REVIEW | Dragon Quest: Your Story - Prior series knowledge not necessary - Geeks Republika | Brunei's daily source of video game news, reviews, features and insights.

BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN, February 17, 2020 - Dragon Quest is one of the most iconic game franchises over the decades and it’s no surprise that the reception on this CGI film were received positively.

Based on Dragon Quest V: Hand of the Heavenly Bride that was released only in Japan on the Super Famicom in 1992, the long-time fans regard this feature as a must-see; even if you have never played the game.

Admittedly, I have never played nor followed the series as I grew up on Dragon Ball (Dragon Quest and Dragon Ball shares the same illustrator - Akira Toriyama) and I was heavily recommended by many to play the game first before watching it.

My first Dragon Quest game is among the latest ones released on Nintendo Switch and PS4, the Dragon Quest Builders 2 (a ‘sequel’ from the original Dragon Quest II) and I thoroughly enjoyed it.

Your Story involves three generations of one family and begins at childhood, as our hero, Luca, witnessed the death of his father, Pankraz, who was trying to save him and his companion from the main antagonist, Bishop Ladja.

What follows is a story of a young man, escaping captivity after a decade, who then embarks on a journey of revenge and the search for his mother.

While I enjoyed the movie in general, this was purely made for the fans as the storyline was fast-paced to into squeeze into the 90-minute frame.

A somewhat relatable self-doubt, Luca as a character further developed along the way (and befriending the iconic Dragon Quest slime monster whom he named Gootrude), this was the part of the movie that I enjoyed.

The story may be confusing for the new viewers, the animation was exquisite, fluid and action sequences were breathtaking. The film’s opening sequence uses 16-bit Super Famicom graphics which then transformed to a modernised animated splendor. This transition creates a distinctive approach on an RPG and was one of it’s kind in the anime-film genre - which once again would definitely appreciated by series’ followers.

I can appreciate how well-done this anime film was made by combining the aspects of the modern technology and the nostalgic ambiance of the games in the early 90s.

While I have never played this game back then, I am certainly going to now. Afterall, for many of us 90s kids, the greatness of a game is measured by the gameplay and graphics second. Let’s not forget the music in the film were actually derived from the Dragon Quest series which was the cherry on top of this nostalgic piece. My rate for this was a 8.5/10 - a well deserved score.