Is anyone else playing this game for the first time?

I didn't really know what to expect when I picked this up, but I'm enjoying it a lot more than I thought I would have. The whole game kind of feels like it's split up into small story arcs because how it's structured with the discovery of each small island and the time travel. The game also feels pretty laid back. To be honest, I get kind of overwhelmed by most RPGs (especially JRPGs), but I haven't felt that way about Dragon Quest VII, at least not yet.

Hearing about the length of the game was daunting too, but if this kind of structure remains throughout the entire game then I can see myself enjoying it for the next couple of months. Where does this game typically rank amongst Dragon Quest fans? Is it one of the more regarded ones? Also, how does Dragon Quest VIII compare? I'm planning on eventually picking up that 3DS remake as well. Prior to Dragon Quest VII, I've only ever played Dragon Quest IX for a short amount of time and I remember really liking that game as well too.

Now I'm even more excited about Dragon Quest XI, especially on the NX! Now, I really want a Slime New 3DS faceplate...

I think this was the first Dragon Quest game I played and found it a very deep, engaging experience. The next game in the series is probably my favorite though.

@haz: I've never played VII but for what it's worth, VIII is my favorite JRPG of all time, so there's that.

I just wish that they'd be re-released on platforms other than Nintendo. I loved 'em growing up, but at this point I can't see myself buying another Nintendo console. I'm not a big handheld guy, and I don't like this rabbit hole Nintendo has been going down of basing consoles around gimmicks like motion controls and second screens and controllers designed for bug-eyed aliens rather than human hands.

If VIII came out on PS4 or PC, I'd snap it up in a heartbeat.

DQVII is primarily known for its length. I can't really say where it ranks in the series as it's the only one I haven't played and the Dragon Quest games are very similar mechanically and story-wise. I'm planning on picking it up soon and am very excited to jump in.

VIII is probably the most popular entry in the series. It looks great, very vibrant and colorful, and the characters are without a doubt the best in the series. It's still a very traditional RPG (which is not necessarily a bad thing) and it has a neat alchemy system that they took and expanded in IX.

If you get a chance and are feeling a bit of that Dragon Quest fever, track down the DS re-releases. IV, V, and VI were all remade for the DS and they are all great titles. V in particular I consider to be one of the best in the series. III is one of my personal favorite games of all time if you wanted to go retro.

@lawgamer: Yeah, VIII is really up there. Great combination of interesting characters, a beautiful look, solid story, and plenty of fun side stuff to do.

I got like 40 something hours into the PS1 version of VII before I called it quits. And at that point I had basically just gotten into the whole crazy changing of classes system. So yeah, the game is ridiculously long.

One thing I really appreciated about VII is just the huge amount of dialogue available in the game. Even if a lot of it is just flavor text, it was really neat how most NPC's had something new to say after almost every point of some progress in the story.

The game is really grindy, as is the standard for Dragon Quest. But I remember the grinding for gold being especially annoying in VII.

I didn't know that the 3DS remake was already out, I'll have to check that one out.

EDIT: Just bought it. And now I have sort of committed myself to playing through this.

@theblue: ah, that's good to know that VIII is generally considered one of the best in the series. Looking forward to that remake too! I actually always wanted the DS remakes but never got down to it. If I can find them at a decent price I'll do it. Though I imagine they're probably costly at this point.

@magmamud: Ah, I'm hoping to continue playing through the bulk of the game. It'll be a challenge for me since I typically give up on games fairly quickly but I'm already 10 hours in. It still feels like the introduction, which it probably is.

By the way, does anyone know what the 'Style' attribute means? I tried looking it up online but from the sounds of things, it looks like it's not important until later on in the game.

@haz: Well in VI style was a separate stat that equipment had which only came into play during a special fashion show type minigame. The more stylish stuff you equipped the better your chance of winning some good and unique items. The style stat did nothing outside of the fashion show game as far as I recall. I imagine it's similar if not the same thing in VII.

@haz: Well I don't think VII would be considered one of the best DQ games tbh. It has it's fans but generally not as loved as VIII or V (my favorite). Although the 3DS version is suppose to be the definitive version of VII so I can't speak for it (or the original for that matter). I bought it but it's going to be awhile before I dig in.

@thewildcard: Yeah, seems like DQV & DQVIII are the favourites amongst most fans.

I guess my only concern with DQVII right now is that I hope the combat system evolves a bit. It's pretty basic right now; I'm just worried it'll become tiresome considering how long this game is.

I've never played DQVII until the remake and I'm really enjoying what I've played so far. I'm about 20 hours into the game and just got the class system. It annoys me they hide something that important 20 hours in but if the game really is 100 hours long then I guess it's still pretty early considering.

Only other DQ games I've played are a little bit of I, a lot of IX, and I'm at the final boss of VIII (Which is my favourite DQ).

I'm liking this remake. I've been a fan of the series prior to this, but contrasting the quality of life differences that the remake makes to the original game is super nice.

