Dragon Quest Heroes 2

Dragon Quest Heroes II is an hack-and-slash Dynasty Warriors clone that’s laced with appreciated RPG flavoring. A must for any Dragon Quest fan, and a nice starter to those who aren’t into this kind of genre.

74%Game Brain Score

story, gameplay

optimization, grinding

69% User Score Based on 790 reviews

Critic Score 80%Based on 11 reviews

Platforms

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About

"Dragon Quest Heroes II" is an action-packed RPG that lets you control multiple characters from the Dragon Quest series. The Explorer's Edition includes 18 bonus items to enhance your gameplay experience. Critics have praised the game for its stunning visuals, addictive gameplay, and faithful representation of the Dragon Quest universe. It is considered a must-have for fans of the series and a great follow-up to the original game.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

69%

Audience ScoreBased on 801 reviews

story134 positive mentions

optimization24 negative mentions

The game features a fun blend of hack-and-slash combat with RPG elements, making it enjoyable for fans of both genres.
The graphics and art style are vibrant and capture the essence of the Dragon Quest series, appealing to long-time fans.
The character customization and class system provide depth and variety, allowing players to experiment with different playstyles.

The AI for allies is often unhelpful, leading to frustrating moments during battles where they fail to assist effectively.
The game suffers from performance issues, including frame rate drops and crashes, particularly on certain hardware configurations.
Multiplayer is limited to specific missions and dungeons, which can be disappointing for players expecting a more open co-op experience.

