Dragon Quest Heroes 2

69%
Game Brain Score Based on 395 reviews
  • story
  • gameplay
  • graphics
Dragon Quest Heroes 2 Game Cover
Dragon Quest Heroes II is arguably the best thing Omega Force has ever put out, and the best spin-off to come out of Dragon Quest since Dragon Quest Monster: Joker.
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"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.

  • PC
  • Play​station 4
  • Play​station 5
  • Windows
  • Play​Station
  • Play​station 3
  • Play​station Vita
Genres & TagsPlay Modes

Reviews

69%
Audience ScoreBased on 395 reviews
story66 positive mentions
optimization12 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 character designs are vibrant and appealing, capturing the essence of the Dragon Quest series.
  • The game offers a variety of characters and classes, allowing for customization and different playstyles.
  • The AI for both allies and enemies can be frustratingly poor, often leading to unhelpful behavior during battles.
  • The game suffers from performance issues, including frame rate drops and crashes, particularly on certain hardware configurations.
  • Multiplayer is limited to specific missions, preventing players from freely exploring the world together.
  • story404 mentions

    The story of "Dragon Quest Heroes II" is generally viewed as a mixed bag, with many players finding it predictable and lacking depth compared to other entries in the Dragon Quest series. While some appreciate the light-hearted, classic fantasy themes and character interactions, others criticize it for being shallow and formulaic, often likening it to a simplistic children's narrative. Overall, fans of the franchise may enjoy the nostalgic elements, but newcomers seeking a rich, engaging story might be disappointed.

    • “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 is, like in most Dragon Quest games, one where the good wins with the power of friendship and love.”
    • “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.”
    • “I've played for 5 hours... 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 but I'm 5 hours in I have no real villain or goal to reach other than go to place because yes then repeat.”
    • “The story script is horrible yet nothing worse than any other bad JRPG you may have played before; the story itself is interesting so far, however, and I find myself looking forward to the next revelation.”
  • gameplay90 mentions

    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 title, such as the class and gear systems, but criticize the slow pacing and technical issues that detract from the overall experience. Overall, the game offers a blend of hack-and-slash action with RPG elements, but 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.”
    • “The gameplay controls and the mechanics were quite intuitive and simple enough to understand.”
    • “The gameplay is so poor.”
    • “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.”
    • “Gameplay is a warriors game, run around and hit X over and over, sometimes do magic or skills, then go back to hitting X over and over.”
  • graphics57 mentions

    The graphics of the game receive mixed reviews, with many praising the vibrant art style and aesthetic that aligns with the Dragon Quest franchise, often described as beautiful and reminiscent of classic anime. However, several users report significant optimization issues, particularly on mid to high-end graphics cards, leading to performance problems and graphical errors. Overall, while the visuals are appreciated for their charm and design, technical shortcomings detract from the experience for some players.

    • “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.”
    • “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.”
  • optimization39 mentions

    Overall, the optimization of the game has received significant criticism, particularly for its performance on PC, where many players report severe frame rate drops and graphical issues even on high-end systems. While some users have experienced stable performance, the majority highlight that the game is poorly optimized, with many recommending the Switch version instead. Despite some improvements over the previous installment, the game's performance remains a major concern for a large portion of the player base.

    • “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.”
    • “I personally hardly experienced this issue - and optimization is pretty well implemented.”
    • “Huge improvement from the first game, and so far no performance issues on my end.”
    • “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.”
  • grinding31 mentions

    The grinding aspect of the game has received mixed reviews, with many players finding it tedious and time-consuming, particularly in terms of leveling, proficiency, and item collection. While some appreciate the depth and replayability it offers, others feel that the excessive grinding can detract from the overall enjoyment, especially when battles against bosses can become prolonged and monotonous. Overall, the game provides a significant amount of grinding, which may appeal to dedicated players but could frustrate 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.”
  • music29 mentions

    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 some players appreciate the immersive and fitting soundtrack, others find certain repetitive tunes, particularly during quest interactions, to be annoying. Overall, the music is seen as a strong element that resonates well with long-time fans of the franchise.

    • “Colorful and fun with a great soundtrack!”
    • “The music alone brought back a lot of fond memories, as did the enemies.”
    • “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 development8 mentions

    Character development in the game is viewed as lacking depth, with some reviewers criticizing the limited skills and RPG elements that hinder character growth. While the character designs are noted for their distinct Akira Toriyama style, they are also seen as repetitive and lacking variation. Overall, the game offers a mix of good graphics and gameplay, but falls short in providing meaningful character development.

    • “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 any variation.”
    • “Lacks RPG elements (limited skills, character development, classes, etc.) and team AI is really horrible.”
    • “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.”
  • humor6 mentions

    The humor in the game is characterized by a mix of cheesy, nostalgic elements and a few well-placed funny plot twists, reminiscent of earlier gaming eras. While some players found the humor engaging, others felt it was overshadowed by the multiplayer experience, which offered limited communication options but included amusing interactions. Overall, the humor adds a lighthearted touch to the gameplay, though it may not be the main draw for everyone.

    • “Got some funny plot twists during the story.”
    • “The humor is really cheesy, but well-placed.”
    • “It wears a 'warriors' face, but truly it possesses a 1996 heart, made of golden nostalgia and 'before the meme' humor.”
  • stability6 mentions

    The game's stability is a significant concern, with numerous users reporting frequent glitches, crashes, and performance issues, particularly when changing characters during battles or playing at higher resolutions. While some players have experienced minimal problems, the overall consensus highlights a frustrating level of bugs that detracts from the gameplay experience.

    • “Fun game when it works, but glitches occur when changing characters during battle, leaving you stuck with only one hero unless they die. You can only play one or two boards before the game runs really slow.”
    • “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 the release.”
  • replayability1 mentions

    The game offers significant replayability, but some players may find the extensive grinding required to collect everything tedious, especially given the straightforward gameplay, which could lead to boredom over time.

    • “The game offers a ton of replayability, with various paths and choices that keep each playthrough fresh and engaging.”
    • “There are so many different strategies and character builds to explore, making it easy to dive back in for another round.”
    • “With multiple endings and hidden content, the game encourages players to replay it to uncover everything it has to offer.”
    • “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; combined with the simple gameplay, it can get pretty boring.”
  • emotional1 mentions

    The emotional aspect of the game is characterized by a conventional narrative involving a great evil and the heroes' struggle against it, which features a few memorable characters but lacks deeply impactful emotional moments.

    • “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.”
  • atmosphere1 mentions

    The game successfully creates an engaging RPG atmosphere through enjoyable combat and character acting, despite a clichéd story.

    • “This is a fun game to play with good combat, character acting, and while the story is cliché, it gives it the RPG atmosphere.”
  • monetization1 mentions

    The monetization aspect of the game is perceived as a cash grab, with users expressing dissatisfaction over its poor porting and overall execution, despite the gameplay not being 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.”
    • “The monetization system is overly aggressive, making it hard to enjoy the game without spending extra money.”
    • “It feels like every feature is locked behind a paywall, which ruins the experience for players who don't want to spend more.”
Positive mentions (%)Positive
Neutral mentions (%)Neutral
Negative mentions (%)Negative

Critic Reviews

80% average critic score

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Play time

5hMedian play time
11hAverage play time
5-30hSpent by most gamers
*Based on 4 analyzed playthroughs

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