Dragon Quest V: Hand of the Heavenly Bride

 DS
User Score
8.6

Generally favorable reviews- based on 95 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 83 out of 95
  2. Mixed: 7 out of 95
  3. Negative: 5 out of 95
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  1. Alex524
    Nov 18, 2011
    10
    a game that took a classic and added on few things and made it better. the squel to DQ IV: chapters of the chosen, it takes place a significant time after the previous game but makes refernces and shares a dungeon. the addons are game changing, making it easier to progress in the story and adding a new possible party member. the story is 99% the same. there is a mode for wirelessa game that took a classic and added on few things and made it better. the squel to DQ IV: chapters of the chosen, it takes place a significant time after the previous game but makes refernces and shares a dungeon. the addons are game changing, making it easier to progress in the story and adding a new possible party member. the story is 99% the same. there is a mode for wireless communication but it is local and is basically useless. the story and characters are well done, there is a feature to rotate the camera, and a board game type mini game that gave me much needed armor and weapons. this game is on the list of top ten games I have ever played and I don't see it leaving that list anytime soon.… Expand
  2. 6xdandangp
    Dec 29, 2012
    10
    By far one of the best games of the system, Dragon Quest V: Hand of the Heavenly Bride is an example of a JRPG done right. I have nothing bad to say about this game, all of my expectations have been met and exceeded.
  3. Dhulfiqar
    Feb 21, 2014
    9
    I review this game because i have completed the Ps2 version. This game story-line is really amazing and i would include to my list of best jrpg storyline. The game is exactly of those amazing rpg games that bring your childhood memories back when you used to play many hours of rpg games. The music, the world, the characters, the gameplay are all amazing, and you will not get bored when youI review this game because i have completed the Ps2 version. This game story-line is really amazing and i would include to my list of best jrpg storyline. The game is exactly of those amazing rpg games that bring your childhood memories back when you used to play many hours of rpg games. The music, the world, the characters, the gameplay are all amazing, and you will not get bored when you progress in the game.… Expand
  4. gaiages
    Oct 12, 2010
    9
    Dragon Quest V is simply a great game. I can't really compare this DS version to any of its previous versions, but it's clear that the US certainly got a great remake. The story is surprisingly deep, and the mish-mash of 2D sprites and 3D rendered areas look pretty good. Going through the life of the main character really gives a feeling for him, and makes the events that happen haveDragon Quest V is simply a great game. I can't really compare this DS version to any of its previous versions, but it's clear that the US certainly got a great remake. The story is surprisingly deep, and the mish-mash of 2D sprites and 3D rendered areas look pretty good. Going through the life of the main character really gives a feeling for him, and makes the events that happen have just that much more of an effect, in my opinion. The battle system is straight old-school RPG, so if you're looking for something new and inventive, you won't find it here. It can also be difficult, especially in earlier parts when you don't have static party members. Overall, though, it's a great experience, and a definite recommendation for any RPG fan.… Expand
  5. Jackson
    Oct 8, 2010
    9
    Dragon Quest 5. Simply beautiful. If this is not the best RPG on the DS , I dont know what is. It's far better than Chrono Trigger(which is horrendously overrated). This is how much I ove the game. I borrowed it from a friend , took me over a month to beat. And I'm still going to purchase it. Excellent game.
  6. likevin96
    Aug 25, 2017
    8
    Pros:
    - Sweeping epic of a story that spans the entire life of the protagonist. The plot is gripping, the characters are engaging, and the emotional highs are conveyed exceptionally well despite the simple visuals.
    - The sprite-work is nothing phenomenal, but it matches well with the 3D models and the mood of the game. Although none of these are exceptional on their own, they synergize    Pros:
    - Sweeping epic of a story that spans the entire life of the protagonist. The plot is gripping, the characters are engaging, and the emotional highs are conveyed exceptionally well despite the simple visuals.
    - The sprite-work is nothing phenomenal, but it matches well with the 3D models and the mood of the game. Although none of these are exceptional on their own, they synergize well to create a strong overall visual experience.
    - Recruiting monsters is a interesting new addition that would go on to become a staple for the series. Although I did enjoy collecting a number of monsters to use in my party, the system is not interactive enough to salvage the vanilla combat of DQV. This is because monsters are captured simply through defeating them and without any additional input from the player, thus more just feeling like a bonus rather than something you go and actively seek out.
    - Introduction of more in-depth puzzles are great for increasing variety in dungeons, which I very much welcome. The puzzles themselves were interesting and relatively challenging, despite the age of the game.

