Originally released on the PlayStation 2 in 2004 in Japan, Dragon Quest VIII benefitted from the then-recent merger between Squaresoft and Enix, with the new, larger company better able to localise more Japanese games overseas. The Dragon Quest franchise had been Enix’s equivalent to Final Fantasy, but never enjoyed quite the same international reception outside of Japan as Square’s JRPG juggernaut. Although earlier installments had seen English language release in the US – rebranded as ‘Dragon Warrior’ – Cursed King marked the first time it was released under its accurate name in America, and the first time any entry was released in PAL territories.
Here, as simply Dragon Quest: The Journey of the Cursed King – it was deemed too confusing to introduce a new audience to the property starting with number eight – the game delighted with its colourful world, character designs by Dragon Ball creator Akira Toriyama, and cel-shaded, anime-style visuals. The game follows Hero – who can be named by the player – a guard at Trodain Castle, cast into role of protector after the evil court jester Dhoulmagus steals a powerful scepter, renders Trodain’s subjects into stone statues, and transforms the king into a troll.
Setting out to defeat Dhoulmagus, the Hero is joined by mage Jessica, templar Angelo, and thief Yangus. The party also meet the strange Morrie, who runs a battle arena, and Red, another thief who severely impedes the team’s progress at one point. However, in the PS2 version, they are merely non-playable characters (NPCs) who impact the story.
Morrie
For the Nintendo 3DS version, the pair are recruitable into your party. Morrie, who speaks with an Italian accent, joins the team at level 35, and has 115 skill points to invest into his various abilities. He is proficient in both armed and unarmed combat, and levelling him up with different weapons unlocks new skills. His unique abilities are called Gusto, and has moves such as ‘Morrie Fire’, ‘Morrie Yell’, and ‘Morrie Fresh’, which damage enemies, charge up the party, or heal them.
Red
Red, meanwhile, is a female bandit, doubling up on some class skills with Yangus and his heavy Cockney accent, but also proving much faster in battle. She also has a variety of new abilities that no other character in the party has, and shares some similarities with the ‘Dancer’ class found in other Dragon Quest games.
While their powers give new ways to battle enemies and play the game, the two new characters also expand and alter the overall story of the game once they’re recruited, as their presence in the party can affect dialogue and cut scenes. Plenty of reason to play through the epic story of Dragon Quest VIII again, even for returning players!
