History Videogame / DragonQuestVIII

** Also, at one point [[spoiler:Rhapthorne posseses Marcello, transforming him into... Magus from ''VideoGame/ChronoTrigger''.]]

* FaunsAndSatyrs: Satyrs show up as enemies, and they use their flutes as weapons.

* DarkerAndEdgier: probably the darkest game in the Dragon Quest series.

* TheDyingWalk: [[spoiler:Marcello]] walks into the horizon after you defeat him in battle. In the [[UsefulNotes/PlayStation2 PS2]] version, he's never seen again.

* EntitledBastard: Prince Charmles is an almost ''textbook'' example. He [[spoiler: has to undergo a trial to prove that he's worthy, which is to get an Argonian lizard's jewel-like heart. He not only treats your party like shit the entire time and make them undergo the trial, but then they discover that he flat out ''BUYS'' one from the black market, rather than using the one the heroes had earned, making all their hard work go for naught]]. Naturally, he is ''surprised'' when this comes back to bite him.

* EvilOverlooker: The cover for the 3DS version of Dragon features Dhoulmagus sinisterly overlooking the good guys (and a couple of Slimes), who are charging headlong into battle.

** Right after [[spoiler: murdering Abbot Francisco]], Dhoulmagus briefly [[spoiler: speaks in a voice very different from his own, hinting at his DemonicPossession.]]
** When you witness the full flashback of Dhoulmagus stealing the staff, it's in a sepia-tone filter with no color. Yet you can still see Dhoulmagus' hair change color from a darker black to a pale white, clearly indicating weilding the staff changes the person's appearance.[[spoiler: This of course is meant to hint at Rhapthorne possessing someone.]]

*** There's a big ol' statue in the ruins' "foyer" of a be-winged demon[[note]]Explicitly declared to be a representation of the Dark Lord in the 3DS remake[[/note]]. The statue deliberately anticipates not one but two OneWingedAngel boss fights, [[spoiler: Dhoulmagus' and Leopold's]].
*** There are murals that depict [[spoiler: [[BigBad Rhapthorne]] being sealed inside the sceptre by Empyrea and the sages, foreshadowing the plot of the game's second half.]] The significance of this story doesn't become clear until ''after'' [[spoiler: [[DiscOneFinalBoss Dhoulmagus]] is defeated.]]

** [[KingMook King Slimes]] are the result of several Slimes fused together with a magic crown, as shown when you help one trapped ina well by pulling its crown out.

* GameplayAndStoryIntegration: The Hero survives Dhoulmagus cursing the entirety of Trodain castle. In battle, he's completely immune to the Curse status condition. [[spoiler: It's revealed it's because he's already under a curse that blocks out others.]]

* GottaKillEmAll: [[spoiler:Rhapthorne]]'s goal, as the deaths of the descendants of the Seven Sages is required to release the SealedEvilInACan.
* GreenSkinnedSpaceBabe: Not really "Space", but Raja the female [[OurElvesAreDifferent Elf]] in Trian Gully fits this trope well.

* HelpfulMook: In battle, puppeteers can buff your party's tension. Out of battle, several [=NPCs=] are monsters that are more than happy to talk to you.

* InfinityPlusOneSword: Take two swords: One is a legendary blade passed down through a hidden society of dragon people for eons, the other is a pinnacle of metal forging with orichalcon and a symbol of slime royalty. Mix the two together and you get the most powerful weapon in the GAME, and the name is just as epic as it sounds: The Dragovian King Sword. Now go forth, and obliterate thine enemies with it.

* IOweYouMyLife: Yangus's reason for following the hero.

** The King Slime (and variants) technically qualifies, but doubles as an EliteMook.
** Downplayed with Kalamari, who is the biggest, nastiest squid in the sea (and has a unique design to boot) in a game that has numerous squid monsters, including squidlings called Kalamari Kids.

* MonsterClown: Dhoulmagus after obtaining the scepter.