story
818 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
16%
79%
5%
The story of "Dragon Quest Heroes II" is generally viewed as predictable and simplistic, often following a standard fantasy trope of heroes uniting to combat evil. While some players appreciate the light-hearted tone and nostalgic elements from the Dragon Quest series, others criticize the narrative for being shallow and lacking depth, with many missions feeling repetitive or uninspired. Overall, the game is seen as a fun experience for fans of the franchise, but it may not satisfy those seeking a rich, engaging storyline.
- “The story is, like in most Dragon Quest games, one where the good wins with the power of friendship and love.”
- “The story is entertaining - it follows a common formula of protagonists gathering up a bunch of friends and saving the world but doesn't feel tedious.”
- “The story itself has few twists and starts with an attack of Dunisian monster forces on the town of Harba, where the main characters of the story are currently visiting.”
- “The story is, in my opinion, a huge step up from heroes, or perhaps it's just that the whole 'the power of friendship will save the world!!!' theme tends to make me cringe away from even the best games.”
- “Ive played for 5 hours going as fast as possible to see the story and new characters sadly both were incredibly disappointing. The story is garbage while I don't expect much from a heroes game, most of them have bland and easily understood plots normally boiling down to 'evil man is bad. Go beat up evil man until he stops', but this is a dragon quest game and I'm 5 hours in with no real villain or goal to reach other than go to place because yes then repeat.”
- “Sadly the story was pretty shallow and weak but it kept things going and it served its purpose.”
gameplay
182 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
26%
66%
8%
The gameplay has received mixed reviews, with some players enjoying the fluid combat mechanics and RPG elements, while others find it repetitive and tedious, often likening it to a typical Dynasty Warriors experience. Many appreciate the improvements over the previous installment, such as character swapping and a more diverse combat system, but technical issues and slow rendering detract from the overall experience. Overall, the game offers a blend of hack-and-slash action and RPG elements, appealing primarily to fans of the genre, though it may not satisfy those seeking deeper tactical gameplay.
- “In terms of gameplay and what the game has to offer, it surpasses the first part for me.”
- “The gameplay is really fun, the world looks amazing and the story is really well written.”
- “Gameplay wise, it's very slightly deeper than a typical dynasty or samurai warrior game, which does make it a little bit more fun to play.”
- “Now for the gameplay, and holy crap it is bad. Enemies are too spread apart so you can't hack and slash to your heart's content. The 'hordes' are more like small friend groups meeting up at the park, and rarely is it satisfying to kill the enemies as most of them are tanky. The bosses are just damage sponges meant to basically stand there and let you uselessly flail at them until they kill themselves out of pity. Movement is slow and clunky, many say weightless, and that's also true in many cases.”
- “The gameplay is so poor.”
- “I'm not into this whole grindy thing with this game mechanics.”
graphics
115 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
31%
65%
3%
The graphics of the game are generally praised for their vibrant, anime-inspired art style that captures the essence of the Dragon Quest series, with many reviewers noting the beautiful character designs and environments. However, there are significant concerns regarding optimization, as players report performance issues and graphical glitches, particularly on mid to high-end graphics cards. While the visuals are appealing, the inconsistent performance can detract from the overall experience.
- “Gorgeous Dragon Quest aesthetics framed by an MMO-like structure, with deep build options and rewards.”
- “The graphics in this game are colorful and capture the unique style of the Dragon Quest universe very well.”
- “I absolutely love the graphics and it is overall just a fun game - I wish they had more costume options for the characters that would be awesome.”
- “With my previous rig, the game was virtually unplayable in that not only did it take me a bit to get running, but the graphics would often freak out and stretch all over the place.”
- “Optimization is poor, many people, myself included, report graphical errors and performance issues in spite of having much better hardware than the recommended requirements.”
- “I played for 2 minutes on my GTX 1060 - the framerate was 3-6 fps, so I quit, restarted the game, changed graphics settings from 'medium' to 'low' and got in game - 10 - 20 fps.”
optimization
78 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
8%
62%
31%
The game's optimization has received overwhelmingly negative feedback, with many players reporting severe performance issues, including low frame rates even on high-end systems. While some users have experienced stable performance, the majority find it poorly optimized for PC, leading to frustration and recommendations to play on the Switch instead. Overall, the consensus is that the game suffers from significant optimization problems that detract from the gameplay experience.
- “A unique take on the warriors genre, I'd recommend getting this on the Switch instead of PC due to it being optimized for the Switch.”
- “Performance - stable 60 fps @ GTX 1080 Ti, i7 4790k, 16 GB RAM - it's capped.”
- “I personally hardly experienced this issue - and optimization is pretty well implemented.”
- “How is it possible to make a game this horrendously unoptimized?”
- “The problem is that the game is horribly optimized; even on lowest settings with reduced resolution, I get about 12 fps, even though I can run games like Dark Souls, Rocket League, etc. at 60 fps with the right settings.”
- “It seems like they released this port without spending any time on optimization, and so unfortunately, I can't recommend it, and plan to get a refund.”
grinding
62 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The grinding aspect of the game is widely criticized for being tedious and time-consuming, with players noting that significant progress in levels and damage can take many hours. While some appreciate the variety of grinding activities, such as leveling, crafting, and proficiency, many find the repetitive nature of combat and the lengthy boss battles to be frustrating. Overall, the game offers a substantial amount of grinding, which may appeal to dedicated players but can deter those seeking a more streamlined experience.
