Dragon Quest™ VIII: Journey of the Cursed King

News by GamesIndustry International Contributor

Published on May 18, 2005

Developer: Yuji Horii, Akira Toriyama, Koichi Sugiyama, and LEVEL-5 Inc.

Publisher: Square Enix, Inc.

Format: PlayStation^®2 computer entertainment system (PS2)

Genre: RPG

ESRB: TBD

Ship Date: TBD

® ARMOR PROJECT/BIRD STUDIO/LEVEL-5/SQUARE ENIX

® KOICHI SUGIYAMA

Dragon Quest^TM VIII is the latest installment in the popular Dragon Quest series (previously known as Dragon Warrior^® in North America) and the first to be released for the PlayStation^®2 computer entertainment system. The colorful characters, exotic environments and daunting dungeons of the Dragon Quest series have made the transition to glorious 3D! Players will find themselves in a universe like no other, as they explore the plains, peaks and valleys of a seemingly limitless world.

Yuji Horii, the creator of Dragon Quest, delivers an immersive narrative set in an original world, taking the helm once again as game designer and scenario writer. Akira Toriyama, the world-famous comic book artist behind the legendary Dragon Ball franchise returns to provide original character designs. LEVEL-5 Inc., the development house behind titles such as "Dark Cloud 2," creates an amazing cel-shaded graphics engine, allowing you to experience a world straight out of Japanese animation. Koichi Sugiyama, renowned composer and conductor, has written a captivating musical score which perfectly complements Mr. Horii's narrative and Mr. Toriyama's visuals. With this unrivalled creative talent and a host of new and improved gameplay features, Dragon Quest VIII has already sold in excess of 3 million units in its first three months at retail in Japan and is poised to become a global success.

Story

Since times long forgotten, a forbidden scepter had lain sealed away in Trodain castle. Until one day, a mysterious jester called Dhoulmagus disturbed its rest and freed the scepter from its ancient bonds.

Using the scepter's power, Dhoulmagus placed a spiteful curse upon the whole kingdom. In the space of a moment, the people were transformed into thorns and the land was frozen in time. To add insult to injury, the King and the Princess were turned into hideous beasts!

However, the curse left one person untouched...a young guardsman...You! Now you must embark on an epic journey to save your king and country and lift the shadow of the evil jester's curse!

World

The world of Dragon Quest VIII is entirely 3D. From the sprawling towns and labyrinthine dungeons, to the hills and plains that divide them on the world map, all of the environments you pass through on your epic journey spread out before you seamlessly. You may lose yourself in the remotest corner of the globe, searching for hidden treasure, or suddenly stumble upon a whole new village or castle as you explore the depths of a shadowy forest - these are the kinds of experiences that will delight and amaze you on your adventure!

The visuals resemble those of a high-quality animated movie, making you feel as if you are actually walking around in one of Akira Toriyama's cartoons. For the North American and European releases, we have added voiceovers to the already impressive event scenes, imbuing the unfolding drama with greater emotional depth. Furthermore, the cutting-edge animations for both monster and player characters have been enhanced in the Western versions to make battles more dazzling and dynamic than ever before.

You won't just play Dragon Quest VIII, you'll live and breathe it!

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DEVELOPMENT TEAM

Scenario & Game Design

Yuji Horii

The creator of the Dragon Quest series, Yuji Horii takes the helm again for this installment. He caused a social phenomenon in Japan with the titanic release of Dragon Quest VII, which has sold over 4 million units to date, a figure that VIII is well on the way to matching.

Character Design

Akira Toriyama

World-renown comic book artist responsible for the legendary Dragon Ball franchise. Utilizing his unique artistic style, Akira Toriyama imbues the world of Dragon Quest with beauty and humor.

Music

Koichi Sugiyama

The stunning soundtrack, created by highly-respected composer and conductor Koichi Sugiyama, perfectly complements the spirit of the story and the look of the world, adding an emotional depth to the dramatic onscreen events.

Developer

LEVEL-5 Inc.

This fantasy world was built from the ground up by developer LEVEL-5, creator of the highly-acclaimed Dark Cloud 2 (Dark Chronicle in Europe).

Dragon Ball Z and all logos, character names and distinctive likenesses thereof are trademarks of TOEI ANIMATION.

Dark Cloud is a trademark of Sony Computer Entertainment Inc. ®2001 Sony Computer Entertainment Inc.