Dragon Quest Heroes: The World Tree's Woe and the Blight Below

Dragon Quest Heroes: The World Tree's Woe and the Blight Below is a wonderful effort by Koei Tecmo and Omega Force. The visuals, the gameplay, the audio, all aspects of this game come together to make an unforgettable experience that any fan of the Dragon Quest franchise should not miss.

Dragon Quest Heroes might not be the Dragon Quest games that fans wanted, but it has ended up being one of the best surprises of 2015.

While not quite the revelation Hyrule Warriors was, it’s nonetheless another case of lightning in a button-smacking bottle.

Dragon Quest Heroes: The World Tree's Woe and the Blight Below is one of the more creative and varied Dynasty Warriors spin-offs on the market.

Unlike other crossover incarnations in the Warriors series, Heroes incorporates enough of the legendary RPG franchise’s traditional elements to create a giddy nostalgia trip. Even if you aren’t a longtime fan, though, you’ll have a chance to get caught up in a whirlwind of solid action-RPG goodness.

Even if you're not a fan of Warriors-style gameplay, we'd still heartily recommend Dragon Quest Heroes to anyone on the lookout for a joyous jaunt in a lovingly made fantasy world.

Wrapped in the warm, happy colours and light soundtrack that it is, Dragon Quest Heroes is a genuine delight of a game. It's endlessly playable, both in short bursts and longer sessions, has a truly enjoyable cast of characters, and an infectious sense of humour. You might feel bad massacring entire family lines of slimes, but other than that I can't see anyone finding anything but joy from their time with this one.

DQH is much more than a new "Musou" game, a very enjoyable action game that also adds RPG and strategic elements (in a new way) to its formula. A lovely trip to the Dragon Quest universe that retains its humor, its music and some of the most memorable characters of the series to tell us a very classic story. But if you give it an opportunity, rest assured that you will fall in love with it, even if misses some opportunities, like multiplayer.

Unless you've played a million Dynasty Warriors games or can't stomach Dragon Quest without turn-based gameplay, this is definitely worth playing.

Dragon Quest Heroes: The World Tree’s Woe and the Blight Below is an excellent musou game and a blast to play. It retains its Dragon Quest heritage beautifully, while still creating an experience fun for any fan of musou gameplay.

Definitely not just a "Dynasty Warriors with Dragon Quest skin". Dragon Quest Heroes could very easily be described as a revolution for the musou genre by offering superb gameplay, great JRPG elements and a breath taking art direction.

Dragon Quest Heroes is just fun. The visual style is gorgeous, and the game play hits all the right notes with some fantastic pacing. Fans of the genre should definitely check it out, but even those usually put off by it, should definitely keep an eye on it.

A very deep, varied and entertaining Dragon Quest spin-off from the Dynasty Warriors creators. Lots of hours of battles, adventures and dramatic moments await.

Square Enix made a beat'em all with this Dragon Quest Heroes, but it's no betrayal. Beautiful to watch and to listen to, nervous and well-paced, this new entry is a big success and a very good first try on PS4.

Simple and fast-paced tactical combat game, with heavy influences from the Dynasty Warriors series. Dragon Quest fans should feel right at home here. [Dec 2015]

Among the many games and spin-offs that Omega Force had made with their exceptional Dynasty Warriors formula, Dragon Quest Heroes emerges as one of the finest and most solid projects that we had seen recently. It's an action title that many will enjoy, especially the DQ fans.

Dragon Quest Heroes arrives to the west as a solid, accessible, enjoyable and visually strong game. An all-around game with lots of action that, even when it steps out from traditional JRPG, is just great. Not even some issues and mistakes weigh down a game that makes us eager to see more from Square, Omega Force and Koei Tecmo as a team.

It’s charming, colorful, and offers enough content to keep both action fans and Dragon Quest aficionados occupied for quite some time.

Much more than a simple Musou-styled tie-in title, Dragon Quest Heroes is a love letter to the fans of this JRPG saga and a proof that the right mechanics can add depth and variety to an stagnant genre. Also, the graphics and sound are truly fantastic. A truly commendable effort.

Dragon Quest Heroes is a great action game and is more solid than other Musou games. Great RPG additions, good visuals and lots of content to unlock, it's probably the best spin off in the Dragon Quest saga.

Dragon Quest Heroes is one of the best musou games we've played in a while, thanks to its intriguing RPG elements.

Above all Dragon Quest Heroes perfectly captures one of the most essential parts of the series—that it prides itself on joy. It’s a quality that overshadows its shortcomings. Too many JRPGs are overly serious affairs that shove the same tropes down your throat again and again. The levity and unabashed enthusiasm of Dragon Quest creates a childlike wonder that’s still enchanting more than 25 years after the original game.