- “This game is painfully tedious and even 15-20 hours in, you won't see any significant changes to your damage.”
- “You will spend 90% of your time, give or take, grinding for different things.”
- “Most bosses have such an enormous pool of health that, unless you 'call for help', they can easily take over ten minutes of tedious dodging and attacking to get through.”
music
58 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
34%
55%
10%
The music in the game is widely praised for its orchestral quality and nostalgic ties to the Dragon Quest series, featuring both classic themes and new compositions that enhance the gameplay experience. While many players appreciate the fitting and immersive soundtrack, some find certain repetitive tunes, particularly during quest interactions, to be annoying. Overall, the music is seen as a strong element that captures the essence of Dragon Quest, appealing to long-time fans and newcomers alike.
- “Colorful and fun with a great soundtrack!”
- “This music displays an innocence and a classical touch that really suits the game and does exceptionally well.”
- “The music by composer Koichi Sugiyama is orchestral in nature and has many of the staple pieces of the series.”
- “The first Dragon Quest Heroes was bad enough that they should never have made a sequel... but here I am again trying to 100% another game full of crappy music and goofy character designs.”
- “Taking quests and turning them in is horrible; it plays an annoying little song every time you take a quest, and then another annoying unskippable song when you turn it in.”
- “Can't adjust audio in the main menu or the pre-launch setting tool, and the music drowns out voice on the default settings.”
character development
17 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
18%
53%
29%
Character development in the game is criticized for being limited, with some reviewers noting a lack of RPG elements such as diverse skills and classes. While the character designs are visually appealing, they are often seen as repetitive and overly reminiscent of Akira Toriyama's previous works, leading to a perception of insufficient individuality among characters. Despite these shortcomings, the game remains enjoyable and accessible for a wide audience.
- “Moreover, since it is an RPG, there is a lot more character development.”
- “Good graphics, great gameplay, great character designs.”
- “So yeah, back into Dragon Quest in a good way. Thanks, Akira Toriyama, for being a character designer, Mr. Dragonball.”
- “In terms of character design, everyone looks like Dragon Ball, because Toriyama has spent the last 30 years drawing exactly the same face for every single character he ever drew, incapable of giving a character any kind of distinguishing features or variation.”
- “Lacks RPG elements (limited skills, character development, classes, etc.) and team AI is really horrible.”
- “Despite the lack of character development and the occasional forced grind for gear, Dragon Quest Heroes II is a monstrously fun and childish game that will appeal to both grown-ups and children alike.”
humor
12 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The humor in the game is characterized by cheesy yet well-placed moments, including a few funny plot twists that evoke a sense of nostalgia reminiscent of 1996. While the multiplayer feature adds a fun element, communication is limited to pre-set humorous phrases, which some players found less engaging than expected. Overall, the humor is light-hearted and adds a charming layer to the gameplay experience.
- “It wears a 'warriors' face, but truly it possesses a 1996 heart, made of golden nostalgia and 'before the meme' humor.”
- “The humor is really cheesy, but well-placed.”
- “Also, the multiplayer function is pretty cool, but it's sad that you can't really write with them; instead, you get some funny little words you can let appear for the others.”
stability
12 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game's stability is a significant concern, with numerous reports of glitches, crashes, and performance issues, particularly when changing characters during battles. While some players have experienced minimal problems, the overall consensus highlights a frustrating level of bugs that detracts from the gameplay experience. Many users feel that such issues should not be present at launch, indicating a need for further optimization and fixes.
- “However, the amount of bugs and glitches is ridiculous.”
- “This game really seemed to be promising, but such bugs and glitches should not come with release.”
- “Also, one problem I see a lot of people having is crashes or glitches in the game.”
replayability
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
150%
50%
The game offers significant replayability, primarily due to its extensive content and collection elements. However, the requirement for serious grinding may deter some players, as the simple gameplay can lead to boredom over time.
- “The game offers a wealth of replayability, with numerous paths and choices that keep each playthrough fresh and engaging.”
- “With its dynamic gameplay and multiple endings, this game encourages players to dive back in and explore different strategies.”
- “The variety of challenges and unlockable content ensures that there's always something new to discover, making it highly replayable.”
- “It has a ton of replayability, but I can see a lot of people not having the patience to collect everything in the game that requires serious grinding, which combined with the simple gameplay can get pretty boring.”
emotional
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The emotional aspect of the game is characterized by a standard narrative involving a great evil and the heroes' struggle to thwart it, featuring a few memorable characters and some impactful emotional moments. However, the overall emotional depth may feel limited due to the familiar storyline.
- “It is a standard story of some great evil trying to awaken, and the heroes struggle to prevent that, with a few memorable characters and truly emotional moments.”
atmosphere
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
50%
The game's atmosphere is characterized by a fun RPG vibe, enhanced by engaging combat and strong character acting, despite a clichéd storyline.
- “This is a fun game to play with good combat, character acting, and while the story is cliché, it gives it the RPG atmosphere.”
monetization
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The monetization aspect of the game is perceived as a cash grab, with users expressing dissatisfaction over its poor porting across various platforms, despite acknowledging that the games themselves are not entirely terrible.
- “Overall feels like a cash grab; the game isn't horrific, but it's really badly ported in just about all the places people will complain about.”