The fact that I'm finally hitting the end credits at 66 hours probably says something about how much I've been just running around training monsters before immediately progressing the plot.

I only leave an area after I recruit everything available (barring metals, mimics, jewel bags, and the giant mon of the area), so that's probably inflated the time a bit, but hey, I'm not a speed runner, it's fine.

And I also had a Project.

which is to say, I spent a good while gathering the pieces for The Guardian Spirit Of Greatlog himself.

He was quite helpful in the final battle ^^

But anyway.

Mechanically, excellent, excellent game~

It's everything I wanted from a new DQM game.

Combat is good, the skills make sense, synthesis is honestly better without gender getting in the way, active scouting alongside getting up looking hopeful is great, they explain mechanics when they first show up in a way that makes sense so that when frenzied states happen I know what they mean, the mons' AIs are honestly pretty smart most of the time...

The level design is really interesting, especially in some of the castles that feel actually lived in instead of just designed as a dungeon first, there's some nice variety in the different zones even between echelons of the same circle...

The eggs are neat! You can just... find them in the different areas, and they hatch into new mons for you, and they're often rare mons and sometimes have special skills.

The seasons opening up different things in the levels is good too. Though some amount of control over the weather would be helpful.

But mechanically? So good.

Story-wise? ...Still good, though it has a few flaws.

I'm glad I played DQ4 in preparation when Dark Prince was first announced and I found out that Psaro was going to be the star, because uh, especially in the middle echelons, I think I might have probably been lost in a few spots otherwise.

Also Psaro being a silent protagonist is... well, first of all, a bit of a waste of Daisuke Ono.

(yes I played with Japanese voices, Dragon Quest's localization can be... a lot)

incidentally if I had a nickel for every time I found a silver-haired prince character voiced by Daisuke Ono who wants to overthrow his father and whose half-brothers cause him problems... looks at Sion Astal

But also like, there are so many spots where it's like, if this is from Psaro's perspective, it might actively benefit the scene to, you know, hear Psaro's perspective on the matter...

And if you don't want to do that, okay, but then... make it a full-on side-story that doesn't overlap with DQ4's plot at all maybe?

There are parts where as far as I can tell, characters are just saying things about what Psaro wants to do, and there is no indication that he actually wants to go that far except that other characters are making that assumption out of nowhere.

It honestly feels like Psaro's desire to wipe out humanity is more 'well the Zenith Dragon said that if I defeat my father and become the new master of monsterkind then I'll inevitably go to war with humanity, so something something let me be evil'.

(though certain revelations about Solo's village burning down are honestly more funny to me than anything)

Also I played the DS version of DQ4, so I didn't have party chat, so I didn't really get to see any of Solo's personality really, but ah... was he always that bitter?

Like I get it, but also...

meanwhile there's the Zenith Dragon, who I have had a significant amount of beef with all game because he is an asshole who can faff off and leave Psaro alone

Like, I am fully aware that I'm projecting a certain amount, but don't go demanding that Psaro let you take away his monster blood, he didn't ask you to take away what makes him unique, you absolute manhole cover!

but anyway

Rose is a good. Suffers a bit from the parts of the plot that could have been fixed by giving Psaro an actual voice, but she's cute.

Toilen tries his best. Apparently he's from DQ5? So that gives me a reason to go ahead and track down DQ5.

The circles each had their own overarching plot over the echelons, which were good.

Really the main part that could have used improvement is where the story overlaps with DQ4, which, again, please give Psaro a voice.

also Fizzy is there in the tutorial and then does nothing else, which, like, when I'm comparing her to Warubou, that's kind of sad...

All of that said, though, good game!

Will be poking the post game.

Might try and fill out the dex.

If they make an expansion DLC, I'll happily get it.

(The Day 1 DLC is kind of scummy though.)

but also like

I have Warubou

so I can't complain :3