Dragon Quest VIII Update (PS2)

New details unveiled for the newest game in the series from Square Enix.

By Jin Sakimoto | Sept. 19, 2004

Plenty of information has been released in the new issue of V-Jump and via Square Enix' s website for Dragon Quest VIII.

First is the new tension system. Both allies and enemies can choose to concentrate their power and increase their strength instead of attack or use skills or magic each turn. The tension level is represented by a number, and there are three different levels, each more powerful than the last, and it would seem there is something special about reaching the largest level, high tension.

Dragon Quest VIII will use a new skill master system with settings that differ for each of its characters. Though characters will still gain stats and abilities merely through leveling up, now they will also gain skill points every level that they can allot to several different categories. Depending on what combinations you allot to different skills, not only do they get stronger, but new special attacks, skills and spells will be available. While raising the main character' s spear and boomerang levels will make his attacks with those weapons more powerful, he will gain his giga slash attack ability by leveling up his sword skills. Other examples of skill categories for other characters include a flirt skill/sex appeal category for Jessica and an empathy skill for the loyal and true bandit Yangas.



While it has not been revealed yet whether Dragon Quest VIII will continue to have random battles or not, at least certain monsters will act like animals in the wild and either chase or be able to be chased by your party. Hunting them down and winning against them will allow you to " scout" the enemy. Before you decide whether you want to let them join your party, you can look at their stats. Scouted enemies can then be used by your party to fight in battles. One screenshot suggests they might even be able to be organized into groups, as the wandering armor, slime knight and robot warrior appeared in battle behind the main character who called them out. Other revealed enemies that can be scouted include a minor dragon and the series classic, the Golem. Scouted monsters can also take advantage of the tension system.

In addition, everytime a new Dragon Quest comes out, Japanese fans are always eager to see what new monsters will be added to the traditional, oft-seen usual suspects in the series from famed artist Akira Toriyama (hint: its not the human characters fans get excited about). This time around, some of those include the Beetle Brat, a muscled twerp who has huge lethal horns modeled after a dung beetle; the Pookpukk, like Pan from Greek mythology except fatter and playing a flute more like a Norse horn; the Prisnyan, a name which invokes Yuji Horii' s legendary predilection for using puns, as the blue on white lines of the strange fury creature are meant to look like a prisoner' s uniform; and the Oshanc Claw, which makes you wonder if Toriyama or Horii has recently seen The Lord of the Rings, as he resembles a goblin from Orthanc and is a massive scaled brute who wears a slitted helmet and attacks with huge claws.

Speaking of Yuji Horii, at Enix' s website for Dragon Quest VIII, a new message has appeared from the famous designer on the day a countdown began aimed at the game' s Nov. 27th release date. Horii reminisces that, even though its taken four years, it still seems amazing that DQVIII would release so soon and without delays. He promises a world where, " As far as the eye can see you can actually walk there. Perhaps you' ll even get lost." Hopefully not, considering the series will also be ushering in new features such as findable maps, a compass and a first-person look-around view.

Horii says he wanted to create the kind of atmosphere where, " As night sets around you, you get a kind of uncertain feel. However, way off in the distance, you can see a light and as you approach, it becomes clear that it is the lights of a city! I' d like the game to let you taste kind of adventurous feeling."