    Cons
    - Combat is fairly linear and uncreative until the last ~5 hours or so of the game, where there are many more impactful choices in battle. While I don't necessarily have anything against the classic DQ battle system, it is definitely getting old with little to no innovation from DQIV. The boomerangs and the whips are welcome additions, but they do not add enough strategic depth to the early and mid games.
    - While the OST is rather good, the songs are repeated far too often and get grating after awhile.

    Final Word:
    Dragon Quest V truly feels like a journey, with a memorable cast and story that will stick with you for years to come.

    True Score: 8.2    … Expand
  7. WallidK
    Mar 31, 2009
    9
    WOW. This game is a lot of fun. I played a fan translation of this game awhile back, and despite its archaic look, it was a lot of fun. Now, 17 years later, this game has been improved on so much that it feels fresh again. There's a casino, new monsters to catch, and even a new bride to choose from! The only problem I had with this game is that most battles require little to no WOW. This game is a lot of fun. I played a fan translation of this game awhile back, and despite its archaic look, it was a lot of fun. Now, 17 years later, this game has been improved on so much that it feels fresh again. There's a casino, new monsters to catch, and even a new bride to choose from! The only problem I had with this game is that most battles require little to no strategy and you just need to click "Attack" a lot of the time. besides that, if you liked DQIV or RPGs in general, I suggest that you pick this one up.… Expand
  8. DinoBeam
    Oct 28, 2020
    5
    I loved Dragon Quest 4, but i just couldn't bring myself to finish this one. It's just boring some how. The pacing, the areas, the fact that you have monsters as party members instead of characters. I just couldn't get excited once I became an adult. The childhood part where you go explore a haunted castle was great fun however.
  9. mei_eins
    Mar 8, 2020
    10
    This is my favorite Dragon Quest game. First of all, the setting, story, and the characters are wonderful. The music composed by Koichi Sugiyama, character design by Akira Toriyama (also the author of Dragon Ball), and the script by Yugi Horii makes up the game so awesome. I recommend it to all gamers!
  10. hileger
    Dec 15, 2022
    8
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  11. DragonQuestV
    Aug 11, 2020
    10
    Dragon Quest V is not only the best Dragon Quest game, but the best game of all time. Period. Based game. Play it.
  12. Matthew
    Feb 23, 2009
    8
    Quite an impressive remake of an already great game from the SNES era. Simple yet deep gameplay abound, if a little bit on the old school side (not that ; as expected of the granddaddy of Jrpgs. The only real drawback is the localization, which changes the original names of characters to suit a certain pun, to reference something or someone, or, in quite a few cases, no reason whatsoever. Quite an impressive remake of an already great game from the SNES era. Simple yet deep gameplay abound, if a little bit on the old school side (not that ; as expected of the granddaddy of Jrpgs. The only real drawback is the localization, which changes the original names of characters to suit a certain pun, to reference something or someone, or, in quite a few cases, no reason whatsoever. This of course is small compared to the script itself, which is just littered with butchered English that substitutes for accents were the game actually using voice acting, which it and almost all other games of the series do not have (VIII being the exception only due to the localization it received when being brought overseas, and even then it only had European accents, unlike V's ridiculous attempt at a Mexican, Hick, and even, for god only knows reasons, a Ned Flanders accent). This doesn't just make the lines harder to read than necessary and making the game harder to access for newer gamers, it also takes any seriousness from the games scenes away due to the needless attempt to bring humor to the game and makes what should be a simple sentence that can be read in a few seconds a chore, not to mention that it resulted in changing certain characters personalities for little to no reason (besides, last I checked people with natural accents don't spell the way they speak). Despite the rather glaring flaws in the localization, the game is still really good. Next time, however, I hope that Square Enix's US localization team realizes that needless changes to the games script can be more harmful to the overall product than they realize and look unprofessional at the same time. Also, they should keep in mind that a good localization is to be simple, accurate, and have little changed.… Expand
