7th Dragon III Code: VFD

 3DS
  • Publisher: Sega
  • Release Date: Jul 12, 2016
User Score
7.9

Generally favorable reviews- based on 62 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 50 out of 62
  2. Mixed: 3 out of 62
  3. Negative: 9 out of 62
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  1. Mmmmph
    Aug 1, 2016
    9
    This game feels like it came out in the 90's and the gameplay ideas came out of somebody saying "you know what would be cool!" And depending on what you're expecting that can either be a good thing or a point against it.
    For me personally I like it a lot, I like that the agent class can hack enemies and do stuff to them even though they're hacking a plant or a bug and it doesn't really    This game feels like it came out in the 90's and the gameplay ideas came out of somebody saying "you know what would be cool!" And depending on what you're expecting that can either be a good thing or a point against it.
    For me personally I like it a lot, I like that the agent class can hack enemies and do stuff to them even though they're hacking a plant or a bug and it doesn't really make sense. I like that one of the tank classes is an unarmed class that heals people with chiropractic moves, all of this feels like a massive departure from your bog standard boring "warrior, rogue, mage" archetypes and not in a "we call our warriors 'agarbib' " sort of way.
    The writing is very 90's JRPG as well, walking around and talking to NPC's it feels like this was a remake of something from back then and I love it. To be more specific when you talk to an NPC its fairly clear that somebody somewhere had a little story for them that isn't in the game and possibly nobody will ever see, but you feel like if you talked to the developer they would know that NPC even if they only ever had one line in the entire game.
    That's the feeling I get from this that I think is sorely lacking in say the Etrian Oddesy series which I feel is sort of a lifeless foray into what feels too much like a graph paper dungeon. As opposed to a world that you can feel effort was put into like this.    … Expand
  2. MonkiReviews
    Mar 12, 2017
    8
    This is a great game. The story stands out because the characters are playing a VR game turned to a challenging real adventure. They need to work together to stop the dragons after beating the game. The demo convinced me to buy it and I have never regretted it.
  3. snakekill321
    Jul 12, 2016
    9
    This game has a great ambiance, and soundtrack. The unlimited customization and gripping story will keep you coming back for more. While The difficulty may seem like a small turn off for more hardcore JRPG fans, this is a super fun, laid back, a exquisite JRPG that is unique and fun, and honestly fills that unique voi I felt after finishing Stella Glow.
  4. vahn
    Mar 21, 2017
    7
    The first - and probably last - of the 7th dragon games that we'll ever get, since that this is the final game in the installment out of 4, with the first 1 being a DS game and the next ones PSP games. With that said I always had an interest in this series and even though I love EO a lot for its complexity, I loved this game just as equally if not more in certain areas.

    The game starts    The first - and probably last - of the 7th dragon games that we'll ever get, since that this is the final game in the installment out of 4, with the first 1 being a DS game and the next ones PSP games. With that said I always had an interest in this series and even though I love EO a lot for its complexity, I loved this game just as equally if not more in certain areas.

    The game starts simple: you're basically becoming a dragon hunter and your job is to hunt dragons, the true dragons to be specific, in order to complete an item called the Dragon Chronicle...everything else is basically the slice of life. In fact the plot is pretty weak and starts off with nothing really of interest: it's only at chapter 6 that the plot changes DRASTICALLY, and I do mean it: the tone switches, the story becomes more serious and...it gets really depressing. I won't spoil it but I did not see it coming but unfortunately, it makes the game hard to swallow because the first 5 chapters of the game (ignoring the transitions) are very bland and uninteresting and waiting 10-20 hours for the plot to become good is a flaw in my book.

    On top of that, the game is just too easy: I played the game on normal and it was very easy to rush through as I never had to farm enemies or even needed to grind points, as the dragons (F.O.E.s from EO basically) are super weak and give tons of exp and skill points. However considering they're many (around 250) and they're required for upgrading anything, from skills to features in the company, I take it that the low difficulty of the dragons is to compensate their quantity. It wouldn't be fun to waste half an hour on each of them now, would it?

    Another thing worth noting is that the classes aren't...exactly well defined in terms of roles: the god hand, for example, is a healer but also a tank, while the mage is a caster (duh!) but also one of the best healers and the agent is a debuffer but also a long range attacker. They're not as mystifying as in EO3 or anything but when you get certain skills going, you might notice the true potential.

    In addition, you can have up to 9 characters in your part: 3 groups of 3 people, with one in the front guard and the other 6 as supports and these are really needed for debuffing enemies from their boosted attacks.

