I like Warriors games. I’m also a huge fan of Dragon Quest. So it’s only natural that playing Dragon Quest Heroes makes me feel like I’m enjoying the video game equivalent to a bowl of Reese’s Puffs. It also helps that this is another great example of how Omega Force is constantly trying new and interesting things within its popular formula, and the crossover Musou titles always come with an extra helping.
Let’s take a step back and unpack what exactly is happening with this game. Dragon Quest is a legendary, super-traditional JRPG series dating back to the 80’s. It’s not as popular in the West as Final Fantasy is, therefore localizations are scarce. Outside of mobile games, this is the first new Dragon Quest in the West since the DS. That’s a long time!

Dragon Quest Heroes is a Musou game, or a Warriors game, so the Heroes part of the title is a little weird. Omega Force and Square-Enix seem to want to divorce the title a little, which is odd because Nintendo had no qualms against calling a spade a spade with its Zelda version, and everyone loved that one. Anyway, here’s the deal if you’re a Dragon Quest nut entering this strange world for the first time. What you’re dealing with is a third-person action game, one that is far more comparable to the quarter-eating beat-‘em-ups of days past than the hardcore reflex-testing madness of joints like Devil May Cry. 

The general idea is one versus many, and by many I mean hundreds. In Dragon Quest Heroes you can play as one of the four characters created for this story, along with a selection of cool characters from Dragon Quest history, and charge them (in groups of four) into massive hoards of the series-trademark adorable, Akira Toriyama-designed critters. Weekly Shonen Jump readers should especially be familiar with this man’s work! 

Musou games have changed and changed more over the years, as Omega Force is always trying new things. It especially helps that at this point, the technology has caught up to the “massive number of things onscreen” gimmick. Musou games today are generally about capturing bases on huge maps, back-tracking to rescue allies from bad situations and completing various objectives on the side for bonus rewards. Dragon Quest Heroes goes in another direction in many ways, opting for much smaller maps and a pseudo-Tower Defense approach to mission structure.

Some stages are all about killing everything! Likely a product of Omega Force wanting to emulate the feel of playing a Dragon Quest, these stages are almost representative of random encounters, and introduce an unfamiliar pick up and play feel to the Musou gameplay loop. In the past, a single stage could last for 20 or more minutes. Now, the variation is much greater and stages can go as little as five to ten. 

Tower Defense stages are mostly straightforward, tossing an object or character into the mix that must be defended. However, Dragon Quest Heroes also has a history of Pokémon-like monster collecting, and that comes into play in a big way for these stages. When a monster dies, a coin has a small chance of spawning, which lets the player summon that creature. Only a few coins can be held at a time, so the player has to keep in mind what they want, as well as what could be useful in a given situation.

The Tower Defense stages are often a series of chokepoints, and the monsters are designed with that in mind. A summoned monster will not venture outside of where it was summoned, meaning you can’t just toss them out anywhere on the battlefield and expect results. This is unfortunately muddled by the tragic ineffectiveness of just about any monster. Monster buddies will help, but don’t expect to be able to drop a golem off and dash off towards the next objective. Expect to need to fall back and help the poor guy fight off all the bubble slimes that managed to slip through. This can be frustrating, but turtling is a valid option as monster spawn points do have a finite capacity. My favorite strategy is to get a few golems and just hold down the fort until the enemy wears itself out.

The coolest part of Dragon Quest Heroes is, of course, the presentation. Seeing the world of Dragon Quest in HD for the first time is huge, and having nods to all the little elements fans will immediately know and love is a treat. Omega Force even abandons the over the top rock music for the first time, opting instead for music taken straight from the classics, arranged with care. The four-person party gimmick is also a hoot, letting the player swap characters on the fly. In addition to the usual light/heavy/special attack flow of the standard Musou game, Dragon Quest Heroes also gives each character a list of magic spells that can be cast on command. Along with the somewhat slower pace, all the new options and attack properties alter the dynamic noticeably. 

Unless there’s already an aversion in your heart to the Musou games (shame on you!), there are a ton of reasons to take the plunge with Dragon Quest Heroes. From seeing all the characters and monsters in HD, to the brisk action and interesting hybrid mechanics, this game has so much to offer to the fan of either series. I mean, come on, you can even stop at a little church on the home base to save, despite literally never needing to actually do so because of auto-saving. Adorable.

Hint: When using tension, don’t worry about forgetting to use the special attack before it runs out. Just be sure to get as surrounded as possible beforehand, as it pops automatically at the end.

by Lucas White