Dragon Quest VIII: Journey of the Cursed King

 3DS
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
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  1. YasmineEva
    Mar 12, 2017
    9
    Loved the original on PS2 so I definitely felt a need to pick this us. Definitely one of my favorite games to play on the DS. I've been playing this non stop on my commute to work.
  2. dalyw
    Sep 28, 2021
    10
    One of the greatest JRPG's of all time. The 3DS is the better of the 2 versions but I can't wait for the day it gets ported to Switch or whatever other console I need to buy! Beautiful world, simple but deep battle system, great characters and a solid story that keeps you engaged.
  3. 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 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.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 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.    … Expand
  4. 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 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    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.    … Expand
  5. 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'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.
  6. DudeFromIceland
    Aug 17, 2018
    9
    The PS2 game was one of the strongest RPG's on the system and this version does it justice, there are few tweaks in the 3DS version that make it slightly better. For one, you can speed through the battles a lot quicker and you get more money from fighting. In the PS2 version it would take ages to grind to get enough money for certain weapons or armor.

    Dragon Quest always holds up the    The PS2 game was one of the strongest RPG's on the system and this version does it justice, there are few tweaks in the 3DS version that make it slightly better. For one, you can speed through the battles a lot quicker and you get more money from fighting. In the PS2 version it would take ages to grind to get enough money for certain weapons or armor.

    Dragon Quest always holds up the quality with wonderful animation and graphics, fun battle system and good stories. To date this is my favorite Dragon Quest game and I highly recommend it for any RPG fanatic.    … Expand
  7. gq_foine
    May 31, 2018
    9
    So I am huge Dragon quest fan - Played the original NES version and really liked it! Fast forward to the PS2 version and Dragon Quest 8 comes out and it was absolutely amazing!!! Frankly, Dragon Quest 8 is my favorite out of the entire Dragon Quest series so this 3DS version was a must grab for me.

    I have been playing it and this is virtually the same game that was on the PS2 version,    So I am huge Dragon quest fan - Played the original NES version and really liked it! Fast forward to the PS2 version and Dragon Quest 8 comes out and it was absolutely amazing!!! Frankly, Dragon Quest 8 is my favorite out of the entire Dragon Quest series so this 3DS version was a must grab for me.

