Dragon Quest Builders

 PlayStation 4
User Score
8.1

Generally favorable reviews- based on 226 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 178 out of 226
  2. Mixed: 21 out of 226
  3. Negative: 27 out of 226
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  1. mash27
    Oct 11, 2016
    10
    This game is extremely addictive and has the unmistakable polish and charm that the Dragon Quest series is known for. I also recommend Dragon Quest Heroes. You really can't go wrong with this series.
  2. VsAssassin
    Oct 16, 2016
    9
    If you were to ask me to describe Dragon Quest: Builders in a single word, I'm sorry, I can't. Doing so will be a great disservice to a game that perfectly molds two gameplay elements--roleplaying and building--and transforms them into a brand-new breed of JRPG. But if you're that pushy, the perfect adjective for this title would have to be "reeling". Seriously, once you start building,If you were to ask me to describe Dragon Quest: Builders in a single word, I'm sorry, I can't. Doing so will be a great disservice to a game that perfectly molds two gameplay elements--roleplaying and building--and transforms them into a brand-new breed of JRPG. But if you're that pushy, the perfect adjective for this title would have to be "reeling". Seriously, once you start building, one thing leads to another and then you're hooked.

    On the surface, it's easy to right off Dragon Quest: Builders as a Minecraft clone (I really didn't want to mention Minecraft here, but there I said it), but once you dig in deeper (pun intended), you will unveil for yourself the unique aspects of it that will make you exclaim, "Hey this is something even more special!" Mind you, I didn't get into Minecraft. I tried, but the core of the game failed to resonate in me. Now don't think not liking Minecraft will initially or ultimately discourage you from playing Dragon Quest: Builders. I say that because Dragon Quest: Builders has more to it than building (or destroying). There are focused quests and a main story that you follow, which will lead you to a satisfying end-game. Combat, though simplistic in nature, is fleshed out enough. I want to elaborate more on other things that make this game truly unique, but I simply have no time. That, or I want to make time to come back playing this game!

    Bottom line is, you don't need to be a fan of Minecraft and Minecraft-clone games to like Dragon Quest: Builders. It's a wonderfully woven game that is bigger than the parts that comprise it. Do yourself a favor and buy this game. You won't regret it!    … Expand
  3. Agarwel
    Oct 17, 2016
    10
    Great game. This is what I always hoped Minecraft will become one day. Perfect combination of free building and goad oriented gameplay with quests. So you have a reason to build and explore in the word. I also like that every chapter is different providing new experience. Not just different story and goals. But new enviromnents, new enemies, new materials, new objects to create, newGreat game. This is what I always hoped Minecraft will become one day. Perfect combination of free building and goad oriented gameplay with quests. So you have a reason to build and explore in the word. I also like that every chapter is different providing new experience. Not just different story and goals. But new enviromnents, new enemies, new materials, new objects to create, new rooms,... sometimes even new gameplay elements. So it is not just playing same game over and over on different maps. But each time it is new experience.… Expand
  4. Here4aMoment
    Oct 15, 2016
    10
    First let me clear up something a lot of people don't seem to know about this game. If you are under the assumption that "You will never be able to show your creations to anyone that you dont force to sit on your couch and look at your tv" you would be wrong. After completing the first area (Cantlin) you unlock the game's free mode called 'Terra Incognito'. In this mode you have theFirst let me clear up something a lot of people don't seem to know about this game. If you are under the assumption that "You will never be able to show your creations to anyone that you dont force to sit on your couch and look at your tv" you would be wrong. After completing the first area (Cantlin) you unlock the game's free mode called 'Terra Incognito'. In this mode you have the ability to share your own creations as well as view other peoples' creations. Not just one at a time either, you can have a veritable city made of yours and other peoples' creations.

    Additionally the control scheme is a bit of a problem at first but as someone who has played upwards of 30 hours so far let me tell you it becomes second nature soon enough. Something else that needs addressed is that this is indeed NOT Minecraft. While the game resembles Minecraft in a couple of obvious facets it is much more Dragon Quest, as such you will be playing by yourself as the one and only Builder who is out to save the world-- just like the classic old school Dragon Quest RPGs this is based on. Speaking of, this game is the story of how the Dragon Quest world came to be, essentially setting it before any of the mainline games.

    There's no "possible" about it. This game is a breakout star for Square Enix and yet another amazing spin-off of the Dragon Quest series. Don't pass this one up.    … Expand
  5. LavosierDQ
    Oct 14, 2016
    10
    Dragon quest Builders merece uma nota 10 porque realmente apesar de ser baseado em Minecraft o jogo se mostra completamente original. tem os modos de contrução mas tambem não deixa de lado o modo Rpg com muitas sides quests, história, personagens carismáticos , muitos itens, batalhas.
    a essência do Dragon quest está toda lá , como de costume sempre mantendo a tradição. músicas    Dragon quest Builders merece uma nota 10 porque realmente apesar de ser baseado em Minecraft o jogo se mostra completamente original. tem os modos de contrução mas tambem não deixa de lado o modo Rpg com muitas sides quests, história, personagens carismáticos , muitos itens, batalhas.
    a essência do Dragon quest está toda lá , como de costume sempre mantendo a tradição. músicas épicas tirada dos jogos anteriores coloca no jogador e mostra para ele que é realmente mais um Dragon Quest.
    Inovação e Tradição. Sublime!!!!!    … Expand
  6. zyzzx223
    Oct 18, 2016
    9
    I was hesitant to buy this game, as most people would be considering all the developers that try and piggy-back off the Minecraft craze, and their games are just horrendous and unfinished and a waste of money. So I did a lot of reading about this before ultimately deciding to buy it for various reasons, and I do not regret it. I rate this game a solid 9/10, and would put it among my top 10I was hesitant to buy this game, as most people would be considering all the developers that try and piggy-back off the Minecraft craze, and their games are just horrendous and unfinished and a waste of money. So I did a lot of reading about this before ultimately deciding to buy it for various reasons, and I do not regret it. I rate this game a solid 9/10, and would put it among my top 10 all time games.