** French accent can be found in Baccarat, during the cut-scene in the Inn.

* WhipItGood: Jessica, who can even develop her skills for extra effectiveness. Red in the 3DS version, too.

* LuckyTranslation: This one's easy to miss unless you know Basic English AND Basic Japanese. At one point, Yangus mentions he noticed something while he was picking his nose... picking some ''flowers''. It works both way, as "Hana" is both the Japanese word for "Nose" ''and'' "Flower" and in English, [[DontExplainTheJoke picking is something you can do to both one's nose and to flowers.]] [The [[{{Pun}} pun translates into both languages.]] Though the pun used is different, the joke is the same.]

* ItemCrafting: The alchemy pot. You receive it after sleeping in inns a few times after the first dungeon, and it gets upgraded after events in Pickham so it can mix three items now. In the PS2 version you have to walk around to wait until the concoction is ready, but in later version it's instantaneous. You can also find recipes for it by reading books, but most of them are vague or incomplete in the PS2 version.

* NotCompletelyUseless: The 3DS version has a candy cane as a downloadable weapon for Yangus. It always does 1 damage, which seems useless until you realize it means you can use Steal Sickle almost constantly without killing an enemy, making it much easier to grind for {{Rare Random Drop}}s.

* {{Gainaxing}}: Jessica must be using spirit gum to stay in her outfits, given how low-cut they are and how much bouncing she does. She can even use this in battle to distract enemies, if she levels up her Sex Appeal to learn the Puff-Puff attack.
** She apparently gets it from her mum, who gets a solid Misty May during their reconciliation scene.

** When you first meet her, Jessica wears a fairly respectable outfit, but her AdventurerOutfit has an ImpossiblyLowNeckline and she has a habit of {{Gainaxing}}[[note]]It's implied part of the reason to take up the outfit is to defy her mother, who considered it vulgar; later, Jessica herself wonders if it isn't too revealing[[/note]]. All her other visible costumes show at least as much or even more skin.

* OurDragonsAreDifferent: the main type of dragons you find around the world are either made of [[ManEatingPlant Thorns]], or very large [[DinosaursAreDragons Dinosaurs]] which can attack with [[AnAxeToGrind poleaxe]] or use BoozeBasedBuff, or simply [[JustEatHim chomp you whole]]. [[spoiler:Averted with the [[BonusBoss Dragovian Lord]], who can turn into 8 different badass Dragons.]]

* HornyDevils: The Hipster and Witch-type enemies.

* BalefulPolymorph: Dhoulmagus used the scepter to transform King Trode and Medea into a goblin and a horse, respectively. The entire Kingdom of Trodain suffered a substantially worse fate; [[spoiler:the residents were all forced to become unmoving plants]].

*** Also a MythologyGag. The same seven orbs appeared in ''Videogame/DragonQuestIII'' [[spoiler: and were needed to awaken Ramia]].

* SchizophrenicDifficulty: The early game isn't a cakewalk, since it's not too afraid to throw 5-6 enemies at you at once who [[ZergRush can take out over half your health if they attack the same character at once]], and enemies who can use breath attacks to take out half your health at once. Once you get Jessica and later Angelo, it gets far easier. But then you get a DifficultySpike when you fight [[spoiler: Dhoulmagus]], and until you [[spoiler: beat Evil Jessica]], the game will start ramping up the difficulty. But once that's done, the rest of it becomes far easier to beat.

* MultiArmedAndDangerous: The Hell Gladiator, a four-armed zombie with a different weapon in each hand, returns from ''VideoGame/DragonQuestVI'' with its {{Underground Monkey}}s in tow.

* NeverSmileAtACrocodile: Some areas are infested with Crocodogs, as in giant, floating half-mutt half crocodile monsters.

* StealthInsult: King Clavius to Prince Charmles after he presents his (fradulently obtained) Argon heart:

* LethalJokeItem: The 3DS version has a candy cane as a downloadable weapon for Yangus. It always does 1 damage, which seems useless until you realize it means you can use Steal Sickle almost constantly without killing an enemy, making it much easier to grind for {{Rare Random Drop}}s.

