Dragon Quest Heroes: The World Tree's Woe and the Blight Below

Dragon Quest Heroes: The World Tree's Woe and the Blight Below is a name that we don't want to write more than once in this review. It's also the name of a very fun action role-playing game that sees the massively popular Japanese franchise step away from traditional turn-based battles and adopt a gameplay approach that's more akin to Dynasty Warriors. It's no surprise either, seeing as how prolific musou developer Omega Force is behind this latest hack and slasher.

Dragon Quest Heroes: The World Tree's Woe and the Blight Below is a wonderful effort by Koei Tecmo and Omega Force. The visuals, the gameplay, the audio, all aspects of this game come together to make an unforgettable experience that any fan of the Dragon Quest franchise should not miss.

Blighted by the night, vanquishing the plight by the children of the light.

While musou style games aren’t for everybody, Dragon Quest Heroes: The World Tree’s Woe and the Blight Below is a shining example of a partnership done just right that may just attract some new fans to both franchises.

While Dragon Quest purists may not enjoy the action-RPG feel of Dragon Quest Heroes, I still was able to enjoy the experience a great deal as a long-time fan of the series, regardless of the few issues I had with it. Considering we’re probably a few years away from a proper Dragon Quest main series sequel, Dragon Quest Heroes will quench my thirst for the upcoming game.

With games like Hyrule Warriors and Dragon Quest Heroes, developer Omega Force is moving further and further away from the Romance of the Three Kingdoms historical novels that have inspired its Dynasty Warriors games for the last 18 years. If Dragon Quest Heroes is any indication, this is absolutely the right direction for the studio.

Lacks depth, but Dragon Quest Heroes quirky narrative, colorful visuals and easy-to-grasp combat makes it a family-friendly RPG with plenty of character.

Dragon Quest Heroes is a fun game. But nothing more. It doesn't revolutionize anything, but in fact sets some RPG styles back a decade. Without engrossing characters or even story plot, it's worth little more than one, light hearted play through.

Dragon Quest Heroes almost feels like a fully-fledged action RPG, but there are a few things holding it back from greatness. In the end though it still has its charms, alongside of a beautiful art style and a buttery smooth framerate. If you really dig Warriors games and can go at it solo, you’ll likely enjoy it.

Despite being a spin-off, it certainly carries the heart and soul of a Dragon Quest game.

There’s no escaping the game’s hack and slash origins, yet Dragon Quest Heroes: The World Tree’s Woe and the Blight Below certainly offers an interesting spin on the traditional Warriors template. By focusing on a smaller concentration of characters on-screen, it has a slightly more tactile, RPG feel. Combined with some inventive gameplay features and that charming Dragon Quest aesthetic, Heroes succeeds in creating its own identity. It may fall short of greatness yet serves as an ideal solution for those eagerly awaiting the series’ next mainline instalment.

Dragon Quest Heroes occupies a similar place as games like Hyrule Warriors and Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor. The combat that makes up the majority of gameplay is fun but forgettable, and there's little else to keep you engaged unless you're sufficiently attached to the license. In that regard, Dragon Quest Heroes looks delightful and is bursting with characters and creatures from the history of the franchise, so anyone who has been glued to each new release since the heyday of Enix will find enough familiar sights to stay invested. However, if you're still puzzling over the differences betwe...