Dragon Quest IX: Sentinels of the Starry Skies

Hello all! I know it's been a while but I had to go vote! For the first time ever! Woot!

This election was SO significant too! Two years ago the democrats had the senate, the republicans had the house and Barack Obama was in the white house!

NOW.... The democrats who have the senate, the republicans have the house, and Barack Obama is in the white house!

.................

To quote the immortal Phil Hartman "If you ask me this entire operation has been one big Wank-A-Thon."

Another reason I haven't been blogging is that I've been playing the game I'm reviewing today, which should give my readers a clue to it's LENGTH if not it's quality.

My history with series is limited, I watched my brother play the last installment "Journey of the Cursed King" up until he got up to this massive glowing falcon from another dimension and then he rage quit.

........ These games are weird.

Actually this game seems to be trying to break the oppressive rule of the madness goblin by making the main plotline very loose. You are a Celestrian, a guardian angel who is tasked to do good deeds to all the people you meet. In return Nine (my name for my main character) receives a material known as benevolessence which he offers up to Ygdrassil the world tree daily.

The day of reckoning finally arrives when the world tree starts to bear fruit (as prophesied) and makes the kingdom of angels explode. (which was not)

You are flung to the earth below and made mortal, to investigate what happened, the possible betrayal of the Almighty, and the strange effects of the mysterious "Fyggs"

Now, you probably just heard "turn based JRPG where the villain may or may not be a false and selfish god" and thought of Final Fantasy X and have locked yourself in the pantry so no one gets hurt this time, but trust me when I say it will be fine. Mostly because the hero doesn't talk.

That's not all, either. You see this game works like Final Fantasy 1 in which you hire party members of different classes to assist on your journey. Or if you're like me you can fully create and customize your own ragtag group of quirky but effective adventurers with only the personality and backstory that you GIVE them.

MY cast of a Joss Whedon primetime fantasy series is:

NINE: The main hero. Though normally happy-go-lucky (and somewhat of a dope), he can't help but feel he and his people have been betrayed, but the other Celestrians don't seem to see it....

SHARONA: Cleric in training, she met nine in an old abandoned temple researching discarded runes. Nine and her soon became fast friends after she stopped threatening him with a stick of bamboo.

Sahmjaii: The Nomad Mage met Nine on the road. His unfamiliar garments caused Nine to attack out of sudden panic at which point Sam turned Nine into a lemur. Calming down Nine asked for his company on the journey.

Michael: The gentleman thief tried to hold up our heroes at knife point but gave up after Sharona put him through a tree. Some time later he saved the team from a vicious Skeleton with a well placed knife to the spine. He agreed to join, if, and only if, he was assured proper payment.

See? This is a lot of fun! You are more in control of the characters because you WRITE them as you go along! Some people may look upon that as a negative, if you do you are the kind of uncreative spod who liked the Mass Effect 3 endings, OR the original Little Shop of Horrors ending, mostly out of a lack of sense for Logic, Tone, and general story structure.

Sorry, sorry, that wasn't fair of me. It's just MY kind of thing, that's all. Also I do get why a lot of people like the original Little Shop ending, you're still WRONG but I get WHY...

As for ME3 if you thought those endings were good storytelling you are an orangutan mutant from the Planet Stupid, plain and simple.

I'm getting off topic. All in all, a must buy. Good story, good gameplay, GREAT customization and atmosphere, it's just an all around fun experience.


Next time, an indie game! I get to put on my snobbery hat! Hooray indie gaming snobbiness! Until next time, ashes to ashes everybody!!