986
The first title that we would like to talk about is actually the game that started it all, Dragon Quest, which was released back in 1986. Some people would argue that since the franchise is constantly evolving, this is the game that should be placed at the bottom of the list. However, we don’t believe that. This is a game that started it all and its creators were ahead of its time. Remember, we are talking about 1986. When it comes to the story about the game, the game revolves around the protagonist who has the goal of rescuing the princess from the main villain. The story was brilliantly written since you will have the task of gathering the clues in order to resolve the main mystery. As we said, the game was far ahead of its time when it was released more than 30 years ago.
Number #4: Dragon Quest IV – 1992
The next entry on our list is the fourth installment in this franchise, which was released in 1992. It should be said that this is the first game that was released for NES. Moreover, many people consider it genius because developers have chosen a truly unique way to introduce the story to the players. Different from previous Dragon Quest games, the fourth one was divided into several chapters. Also, each of these chapters has its own protagonist. In the end, all of these characters form a group that will save the world. Thankfully, this game can be downloaded and played on Android and iOS. Moreover, we consider it the best way of experiencing it. Naturally, there are other platforms you can play this game on, but we truly feel that these two are the best options by far.
Number #3: Dragon Quest III – 1992
Dragon Quest III is a game that is closely tied to the next one, Dragon Quest IV. The reason is that the main features that made the fans of this game ecstatic originated from the third entry. One of the highlights of this game was the way exploration was introduced. This game gave its players the opportunity all of the sites on a map through traveling by ship. Also, all of the places you are able to visit are inspired by real places and countries like Egypt, England, and Japan. Plus, this game introduced the concept of night and day in the franchise. If you are interested in experiencing some great older games, Dragon Quest III is the place to be.
Number #2: Dragon Quest V – 2009
As you know, the story is the main element of every good RPG. This is exactly the reason why this game was so popular at the time it was released. The story of this game was exceptionally good because it reached out to multiple generations. At the same time, it can be said some people argue that this is the most polished game in the franchise. In this game you can capture monsters, you can select a person you would like to marry, and you will be able to explore a huge map that will offer you a wide array of different opportunities. Furthermore, this game was a solid base for a high number of spin-off games like Torneko: The Last Hope. This game represented a high number of improvements that were considered great by a large number of the fans of the franchise.
Number #1: Dragon Quest VIII – 2005
Last but not least, in fact, the best game in the series is Dragon Quest VIII. The story follows the protagonist and his crew that are on a quest to liberate the Kingdom of Trodain from a curse. The crew consists of our hero, king Trode and Medea, his daughter. The main antagonist of this game is Dhoulmagus, who is in fact a jester that stole the scepter that is responsible for the curse. This game is a small revolution in the franchise since it introduced the 3D concept in this game. Moreover, the camera can shift from third-person and first-person views. One more thing that is exceptionally good is Battle Mode, which introduced a new option called Tension, which is more than great we can tell you.