    PROS:
    Firstly, I'd like to clear up the notion that this game is just a Minecraft wanna-be. This is like saying an elephant is like a giraffe because they are mammals and have a lot of similar characters between them. I would put this under the sand-box games, where you collect resources to further progress towards your goal. However, the story behind this, with the RPG aspect, is really what sold this game as a hit for me. You learn about the history of where you are building, and why you are building, and how you make an impact on your surroundings. Quest after quest draws you in to the story and even though each area may seem repetitive, it has enough story to really distract you from the normal annoying grinds of material farming that you have in other sandbox games.

    You do have the ability to open an "objective free" world, where you can build to your hearts content, but I find that the joy in this game is the questing. For whatever reason, it really draws you in to the point where you keep thinking "ok, after this quest, I'll turn it off", but then something happens and you are asked to go get this or that to help with whats going on, and before you know it 5 hours have passed by unnoticed.

    CONS:
    There are a couple things that I think may deter some people. Firstly, it has no multiplayer aspect, and I'm unaware of any future plans to include this. Its not really a feature that is needed with this game, though, but there are those that only enjoy playing online with all their buddies. If you are one of these people, the game probably isnt for you.

    The second concern is the current mission content. Albiet, I am about 20 hours or so into this game and moving at a casual pace, I have just passed the half-way point for the missions. That means all in all (if things continue as is) it will be just 40 hours of mission content. Dont get me wrong, that is not bad at all, but compared to similarly priced (at time of launch) open world games like Skyrim and Fallout, 40 hours is nothing. So I do hope they plan on additional content, that hopefully isnt paid DLC.

    That being said, you can always open up the free range game and play to your hearts content, but IMO the questing is what really makes this game.

    All in all, I would recommend this to anyone as a solid game that is worth your time and money.    … Expand
  7. moncikoma
    Oct 19, 2016
    10
    EVERYONE KEEP SAYING THIS IS JUST ANOTHER MINECRAFT COPY, BUT IT IS NOT
    because minecraft graphics is ugly AF, and there is no story or purpose...while this has..

    imagine zelda, alundra, dark cloud, the sims, Harvest moon all combined with Dragon Quest Basic JRPG === MINECRAFT KILLER!
  8. Rizefall
    Oct 16, 2016
    9
    Very fun Building-Adventure game that continues to surprise you with new things. Every time the game started to get stale for me it threw something new on me that made it more fun. Could be a monster, an item, a set piece, a new NPC for your city or something else. New areas unlock with new loot that makes it more fun to build and to explore and get even more stuff.
  9. Damian_roar
    Oct 18, 2016
    9
    Here's a short review from a gamer that never played dragon quest before, but who loves rpgs in general.
    If you have played terraria and zelda, and you liked both, this game is definitely the way to go.
    If you havent played none of both, give it a chance, it might be look similar to minecraft but it haves his own personality. You get the feeling of exploring something new and vast, you    Here's a short review from a gamer that never played dragon quest before, but who loves rpgs in general.
    If you have played terraria and zelda, and you liked both, this game is definitely the way to go.
    If you havent played none of both, give it a chance, it might be look similar to minecraft but it haves his own personality.
    You get the feeling of exploring something new and vast, you never get lost on what to do, and there's plenty of ways to get to the goal, at your pace.
    Some people say it doesn't deserver a price of an AAA game, and well, i tell you it kicks lots of AAA titles that have been sold at the same price before, and it's made by SE, tons of quality right there.

    As a con, i will only say that the controls are a little weird at the beginning but you get used to it very fast.    … Expand
  10. Tallulah
    Nov 29, 2016
    9
    I lost my in depth review of DQB, so this is the short and to the point version.
    -It's amazing in every way possible.
    -"Minecraft with purpose."
    -Hoping for DLC
    -Terra Incognita is the only negative thing for me. I need a purpose when I play. A goal. I like building in TI, but the lack of goal or things to do is disappointing.
  11. Master_Cort
    Jan 28, 2017
    10
    Juego excelente para los amantes de DQ, y para los nuevos es una buena oportunidad para adentrarse en la saga, NO ES UN MINECRAFT, la historia y gameplay son muy adictivos.
  12. CanadianYeti
    Jul 17, 2017
    3
    Dragon Quest Builders takes an interesting idea and squanders it under endless amounts of boring gameplay and bad presentation. The exploration was slow and tedious, the graphics were lackluster, the music just plain awful, and while I enjoyed building and crafting, there wasn’t enough of it to keep me invested.
  13. NagitoKomaeda
    Oct 11, 2016
    9
    This game is a total surprise. Good technically, gorgeous visually and incredibly fun ( great PSV port too).
    You don't need to like the genre ( I, myself, get bored with Minecraft) to enjoy this game.
    Great exclusive for Sony.
  14. 9DAN
    Oct 12, 2016
    8
    If you have ever played Minecraft and felt like the game could use some sort of "adventure mode", with real NPCs and questlines and events and all of that, here you go. That is pretty much DQB, except it also brings from DG the great music, funny writing, beautiful character designs, etc. Not as mechanically deep as some other crafting types, but much more structured (in a fun way).If you have ever played Minecraft and felt like the game could use some sort of "adventure mode", with real NPCs and questlines and events and all of that, here you go. That is pretty much DQB, except it also brings from DG the great music, funny writing, beautiful character designs, etc. Not as mechanically deep as some other crafting types, but much more structured (in a fun way). Hard not to recommend it to people who like chill games.… Expand
  15. Mcfailed
    Oct 16, 2016
    10
    It's SNES Zelda meets Minecraft, if you likes these games you will like DQB !, I'm impressed by the length of the story/game as well, 30 hours in and I have just gotten to the first end level boss, loads of content really just missing a better online component.
  16. ThereIsNoSpoon
    Oct 16, 2016
    6
    The game is charming and looks nice, but it is a highly structured, shallow version of Minecraft. If you're a Minecraft fan you're going to feel very limited, and the world is not procedurally generated. You can't swim, and there are barriers preventing you from building a path across a body of water. You also can't build as high, or as low as in Minecraft. And the camera is a problemThe game is charming and looks nice, but it is a highly structured, shallow version of Minecraft. If you're a Minecraft fan you're going to feel very limited, and the world is not procedurally generated. You can't swim, and there are barriers preventing you from building a path across a body of water. You also can't build as high, or as low as in Minecraft. And the camera is a problem when in tight spaces.

