Dragon Quest Builders

All this adventure and discovery made me think of times in my past that I sunk hours and hours into game's like Dragon Warriors II and Torneko: The Last Hope. That being said, I feel as though Dragon Quest Builders is not only worthy of being apart of the long standing RPG franchise, but it also succeeds in making its mark and surpassing all competition compared to any game like it.

I have never played an ounce of Minecraft, and I’ve never had any desire to do so. My eldest son, who’s eight years old, is absolutely obsessed with it. He builds some amazing things, and it really taps into that creative mind he has for architecture and construction. While I completely understand why he loves it so much, it’s never held much appeal for me because I need a story to hold my interest in a sandbox game. Unfortunately for me and my addictive nature, Dragon Quest Builders fills in that gap all too well. It’s Dragon Quest meets Minecraft in perhaps the best way imaginable, in that t...

While created for fans first and foremost, Dragon Quest Builders serves as not only a love letter to the long running series, but also as an excellent introduction for newcomers to this wonderful franchise that is definitely worth checking out.

Dragon Quest Builders is both a fantastic game and a testament to the incredible versatility of the Dragon Quest series. It is a culmination of everything that the series is known and loved for, combined with the strongest elements of Minecraft. With solid gameplay, a gorgeous world, and genuinely funny writing, even those unfamiliar with the franchise can easily find something here to enjoy. Everything Dragon Quest Builders offers comes together beautifully to form a unique and immensely rewarding experience.

Taking a formula made famous by Minecraft and refining it in every possible way is what makes Dragon Quest Builders a fun and enjoyable experience through and through. The only thing holding it back is your own lack of imagination.

As long as that’s not solely what you’re looking for though, you can breathe easy knowing that Builders is more Dragon Quest than Minecraft. There’s a clear campaign and a sense of progression that doesn’t let up for hours on end. This is no clone.

Dragon Quest Builders is totally, thoroughly engaging. Its gameplay is accessible to kids while its dialogue offers enough sly references to keep Dad or Mom amused. Collecting, crafting, and building all sounds familiar, but this package encapsulates so much of the best parts of this creative process and wraps it in light roleplaying progression and storytelling. It doesn’t matter that there isn’t a multiplayer component, because it wouldn’t have contributed to the world. So that means this is a gold-standard RPG for the non-connected gamer to flex all their cerebral muscles wherever they want...

Breathe it in: the fresh crisp air in the open world, the grassy plains and hills as far as the eye can see, alone with your imagination in a world where everything fits into neatly cubed spaces as you destroy and rebuild to your heart’s content. It may be a familiar sight, but as soon as that first blue slime starts hopping aggressively towards you with its unblinking smile you remember you aren’t in just any old sandbox survival world. Welcome to Dragon Quest Builders.

A huge component missing from this game was multiplayer. Granted, this game benefited from focusing on a single player campaign, It can’t help but be felt like a major part of this game is missing by not letting 2 people work together to create something. One of the major reasons Minecraft is so successful is that anything is possible since people can work together to create anything they can think of. It seems like for now Square-Enix is content with dabbling in the genre, rather than redefining it.

Better homes and golems.

Both classic Dragon Quest RPG and Minecraft-style building sim, Dragon Quest Builders takes just enough ingredients from each side of the developmental kitchen and gently stirs them into a dish that never manages to overpower either of its core mechanics. If you’ve ever wanted to try Mojang’s ubiquitous hit but found it a little too intimidating in its vagueness, then this is the alternative for you. Fun, empowering and Dragon Quest to a tee; Its combat and camera can be a little erratic, but they never manage to derail your new building adventure.

As far as world-building block-'em-ups go, Dragon Quest Builders has to be the most charming example of the genre that we've played. Perhaps that's to be expected of the long running property – which, throughout its many incarnations, has always been a delight to experience – but the Dragon Quest skin lends itself particularly well to this Minecraft-esque spin-off.