Dragon Quest Swords

16.05.08

Actually it is nothing more than the successor of a toy. The toy in question was called “Kenshin Dragon Quest” and included a plastic sword and the matching shield. With horizontal, vertical and diagonal strokes and magic spells, you could go after slimy monsters, violet bats and other horrible apparitions on your TV. To date not much has changed, apart from the fact that the whole game is controlled with the Wiimote. Sounds nicely complicated, but it is rather negative for the game. The Nunchuk is not used at all. Very questionable, if you consider that the shield would have been much easier to handle that way. Instead you wield your sword with the Wiimote, raise your shield with the press of a button and "push" your way through a very small world with the Digi-Pad.

“Push”, because there is no noticeable movement of the camera when your hero moves. You control a young valiant hero, full of gallantry and generosity, from a first person perspective, in a colourful, yet lifeless world. The city where you live is the only place in the game where you can move freely or, to be precise, where you can turn around. At the same time your home city is your operations centre, armoury, place for provisions and job market. This is all fine, as it is good to have everything under one roof. It is just a shame that there is NOWHERE in this world where you can buy, sell or forge something. That wouldn't be so bad. The fact that there is no possibility for the player to change or upgrade his sword or armour en route takes the biscuit. Absolutely incomprehensible and, above all, incompatible with the role play.

The connoisseur has a different understanding of role play anyway. Typical of the Wii, this title is very accessible and extremely simple. As previously mentioned, you dispose of hordes of opponents with masterly "sword thrusts". The complete squad of familiar opponents is at the start. The mole still shovels dirt in your direction and the green and blue fish monsters are still in a bad mood or got up on the wrong side of the bed. The fights are more exciting than expected and you have to have quick reflexes and good hand-to-eye coordination. Depending on how the opponents are arranged, you try to place the sight on the screen correctly and eliminate several opponents with one well-aimed swoop at the right time. Certain enemies should better be repelled straight away and there are others that shoot at you with arrows or throw magic spells at you, which you can return with the right timing. Anyone who busily slices slime and beats bats can sooner or later resort to the master stroke. With a simple series of movements with the Wiimote, you can unleash devastating attacks. These attacks are nicely staged and especially helpful in the boss fights.

Don't be afraid, you don't have to go through that alone! Soon an androgynous prince, a tarted-up lady with a French accent and your father and his iron arm join you. You can take only one of the three along for support at a time. You decide whether they are brainlessly wasting magic points; that is acting automatically, fighting defensively or only acting on orders. You can also use all the magic of your sidekicks to invoke a thunderstorm rain down at the crucial moment, or to heal poisoning or wounds.

The Dragon Quest games have always fascinated me. Terrific dubbing speakers and dialogues, a lot of charm and humour, great characters and the cuddly enemies, a gripping story embedded in a colourful world have all made Dragon Quest 8 an unforgettable gaming experience. Dragon Quest Swords has a touch of all of these elements, but can't keep up with its relative in any respect. The speakers are good (it is all in English), the dialogues sometimes a little too platonic, charm and humour are few and far between and the story just passes you by. However, in return, the protagonists are well staged. With the exception of your own. Until the end you remain, so it seems, characterless and spineless. At least the opponents we have grown fond of keeping their promises.

An ancient effect, which could still come from the Game Boy, winds its way in your ear when you walk up a staircase. I can just lose myself in dreamy, nostalgic thoughts. The retro fan likes to hear sounds like this. The target group and most of the end-users of a game like Dragon Quest Sword do not. Firstly they are too young, secondly too modern and thirdly clueless. Synthesizer racket is the rule and one must by no means expect a symphony. Instead you feel right at home if you are welcomed on the title screen by pompous, royal racket. Yes, it IS Dragon Quest! Not a lot happens on the graphics side. It all looks fairly chic and acceptable, and the effects of spells and special attacks are pleasing. However, you miss that sense of liveliness. A good example of this is the single exit into the castle courtyard. On offer: many cobblestones, a bit of lawn and five trees. I don't know how many trees were in the courtyard last year, but a fountain would not be a bad investment... You can delight in water drops flying about, splashes on the camera and decent wetness in a dungeon where you race down a river on a raft.