    But the biggest problem is the music is INCREDIBLY REPETITIVE, and can't be turned off. I don't know how this fact hasn't been mentioned in reviews. Do people not notice the same two minute track looping hundreds and hundreds of times? I've never heard a more annoying soundtrack in a modern AAA game. I'm not joking. It's unacceptable.    … Expand
  17. SuperkenGaming
    Oct 21, 2016
    8
    Dragon Quest Builders
    a questing game disguised as a builder
    In Dragon Quest Builders you play as your own custom character… a builder... You’re tasked with rebuilding a town and helping the people of that town remember how to build… It’s very important to go into this game knowing that this is not Minecraft... This game despite the similarities is not about creation or freedom...    Dragon Quest Builders
    a questing game disguised as a builder
    In Dragon Quest Builders you play as your own custom character… a builder...
    You’re tasked with rebuilding a town and helping the people of that town remember how to build…
    It’s very important to go into this game knowing that this is not Minecraft...
    This game despite the similarities is not about creation or freedom... though there is a free play mode unlocked after chapter 1…
    This is a game about gathering materials to complete quests and build whatever the residents need…
    Not about creating your own systems designing your own town or exploring the world…
    As you do go out to gather materials needed to craft items to complete blueprints given to you by the residents, there will be creatures you can slay for drops, as well as plants to gather materials for your own personal survival, as you do still have to create your own armour, weapons, healing creams and stay stocked up on food so you don’t starve while completing tasks..
    As you slowly rebuild your town you will get more and more residents with more and more tasks, eventually having to deal with enemy creatures trying to destroy your town... a great reason to not get attached to your creations... a reason to not waste your time being creative here… because theres jerks that come every night or every few quests to knock down your sand castle…
    So you can eventually create defenses.. Spike and fire traps…
    And when you defeat the waves you’ll sometimes get a new portal to a new area as you can’t just swim to the different islands or even build your way there… again this is a very restrictive quest game with material gathering.. not a do as you wish game…
    each island has different materials that can be found for different weapons and armors…
    Items you can use to defeat giant creatures you couldn’t slay before..
    Eventually after 10 hours of questing in each of the 4 chapters, making this game about 40 to 50 hours long…
    You’ll take on a giant boss trying to destroy everything you’re worked on building for all of that time…
    And after you defeat him, there will be a light in the distance...
    a new portal to go through...
    And here’s the most important reason to not get attached... to not treat this like minecraft...
    Once you go onto the next chapter you lose everything…
    And I mean everything…
    All of your food you cooked, the weapons you’ve built, the blueprints you’ve collected, the portals to the different islands... and annoyingly the life seeds you’ve collected to increase your health... all gone… you start from scratch with a new town to rebuild with its own needs…
    Its very frustrating to get knocked back down to the start after all you just went through.. And it kind of takes the ultimate joy of building a town away... of collecting materials away, of building defenses, when youre just going to lose it all in the end… and really opens your eyes to what this game really is... fetch questing for 50 hours with all feeling of progression constantly being taken from you when night falls an enemies attack…
    That’s not to say this game isn’t fun or addicting.. I just wish I could freely revisit my past towns for materials I worked so hard to obtain… taking it all from me was a really draining slap to the face…
    If you go into this game actually knowing what to expect and don’t waste your time doing more than you have to… you’ll have a great deal of fun with this game that despite how repetitive it truly is, is so hard to put down.
    I give Dragon Quest Builders an 8/10    … Expand
  18. Dreamusic
    Mar 14, 2017
    10
    Beautiful story, very fun gameplay, fantastic music and a lot of things to discover in each chapter made this game an enjoyable experience for me; and I'm sure a lot of people will enjoy it too.
  19. PlayorNaygames
    Oct 19, 2016
    5
    Dragon Quest Builders does so much right you want to love it, but there are many annoyances that will make you think "Enix doesn't understand what makes these games fun". Let me break it down by category.

    Graphics: Charming and pleasing to the eye, the visuals are great, albeit simplistic. You can see miles in the distance from up high, there are nice shadows and weather effects, ect.    Dragon Quest Builders does so much right you want to love it, but there are many annoyances that will make you think "Enix doesn't understand what makes these games fun". Let me break it down by category.