Dragon Quest Heroes: The World Tree's Woe and the Blight Below is a huge step forward for Omega Force. This is the right formula for making future Dynasty Warrior-like games, as story, leveling structure and beautiful presentation form a perfect wrapper around typical/repetitive button mashing gameplay experience.

Dragon Quest Heroes is too focused on being a tribute to Dragon Quest and sometimes forgets it's its own game. It doesn't have the dimension of other musous, but it's still a fun and addictive game.

Dragon Quest meets Dynasty Warriors and provides dozens of hours of fun (one dozen less would have been beneficial though), tons of side quests, all Japanese DLCs and plenty of special attacks to discover. If you’re looking for a Japanese action RPG and you’re not allergic to Warriors, you should give Dragon Quest Heroes a chance. [13/2015, p.54]

Dragon Quest Heroes isn't the best game of the holiday season, but it sure manages to carve out a nice niche for itself.

Riddled with shameless fan service, supported by actually decent production values. The biggest (read: best) change the Warriors formula has seen in years. [Issue#263, p.66]

A welcome outlier in the genre. [Issue#167, p.91]

If I am being frank, I was expecting a fan-servicey mess from Dragon Quest Heroes. What I got instead was a game that borrowed the Dysnasty Warriors formula and transformed it into something that is distinctively Dragon Quest in so many ways.

Not your typical musou, and for the love of all that's good and beautiful in the world, this is truly a great thing. It still has repetitive base fighting mechanics and weak rpg element, but it's mix of genres and added ideas make it a fun action game for fans of the series and new players alike. Now we'd just like to see this kind of evolutionary push for the rest of the musou swamp.

Longtime fans will certainly love the fanservice and visuals, but even those new to Dragon Quest may find a lot to like here.

An Omega Force game in a new setting that plays exceptionally well, just lacks a little replay value.

A great game that should be in anyone’s library. However, it does seem as though Omega Force focused too much on cosmetic additions, causing several aspects of mechanics to be hindered.

Dragon Quest Heroes does an exceptional job in displaying how the beat ‘em up Warriors/Musou formula works with the beloved Dragon Quest RPG series.

Lots of Action and fun, loveable heroes, great game mechanics, but it lacks diversity.

It really pushes the boundaries of the musou genre in new, interesting directions. It might be still repetitive, but it's so deep and compelling when it comes to combat, that it will keep you glued to your seat for many hours.

Dragon Quest Heroes feels like a simple distraction, but it actually has quite a bit of depth.

A fun, action packed game based on the famous Dragon Quest saga. With awesome monsters and characters, a fighting system which is both easy and very complex, an intriguing story and a rich set of RPG features, this is a game that fans of JRPG and/or action games will enjoy for many hours.

While musou style games aren’t for everybody, Dragon Quest Heroes: The World Tree’s Woe and the Blight Below is a shining example of a partnership done just right that may just attract some new fans to both franchises.

There are so many ways that Dragon Quest Heroes could have gone wrong. Thankfully, Omega Force does right by the classic franchise, and they take the opportunity to streamline their own formula as well. The story could have been better, and the repetitive gameplay comes close to wearing out its welcome, but otherwise Dragon Quest Heroes counts as another win for Omega Force.

Thanks to the introduction of some very good role playing mechanic, Dragon Quest Heroes looks like a more depth and engaging game compared to the last musous developed by Omega Force.

While Dragon Quest purists may not enjoy the action-RPG feel of Dragon Quest Heroes, I still was able to enjoy the experience a great deal as a long-time fan of the series, regardless of the few issues I had with it.

If you're looking for a classic Dragon Quest game with a twist, then this more than fits the bill, so long as you don't mind playing alone the whole through way through. As unexpected as it might be, Omega Force has proven that it can adapt popular franchises with surprising consistency.

Omega Force has managed to deliver a very interesting spin-off, where both fans of the musou genre and fans of the franchise it is based on will enjoy the adventure. Needless to say, it's a must-have if you're a fan of both.

Developer Omega Force has, perhaps more than ever before, found a winning combination of empowering players to wipe out thousands of foes while still challenging them to think and pay attention to the refreshingly colorful world surrounding them.

Dragon quest Heroes is a great game. Whether you like the muso genre or not, you'll have a great time.

Dragon Quest Heroes: The World Tree’s Woe and the Blight Below won’t entirely scratch that JRPG itch for a true Dragon Quest, but fans of Action RPGs will find it more than filling. With several dozen hours of gameplay, loads of side quests, items to craft and collect, and achievements to earn, DQH is a lot like a JRPG fan’s version of Diablo. It would be nice if the game was coming to other platforms, but this one’s a PS4 exclusive in the West. October is a really full month for games, but if like me you enjoy a solid Action RPG more than most other games, this one’s a no brainer.

Overall, Dragon Quest Heroes is a game I enjoyed a lot and would recommend to anyone who likes JRPGs, especially if you’re a fan of the source material.

