![]() It foregoes the precision of stylistic hack-and-slashers like Devil May Cry in favor of the gratification of killing enemies en masse. And Dragon Quest Heroes II isn't above occasional Dynasty Warriors-inspired battles, which are easy to enjoy given their infrequency.Įven with the recognizable Akira Toriyama character designs and the hearty helping of quests, this is first and foremost a Warriors spinoff. Yes, there are straightforward objectives like taking out bosses or escorting NPCs, but the game's exploration-focused, JRPG-inspired segments avoids the tidy but boring chapter-based story progression common in many subpar Warriors anime spinoffs. In a given hour you could be navigating through a labyrinthine swamp with brain-teasing teleportation portals, or you could be hunting down a mischievous shape-shifter impersonating townsfolk or even your protagonist. The rollout of new regions as you make progress through the game's compelling story feels orderly, but the events that unfold as you explore these territories are rich in variety. ![]() Alternating between the larger spaces and these more intimate combat zones provides a level of diversity seldom seen in Warriors games. Murdering slime knights while they nap on the sunniest of days is downright sadistic and never gets old.īy reaching the other side of these rolling battlefields, you're greeted with smaller but equally intense "war zones"-maps and conflicts that resemble the story-driven encounters from the first Heroes. Equally unlucky are the myriad endearing creatures minding their own business, particularly in the lush hills of Greena Pastures. Rather than exterminate every imp and zombie in your field of view, you can focus on high-value targets and areas where there are tight clusters of foes, who are often tormenting some unlucky NPC. These lands are vast and filled with infinitely respawning monsters, but you can wander aimlessly with no problem unlike typical JRPGs, Dragon Quest Heroes II doesn't have random encounters. It is when you embark on your journey to solve the mystery of the warring lands that you first realize how this game is influenced by the wide open areas found in many JRPG world maps. (For example, your two selectable male and female heroes aren't childhood friends this time around, but rather cousins.) And this sequel's premise doesn't involve the brainwashing of once-friendly monsters-instead, you're concerned with unexpected invasions of neighboring kingdoms. Of course, there are a handful of design similarities that fans of the last Dragon Quest Heroes will recognize. Though it's a sequel, you don't need any context from the first game or Dragon Quest in general to appreciate this one's story and gameplay. Dragon Quest Heroes II distinguishes itself from its equally great predecessor with its free roam-friendly fields of battle, which feel like an homage to the open expanses of mainline Dragon Quest games. ![]() And, as one of the many spinoffs of the 20-year-old Dynasty Warriors series, it retains the best elements of the franchise's trademark combat, where you decimate armies with rudimentary, albeit flashy, combos. If it normally takes 100 hours to amass a kill count of 10,000 enemies, this game lets you reach such milestones in less than 10. The gradual addition of new party members, the rollout of plot twists, and other typical genre roadmarkers come at you at a fast clip. Dragon Quest Heroes II is a JRPG on fast forward.
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