Dragon Quest III

 iOS
Metascore
78

Generally favorable reviews - based on 7 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 4 out of 7
  2. Mixed: 3 out of 7
  3. Negative: 0 out of 7
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  1. 148Apps
    Dec 18, 2014
    70
    A walk down memory lane isn't foolproof for Dragon Quest III, but it has its merits.
  2. Modojo
    Dec 10, 2014
    70
    If you're a huge JRPG fan or just enjoy playing on mobile for long bouts of time this game may scratch your itch. However, with the high price and time investment, this game isn't particularly conductive to mobile gaming.
  3. Pocket Gamer UK
    Dec 8, 2014
    60
    Epic in scope, and with plenty of numbers to juggle, but it ultimately feels clumsy and monotonous by modern standards.

Awards & Rankings

90
#90 Most Discussed iOS Game of 2014
56
#56 Most Shared iOS Game of 2014

User Reviews

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User Score
8.3

Generally favorable reviews- based on 24 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 19 out of 24
  2. Mixed: 1 out of 24
  3. Negative: 4 out of 24
  1. QilBoy
    Dec 5, 2021
    4
    Disclaimer for every game released before the fifth generation of consoles: the ideal way of critiquing a videogame would be to do itDisclaimer for every game released before the fifth generation of consoles: the ideal way of critiquing a videogame would be to do it contextually to the time period in which it was released. But since I was born in 1999, with the sixth generation of games being my first, I lack the full perspective and knowledge of previous generations that one would need to critique an older game fairly, and have no other choice but to review this product with modern games' standards in mind.
    Today, we are sadly used to games that are severely simplified and streamlined in their progression. Games where it feels more like the developers are holding your hand while giving you a vanity tour through their fancy graphics, and the "game" aspect of videogames seems to take a backseat to glorify spectacle.
    There are pleasant exceptions and some genres didnt suffer this shift that much, but some undeniably did. The sense of freedom and discovery has been, for the most part, lost.
    Nowadays games tell you what you need to do and where you need to go to proceed at all times.
    The original Dragon Quest trilogy showcases beautifully how exciting it can be to just throw the player inside a world and leave them to find the way on their own.
    The first two DQ games charmed you with this sense of exploration, but DQ3 perfected it.
    The player, exploring this immense land, kingdom after kingdom, needs to pay attention and memorize every single legend, every rumor, every gossip of the NPCs to piece together the information and solve the mysteries of this land. It's not only about blindly following the rumors: it's about reading between the lines, using your brain and follow the clues scattered. There are plenty of closed scenarios like "help the king find his beloved item" or "find the lost princess", but some of them are entirely optional and can be skipped entirely to tackle just the main quest, making your journey truly feel like your own.
    In the first half the game still requires the player to face a couple of closed areas before the entire map is opened up, but when it happens it's the start of a giant treasure hunt that will test the memory and intuition of players in so many different situational puzzles (a few of them not really fair and pretty unintuitive, but never truly illogical). The addition of Mini Medals, invisible collectibles that allow you to gain precious weapons and armours, is also a smart idea to make every single area exciting, since there can always be a Mini Medal hidden somewhere. It's an incredibly long and rich adventure that towards the end surprises you with unexpected twists that expand on the world and story of the entire trilogy in exciting ways.
    So, as far as exploration goes, this game is close to a 10. But Combat also made impressive strides. The improvement is not as massive as it was from DQ1 to DQ2, but almost.
    It's not about the new weapon types that make dealing with huge amount of enemies quicker, it's not the new Dungeons with many tricks and gimmicks, it's not the new Magic spells that make Combat more varied and engaging: all of this stuff is good and welcome, but the true reason DQ3 is so much better than DQ2 lies in the Class System.
    Not only you can choose the Classes of your party members, unlike DQ2 where each of them had prepackaged skills and stats, but you also get the chance to CHANGE their classes later on.
    But that's not the main attraction: the main attraction is that the character's stat get influenced not only by their current Class, but also their previous one. For example if your Warrior becomes a Mage, you'll end up with a Mage with an unusually high Physical Attack Value. If your Mage becomes a Warrior, this new Warrior will be able to cast Magic Spells. This opens the door to a staggering amount of possibilities and different Party setups. You can experiment with Class changes to create the perfect warriors and find your favourite arrangement, in a virtually limitless toybox.
    This is where DQ3's true strength is, this masterful system that makes each playthrough substantially different.
    Alas, even though I personally had lots of fun and I can see how DQ3 was once regarded as the best RPG of all times, by today's standards the game ends up being slightly below average. The extreme simplicity of battles and story, the grindy nature of progression, the lack of any meaningful side-activity and interesting mechanics make this game pale in comparison of some modern masterpieces of the same genre.
    Or, in other words: Dragon Quest 3 is a wonderful adventure where you'll explore a vast and rich world, uncovering its legendary mysteries and finding your way with no one but your own perseverance and brains to help you in this exciting heterogeneous journey.
    Even though a really solid Class customization element makes gameplay quite fun, the scarcity of side-content and the simplicity of gameplay make DQ3 look like a little fish when put in the landscape of modern RPGs.    … Full Review »
  2. Vitoner
    Apr 6, 2015
    9
    The game is great, especially considering its original release date. It allows deep customization of every character and lets you select yourThe game is great, especially considering its original release date. It allows deep customization of every character and lets you select your companions from the start: you can choose class, stats and personalities for each one of them (including your main character). The combat system is similar yet deeper than the one in DQ1 and DQ2 and has a customizable "auto-battle" feature for grinding (wich is great). Also, this game is HUGE. The only problem is that this port to iOS and Android (as the ports of DQ1 and DQ2) have worse graphics than the SNES remakes (but DQ3 is the better one in this regard). Also, the SNES remake had an introductive sequence which is missing in this version. The new orchestral score is great, though.
    I would recommend this game only to every RPG enthusiast and DQ fan.
    Also, message to Square-Enix: it would be great to have this game packaged alongside DQ1 and DQ2 and released on a physical support for an handheld console (3DS, anyone?).    … Full Review »
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