    Graphics: Charming and pleasing to the eye, the visuals are great, albeit simplistic. You can see miles in the distance from up high, there are nice shadows and weather effects, ect. The animations are a bit basic and few in number, as is tradition for any Dragon Quest game, but they are also satisfying. The worlds are not randomly generated like in Minecraft, so you would expect more variation in enemies and environments. Sadly within a biome, there isn't too much variation. The game maintains a very smooth frame rate throughout the game, no hiccups. No bugs or technical issues as well, the game is very polished. Character customization is a joke for 2016. Pick your hair color, eye color, skin color, gender and that's it. 7/10

    Sound: The same Dragon Quest music you've heard before many times. The songs are fitting and sound wonderful, but there's nothing new here. I never got to the point where I turned off the music, but it gets quite repetitive listen to the same 3 tracks for most of the game. Many of the classic sound effects are also used. This may be a negative for some while a positive for others looking for a nostalgia trip. Overall, I feel Enix (as per usual) is being a bit lazy. Oh and of course there's no voice acting, be prepared to read lots of dialog. 6/10

    Gameplay: Thankfully, the game is at least fun, at first anyway. Progression starts out very slowly then ramps up as you go along. There are a lot of design choices that Enix did that make you want to say "wow this is awesome", like the ability to access a giant storage chest anywhere at anytime and overflow will automatically go to this chest. Or, the fact that you can build a fort made of dirt, then use an item to change large amounts of the dirt to any number of other materials very quickly and easily.

    However, once you get near the middle of Chapter 1, bad design choices rear their ugly heads. For one,
    when you move to Chapter 2 YOU LOSE EVERYTHING. That's right, everything. You start completely from scratch. That awesome accessory I got that reduces all fall damage to 0, gone. It's like in an RPG if you cleared the first chapter and they stripped everything from you and you started from level 1 again. It's truly shocking that RPG makers would make this jarring decision, punishing you for stockpiling resources and exploring. Instead of farming new and more powerful materials, you start from square one again. Instead of building more elaborate structures, you're back to macking small dirt hovels. Some items are simply reskinned to fit the biome, while most are unchanged. It's very hard to accept this while playing and it honestly make me want to quit right there.

    Enix seems to think that having monsters constantly attacking your base and then having to rebuild your rooms is fun. It gets annoying when your trying to build during the day and "monsters appear" and start destroying your town. The defenses are weak and the townsfolk are too dumb/slow/weak to handle the monsters, so stopping the monster attacks requires your intervention starting mid chapter 1. The attacks happen every day and ghosts attack you EVERY night without fail. It gets old. These monsters are easy to kill and your character doesn't have too many moves other than smashing the attack button and a charge up move that is ofter too slow to be useful (you'll get knocked out of it and if you jump it cancels the charge up). Deeper combat would not have been that hard for Enix to achieve.

    IN Progress...    … Expand
  20. Borgees
    Oct 24, 2016
    8
    Um ótimo jogo, a Square mandou muito bem lançando esse spin-off de Dragon Quest, um jogo com muita qualidade e muitas coisas para se fazer. Espero que numa sequência venha um modo online, pois foi a única coisa que fez falta.
  21. heymoney
    Jan 25, 2017
    1
    So, I literally made an account to review this game.

    In what world did they make these simplistic childish design choices? Clunky controls. Insultingly basic combat. Your telling me they couldn't come up with ways to impliment all those awesome skills and magics from the dragon quest games? Nope. All your favorite dragon armors, and awesome weapons, monster teams/taming. Not here. Do    So, I literally made an account to review this game.

    In what world did they make these simplistic childish design choices?

    Clunky controls. Insultingly basic combat. Your telling me they couldn't come up with ways to impliment all those awesome skills and magics from the dragon quest games? Nope. All your favorite dragon armors, and awesome weapons, monster teams/taming. Not here. Do you gain levels in any way shape or form? Nope - oh so you just gather and build **** running essentially fetch quests with plot devices? Yup. **** This. Game. If your a child, and don't mind insultingly boring fetchy grindy nearly pointless gameplay with blueprints and handholding please. Buy this game. Its a joke. The drastic different between what COULD have been done, and the basic "accessible" pile of **** this game is - is staggering.

    Characters are bland and boring.

    They decided that the game and AI npcs would only look in a what... 30X30 block radius ( didn't bother to measure ) and that would be your "town"?

    Blueprints? Your telling me that you couldn't place a keyblock, say the cauldron for the apothecary that would search in X radius for the various required blocks? The fuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuu-

    Multiplayer would have been to hard on this simplistic pile of **** What? Why is there no multiplayer.

    This entire game is an accessible pleb feast, cashing in on nostalgia.

    **** this game.    … Expand
  22. xiaolinstyle
    Oct 13, 2016
    2
    First let me say that I really wanted to like this game. Seriously. Somehow SquareEnix has taken what should be a slam dunk and messed it up, badly.

    This game is a voxel style game set in the Dragonquest universe and has very cute art style, music, and sound. If you are at all familiar with the series you will immediately recognize many of the game's elements. The first misnomer is how    First let me say that I really wanted to like this game. Seriously. Somehow SquareEnix has taken what should be a slam dunk and messed it up, badly.

    This game is a voxel style game set in the Dragonquest universe and has very cute art style, music, and sound. If you are at all familiar with the series you will immediately recognize many of the game's elements. The first misnomer is how this is being compared to minecraft. It. Is. Not. Minecraft. I will explain: Minecraft allowed players to combine to create something unique or recreate something from somewhere else. DQB tasks you with recreating a very specific set of structures, BY YOURSELF. This is a SINGLE PLAYER game. No multiplayer. No co-op. Nothing. You will never be able to show your creations to anyone that you dont force to sit on your couch and look at your tv.

    SquareEnix has also allowed the very Japanese design choice of not letting you customize the controls. This would potentially not be a problem, if the default layout wasn't so absolutely bizarre. If you read the above and thought, "well I actually like the idea of a single player only voxel game!", and have spent any time playing Minecraft or a myriad of clones then be prepared to want to break your controller. The control scheme has the menu button on 'x', jump on 'o', and those are just the major issues I had with it. Every part of the ONLY control layout is the most jumbled mess one could possibly hope to never have to deal with.

