Dragon Quest VIII: Journey of the Cursed King

 3DS
Metascore
85

Generally favorable reviews - based on 56 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 51 out of 56
  2. Mixed: 5 out of 56
  3. Negative: 0 out of 56
Buy Now
Buy on
  1. games(TM)
    Feb 13, 2017
    70
    Dragon Quest VIII is a pretty lengthy game, with the total playtime for the main story racking up to around 40 hours. However, despite the somewhat basic battle system, the game keeps itself fresh by letting us explore dungeons, grab loot and givingour characters costumes, it never feels like it’s been padded out like so many other JRPGs...Dragon Quest VIII is just a joy to be in, with the world being the main reason you come, evil wizards and looming destruction be damned.
  2. Metro GameCentral
    Jan 10, 2017
    70
    Simple, charming, and considerably improved on the 3DS. Dragon Quest isn’t for everyone but this bridges the gap between retro and modern games very well.
  3. InsideGamer.nl
    Jan 13, 2017
    68
    The 3DS version of Dragon Quest VIII: Journey of the Cursed King is a simple way of playing this amazing jrpg classic, but it is not as good as the original.
  5. GamingTrend
    Feb 27, 2017
    65
    Dragon Quest VIII is a massive world with well over 50 hours of gameplay. It stands out thanks to stellar voice acting and a huge, quirky set of monsters to battle. While there’s plenty to do, both the plot and the majority of the characters are flat and uninteresting. The quicksave feature and the ability to increase battle speed are significant quality of life improvements over the original, making this a solid title sure to entertain JRPG fans, but the dated and grind-heavy mechanics can make it a bit of a slog.
  6. Slant Magazine
    Jan 30, 2017
    60
    Dragon Quest VIII‘s almost random plot and character moments carry complex emotional weight.
This publication does not provide a score for their reviews.
This publication has not posted a final review score yet.
These unscored reviews do not factor into the Metascore calculation.

In Progress & Unscored

?
  1. Ars Technica
    Jan 20, 2017
    Not a perfect JRPG, but a really good introduction to Dragon Quest.
  2. Eurogamer
    Mar 7, 2017
    This is a joyous fairy-tale that, like the best fairy tales, transcends the fashions of the day. [Recommended]

Awards & Rankings

2
#2 Best 3DS Game of 2017
11
#11 Most Discussed 3DS Game of 2017
9
#9 Most Shared 3DS Game of 2017

User Reviews

All reviews »
User Score
8.6

Generally favorable reviews- based on 162 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 141 out of 162
  2. Mixed: 8 out of 162
  3. Negative: 13 out of 162
  1. gmanxp
    Jan 31, 2017
    8
    An excellent port of a good game:

    Pros: +Random Encounters are replaced with enemies in the world +Voice Acting is present +Great use of    An excellent port of a good game:

    Pros:
    +Random Encounters are replaced with enemies in the world
    +Voice Acting is present
    +Great use of the second screen (Maps, Player Information, Icons, etc.)
    +Runs with no slowdown (For reference, I've been playing for about 30 hours. I would normally not post a score for a game that I haven't finished, however I've played through the PS2 version and can say that the bulk of the game is the same.)

    Cons:
    -Draw Distance is pretty bad (Unfortunately, this is to be expected for a 3DS game.)
    -No orchestrated sound track (This makes no sense, considering the Japanese version of the game has the orchestrated soundtrack, which is far better than the MIDI versions present in this version. The exclusion doesn't make sense in any way; the orchestrated soundtrack was made for the Western audience in the original PS2 version. There is a way to get around this if you have a modded 3DS [which luckily I do, so I was able to take advantage of this], however I can't contribute this workaround to the overall score of the game. Also, let me be clear that I performed the mod using a purchased copy of the game.)

    Overall, I would have much preferred an HD Remaster of DQVIII, however I can't deny that the 3DS version is still a great way to play the game. With this title and many other games coming to the 3DS this year, it's going to be a good while before I'll have to buy a Nintendo Switch.    … Full Review »
  2. otakon17
    Jan 21, 2017
    9
    As someone who played the original release of this game on the PS2 over 10 years ago now, I might be a little biased. Hell I still have myAs someone who played the original release of this game on the PS2 over 10 years ago now, I might be a little biased. Hell I still have my copy of the game and the memory card of my final save after besting the absolute final boss, the only thing left to do in the game being reach level 100 with every character. I've enjoyed Dragon Quest games for years and this re-release is no different.
    The graphics take a bit of of a hit when coming to the 3DS however it's still a good looking game with very smooth animations both in the overworld and in battles. There are a host of "convenience" changes like when you level up you fully heal and encounters are now represented by monsters on the field and in dungeons. The sound is still enjoyable, the voice acting just as punny as it was in the original with little loss of sound quality despite being jammed on a 3DS card. The story is fairly simple and most folks who get this will have owned it originally. I highly recommend this for RPG lovers.    … Full Review »
  3. davila
    Feb 20, 2017
    9
    It was one of the best jrpg in PS2 and still it's one of the best 3DS games. The narrative is perfect. The new additions are pretty good too.It was one of the best jrpg in PS2 and still it's one of the best 3DS games. The narrative is perfect. The new additions are pretty good too. It's not a remake but this version has a better gameplay than the PS2 version. All is perfect 11 years later. A great DQ and one of the best 3DS games.… Full Review »
See all user reviews »