I would love to get into this game. I finished Tokyo Mirage Sessions and I was craving a new JRPG. I do not like the direction that Final Fantasy was going in for a while and I never played a Dragon Quest before. But my backlog is pretty big so far with me finishing up Phoenix Wright Spirit of Justice, Zero Time Dilemma and the Danganronpa Series I will have to put DQ into the side for now.

By the time I am done with those Dragon Quest VIII should be right around the corner for me so I might as wait for what many consider one of the best JRPG of all time.

@kogx: VIII wholly fantastic. VII has been excellent thus far as well, but I understand backlog woes.

I really like how the game splits up into different small story arcs. It really mixes up the game since the combat system has been pretty basic so far. I just got to Frobisher and Faraday Castle and seeing the entire plot line about the Automaton Army and defending Faraday Castle was cool, especially when I ran back into the Castle only to see the Automaton Army attacking the soldiers. I'm not really sure why I really loved this section so much, but it kind of changes the pace a bit and I definitely wasn't expecting it.

This is my first time playing it, too. I've finished IV on DS and enjoyed it, but never moved on to other DQ games. I'm really enjoying this one so far. Visually, I think it's amazing, and the story vignettes are surprisingly good. I thought the plot of IV was entirely mediocre, so VII is leaving a solid impression at 20 hours in. We'll see how I feel at 100 hours.

This isn't my first DQ game but it is my first time playing VII. I'm liking it so far. I only recently unlocked the class system. The whole story setup is pretty neat as well. It has a nice setup of a "smaller" objective of completing an island story while having the larger objective of discovering all of them.

As far as favorites go, I would have to say that DQIII is mine. It's also the first one I completed. I got the GBC release way back when and loved every minute of it.

First time playing any game in the series and this is one of my favorite RPG's I've played in a very long time. The class system has enough depth/accessibility to keep me intrigued int he standard turn based combat. The story isn't amazing, but has it's points where it just shocks you with how well it ties the past in to the present (and vice verse in some scenario). I also like the Toriyama style characters, it just brings me back to watching DBZ as a kid (even though it's in no way tied to that series). I am thoroughly enjoying my time with the game and I'm currently 55 hours in, but if anyone could help me understand some aspects of the game a bit better, please let me know.

I just got to the part after Alltrades Abbey and I'm kinda stuck, hoping someone can help me out. I'm at the Ruins Near Alltrades Abbey and have to fight the four bandits - but I've lost twice already and I'm level 17. Is this a forced loss or do I need to actually win this fight to proceed? The other Bandit near the cave won't let me in without the password. Thanks for your help!

@haz: I'm sorry man . I haven't started yet. Foolishly started Project X-Zone about a week before this came out and I want to finish that before starting DQvii. Didn't realize PXZ was such a slog.

There's got to be a ton of guides you can use though. I imagine Gamefaqs probably had a fair amount from the PS1 version that probably still apply.

@haz: I would recommend returning to Alltrades Abbey in the past, in order to level up a class or two prior to taking on those bandits. They are not as hard as they seem, but grinding just a short bit is what helped me a ton. You can also grind out a few job levels at Haven (where you send the monster people) if you have Tablets available. Once the job classes are available to you focus on leveling as many of them as quickly as possible in order to also have more advanced/master classes available to you later.

@philosyfee: Thanks for the tips! I ended up doing the Slime quest, albeit not getting a lot of experience, I ended up getting a few new moves and whatnot for my classes. I used a slightly different approach fighting them, basically taking out the annoying dudes who cause status effects on you first before focusing on the big knight.

@haz: The good thing about grinding up your job classes is that you don't need to level up in order for them to upgrade. It's just based on enemies killed within a certain level range, so just keep kicking ass and make sure your not fighting push overs.

Just finished this up over the weekend. Overall, I think it's a fantastic game. Really beautiful from an audiovisual standpoint, I'd say a showcase game for 3DS hardware. The story vignettes can be quite good, though the overall plot is standard jrpg fare. The tone of the story at certain points is actually really dark for a game with such cheerful looking characters and monsters. The battle system is relatively simple despite all the classes.

Some of the design decisions are pretty old school though, for the worse. Spell descriptions and enemy weaknesses aren't that clearly spelled out. Inventory management is a nightmare. Lots of required traveling back and forth through winding dungeons without much to justify the backtracking. Complaints about the game's length are somewhat justified. I say somewhat because the episodic nature of the vignettes makes it easier to digest in small chunks without being completely lost next time you pick up the game. But, the backtracking plus some story twists add about 15 hours more to the game than are necessary. I finished in 70 hours, but I think around 50-55 would have been a much better place to wrap up. The Trump-esque victory tour at the end could've been trimmed down to a cut scene or something. There's lots of post-game content, but I think I've had my fill at this point.

Despite the negatives, I really do think this is a fantastic game on the whole and recommend it to any 3DS owners looking for a good RPG or a game with great 3D.

I kind of hate this game. I think the insane frequency of the battles, the backtracking, the mediocre story and characters,terrible inventory system, and this game's god awfully slow pacing, caused me to rage quit that game like I never have with a game before.