    Why SE decided to so sorely handicap a possible breakout star with such ridiculous design choices in the lack of multiplayer or co-op, and a default control scheme that infuriates anyone who has ever played a video game in their life baffles me, but definitely makes the game far far more frustrating than it would be otherwise.    … Expand
  23. Mallenlane
    Apr 11, 2017
    8
    I had quite a lot of fun with this, though I never played any of the other Dragon Quest series. It has a very Zelda feel to it, and of course Minecraft. There is far more of an RPG here than you might initially think, which was nice.
  24. ryancoke77
    Feb 6, 2019
    8
    Great game! Much more focused than minecraft which is nice. It reminds me a little of a cross between minecraft and portal knights. There are some issues though. I don't like the controls. There should be a way to customise the button scheme. Also there should be a way to go into a first person view mode. If you're mining in a cave it's REALLY hard to see what you're doing. You can kindGreat game! Much more focused than minecraft which is nice. It reminds me a little of a cross between minecraft and portal knights. There are some issues though. I don't like the controls. There should be a way to customise the button scheme. Also there should be a way to go into a first person view mode. If you're mining in a cave it's REALLY hard to see what you're doing. You can kind of zoom in by lowering the camera but it's awkward. I absolutely love the way this game handles inventory. When your full, your stuff just starts going into the big magic chest. Excellent! Too many times in Terraria, I would have to either go back to my home to dump my stuff or start deleting things while I was deep underground which was no fun.… Expand
  25. dlspat
    Feb 27, 2017
    9
    This game is very simple yet very good.
    I enjoyed playing it very much. It has multiple maps and on each one you will start with no knowledge, but you learn different buildings in each map and different equipments, what makes each map like "unique".
    The only problem that I would like a fix is that there are Blueprints that you receive to buid some requests from npcs. But if it uses a    This game is very simple yet very good.
    I enjoyed playing it very much. It has multiple maps and on each one you will start with no knowledge, but you learn different buildings in each map and different equipments, what makes each map like "unique".
    The only problem that I would like a fix is that there are Blueprints that you receive to buid some requests from npcs. But if it uses a wall and you place it where there is already a wall, it will block you because "there is something in the area". You must destroy the wall and build again.
    But even with that flaw, I enjoyed the game very much    … Expand
  26. special_effect
    Apr 11, 2018
    3
    so many frustrations at so many levels. each time you finish a level, your town disappears, it's gone, then you restart a new town...fight are clunky even though they represent an important part of the game...many required action are simply not explained and required about 10th time into the whole game to check online...the last level is purely done to make players stay a bit longer,so many frustrations at so many levels. each time you finish a level, your town disappears, it's gone, then you restart a new town...fight are clunky even though they represent an important part of the game...many required action are simply not explained and required about 10th time into the whole game to check online...the last level is purely done to make players stay a bit longer, that's obvious and very uncalled for...what else can I say ... I did it all and feel like I wasted my time in a game not thought to be funny or entertaining actually and certainly not in a spir of building a town but following meaningless quest. A real garbage game IMO.… Expand
  27. sityoazzdown
    Jan 16, 2017
    8
    A surprisingly good game, and that's coming from someone who never saw the appeal in minecraft. Dq builders has you rebuild cities over 4 chapters, each chapters has different main storylines/support characters and locations/enemies. The main goal is to rebuild town from materials you harvested through crafting or learning new recipes. Now there is a decent amound of handholding that keepsA surprisingly good game, and that's coming from someone who never saw the appeal in minecraft. Dq builders has you rebuild cities over 4 chapters, each chapters has different main storylines/support characters and locations/enemies. The main goal is to rebuild town from materials you harvested through crafting or learning new recipes. Now there is a decent amound of handholding that keeps this game from being amazing, and also has some limitations within the building area that irked me (one being everything has to be in a room to for you to get points). You also lose everything after every chapter, and it's a confusing strategy; it makes grinding and exploring sort of unrewarding. But other than that the combat outside of building is a bonus, it breaks the monotony of doing nothing but farming and building. The core gameplay of building a town from scratch is addictive and fun, the storylines/quests is another added bonus that also aids in breaking up the monotomy of farming for resources. Everything in this game is very accessible and elementary, if you get bored just put it down for a week; come back and it gets you addicted again, you won't ever forget how to play this game. The length is of this game is huge and the amount of variety is pretty good and is just enough to keep things fresh especially between chapters. A solid building game that does just enough to with combat and questing to break the monotony of it.… Expand
  28. ricklongo
    Apr 3, 2017
    9
    Given how I love open-ended adventures with a focus on crafting and building, you'd think I'd be all over Minecraft. However, some of that game's quirks, such as the first-player perspective, questionable character design, and lack of objectives, are too off-putting for me. If you change all of those to something more akin to my tastes, you get Dragon Quest Builders, and that makes SquareGiven how I love open-ended adventures with a focus on crafting and building, you'd think I'd be all over Minecraft. However, some of that game's quirks, such as the first-player perspective, questionable character design, and lack of objectives, are too off-putting for me. If you change all of those to something more akin to my tastes, you get Dragon Quest Builders, and that makes Square Enix's take on the survival genre a game I surely won't soon forget.

    One of the most obvious ways in which Builders expands upon Minecraft is in how it plops an honest-to-goodness RPG on top of the formula, complete with quirky characters and great dialogue that sometimes gets lough-outloud funny. Your character is the legendary Builder, who after a long slumber wakes up in a time humans have lost the ability to build structures. The goddess speaks to you in order to get you on your way, and from the get go she clarifies you're not a hero. This means no matter how many monsters you defeat, you never get stronger. What you get, however, is loot, which is used to craft structures, rooms, equipment, and whatever else strikes your fancy.