    With that all said and done, what I love of this game is how there's a story to follow AND how your characters are actually showing on screen - and in 3d no less - while EO resorts to the old style of first person view with 2 static images and, especially on the DS, the enemies wouldn't even more and only flash. I get it that it's a stylistic choice but I'm going with 7th dragon here because I LOVE seeing my characters interacting like that and having other npcs to talk with. On top of that the story is much more of a focal point and doesn't disappear like in EO and while both games have good stories, 7th dragon just felt more cohesive and never let it go - even if it's not very strong in the first hours.

    So, do I recommend this game? Absolutely: the game is short (finished in about 35 hours due to slacking), it's fun enough and while easy it's not "that" easy to avoid tactics: some bosses can kill you quite easily if you're not careful. Top it all off with a slow yet good story and a roster of characters that are cheesy but not hateable, you get a pretty good package.

    Shame we probably won't see a new game anymore as the second ending hinted to a possible sequel...    … Expand
  5. RepentantSky
    Feb 12, 2018
    8
    Highly underrated title. Some of the characters aren't that great, but the ones that are make the entire game well worth it. The fighting is also a lot of fun and puzzles are all well done. They managed to take the rather complicated topic of time travel and make a great game out of it, but those few characters that aren't that great prevent the game from being perfect, and sometimes partHighly underrated title. Some of the characters aren't that great, but the ones that are make the entire game well worth it. The fighting is also a lot of fun and puzzles are all well done. They managed to take the rather complicated topic of time travel and make a great game out of it, but those few characters that aren't that great prevent the game from being perfect, and sometimes part of the story is a little confusing. Other than that, everything is great, and if you didn't play it back when it released, you should try and find it. It's a great title.… Expand
  6. GoombaJMR
    Aug 1, 2016
    9
    *Congrats on this being the TOP user-rated game on the 3DS! It certainly is one of the best 3DS titles available today - that's for sure. Anyways, back to the review...*

    (Final Score: 9.5) An excellent final 7th Dragon game from Sega (yeah, the other three weren't localized) that wraps a lot up and still leaves you (postgame) wondering if another one will come in the far future. I    *Congrats on this being the TOP user-rated game on the 3DS! It certainly is one of the best 3DS titles available today - that's for sure. Anyways, back to the review...*

    (Final Score: 9.5) An excellent final 7th Dragon game from Sega (yeah, the other three weren't localized) that wraps a lot up and still leaves you (postgame) wondering if another one will come in the far future. I highly recommend this title as it weaves excellent electronic music from the legendary Yuzo Koshiro (Etrian Odyssey, Streets of Rage) and has a decent story with absolutely excellent gameplay and customization.

    Basically, you start with four classes and end with eight, and each one plays extremely differently (truly different classes). From bomb control to hacking, sheathed and unsheathed sword usage to God Depth to veils and monster summoning, the limits are endless for your perfect formation of three to use for battle - but wait, you'll be able to make more than one team as the story progresses and that opens up another level of god depth (no pun intendid) to your team as you have another team support you every once and a while whether it be enemy buff-breaking or self-buffing for your primary team. I could go on and on, but I'll keep things simple for you - there are nearly no limits for your team, and the strategies you form with your teams will be pivotal in your battle against the formidable dragons that await you.

    The art is also wonderful - feast your eyes on great models, animations for attacks, portraits, and everything else. Also a special shoutout to Yuzo's music - it's simply fantastic. The atmospheric dungeon themes across all three time zones to the intense electronic battle themes and great orchestral big boss battle themes are great, and the pop songs are actually very good and catchy too (Chronicles Seven, Re: Vanishment, etc.). Go buy the soundtrack if you like the music - it contains 3 discs of great music.

    Anyways that's all for now - buy this great 30-35 hour excellent RPG game (ranks in my top 10 rpgs of the generation) if you have the chance and play the demo if you're simply interested; you won't regret it!