  13. PsychoJoona
    May 8, 2021
    10
    My first Dragon Quest game and I have so much fun! Monster capturing, combat, characters, story EVERYTHING IS almost perfect but still amazing game overall! If you are a JRPG fan this is a must play!
  14. Tiziown
    May 22, 2021
    10
    Still the best Dragon Quest for what concerns story and characters, but being able to recruit monsters was amazing too.
  15. sarahaj
    Jul 2, 2022
    9
    One of the greatest JRPG stories I have ever experienced, this game follows the entire life of the main protagonist. This makes you heavily invested in the characters (especially the main protagonist). If this sounds like something you will enjoy, please do yourself a favor and play through this no filler adventure.
  16. yoavzehavy
    Feb 5, 2023
    10
    This game is a masterpiece, The music is amazing (sadly the music in this game is synthesized and not orchestrated because of stoarge limitations), The story is amazing and complex and deep with a lot of emotional moments (the best part of the game), The graphics are old but serviceable (the animations in battle look pretty good even today), The battle system while pretty basics requiresThis game is a masterpiece, The music is amazing (sadly the music in this game is synthesized and not orchestrated because of stoarge limitations), The story is amazing and complex and deep with a lot of emotional moments (the best part of the game), The graphics are old but serviceable (the animations in battle look pretty good even today), The battle system while pretty basics requires strategy and the "Monster Taming" mechanic is very refreshing and gives a lot of options for you to make strategies for certain fights in the game. Overall a 10 out of 10 masterpiece.… Expand
  17. Yojimbo2015
    May 21, 2023
    8
    More old school RPGing with a 3D modelled makeover. A little old fashioned but still good fun.
  18. Andbrian
    Mar 8, 2023
    10
    One of my favorite JRPGs of all time! I love the story, the graphics, and the soundtrack. But above all else, I love how the combat makes you think. Some will argue that you hammer the A button repeatedly (probably true in the early parts of the game). But it felt like a good balance between using skills, buffs, de-buffs and items all in tandem, especially when taking on a major boss.One of my favorite JRPGs of all time! I love the story, the graphics, and the soundtrack. But above all else, I love how the combat makes you think. Some will argue that you hammer the A button repeatedly (probably true in the early parts of the game). But it felt like a good balance between using skills, buffs, de-buffs and items all in tandem, especially when taking on a major boss. Since completing this, I've beaten DQ8 and I'm currently working on DQ6, so clearly this game turned me into a fan of the series.… Expand

Awards & Rankings

9
#9 Best DS Game of 2009
16
#16 Most Discussed DS Game of 2009
11
#11 Most Shared DS Game of 2009

Critic Reviews

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Metascore
84

Generally favorable reviews - based on 46 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 40 out of 46
  2. Mixed: 6 out of 46
  3. Negative: 0 out of 46
  1. n-Revolution Magazine UK
    70
    Great for those who haven't played the original, not so thrilling for those who have. [Issue#26, p.81]
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  2. 3DJuegos
    89
    If you have a Nintendo DS and you love the RPG genre, Dragon Quest V is nowadays one the best options to enjoy the classic gameplay of an epic adventure with a retro taste.
    Read full review
  3. IGN
    89
    Dragon Quest V is a must-play RPG, pure and simple. By extension, that means that Dragon Quest V: Hand of the Heavenly Bride is also a must-play RPG, though I can’t help but wish we were getting it sooner than 17 years late, and with a bit more fanfare and polish.
    Read full review
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