    The game is structured in chapters, and there are four in total. In each of them, you'll help the population of a portion of the game's world, striving to return ruined settlements to their former glory, before finally tackling a boss battle. Each of the towns you help bring back to life has a different focus (which I won't spoil here), and this makes the whole thing feel fresh each time. Depending on the needs of your fellow countrymen, you'll figure out new recipes to use in the game's several different crafting stations.

    Of course, it also helps that each section offers a gigantic open world to explore, which means Builders's four chapters feel like four different games, each with the potential to last for dozens of hours. There are many missions to undertake in each of them, along with tens of secrets to unveil. This is a game that truly rewards the curious, as every new biome you come across is sure to present a bunch of new enemies, plants, minerals, and assorted materials to help you in your building quests. The depth is huge, and the gameplay loop is so addictive that I often found myself almost physically unable to put the controller down.

    If you fancy just sitting back and building to your heart's content, without the pressures of a plot and specific missions, the game has got you covered with Terra Incognita, a full-on sandbox mode. Here your settlement can span an entire continent, and you can even share specific structures with other players online. As you progress through each of the game's main chapters, new islands become available in Terra Incognita, allowing you to get previously unavailabe materials. You'll often get frendly mosters visiting your settlement, and can even take them on foraging missions with you. You can't really talk to them like you can to the humans in the game's main mode, however, and can't really assign rooms or buildings to them. This makes your settlement feel like a ghost town, and I have to admit it made Terra Incognita's novelty wear off a bit fast.

    TL;DR:
    Dragon Quest Builders is a gem of an adventure that allows you more freedom that any entry or spinoff in this beloved series. It takes the Minecraft formula of building and survival and adds a Dragon Quest RPG on top of it, complete with quirky characters, epic missions, and the franchise's well-known wildlife. It enthralled me for weeks with its depth and its charm, and has become one of my favorite PS4 games so far.

    Rating: 9.5/10    … Expand
  29. pongkrit03
    Apr 24, 2017
    6
    Perhaps, my expectation was too high. Honestly I have tried to like the game but stopped playing at chapter 2. This game has a lot of good elements but has serious flaw at the core mechanic. In this game, you have to do exactly what those NPC want you to in order to complete the chapter. You cannot progress the way you want to. The more I play, the more I feel like being slave of thosePerhaps, my expectation was too high. Honestly I have tried to like the game but stopped playing at chapter 2. This game has a lot of good elements but has serious flaw at the core mechanic. In this game, you have to do exactly what those NPC want you to in order to complete the chapter. You cannot progress the way you want to. The more I play, the more I feel like being slave of those NPC rather than the owner of the city. Moreover, most of knowledge to build the room (recipe) will have to come from you randomly putting things in the room and if you are lucky you will get acknowledgement. This is not fun for me. For example, how the hell could I know that if I put 3 treasure chests in the same room then it will become "Treasure room" ?? Another mechanic that I don't like is that you will only know what you can build after you acquire new material. I don't like this randomness and some materials do not even have its use. For example, I have gathered many Ruby in chapter 1 but found out later that it has no uses here ( I have search in internet and many said Ruby could be used in chapter 3, and you can't carry items to next chapter, then why the ... you have Ruby in chapter 1 ? ).

    I love the environment, the art, the music of the game but sadly it is clearly not a building game for me. It lacks of freedom. What you have to do and you must do is to follow every NPC orders to finish the chapter, and move on and do it again in the next chapter. Why can't I just build the city in my own way and clear the game too ? ....Although, I like the idea of showing off your city to other players in free mode, but that is it. Free mode has no objective, no challenge so I don't have motivation to play. Maybe this game is too much casual for me.    … Expand
  30. psychei
    Dec 5, 2016
    8
    I personally did not fall in love with this game. To be honest I found it to be really repetitive and downright frustrating at points. I was very frustrated at the very limited space in story mode, as well as having to start completely over every chapter.

    However I really enjoyed my play through of the first chapter, and despite how little I enjoyed the game after that I feel it    I personally did not fall in love with this game. To be honest I found it to be really repetitive and downright frustrating at points. I was very frustrated at the very limited space in story mode, as well as having to start completely over every chapter.

    However I really enjoyed my play through of the first chapter, and despite how little I enjoyed the game after that I feel it deserves a solid score, because it is a very solid game. If these types of games were my cup of tea I'm sure I would have enjoyed it much much more.    … Expand
  31. DinoBeam
    Aug 10, 2020
    5
    At first this game is amazing and addicting, them comes chapter 2, one of the most annoying and frustrating things i've ever done in a video game, and god that end boss is just made to piss you off. All the cracks in the game will become more apparent. You have a very small distance window for attacking enemies, too far away and you don't hit, get to close and you get damaged ANDAt first this game is amazing and addicting, them comes chapter 2, one of the most annoying and frustrating things i've ever done in a video game, and god that end boss is just made to piss you off. All the cracks in the game will become more apparent. You have a very small distance window for attacking enemies, too far away and you don't hit, get to close and you get damaged AND STAGGERED. Luckily they changed that in 2, and i'm hoping it fixes all the problems in this poorly designed game… Expand
  32. Mamal
    Nov 11, 2016
    10
    Just like Fallout 4 but with better building mechanics, more options, better story, better characters, better writing, better visuals and art direction....

