Summary
The HD-2D remake ofDragon Quest 3has already been releasedto incredible sales and acclaim, once again cementing this series as one of the most noteworthy and impactful in the JRPG scene and, more broadly, in the media zeitgeist in general. So many factors come together to make this series work, but each game has its own unique set of high points.Dragon Quest 3has a strong narrative and a great core party system, whileDragon Quest 11has some of the best characters in the series, to list some examples.
One of the main things that has helped define the series — despite the fact that many games have diverged from it —is the class systemused to build cohesive, powerful parties with a wide variety of skillsets. Or conversely, parties laser focused on one particular archetype or gameplay philosophy. As mentioned above, some games in the series have diverted from class systems, but these titles in particular have utilized the class system in fantastic ways.
A fantastic title available even on mobile platforms for those so inclined,Dragon Quest 6took the class system in some incredibly interesting ways. Players who started with thelatestDragon Quest 3remakemight be shocked to see the sheer number of classes and advancements available — classes can be unlocked, upgraded, and discovered secretly as players continue to explore the world.
Classes work a little differently in this title, behaving more like the personalities inDQ3, modifying the base stats that characters currently have to better suit what the class in question is. Because of this, classes track levels separately to individual character levels. While this series was an interesting and fleshed out twist on class systems, it didn’t have the same impact on characters that players have come to expect from the series.
4Dragon Quest 10
A Difficult Title To Get Ahold Of Today, But With A Great Class System
A very interesting title inDragon Quest’s library, in no small margin due to the fact thatDragon Quest 10was the series' attempt at an MMO. A massively multiplayer take on the whimsy and exploration that comes withDragon Questtitles, paired with a unique soundtrack thathelps define the MMOwas sure to be a hit, and while most servers are now sadly offline, the game continues to thrive in Japan with both an online and offline variant.
During online character creation, players are able to select one of six classes loosely fitting into classic RPG archetypes. Through exploration, they’re able to find a slew of other classes to acquire, and after progressing through the game far enough, they gain the ability to switch freely between all acquired classes. This is a simple class system but a reliable one. Each class feels fleshed out and like its tackling a particular niche.
Bringing in a new wave ofDragon Questfriends with its easy to manage but incredibly deep gameplay, alongside some truly iconic graphics, this new rendition ofDragon Quest 3, complete with a new class, is a worthy successor to the original title. Compared to some of the other entries on this list, the classes are relatively few to pick from, but each class is beyond a simple niche-filler. Every class in this title is a foundational building block that will decide what the party’s overall tactic in each battle is.
It doesn’t hurt that there’s a host of aesthetic and mechanical customization options for each class to boot.The dynamic job switching systemalso lets players carry skills and spells from one class to another when changing up characters' class, giving more reason than ever to experiment with class combinations within a party.
A fondly remembered title in theDragon Questcatalog,Dragon Quest 9had a very similar class system toDragon Quest 3, an especially pertinent fact to keep in mind with the recentre-release of DQ3. The changes thatDragon Quest 9makes are all for the better — for the most part. This includes a far greater variety of classes that all have similar party-defining aspects that can change how the game is played.
There are vocations available to unlock through questing as well, which just helps make the game world feel bigger and more in-depth. It also rewards players who take a break from the main quest to do some side quests.
There’s something so singularly special and engaging about the class system inDragon Quest 7. It takes the series in a direction that it hasn’t truly come around to since, but that doesn’t stop the game from drawing acclaim from across the fanbase.
Beyond the huge number of classes characters can specialize into and upgrade over the course of the game, there is a system by which players can use components dropped from certain monsters to take on those vocations as classes of their own, which hugely expands the number of classes and options available to the player.