    Gameplay: 10/10
    Story: 8/10
    Music: 9.5/10
    Presentation: 9.5/10
    Length: 8.5/10
    Overall: 9.5/10    … Expand
  7. lSonic
    Aug 13, 2016
    10
    muito bom Game , um rpg com muitas possibilidades e criações de personagens , ainda mais podendo criar todos personagens e ainda mais mundo aberto podendo upar todos personagens , Gráficos bem feitos adorei o estilo de JRPG , Cenários bem fluentes e uma trilha sonora Fantástica é um RPG com a Cara do 3ds Sega fez um excelente trabalho Nota 10!
  8. Jakoliveira
    Dec 24, 2020
    10
    Best JRPG i played on 3DS. Good characters, great story and great ending. You are a JRPG fan? If you don't played yet, go play it!
  9. friedeinhert
    Dec 26, 2018
    9
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. PERFECT WIZARDRY like game.
    ONLY one 9 party member control available game.
    However, it is very unfortunate that they do not support 3D dimension.
    It's rating score 9 reason.    … Expand
  10. Trey82
    Feb 17, 2020
    8
    FINALLY! An actual game.
    From atlus.
    That doesnt suck. Thats really rare, and I blame all you guys that think your death count is a measure of how good a game is. (What is WRONG with you people?) The battle system feels like Persona, minus the demon influences. The exploration feels like free-form etrian and persona. The registration/party system is straight from etrian. (create    FINALLY! An actual game.
    From atlus.
    That doesnt suck.
    Thats really rare, and I blame all you guys that think your death count is a measure of how good a game is. (What is WRONG with you people?)
    The battle system feels like Persona, minus the demon influences.
    The exploration feels like free-form etrian and persona.
    The registration/party system is straight from etrian. (create someone, throw em in a party)
    The skill system is from Xenoblade (Too many choices, too few points to max out everything, focus on your preferred skills)
    The dragons are.. obnoxious. It isnt that they're overwhelming, per se. Or that you'd be hard-pressed to defeat them. The mobs level you up reasonably.
    (Again, you etrian players who have time to spam 2,000 battles for 20 experience points ruin it for the rest of us. Constantly asking the devs to make the game HARDER, MORE PUNISHING!)
    They're obnoxious because they are EVERYWHERE. And you have to grind a bit to get a leg-up on them, but if you take a turn or three too long, they'll invade your battle. Running away only gets you so far. (Like XATM92 from ff8, you cant run far.)
    Their placement is obnoxious. They are on standard patrol routes. For some reason. Like metal gear solid 1. Just... walking on really obvious routes.
    THERE IS A SAVEPOINT EVERY 2 MINUTES! If you think pokemon games spam free healing at pokemon centers too much, this game places healing points far more generously than pokemon.
    I've had the game crash 1 time out of every.. about 8? times when I flip the lid closed and set it aside. So I use save points every time. :(
    Dont get me wrong, all these things make it feel like a 'classic' game with a few modern features.
    Y button is shortcut to healz, more sound options than stereo/mono, quirky snes-era characters, a soundtrack that is actually memorable and catchy instead of 'barebones ~ it conveys a feeling while remaining nondescript' like some games.

    But it still has that 'atlus' feel to it. You know the feeling, they bring out a new RPG every 5 minutes.
    No matter how good their games are, they just arent.. polished. Arrested character development, or cookiecutter atlus battle systems, or just that 'feeling' that this is some amalgamation of 50 other games they've made.

    Square feels like square, atlus feels like atlus, capcom feels like a breath of fire. heh heh.
    Not a bad game, but not great. Play it when you have some free time.
    DONT FORGET TO SAVE! :)    … Expand

Awards & Rankings

23
#23 Best 3DS Game of 2016
26
#26 Most Discussed 3DS Game of 2016
16
#16 Most Shared 3DS Game of 2016

Critic Reviews

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Metascore
76

Generally favorable reviews - based on 30 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 18 out of 30
  2. Mixed: 12 out of 30
  3. Negative: 0 out of 30
  1. FNintendo
    Apr 13, 2017
    90
    If simple to customize, involving plot, rich characters and entertaining combats are hallmarks of the RPG genre, 7th Dragon III Code: VFD nails them all with a high standard. This game stands out for its gameplay and audiovisual environments thanks to its combat system, its rich plot and interesting characters that make the whole experience much more involving. Being easy to customize only adds another layer of depth to the experience, making it one of the most enjoyable RPGs available for the 3DS.
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  2. Eurogamer Italy
    Jan 18, 2017
    70
    7th Dragon III Code VFD is a good dungeon crawler for people who never played this kind of games. The art direction is interesting, the characters' classes are fresh and the original soundtrack from Yuzo Koshiro is a blast.
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  3. GameGrin
    Jan 9, 2017
    60
    Whilst not an outstanding score, this game is still fun and I had a blast reviewing it. The pacing of the battles make it very accessible for the general player without much experience with strategy JRPGs. But with the mundanity of certain aspects of the game, pacing being off and with its current RSP. It’s hard to recommend unless on sale.
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