After yet another RPG series debate, we're growing ever closer to the actual epic tournament that will let your favorite RPGs battle to the death for the honor of being "the best RPG of all time." However, the RPG genre is one of the largest genres in the industry, and we still have a lot of work left to do before things start to really heat up! Last week we narrowed a trilogy down to just its best representative, and this week we do the same for an entire series. Here are the results from last week:
- Xenosaga Episode I: Der Wille zur Macht (22 votes) -- Winner!!
- Xenosaga Episode III: Also sprach Zarathustra (12 votes)
- Xenosaga Episode II: Jenseits von Gut und Böse (0 votes) -- Ouch!
Before moving on, I feel it's important to comment on Xenogears' status. Last week, even though I didn't include it in the debate, you guys and gamer girls still voted for it anyways. A lot. It actually received more votes than Xenosaga III. So to wet your appetite, I'll let you in on one of the brackets that you'll see in the finals. Xenosaga Episode I versus Xenogears will be one of the competitions you're asked to weigh in on, so if you haven't played one or both of these games yet, you have about a month or two before they're both back in the spotlight.
As for this week, we have a much larger selection of games to choose from. Out of the entire Dragon Quest series, which includes the earlier Dragon Warrior games and even the numerous spinoff games, which one game is so good that it deserves a spot in the tournament to fight on behalf of all the others that don't make the cut?
What Dragon Quest game should make it to the tournament brackets and why? What sets it apart from every other game in its series? Sell me on the idea! Get me stoked to see it compete in the tournament! Give it some serious thought, share your reasoning with all of us, and then check back next week to see how your game did!
Bonus Question: Which game in the series is your least favorite? Why?
Contest:
10:00 PM on 03.23.2010 | 
I'd say DQ5, then DQ4. Both were so phenomenal.
I disliked 1 the most, because I suck at going RPGs alone.
As for the worst, I'd have to say 2, followed by 4. But I don't have time to type up why. Oh well.
As for least favorite, that's tough, since I like all of them pretty equally. Probably II, if only because I never finished the damn thing for some reason, but it was still solid.
Least Favorite: the ones that begin with Dragon Quest
DQ ftl
Well, I just have to pick my "pokemon-esque" RPG Dragon Quest. Seriously, the first DQmonsters was so fun to me that I grew all my monsters to +99. I was so invincible :D And I liked the fact you could make "almost" any monsters much more stronger than they are at first. Dragon Quest VIII comes at a close second.
The worst... that I've played because I still didn't play VI and VII. It just has to be Dragon Quest IV. Multi Scenarios didn't immerse me at all. It felt like restarting the game each time a new character was introduced, and that at the end of the game, I felt like it was the beginning. Kinda bad
Worst? DQ Swords. Why? It's the only one I don't want to play.
VIII
V
I
That's all I've played so far (will pick up VI and IX when the come out), but my least favorite is I. Having to pick "stairs" to go up or downstairs is painful.
My least favorite is the original DQ monsters.
One of my favorite franchises of all time.
If there was a least favorite game for me though, it'd have to be DQ 5, the only one I never beat. I mean, it played like most DQ games, and was kinda fun, but it just seemed like one of the weaker games to me while I was playing it and I lost interest probably about halfway through.
That said though, I honestly can't vote against any DQ game--I love each one!
Sadly 8/10 random people I ask never played it.
Unfortunately all the hip kids only know about VII..
And favorite? Well, DQ8. DQ5 is fantastic too, but DQ8 is the one that managed to finally top that one.
I did play DQ8 for almost 200 hours but I know it'll win, so put me down for the first one.
That's the only one I've played. Someone tell me something: is DQ V for the DS good? It was cheap at Best Buy the other day and I almost went for it.
As for least favorites, Dragon Quest II probably is my least favorite - it's like picking my least favorite brand of ice cream, though, they're all great. DQ2 is primitive and has a weak story, without the benefit of the cool job system from DQ3 and later games, or the benefit of being the first in the series as in DQ1.
Dragon Quest was my first RPG and the first game I got grounded over as a kid. I was deeply obsessed and found great fun. Though looking back I cannot possibly search or things square-by-square ever again.
Both were great, but I think I liked DQVIII more for its Alchemy Pot, great atmosphere, endearing characters. The overall quest was pretty damn epic.
Plus Yangus is one of the best characters ever.
And of course, this:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EqyxP_ErwO4
The DQ8 one was nice, but the DW3 one was something that I fondly remember just for how peaceful it was...sometimes I'd climb on Ramia and just let it fly in a random direction and listen to the music while I did homework and such. So awesome.
Because the only two in the series I have played are Dragon Warrior and DQVIII.
Obviously DQVIII was WAY more awesome.
The music in Dragon Warrior was pretty awesome though.
Dragon Quest 8 is probably my favorite. I've played 3 a ton and did literally everything in 4 and I've played all of the others other than 9 but 8 is just really really solid and really fun.
Dragon Quest V had the most interesting story, and gameplay was of course classic DQ fare.
SPOILERS! I guess? I just loved the dynamic of being a young boy with your Father, growing into a man, getting married, having kids (even if some of the time passage was a little silly or forced), and fighting the ultimate evil in the end as a family. Just really well done.
There are very few games that broke 80-100+ hours in playtime back around when it came out that were WORTH playing... This one, however, was totally worth it.
Least Favourite: DQIX. Put 80hours+ into it waiting when it will turn out good. Very, very bland "story", totally missing the character personalities that previous DQ's had, the treasure sidequests are all rehashed random dungeons,... I could go on and on. No localization effort can save this one.
Can't believe i FINALLY got a metal slime then lost my DS :( :( :(