00:00Looks like the rain's dying down. We should head back to Dundrasil.
00:05Welcome to Mojo Plays, and today we're taking a look at the 10 best Dragon Quest games ever made.
00:14Before we begin, we publish new videos all week long, so be sure to subscribe to Mojo Plays and ring
00:19the bell to be notified about our latest videos.
00:22Number 10, Dragon Quest IX, Sentinels of the Starry Skies.
00:36Dragon Quest IX sees you, a fallen Celestrian, navigating a world of mortals and trying to get back home,
00:44and the story's themes of sacrifice and unexpected belonging hit harder than you'd expect.
00:49The fully customizable party system and job class framework gave players remarkable freedom.
00:55Admittedly, there was also quite a bit of crafting involved in order to get some of the best weapons in
01:00the game,
01:00a process that could make or break some players.
01:04Nevertheless, fans are still passionately campaigning for a modern remake,
01:09which is proof that Dragon Quest IX left a footprint far larger than its portable origins might suggest.
01:16Number 9, Dragon Quest I and II HD 2D Remake.
01:30The original iterations of Dragon Quest and Dragon Quest II have not aged well at all.
01:36If you like the old-school difficulty, then maybe you do like them.
01:40However, the quality-of-life improvements seen in this remake bundle make both games accessible to newcomers without alienating veterans.
01:48The visuals are a nice touch-up, sure, but there are improvements here in combat mechanics, difficulty scaling,
01:56and even new quests that expand the story even further.
01:59That said, this bundle was an excellent way to bring forward and preserve two NES classics.
02:07Kill!
02:09Kya!
02:11Kya!
02:12Number 8, Dragon Quest Monsters The Dark Prince.
02:23The Dark Prince brought Dragon Quest's beloved Monsters sub-series back with real purpose.
02:30Sorrow, a memorable villain from Dragon Quest IV, is reimagined here as a young man cursed to never harm monsters
02:38directly,
02:39making recruitment and creature synthesis the foundation of every strategy.
02:43That narrative hook isn't just clever flavor, it shapes the entire experience.
02:49Sorrow's complicated relationship with humanity and his fierce protectiveness towards monsters
02:55adds genuine emotional depth rarely found in spin-offs.
02:59Fans responded enthusiastically in 2023, widely calling it the strongest Monsters entry in years.
03:06But it's going to be a little bit more, it's going to be a little bit more, it's going to
03:10be a little bit more.
03:11Number 7, Dragon Quest VII Fragments of the Forgotten Past
03:16Dragon Quest VII is slow, deliberately, unapologetically slow, and that slow burn is exactly its strength.
03:25Most of the world has vanished, and you must travel back in time to restore each lost landmass
03:31by resolving the tragedies that erased them.
03:34Every recovered island tells its own self-contained story, with tonal range stretching from heartbreaking to deeply unsettling.
03:42The 3DS remake brought it to Western audiences for the first time,
03:46and the 2026 remake has further accelerated appreciation among players for its extraordinary emotional impact.
03:54Give it the time, and you will see that DQ7 is genuinely unforgettable.
03:59Number 6, Dragon Quest Builders 2
04:12Nobody expected a sandbox spin-off to deliver one of Dragon Quest's most emotionally resonant stories,
04:19and Builders 2 absolutely delivers, just as the first Builders game did.
04:24Mechanically, the island building system, the cooperative multiplayer, and expanded crafting gave players hundreds of hours of content.
04:32Fan reception has remained enthusiastically positive, with many considering Builders 2 to be the better iteration between it and its
04:402016 prequel.
04:41It's amazing what you can do with a more focused story, a cleaner UI, and improved controls.
04:46It's almost enough to make us okay with the idea of a third game never coming to fruition.
04:52Okay, that's a lie. We want a third of Dragon Quest Builders, please.
05:04Dragon Quest 4 remains one of the most ambitious narrative experiments in RPG history, and Dragon Quest history.
05:22Rather than following one hero, you play as five distinct characters.
05:26A loyal soldier, a headstrong princess, an ambitious merchant, and a pair of sisters, before they converge to meet our
05:33hero.
05:34Each chapter plays differently, and tells each character's story in such a captivating way that it's hard to put DQ4
05:42down.
05:42By the time the party assembles, your attachments are deep and personal.
05:47The additional chapters seen in the PS1 and DS remakes somehow manage to elevate Sorrow's story even more than we
05:55had expected.
05:56Many fans frequently cite Dragon Quest 4 as the entry that turned them into lifelong fans,
06:01and it's easy to understand why after just an hour of playtime.
06:06Number 4. Dragon Quest 5, Hand of the Heavenly Bride.
06:23No other Dragon Quest attempts what 5 does.
06:26A multi-generational saga following one character from childhood through marriage, parenthood, and devastating loss.
06:34You really live the life of a hero in this game.
06:37The marriage mechanic, where you choose from multiple candidates and build a family,
06:41sounds simple, but creates profound emotional stakes.
06:45When the story takes its darkest turn, the pain is real, because the investment becomes real.
06:52Monster recruitment adds strategic variety and replayability,
06:55and the DS remake polished the experience considerably,
06:58a debate that continues to be raging on, affectionately, all these decades later.
07:04Number 3. Dragon Quest 3 HD 2D Remake.
07:11Good morning. It's already morning.
07:15The 2024 remake honored the original DQ3's legacy with extraordinary care.
07:21The job system, allowing players to build custom parties from diverse classes,
07:25including Warrior, Mage, Thief, and more,
07:28remains one of gaming's most satisfying customization frameworks.
07:31The story's final narrative twist, decades old and still widely spoiler-protected,
07:37hits with full force in the remake's gorgeous presentation.
07:41New players experiencing that revelation for the first time sparked genuine excitement across Dragon Quest communities.
07:48Proving timeless design never truly ages.
07:52Plus, finding all of the friendly monsters and making them fight Pokemon style makes for a fun break from the
07:57main adventure.
07:58Number 2. Dragon Quest VIII Journey of the Cursed King.
08:03Right, we're safe in here. You can talk again now.
08:07Dragon Quest VIII is the game that made the West fall in love with this franchise.
08:12Its cel-shaded art direction, bursting with warmth and color,
08:15gave the adventure a timeless storybook quality.
08:18The story balances genuine comedy with emotional heft,
08:21particularly between the comedic companions and the tragedy-stricken villain.
08:25For newcomers especially, Yangus, Jessica, and Angela will grow on you in a heartbeat with their personality and growth.
08:34Perhaps even more quickly if you're playing the expanded 3DS remake.
08:38For the longest time, this was the best Dragon Quest game of all time,
08:43until our final entry was released over a decade later.
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09:12Number 1, Dragon Quest XI, Echoes of an Elusive Age
09:18Dragon Quest XI is the franchise's masterpiece,
09:29and given nearly 40 years of history, that truly means something.
09:34The Luminaries' journey from becoming an orphan to realizing his origins
09:38represent some of the boldest storytelling in modern RPG history.
09:42The ensemble cast consisting of Jade, Eric, Sylvando, and many other memorable characters
09:47were written with extraordinary care,
09:50as each arc saw fully fleshed out stories and character development.
09:54With the Definitive Edition adding a retro 2D mode,
09:57orchestrated music, expanded character stories,
10:00and a Dragon Quest III crossover prologue,
10:02Dragon Quest XI is not only the best in the series,
10:05for many, it's among the finest RPGs ever made.
10:11I won't let you go again.
10:13Which Dragon Quest holds the biggest place in your heart?
10:16Let us know down in the comments,
10:17and don't forget to subscribe to Mojo Plays.
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