Dragon Quest VIII: Journey of the Cursed King

Dragon Quest VIII: Journey of the Cursed King from 2004 is the first fully three-dimensional entry in the legendary Dragon Quest series, and for Western audiences it marked a major milestone that finally brought the franchise, until then far more popular in Japan than in the West, wider recognition. Development was handled by Level-5, while character and monster designs were once again provided by Akira Toriyama, the creator of Dragon Ball, whose unmistakable style gave the game an instantly recognizable identity.

Classic turn-based combat with random encounters, a clear skill and weapon system, and an open world rendered in smooth cel-shaded graphics offer the joy of discovery without unnecessary complexity; the game deliberately sticks to traditional genre conventions rather than experimenting. Each character distributes skill points among several weapons and a personal discipline, so even within an otherwise traditional system the player has room for a personal style, complemented by an alchemy pot in which combining items can craft stronger equipment. Koichi Sugiyama's unmistakable orchestral soundtrack, accompanying the series since its inception, gives the journey a majestic, fairy-tale tone, further underscored by the fully voiced Western version.

A friendly party of companions, humorous dialogue, and a gentle, soothing pace made Dragon Quest VIII an accessible, beautifully traditional classic still regarded by many as the gateway into the world of Dragon Quest and one of the best JRPGs on the PlayStation 2 altogether. The game was a massive commercial success in Japan comparable to the series' mainline entries, and in the West it finally won over audiences who had until then preferred rival Final Fantasy. The vast plains and hills, freely walkable from village to village, were in 2004 among the most open worlds a console JRPG had to offer. A later remake for 3DS and mobile platforms shows just how enduring and beloved Journey of the Cursed King has become.