Dragon Quest VIII is considered by many fans to be among the best entries in the series, which is saying something for a franchise this popular. This was back in the height of cartoonish, cel-shaded graphics, but even then this game stood out for its gorgeously rendered world. It also managed to be less complex than some of its predecessors, eschewing a complicated job system, which many players — weary of convoluted systems in contemporary RPGs — found refreshing.
- Dragon Quest VIII was the first fully 3D Dragon Quest game.
- It’s the top-selling PS2 game of all time in Japan.
- The Japanese release day party took place at a Starbucks in Shibuya, Tokyo.