Dragon Quest - The Journey of the Cursed King (Europe / Australia)
PlayStation 2
🇩🇪🇬🇧🇪🇸🇫🇷🇮🇹
Reviewed in 2006
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✪ Reviewed on October 3, 2023
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PAL version of the Dragon Quest VIII masterpiece. A monumental JRPG with a lush open world, touching story and memorable characters. Dragon Quest's first fully realised 3D entry achieves a depth and beauty rarely matched on PS2.
Your verdict
Category
RPG1 player12+
Description
European 2006 edition of Dragon Quest VIII, subtitled "The Journey of the Cursed King." The series' first fully 3D and fully English-voiced installment, by Level-5 and Square Enix, with Akira Toriyama character design and a Koichi Sugiyama score. A JRPG high point in Western markets.
Dragon Quest - The Journey of the Cursed King review
MAX
Art direction
★★★★★
"Iconic"
MAX
Music
★★★★★
"Legendary"
4/5
Story
★★★★★
"Captivating"
A cel-shaded open world where Toriyama's creatures come to life under vast painted skies: the adventure breathes the open air. The crisp outline of the characters and the warm light elevate every panorama. This colourful elegance, faithful to the master, remains a peak of aesthetics for the series.
Koichi Sugiyama's majestic overture, now emblematic, sets the tone for an orchestral epic of rare nobility. Broad strings and triumphant brass accompany the crossing of immense landscapes with a constant emotion. This sumptuous score remains one of the symphonic peaks of the JRPG.
Gameplay
"Excellent"
Fun
"Pleasant"
Addictiveness
"Obsessive"
Roaming a vast cel-shaded world, fighting monsters turn by turn and watching the party gain spells and levels kicks off a progression loop of crystal-clear effectiveness. The alchemy pot, the quests and the item hunt multiply the short-term goals. Random battles and a bit of farming remain, but this sweeping adventure keeps a constant power to draw you in.
Difficulty
"Balanced"
Lifespan
"Massive"
Roaming a vast 3D world in pursuit of the jester Dhoulmagus unfolds a JRPG of rare scope, where the main quest alone fills dozens of hours. Alchemy, monster hunting, side quests and a post-game dungeon extend the adventure well beyond the credits. That generosity, served by Toriyama's art direction, earns the title its status as a classic.
Technical info
💾2,8 GB📅14/04/2006
Published by Square Enix
Dragon Quest - The Journey of the Cursed King (PS2) price, value & rarity
Complete: box, manual and disc/cart very clean. Lightly handled.
Q1 damagedQ6 completeQ10 new
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Collector interest
The first fully 3D Dragon Quest with cel-shaded visuals from character designer Akira Toriyama, a JRPG monument praised for its warm open world and production. Still fairly widespread in the West, its interest lies in this status as a series milestone on the console rather than scarcity. A prime piece for fans of Japanese RPG wanting a PS2-era classic.
Is Dragon Quest - The Journey of the Cursed King still worth playing in 2026?
Released in 2004 on PS2 in Japan as Sora to Umi to Daichi to Norowareshi Himegimi and in the West in 2005 as Dragon Quest VIII The Journey of the Cursed King, Level-5 and Square Enix's project marks the series' arrival in full three dimensions. The vast world map, the cel shaded staging and the gallery of endearing companions install one of the peaks of classical JRPG. Akira Toriyama's art direction and Koichi Sugiyama's music are magnificent. The random encounters have aged. Strongly recommended today for any JRPG devotee on Sony's second home console hardware globally.
