Dragon Quest IV

Dragon Quest IV: Chapters of the Chosen ends with a colossal battle. And it is fitting to start at the very end, where a few Zenithian words lead to a poignant question: “do I detect a hint of disappointment?”.

There is a reasoning behind those words you’ll have to discover on your own, but personally, the question hit right at home. A mild sense of dissatisfaction, emptiness swarmed over me. What was that battle all about? What did I really achieve? It might have been the many tries I gave to the final bout, or again the long delays I took between the different, painful failures, but the effort felt really strange. Anticlimactic.

Luckily, the sentiment was short-lived. Not only by the forty plus hours clocked in the single save file — hours spent evidently doing something —, but also and refreshingly by the final cutscene. The scene does wonders to wrap up the story, or actually stories, and a sea of memories comes back to let you experience the different chapters in full force.

You are reminded of the wee bairns saved by a valiant warrior springing into action. Of the emotional performance of two sisters looking for vengeance. Of a princess throwing her title from the second floor, seeking adventure and realization in the world outside. Of the talented shopkeeper with a nose for commerce and a belly for homemade lunches. Indubitably, of the hero of the entire story, from tragic beginnings to a redeeming growth.

There are many words which come to mind to describe the journeys, but many more which elude my memory, many more which extend my vocabulary. A testament to the ever expanding world of Dragon Quest. A testament to the precious job carried out by directors, developers and translators alike.

And at the very end of the cutscene, disappointment has been replaced with a feeling of thanksgiving, realizing what you gained after a labored battle. Salvation for the human world and a new take, a fresh direction in a long series.