    I have been playing it and this is virtually the same game that was on the PS2 version, but, I expecting them to tweak some of the menus to make it easier. WHAT HAPPENED TO THE 3D?? This is the 3Ds version so I expected this to come out in 3D - what a disappointment. Also, I thought they were going to improve on the game play and menus?? NOT at all. You would have hoped with an updated version. The sound is still great and voices are wonderful. I have chucked a few times on the story line and dialogue.. . The characters are wonderful and for anyone who has not played Dragon Quest 8 this is the BEST in the entire series so far!    … Expand
  8. Justos91
    Sep 18, 2019
    10
    I was really impressed at what they managed to get running on the 3ds hardware. I never played this as a kid or anything, but i can really appreciate it as is now. Beautiful game, great music, and story that touches on so many human topics. Just lovely.
  9. trueblue21791
    May 29, 2017
    10
    Back when I was a senior in high school a friend of mine introduced me to the PS2 version of this game. I was hooked on it right from the very beginning. It is now my all-time favorite RPG along with The Legend of Zelda Series and the Pokémon series. The graphics are ABSOLUTELY AMAZING in both versions. And I love it that you can recruit two new characters. I love the music in bothBack when I was a senior in high school a friend of mine introduced me to the PS2 version of this game. I was hooked on it right from the very beginning. It is now my all-time favorite RPG along with The Legend of Zelda Series and the Pokémon series. The graphics are ABSOLUTELY AMAZING in both versions. And I love it that you can recruit two new characters. I love the music in both versions of this particular RPG. But my favorite feature of the 3ds version is the voice acting. The staff who helped with the remake for the 3ds did an excellent job selecting the replacement actress for Jessica Albert, who was voiced by Emma Ferguson in the PS2 version. She was my favorite actress in the 3ds version of this game. And I absolutely love the 2 extra dungeons in the 3ds version. This 3ds version on Dragon Quest VIII is absolutely perfect.… Expand
  10. yatoStAr
    Sep 29, 2017
    10
    amazing history, greatest characters, with very good bosses and a medium-hard difficulty, a great map, and this version of the game(3ds) has a second end and a new dungeon.
    all that thing makes this game a masterpiece.
  11. o1oVOLARBO
    Jan 20, 2018
    10
    Highly entertaining. Good dungeons. A decent porting that shows the dragon quest series really does fit the 3ds handhelds better than many other consoles.
  12. new2dsxl
    Sep 8, 2019
    9
    Dragon Quest VIII is something special. It tells a lovely story with memorable characters in a captivatingly colourful style, features fun combat and a beautiful world to explore, and — most importantly — sparks a true sense of adventure and wonder throughout. This isn't just one of the best RPGs on the 3DS, it's one of the best RPGs full stop — and one of the best Dragon Quests to diveDragon Quest VIII is something special. It tells a lovely story with memorable characters in a captivatingly colourful style, features fun combat and a beautiful world to explore, and — most importantly — sparks a true sense of adventure and wonder throughout. This isn't just one of the best RPGs on the 3DS, it's one of the best RPGs full stop — and one of the best Dragon Quests to dive into for the uninitiated. Perfectly paced, well written and superbly scored, it's a trip worth taking for any RPG fan, and the updates in this 3DS remake — from faster battles and on-field enemies to a fantastic photography mode — make it a worthwhile return journey for veterans. A true classic.… Expand
  13. Electabuzz26
    Nov 16, 2019
    10
    Excellent game. Couldn't be more sublime. Every single aspect, playability, and graphics, are excellent. Loving this game more every day.
  14. DeviousB
    Feb 19, 2020
    10
    Very addictive, rewarding and deep. The voice acting, story, art and graphics are top notch. Just what I was looking for, 11/10 must play.
  15. ND-Bringer
    Oct 5, 2022
    8
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. The long, LONG Journey. I remember picking this game up during my Sophomore year after clearing Pokemon Mystery Dungeon games, hungry for more challenging RPG games. I had the desire to grow, better myself by beating tougher games...and this felt like a nice place to start. A game from a series I knew little about. The Dragon Quest 8 3DS remake had some really exhilarating trailers and I eventually became so curious that I purchased a copy for myself. Replaying it years later gives me a lot of joy, but also a lot of stress. While it's has a gorgeous art style, a decent story, great fantasy elements, and alright remixes of the original orchestra soundtrack...I can't help but frown upon the tedious moments. I can see why people adore this game, it's a game I'm likely going to replay for the rest of my life. It has really likable characters and colorful environments to explore...though I get sick of green plains after a while, sometimes I'm just astounded to see truckloads of content fit onto a handheld device. The game is about King Trode and his daughter Medea on a quest with a band of misfits to track down and defeat the sinister jester Dhoulmagus in order the break the curse that has transformed them and the residents of Castle Trodain. The plot is pretty simple, but it's fleshed out thanks to the great voice acting, visuals, and the variety of music themes. Sometimes the dialogue can drag on for a bit too long though, so I usually just speed read though the obvious scenes. However, I had lots of fun during the Maella Abbey level. Angelo alone just puts a smile on my face. I had a rocky start though, until you unlock the Metal Slash ability for Slime Hunting by the Maella Abbey river, grinding gets a bit tedious. MAN, do I love Metal Slimes though, they will make or break this game! I prefer defeating a few enemies that grant a ton of experience points rather than just a ton of random enemies in the dungeon before boss fights, it makes the game experience a lot smoother. After recruiting Angelo and doing some Metal Slime grinding the game becomes a lot more enjoyable, I can just focus on clearing the next level instead of worrying about if I'm strong enough. With a good strategy, the game feels a lot more flexible. That's what makes replay-ability in RPGs so great, there's always something you try differently to enhance the experience. Making different decisions to earn more rewards and discovering secrets that dazzle the mind. You can even try different