July 15, 2020
While researching into both the seven plot categories, and looking further into JRPGs, I knew that at some point, I’d need to take a look at the Dragon Quest franchise. I’ve always been more of a Final Fantasy fan when it comes to JRPGs, and later, I developed a fondness for Shin Megami Tensei, but Dragon Quest was always ‘that other’ JRPG. I knew Akira Toriyama was the character designer, and I knew it was made by Enix, but beyond that, nothing.
My first experience with Dragon Quest was when the definitive edition of Dragon Quest XI: Echoes of an Elusive Age released on the Switch. I picked it up because it was the latest release, but I ended up only playing it for about an hour. I wasn’t really grabbed by it, and figured I’d just come back to it at a later date. I started watching the contend of Wood Hawker (BeatemUps) on YouTube, and a series he spoke very fondly of was Dragon Quest Builders. Lockdown had just started so I thought “What the hell, I’ll pick up a copy of the first one and see how it is”.
The first game took a little while to hook me in, but I found myself logging 30 hours in the space of 2 weeks. The mythology they were eluding to was interesting, I thought the monsters were adorable, and I genuinely cared about building up the town of Cantlin and travelling to other islands. As the world unfolded, I found myself wanting to learn more about the franchise. I discovered the mythology around Erdrick, the innovations Dragon Quest III made for RPG games, and the long legacy the games continue to have within gaming history.
I’m eager to dive further into the franchise, having now carried on with Dragon Quest XI and downloaded Dragon Quest 1, 2 and 3, as well as include it within my lectures. Currently, Dragon Quest XI is a part of the ‘Quest’ subcategory of plot structures in my Structuralism lecture.
Dragon Quest Builders hooked me in pretty well, and footage from the sequel seemed to take what I already enjoyed and improve upon them. Mechanics wise, Dragon Quest Builders 2 seems somewhat easier, especially when it comes to gaining materials. Such as wood just from chopping trees, instead of getting broken tree branches from trees and then crafting that into wood. While this change did make me feel that the game would just be easier, with none of the crafting fun, but instead, I’m greeted with new things to create, and an interesting set of characters to drive the plot along. The relationship between the Hero and Malroth is certainly interesting, as it’s clear that Malroth is not what he seems, though his memory loss gives you hope that he might just come through as a hero.
While the Builders games are spin-offs, it’s still a great entry way into the franchise. One that has inspired a thorough deep dive and a yearning to discover everything the franchise has to offer.