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Dragon Quest IV weaves a grand and complex tale including political intrigue, vengeance, and some good old-fashioned adventuring. The story chronicles the exploits of a "chosen one" in a coming-of-age affair where he alone can put a stop to the evil in the world. Even though the narrative maintains a light tone to cater to younger audiences, it deals with some fairly grim subject matter. For example, you'll encounter monsters kidnapping children in order to kill them to keep the aforementioned prophecy from coming to fruition. On your journey you'll see cities razed to ashes, and murders that must be avenged, providing enough conflict and substance to appeal to older audiences. There are certainly some bottlenecks in the narrative's pacing, but for the most part, it does a great job of entertaining.
The game's presentation has been updated for the DS, making for a great reason to revisit the Dragon Quest universe. As soon as you turn on the game you'll be treated to a bright, vibrant world filled with familiar creatures, complimented by an excellent soundtrack. The graphics may not look like much, with 3D backgrounds and sprite-rendered characters. However, these 3D environments allow you to rotate the camera a full 360 degrees. Another nice touch is the new dialogue translation, which includes a distinct dialect for each main zone you visit. One area may have a population speaking the Queen's English, while another may have an Irish brogue. It really adds an extra touch of spice to the game that should be appreciated.
The gameplay uses the tried-and-true mechanics of previous Dragon Quest titles, forcing you to level grind. A lot. If grinding isn't your cup of tea, this game is certainly not for you. The battles play out in the incredibly simplified DQ style, just as you'd suspect. When you enter an encounter, the game uses a first-person view, where you'll see the field of battle and any adversary in your path. You'll then participate in standard turn-based combat, doling out the hurt until your opponent is dispatched. It's one of the most basic approaches found in gaming, but just because it's simple doesn't mean it's ineffective.
Dragon Quest IV is bizarrely structured, as it takes several chapters, and a good chunk of time and effort, before all of the key players meet up, marking where the game really begins. These initial chapters act as introductions to each major character, with each one bringing a distinct personality to the game, giving you a nice blend of heroes to unite and save the world with. These characters range from a duty-bound soldier who's seen it all to a pudgy shop owner who longs for adventure. The downside of this approach is that in every chapter you start from scratch, forcing you to once again level up, earn money and acquire gear until everybody finally meets up. However, this method is rather interesting, as things will eventually mesh together, and you'll see parallels and intersections where their stories cross.
New to Dragon Quest IV on DS is a "chance encounter" mode, which is basically the multiplayer component to the game. Here you'll be able to create a unique town, which will increase in population and item shop variety as more people with the game encounter you. To actually reap some benefit, your system needs to be on at all times while other players using this mode set up their own cities and come within range of yours. It's not the most practical approach, but if you're scavenging for extra items that your pals have, it offers an additional route to get more gear.
Dragon Quest IV offers a classic RPG experience that you'd be hard-pressed to find elsewhere. It combines an enchanting story with some decent upgrades that make it well worth checking out. If you've played this one before and found it wasn't for you, this version isn't going to change your mind. However, if you haven't played it, or if you're a fan, this remake should be a memorable experience. The game takes an old-school approach, but as this is one of the milestone RPGs of yesteryear, it's certainly something that can be enjoyed once again.
