VideoGame When uniqueness meets expectations
Is Dragon Quarter a good game? YES. To a certain kind of player at least, Dragon Quarters works and is a wonderful experience.
It has a unique setting, a story that works well without becoming convoluted or distracting from the game. The battle system is unique, reminding of Fallout 1&2. Each enemy is unique and requires a different strategy to defeat, so the game keeps you on your toes and doesn't fall into repetition. There is no traditional way to level grind.
So why did such a wonderful game get so much hatred? One word: Expectations. People expected a game similar to the previous Breath of Fires, yet the result could not have been more different. People expected a typical JRPG, but Dragon Quarter is not even a JRPG in any but the loosest sense of the term.
That's because Bo F:DQ is a unique game, there is literally no other game that plays like it, and its setting and story are also unique. Unique games have trouble enough being successful when most players dislike leaving their comfort zone, but not only was this a unique game, it was a betrayal of the expectations of the fans, which expected one thing and got another. The biggest subversion of player expectations since Metal Gear Solid 2 (an equally divisive game).
The game has its flaws. The saving system is terrible, easily the worst since Resident Evil 1. They created an alternative to level-grinding called SOL which doesn't really work. And for a game with very unique gameplay there is a distinct lack of tutorials or even a "beginner area", so the game forces you to learn the new battle system the hard way. Until you learn how to play this game properly, you're going to SUFFER. The locale graphics are also uninspired.
Despite these flaws I stand by my decision. This game is unique and a wonderful experience, just cast away all expectations before playing it, that's my advice.
BOTTOM LINE- If you...
want a different experience
enjoy games that require strategy
appreciate a moderate challenge
is willing to learn a new kind of gameplay
Then Breath of Fire: Dragon Quarter is for you.
However, if you...
want a typical JRPG
want a faithful sequel to the previous Bo F games
want a beautiful game with breathtaking cutscenes
Then avoid this game like the Plague.
VideoGame An Amazing Game saddled with a brand name.
Dragon Quarter is honestly one of the most innovative, tightly designed JRPG's out there.
The game is built around the idea of survival, of just barely scraping by from battle to battle, and every single aspect of the game is built to reinforce this concept.
The battle system relies on tactical positioning and fighting on your own terms by setting up traps and bait before you even get into battle, because all the enemies are very tough. you can only save via either a quicksave (which gets erased once you load it) or limited, scarce save tokens. The only way to heal is via healing items. You have to manage your inventory so you have enough to make it to the next shop while still having enough room to pick up better weapons and skills.
On top of this the game also encourages multiple playthroughs via the use of the SOL system, which allows you to either restart the entire game with some of your items and equipment, or just reload from your last hard save. On replays you will get additional scenes further clarifying the plot.
This feature is brought to your attention by the D-Counter, which represents Ryu's ebbing lifeforce. Upon using the dragon powers the counter increases, and once it gets to 100%, it's game over and you have to restart from the beginning. This does two things: first, it presents the player with an interesting choice. The bosses in this game are brutal, and you can pretty much dragon form and one-shot any of them at your leisure, but is it worth it? how far are you gonna make it, how do you know you won't need it later? Secondly, this creates a really powerful feeling of tension that you very rarely get in games, but this tension is not "absolute"; with the SOL Restore feature you can load back to a save after you've gotten better equipment and skills and possibly beat bosses without the dragon form that you wouldn't have been able to otherwise. This creates a situation where the players can grind and mitigate the game's difficulty, like so many other JRPG's.
As good as this game is, it's definitely an experience meant for hardcore players. And while it is (imo) a much more interesting and unique than all the other Bo F games, the fact that this game was chained to that brand name meant it faced a pretty unfair backlash. Which is a shame, because if you want a challenging, unique JRPG, DQ is worth checking out.