Developer: Omega Force
Publisher: Square Enix
Platforms: PS4
Tested on: PS4
Dragon Quest Heroes: The World Tree’s Woe and the Blight Below – Review
Not so long ago, we posted a review of Samurai Warriors 4-II and today, we can present you with yet another hack and slash game. Dragon Quest Heroes: The World Tree’s Woe and the Blight Below is a combination of slashing with RPG elements. Be ready to dive into the world of Arba and meet lots of old friends known from the Dragon Quest franchise.
Story
The game starts on a sunny and joyful day where men and monsters are living peacefully. Everyone is doing their daily chores when suddenly a dark shadow triggers a shockwave that covers the whole world. Luceus and Aurora, two royal guards, are on the scene and it seems that the dusk cloud has affected every monster and made them go rampage. Thank goodness that the two soldiers are there to protect the townspeople. Their main priority still stands though and that is to protect the King of Arba. They rush with their little friend Healix to the perimeter and find their King in full action. It seems that the fate of the world and the monsters lies in the hands of these young heroes. On their quest, they encounter loads of characters from the previous games like Alena, Yangus and Bianca wich leads to a diverse and fun team to deal with the upcoming problems.
As this is a mix between RPG and hack and slash, it is only normal that there is a decent storyline. Although there are loads of different characters, getting to know everyone is a lot of fun and gives the game that bit extra diversity.
Graphics
This game is a PS4 exclusive and it is clear that the developers did their best to use this console to the fullest. At any rate, they stayed true to the original Dragon Quest style. This means you will see a rather animated game with quite an outspoken way of drawing. It might be your type of images, especially if you already played previous Dragon Quest games, or it might just be the opposite. If the latter is true, I suggest you persist as the story is really worth your while.
Character wise, you will notice that they really stand out against the environment since they are quite outlined. At any rate, both the personas and environment are really vividly colored and suck you into a cheerful world. Every area has its own particular elements but there are also a lot of similarities which isn’t that bad though.
Sound
As expected from a Dragon Quest game, you will be swamped in some sweet tones. There are quite some tracks in the game and it will never feel like you’ve hear the same tune on and on. Most of the times, the overall style of the soundtrack will be in a more classical mood but it totally fits the game.
The voice acting is something quite decent as well, as loads of the conversations have a spoken counterpart. Every character has a distinct voice and it really fits both their physical representation as their personality. For example, you will hear the cynical undertone in Aurora’s speech when she’s sick and tired of Lucean’s strategic plans. Even Healix has a slurpy sticky voice!
Gameplay
Dragon Quest Heroes: The World Tree’s Woe and the Blight Below is a combination of a RPG and hack and slash. You will chop your way through several hordes of enemies with some familiar Dragon Quest faces. Before you can actually put yourself into danger, there are some basic things you need to know.
For starters, you can make combo’s by bashing the square button or combining it with the triangle. This means that there are loads of combinations and every attack you perform is different. You can choose to take the easy road which let you bash the square button without worrying about combo’s. The circle button has a special purpose, as it will activate a special orb called the ‘Vimstone’. This stone will unleash a special force within you, giving you loads of power. Attacking enemies will deplete the stored energy and pressing the circle button will unleash a final strike.
If you thought that this was the end of the possibilities, think again. Combining the R1 button with several buttons will unleash special attacks that will do massive damage and might turn the tide. Something else quite amazing is the usage of Monster Medals. These small coins are dropped when defeating monsters and have the power of the slain enemy. The fun part is that you can deploy them in battle. This possibility is really something that should be exploited as it is a real lifesaver and even necessary to use in some battles.
Now you know how to defend yourself and call allied monsters, it is time to discover the battlefield. You will venture several different areas and every level will have its specific layout. Monsters will keep on spawning though and the Nightmaws are the culprit. These dark portals are a safehaven for baddies but they want to get out at any cost. To close these gates, you will need to kill the Mawkeeper. If you close all these portals or just kill all the enemies, the level will be complete as the goal is achieved. At other times, you will need to defend certain structures or people. There is a bit of diversity, which doesn’t give you the feeling that you’re repeating yourself.
Fighting monsters will get you loot and there are several spoils. You can find several items in the battlefield which can be used to make items with Alchemy or sell them for some money. With this currency, you can buy new weapons, armor or orbs. These gems will add some defence for your characters. We’ve also mentioned Alchemy, and this is needed if you want to get some accessories. Before you can actually make something, you will need a recipe. These will drop on the battlefield, so fight on and scavenge those formulas.
There are other perks attached to venturing the areas, as you will receive experience. This is needed to gain levels which is necessary if you want to get skill points. These are spent on several spells, attributes and effects. This means that you can improve each character, giving them new attacks and better stats.
Next to these things, there are some extra elements as well. You can get mail for example, which can contain treasure maps or items. These charts will lead you to treasure .. or monsters. The battle records has all the information if you’re searching for something. As a last remark, you can also turn on the online functions, which will give you the opportunity to receive extras and get the latest updates regarding DLC.
Overall, there are a lot of elements in Dragon Quest Heroes that will keep you busy for a while and make everything quite interesting. Some of the levels have the same goal, but it doesn’t feel repetitive, especially in combination with the variety of characters and Monster Medals.
Conclusion
If you like RPG’s with a twist, you will definitely like this Dragon Quest title, if you have a PS4 of course. It combines the best of two worlds: RPG elements with hack and slash combat. Add a fun story, some really nice graphics and music and you’re good to go. Slash on!
Related Items
1 Comment
Leave a Reply
You must be logged in to post a comment.
[…] Heroes: The World Tree’s Woe and the Blight Below, which we’ve already reviewed on the PS4 here, is coming to PC. The game is the first large-scaled action-RPG in the history of the Dragon […]