fighting style paths to make everything feel fresh, there's so many cool attacks you can pull off in this game! Your characters can fight with swords, boomerangs, spears, magic, hammers, axes, scythes, bows, wands, claws, whips, fans, monsters, their bare-hands, my favorite attack is Golden Oldies, where Yangus summons King Trode to attack with a bunch of random people and its freaking amazing. I like all the attacks techniques, but I roll my eyes when Jessica uses her sex appeal moves during battle. As much as I like Jessica's character, leaving her loved ones to avenge the death of her brother, there's a few "interesting" outfits you can customize her with. I swear Master Roshi wrote the description for the Dangerous Bustier item. There's quite a few innuendoes in this game, good luck finding them all! Even without that stuff, the game still has a few big problems. For one thing some of the dungeons have really annoying mazes that are full of dead ends and incredibly slow puzzle mechanics. I can't stand Rhydon's Tower's, you have to move statues to the correct seesaw platforms without taking any wrong turns, it takes so much time to complete I forget that Jessica even existed. And despite possessing the ability to fly with the Zoom spell and the ability to recruit flying monsters...I need to complete a whole string of filler levels in order chase the Lord of Darkness after he escapes into the air. Finding Pirate's Cove in the vast ocean is a pain in the ass too. I'm barely given any hint of what I'm supposed to some times. So I'm aimlessly wandering this world wondering what to the next! And even after defeating the main villain for the third time, I somehow get stuck in this long jail level where I have to keep talking to everyone for like 10 minutes until the cutscene movie lets me go! I CAN TELEPORT WITH THE EVAC SPELL! Why does it take these morons 3 months to escape!? Sigh...and while I enjoyed Dark Citadel's doomed future themed level and many of the post game dungeons, Memories Lane was my breaking point. While I enjoy a good boss rush, these boss fights are just garbage. Old foes are now stupid powerful, are able to attack multiple times, they have high critical rates, and they can even intimidate the whole party and usually prevent anyone from attacking! Even if my team was level 99 and given the fanciest armor, the boss fights are just not fun, they're just tedious. Overall, I think the strong moments in this game make up for the lousy ones,… Expand
  16. Tabbou
    Jul 10, 2021
    7
    Des tas de reviews positives, sûrement parce que c'est un dragon quest, franchement je ne l'ai pas trouvé si bien que ça, ok l'histoire et pas mal mais très peu de classes et de skills disponibles, les monstres sont, en gros, les mêmes que dans les autres opus et les personnages ont une personnalité assez cliché
  17. Tanky86
    May 22, 2022
    9
    The second dragon quest game I've played (that I didn't drop after like 10 minutes in) and it is really good. I never played the original PS2 version so I didn't really care for the graphical downgrades. The gameplay was decent but I mainly stayed for the great story and the loveable characters. The game is a bit long but it wasn't like it was dragged out too much. Makes me realize jrpg'sThe second dragon quest game I've played (that I didn't drop after like 10 minutes in) and it is really good. I never played the original PS2 version so I didn't really care for the graphical downgrades. The gameplay was decent but I mainly stayed for the great story and the loveable characters. The game is a bit long but it wasn't like it was dragged out too much. Makes me realize jrpg's are not so bad after all… Expand
  18. Ga1ahad
    Jun 28, 2022
    8
    Maybe not as brilliant in its own right as Dragon Quest XI, or other titles, but a very good RPG in its own right, down right classic. Enjoyed as a kid, enjoyed it now too over ten years later.
  19. NerfPlayeR135
    Dec 5, 2022
    9
    One of the best JRPGs ever made, this version includes many improvements and some additional content compared to the PS2 version. The only thing preventing a perfect score is the lack of the orchestral soundtrack. I'm fine with MIDIs, but it's still a downgrade for most people.
  20. Andbrian
    Mar 3, 2023
    10
    I had only played DQ5 before playing this one. I gotta say, both of those are in the running to be my favorite JRPGs of all time. The story is an easy one but a good one. DQ5 wins in the story department. But the graphics, the soundtrack, the voice acting, the difficulty and the fact that the game is in full 3D all blew me away. Many say that the full orchestral soundtrack being replacedI had only played DQ5 before playing this one. I gotta say, both of those are in the running to be my favorite JRPGs of all time. The story is an easy one but a good one. DQ5 wins in the story department. But the graphics, the soundtrack, the voice acting, the difficulty and the fact that the game is in full 3D all blew me away. Many say that the full orchestral soundtrack being replaced by Synth detracts from the experience, but I feel that the monsters on the field, as opposed to random battles, is a great trade-off. Also keep in mind that I went in blind with the 3DS version, I didn't play the PS2 version at all. One final perk, if you have a New 3DS/2DS XL, the c-stick works to control the camera in all directions. Buy the game before the eShop closes!!… Expand

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

Critic Reviews

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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
  1. Gaming Nexus
    Apr 11, 2017
    85
    This game is good. I have made good memories, and hope to make many more. I'm going to miss these characters, their quirks, their catch-phrases, and their flaws. It's a good egg.
    Read full review
  2. Vooks
    Apr 6, 2017
    80
    Occasionally, the gameplay changes up by throwing different mechanics every now and then, including one section where you assume control of a hamster to explore small nooks and crannies. However, these sections just feel tacked on and the hamster section felt fiddly and imprecise to control on the 3DS. These sections are irregular, allowing the focus to remain solely on the solid RPG mechanics.
    Read full review
  3. RPG Fan
    Mar 13, 2017
    90
    Dragon Quest VIII is a JRPG-lover's JRPG that holds up fantastically more than a decade after its original release on the PlayStation 2. It may do nothing to change your mind if you're not a fan of the genre's tried and true formula, but every JRPG fan owes it to themselves to check out this classic.
    Read full review
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