    GOTY 2016
  33. Gamecriticpro
    Nov 25, 2016
    9
    This game was a huge surprise for me, especially since I've not really played other entries in the series. At first glance, it appears to be a typical Minecraft clone, but it's much much more. Honestly, it feels more like dark cloud (a great series that you should play) in a dragon quest world, with Minecraft bits tossed in. The game has a story that is surprisingly good, the gameplay isThis game was a huge surprise for me, especially since I've not really played other entries in the series. At first glance, it appears to be a typical Minecraft clone, but it's much much more. Honestly, it feels more like dark cloud (a great series that you should play) in a dragon quest world, with Minecraft bits tossed in. The game has a story that is surprisingly good, the gameplay is addictive, the building is fun, the style is fresh, really my only issue with the game is the combat is mehh, and at times, the pacing felt a bit off. If you're a fan of dark cloud and dragon quest, this game is a must own.… Expand
  34. tomvs123
    Apr 26, 2019
    6
    It's a great game if you're looking for a combination of Dragon Quest and Minecraft. The way it differentiates itself from Minecraft is that it gives you a story-based purpose to build and explore.

    I was primarily interested in the story, so my review is based around that. There is a free mode too, with sections of it unlocked as you complete the story. The most interesting thing about    It's a great game if you're looking for a combination of Dragon Quest and Minecraft. The way it differentiates itself from Minecraft is that it gives you a story-based purpose to build and explore.

    I was primarily interested in the story, so my review is based around that. There is a free mode too, with sections of it unlocked as you complete the story. The most interesting thing about it is that you can share your creations and explore other people's creations online without a PS+ subscription.

    As a fan of the NES Dragon Quest games, I felt right at home here. Characters, monsters, music, and the story are all very similar. Assets, such as monster models and music, appear to be shared across the various PS4 Dragon Quest games, which isn't bad if you're like Dragon Quest, but I see how it can get a bit repetitive if you've played all of the games.

    The four-part story revolves around you being the legendary builder. The Dragon Lord sealed humans' ability to build and plunged the world into darkness. Only you can rebuild the towns and return light to the four regions. That's really all there is to the story, but it's told in that cute Dragon Quest style though a god/goddess giving you occasional instructions and various people who request your assistance. The story is very direct, light, and not overbearing. I was interested in hearing what the NPCs had to say, and reading the rare book here and there that expanded the story. This is opposed to other RPG-like games, where you might decide to stop talking to every NPC and reading every book because much of that has no relevance to the main plot. Everything here is relevant.

    There's no major issues with the plot. It's just very simple, which is better than a complex plot full of inconsistencies and unbelievable character actions (which is common in many recent Japanese games).

    The gameplay is third-person Minecraft, which is a little strange. Placing blocks is relatively easy, but different from Minecraft due to the perspective. Destroying specific blocks and placing blocks beneath you while jumping is a little more complex than Minecraft. It's not great, but works well enough after practice. The biggest issue I had with gameplay was the camera. When going into a tight structure, such as a cave or small house, the camera stays outside of the structure and you can't see what's going on inside. You must finagle the camera around to get it to go inside. Having a first-person mode at the click of a button would have been great.

    Combat plays a heavy part and gets more difficult as you progress. All enemies have moves that were easy enough for me to learn, but I can see less experienced players, or someone who is expecting Minecraft levels of difficulty finding this to be too difficult. Enemies frequently attack the towns you build, so you'll spend a lot of time setting up defense, which primarily consists of stronger walls. There are offensive type defenses, but they don't work very well and often work against your NPC townspeople, who like to rush out to defend against enemy attacks.

    The quests you embark on to rebuild the four different towns are fun enough. For each town, you'll meet NPCs who will walk you through the basics and give you building plans to follow. The building plans are great for those of us who are not creative. Simply placing the blocks where the plan told me to was enough to make some fine buildings. As the towns grow, you meet more NPCs, each with different objectives and quests for you. Most of them involve building or crafting, but some require going out on an adventure to kill a monster or find an item. And of course, you'll often need to venture out on your own to find materials to build things.

    As you progress through the four different areas, you get access to more item and block types. By the 2nd or 3rd area, I was quite impressed at the variety, as it had given me more than I expected from a Minecraft clone. Though note that all four story areas are completely separate (besides the plot) and you can carry nothing between them.

    The biggest issues with the game for me is its repetitiveness and the simplicity of the required building structures. Each of the four areas are relatively the same: Save people, build a simple town, and beat a big monster at the end. Not much is different besides the colors, materials, and quest specifics. Also, as you progress through the towns, you're never asked to build any impressive structures, which would have been easy to implement with the game's plan system. So in the end, you'll end up with 4 dinky little towns that far surpass the game's requirements for progression, unless you went out of your way to make something better.

    I had fun with the game, but I likely won't get the sequel unless there's major improvements or something different gameplay-wise.    … Expand
  35. 22446688Bb
    Jul 9, 2019
    10
    A beautiful game close to the idea of Maine Craft where the story and drawing a beautiful and attractive world game is different from the original series by providing content more attractive game awesome deserve
  36. crono8215
    Nov 28, 2016
    7
    This game really blew me away. I have played Dragon Warrior/Quest games since the beginning, and when I heard that there was going to be a builder style version of the game I was instantly upset, thinking that it would be a complete Minecraft rip-off with nothing new to add to the game other than a few classic tunes. This game was nothing like I could have imagined. It brought back the oldThis game really blew me away. I have played Dragon Warrior/Quest games since the beginning, and when I heard that there was going to be a builder style version of the game I was instantly upset, thinking that it would be a complete Minecraft rip-off with nothing new to add to the game other than a few classic tunes. This game was nothing like I could have imagined. It brought back the old feel of the original Dragon Quest in a new style of play. While it looks like Minecraft, the game play is nothing like it at all. It basically functions as a standard JRPG in a sandbox world. And the world is not generated at random so the story and direction is not done at random. The story is an alternative take to the original game and it comes together at the end. However, when one plays the game for the first time, it feels like you have to play the game four separate times. This is not the case. The story functions as a single unit, you just need to give it time. The battle system is very touchy as well. You have to hit the monsters it seems at very close range and the slightest mistake gets you hit. If you touch a monster you take damage, but if you don't get close enough it hurts you. My other issue with the game is the camera angles. While most of the time they are high quality, the issue I encountered most was when you ventured inside any area that was closed. It was nearly impossible to see where you were going and there are boss battles and mini battles inside these places and they become even more difficult with the lack of control over your vision.
    All and all, this game is very good. I only completed 40% of the trophy set which I plan on revisiting as soon I finish a few other games. It has already dropped in price, and is a good pickup for anyone who already loves Dragon Quest, or someone who is looking to get into the series.    … Expand
  37. Ragerover
    Mar 13, 2017
    9
    JRPG storytelling meets Minecraft in this spinoff of Square-Enix's Dragon Quest series. This game is very addictive and fun. The game features the legendary Builder (thats you) as he/she attempts to rebuild the broken world that the evil Dragonlord has conquered. This is done by rebuilding towns and completing quests in different regions.