Although it could have been a quick cash-in, Heroes is a love letter to Dragon Quest fans that stands as its own charming adventure.

As far as musou-style action games go, Dragon Quest Heroes represents the most fun I’ve had with the genre. The added RPG layers, crafting, and tactical monster collection all help alleviate a total focus on repetitive combat. These, plus a fantastic art style, gave me plenty of reasons to be excited about jumping into battle.

These tens of thousands of encounters plus the appearances by the series’ many other heroes makes for an essential experience for any Dragon Quest fan, even if you haven’t played a hack-and-slasher in ages. These characters are so fully realized that, assuming you’re not a stickler for official canon, it wouldn’t be unreasonable to consider Dragon Quest Heroes as a companion piece alongside the main series.

Dragon Quest Heroes is a good marriage between Dynasty Warriors and Dragon Quest. It is nearly perfect, but this marriage does need some better storytelling and less repetition.

Engaging and addictive action RPG gameplay makes Dragon Quest Heroes worth a look even for gamers who aren't fans of Dragon Quest or Dynasty Warriors.

A fun hack & slash game that unfortunately gets repetitive towards the end. Oh, and the less said about the English voice-acting, the better.

Dragon Quest Heroes is like watching TV shows on Dave. It’s great at the time, but repeats itself all too often.

Lacks depth, but Dragon Quest Heroes quirky narrative, colorful visuals and easy-to-grasp combat makes it a family-friendly RPG with plenty of character.

The story is interesting enough to drag you through the game’s lengthily campaign and it has some funny moments too, but in between the cutscenes is a whole lot of button pressing.

The game plays well and guarantees many hours of fun. All in all, Dragon Quest Heroes is a more than successful PlayStation exclusive that most can appreciate.

There’s more to the gameplay than may initially meet the eye, but there are a lot of annoying hiccups in the flow that make it more of a chore than a fun game to play at times – and hurt the experience as a whole quite a bit.

This is the prettiest and most polished Omega Force game to date. [Christmas 2015, p72]

Dragon Quest Heroes is a positive adventure with great battles against hordes of monsters as a main pillar of gameplay. This element is just too repetitive and the character development system insufficiently developed to keep the players interested for a long time.

A cheerful, compulsive and enormously likeable action-RPG, it should convert a few Dynasty Warriors non-believers, though DW fans may not be quite so convinced. [Dec 2015, p.78]

Dragon Quest Heroes demonstrates that the Dynasty Warriors combat system can work in other universes and even manages to make some exciting improvements to the usual formula. The game’s story is likely to leave new players a little bored, but longtime fans of the franchise will have plenty of run-ins with old characters to trigger those nostalgic feels. Either way, there is a lot of fun to be had with this one.

By focusing on a smaller concentration of characters on-screen, it has a slightly more tactile, RPG feel. Combined with some inventive gameplay features and that charming Dragon Quest aesthetic, Heroes succeeds in creating its own identity. It may fall short of greatness yet serves as an ideal solution for those eagerly awaiting the series’ next mainline instalment.

If you are a fan of Dragon Quest, then really, this game is for you. There are areas that could be improved, and the lack of multiplayer will upset Musou fans, but Dragon Quest Heroes resurrects the series through a different style of game and tickles those nostalgic memories.

While the characters offer that variety, you’re not going to be playing Dragon Quest Heroes for the story, though. It’s a very generic “monsters are invading so let’s make friends and stop them” tale. So definitely don’t walk in expecting to be getting a game that’s anything more than focused on its gameplay.

Dragon Quest Heroes almost feels like a fully-fledged action RPG, but there's a few things holding it back from greatness. In the end though it still has its charms, alongside of a beautiful art style and a buttery smooth framerate. If you really dig Warriors games and can go at it solo, you'll likely enjoy it.

Charming, and with more to it than most Warriors, but not the Quest in show. [Dec 2015, p.80]

It offers plenty of foes to strike down with a wide variety of cool attacks, lots of classic characters, and enough ally and party micromanagement to maintain some sense of role-playing and strategy. But the story falls flat, the pacing is off, and above all else, the combat mechanic is inherently flawed.

The combat that makes up the majority of gameplay is fun but forgettable, and there's little else to keep you engaged unless you're sufficiently attached to the license.

Fantastic at capturing the charming spirit of the Dragon Quest series, but the repetition in its arena design cramps on its personality. Best played in short bursts.

Dragon Quest is arguably the most successful partner so for Dynasty Warriors, but the potential of the franchise, and this particular crossover, is still only barely hinted at.

Dragon Quest Heroes offers very little in terms of enjoyment. While the combat is the only thing keeping its head slightly above water, the story is forgettable at best, the soundtrack is dull, and the dialogue is embarrassingly overdramatic.