Dragon Quest V Available Now

DS-Exclusive RPG Is Second Installment in Zinithia Trilogy

Feb 18, 2009 Nicole Tanner

Square-Enix has announced that Dragon Quest V: Hand of the Heavenly Bride has shipped to retailers in North America and is available for purchase wherever games are sold.

Dragon Quest V: Hand of the Heavenly Bride is available exclusively for the Nintendo DS and is the second installment in the Zinithia Trilogy of games. The first game in the trilogy was Dragon Quest IV: Chapters of the Chosen.

The game has been available in Japan in for some time and has sold more than 1 million copies in that country.

Dragon Quest V Game Story

Featuring classic role-playing gameplay, Dragon Quest V follows the story of a boy throughout the first part of his life. Players begin the game, hunting monsters with their father, Pankraz, but will eventually be tasked with getting married and having children.

The player will have to choose between three possible marital partners, each with their own secret, and then get acquainted with their fraternal twin children, who are amazingly skilled at combat.

Dragon Quest V Game Features

Dragon Quest V features a monster recruitment system, allowing players to recruit monsters from the game world to fight as part of his or her team. Each monster has unique spells and abilities that are advantageous in different situations.

Besides recruiting monsters, players can also customize the beings by equipping them with special weapons and armor to add to their abilities.

The game also includes a number of minigames separate from the main story, including classic casino-style games, slime racing, and a Whack-A-Mole style game called "Bruise the Ooze."

In addition, Dragon Quest V takes advantage of the DS's wireless capabilities, enabling players to trade rare items with friends over a local connection. Before trading items, players will be able to customize their name, shape, origins and value.

The game also features an in-game museum of sorts where players can display rare items obtained throughout their travels and eventually attract visitors and gain fame.

Game Reception : Dragon Quest V Reviews

Video game critics have been kind to Dragon Quest V: Hand of the Heavenly Bride thus far. The majority of major gaming outlets, including IGN, 1UP.com, Nintendo Power and GameSpot have all scored the game 8.5/10 or higher, with a number of them calling the game a "must-play" for RPG fans.

1UP.com said in their glowing review, "DQV is a great RPG just in terms of its mechanics, being built on the series' time-tested fundamentals while throwing in enough improvements to make it feel far fresher than its predecessor. Factor in the game's story, though, and it becomes truly exceptional: an intimate, personal odyssey of a kind rarely seen in this medium."

Game Details

Title: Dragon Quest V: Hand of the Heavenly Bride
Publisher: Square-Enix
Developer: Square-Enix
Platform: Nintendo DS
ESRB: Everyone 10 and up
Content Descriptors: Alcohol Reference, Mild Fantasy Violence, Mild Language, Mild Suggestive Themes, Simulated Gambling
Release Date: February 17, 2009
Retail Price: $39.99

The copyright of the article Dragon Quest V Available Now in Video & Online Games is owned by Nicole Tanner. Permission to republish Dragon Quest V Available Now in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.

Character artwork from Dragon Quest V