    This is done through a chapter approach where    JRPG storytelling meets Minecraft in this spinoff of Square-Enix's Dragon Quest series. This game is very addictive and fun. The game features the legendary Builder (thats you) as he/she attempts to rebuild the broken world that the evil Dragonlord has conquered. This is done by rebuilding towns and completing quests in different regions.

    This is done through a chapter approach where each chapter features the restoration of a single area/city. This is something the game does not tell you as when you have completed a chapter you start from scratch losing all your recipes and items and moving to a different region. I spent many hours just building crazy things and fortifying my first city just to lose it all when I went to another region. Although I did have fun building the stuff so thats what matters.

    Overall, the game is fun with comical story elements and lighthearted visuals. Gathering resources and building fortifications and gear/weapons to defend your town s from invading monsters is really fun. A hidden gem that not many people know about in the PS4 community. If you are a fan of Dragonquest or like Minecraft, this game is a must buy.    … Expand
  38. teefan
    May 8, 2017
    10
    I didn't like Minecraft, but man, I love Dragon Quest Builders, so interesting with a story to go with, cute characters & enemies. A recommend for all Dragon Quest fans!
  39. Bloops25
    Jan 13, 2018
    10
    This is a game that I have always wanted. A game where you build and your community grows and helps you out and they interact with things you build like they are supposed too. keep in mind that this is only from me playing the demo but I'm am so excited to get the real version. The one gripe I have is the controls... they are definitely foreign but easy to learn. the camera does not workThis is a game that I have always wanted. A game where you build and your community grows and helps you out and they interact with things you build like they are supposed too. keep in mind that this is only from me playing the demo but I'm am so excited to get the real version. The one gripe I have is the controls... they are definitely foreign but easy to learn. the camera does not work in cramped spaces to well though...… Expand
  40. Berik
    Dec 5, 2018
    8
    What happens when you mix a rpg with minecraft? Well, you might get something that looks like this game. And it's a lot of fun.

    You can get lost for many hours by just spending time in thinking out how to build your town. You have to gather the resources, and step by step make something cozy and adorable looking. The story is actually quite interesting, with a lot of adult jokes in a    What happens when you mix a rpg with minecraft? Well, you might get something that looks like this game. And it's a lot of fun.

    You can get lost for many hours by just spending time in thinking out how to build your town. You have to gather the resources, and step by step make something cozy and adorable looking.

    The story is actually quite interesting, with a lot of adult jokes in a game that looks very innocent. Cool boss fights, and a meaning to the building aspect by having invasions to destroy your little town. Characters are funny, but tapping a hundred times x to get through all the dialogue can get pretty boring.

    The combat is okay, it isn't very deep or special. Dodging is even impossible at times. It serves its purpose well enough. You craft better gear, which means you can fight the more stronger opponents.

    The game has interesting hidden quest and items that keep you busy apart from the story. And on top of that there is also a Free Build mode!

    However, some negative points: It is way to easy to get to city level 5. The points either need to be adjusted, or this level system needs to be raised to something like level 10 max. The building area of a town isn't very big, which can be countered by making your view better. However third person view inside buildings with roofs is horrible. Also, the intro shows very well all the awesome items like roofs and windows, yet these aren't present to make in the story. That's a big negative.

    All in all an excellent game. I give it an 8/10.    … Expand
  41. Zequila
    Dec 27, 2019
    6
    In the first hours the game was beautiful, but it comes repeteative and very boring..only fetch quest, only the same, for 100+ hours...with the same music and same gameplay...
  42. ngeduardo
    Jul 16, 2020
    7
    Una oferta interesante que recuerda mucho a minecraft, pero que ofrece lo suficiente para diferenciarse, es bonito y entretenido, aunque tiene muchas limitaciones que no permiten dar rienda suelta a la imaginación

Awards & Rankings

41
#41 Best PS4 Game of 2016
77
#77 Most Discussed PS4 Game of 2016
46
#46 Most Shared PS4 Game of 2016

Critic Reviews

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Metascore
83

Generally favorable reviews - based on 76 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 72 out of 76
  2. Mixed: 4 out of 76
  3. Negative: 0 out of 76
  1. RPGamer
    Feb 28, 2017
    80
    Dragon Quest Builders manages to strike a great balance, combining a streamlined Minecraft-inspired building system with a goal-directed minimalist RPG series. The simple nature of each can lack depth when compared to standalone games in the corresponding genre, but as a combination it works, enabling players to delve into each system without overloading them. The game's somewhat repetitive nature, outdated graphics, and limited combat do somewhat detract, but with the added dash of nostalgia and a hefty dose of humorous charm, Square Enix has the beginnings of a successful formula on its hands with Dragon Quest Builders.
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  2. Gamers' Temple
    Feb 2, 2017
    79
    Builders is a very solid title with the perfect mix of genre-bending to make it unique.
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  3. Video Chums
    Jan 17, 2017
    90
    Masterpiece.
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