* ''VideoGame/LeagueOfLegends'': {{Inverted}} with Sylas. He's a mageborn who is imprisoned for years by Demacia's intensely anti-magic government. He eventually escapes though and leads a rebellion of mages against the royal

* WhatYouAreInTheDark: Prince Charmles hires the Hero and his friends to acquire an Argon Heart in order to pass a rite of passage, but not only expresses dissatisfaction at the ones they bring, but unfairly buys one from a bazaar. What he doesn't know is that his father King Clavius was watching his actions through a telescope the entire time. When the young prince steps forward to present the Argon Heart, King Clavius gives his unsuspecting son a LastSecondChance to come clean by saying he won't blame him if he got help, as opposed to if cheated by buying his prize off someone else. To his dismay and disappointment, Charmles continues to cover up his dishonesty, proving to his father that in the dark, his son can't even be bothered to do the right thing on his own terms. This quote actually seals it:
-->'''Clavius:''' Very well. Then I congratulate you. I accept this Argon Heart as proof of your [[ExactWords true character]].

* WhatYouAreInTheDark: Prince Charmles hires the Hero and his friends to acquire an Argon Heart in order to pass a rite of passage, but not only expresses dissatisfaction at the ones he brings, but buys one from a bazaar. What he doesn't know is that his father King Clavius was watching his actions through a telescope the entire time. When the young prince steps forward to present the Argon Heart, King Clavius gives his unsuspecting son a LastSecondChance to come clean by saying he won't blame him if he got help, as opposed to if cheated by buying his prize. To his dismay and disappointment, his son continues to cover up his dishonesty, proving to his father that in the dark, Charmles can't even be bothered to do the right thing on his own terms. This quote actually seals it:

* TheCasanova: Morrie, who seems to have cobbled together a happy [[{{Polyamory}} polyamorous]] relationship with his curvy blonde companions Marrie, Mirrie, Murrie, and Merrie.
** Angelo. The [[FanNickname Lady of Skills]] even flirts with him when you ask about his Charisma.

* EntitledBastard: Prince Charmles is an almost ''textbook'' example. He [[spoiler: has to undergo a trial to prove that he's worthy, which is to get an Argonian lizard's jewel-like heart. He not only treats your party like shit the entire time and make them undergo the trial, but then they realize that he flat out ''BOUGHT'' it making all their hard work go for naught]]. Naturally, he is ''surprised'' when this comes back to bite him.

* ChosenOne: Averted. Notable in that ''Dragon Quest'' games tend to be Chosen One narratives. The Hero in VIII is a part of the story due to sheer coincidence, and his mysterious past is so unrelated to the story that it only gets revealed post-game.

In 2013, ''Dragon Quest VIII'' was released for smartphones in Japan. A North American release on iOS and Android followed in May 2014. It also received a remaster with new scenarios and [[PromotedToPlayable the additions of the thief Red and Morrie the arena keeper as party members]] for the [[UsefulNotes/Nintendo3DS 3DS]] in August 2015 in Japan and 2017 in North America.

* GenreBreaking: Of Dragon Quest tropes, that is. A lot of huge firsts in this game compared to its predecessors. Dragon Quest is a series uniquely resistant to change, so these carry a lot of weight.
** It's the first Dragon Quest game to not feature a ChosenOne, for example. The Hero turns out to be involved in the story by pure coincidence, and his mysterious past is so disconnected to the story that it's post-game content.
*** The term "Chosen One" is invoked late in the game, but [[spoiler:only by an entity who canonically existed in ''Dragon Quest III'', a game heavily steeped in "Chosen One" rhetoric.]]
** The English Dub marks the first time the series has featured Voice Acting, in an era where such games could handle audio dialog for two generations.
** Same goes for the orchestrated score. These were changes made by the localization team, and eventually rubbed off on later games.