First off, I want to point out Dragon Quest was the first of the two to come out. Though not completely original (if you've been following my blog you'll know a small history of the CRPG [Console Role Playing Game]) Dragon Quest was one of the most popular CRPGs to come out in Japan. Final Fantasy's success was actually with the American crowd the same year Dragon Quest II hit the markets (that would be 1987). So that being said, neither is original, and Final Fantasy was not the first of the two.
Gameplay:
Okay, so this is something that's hard to discern. I mean, both of them are pretty repetitive. Walk around towns, fight monsters, traverse labyrinths, fight monsters, and follow a main plot. Not much else to it. However, at least with Dragon Quest I noticed every battle is a little bit new, even if it's just matching up monsters differently. Final Fantasy has a habit of putting the same one or two monsters together over and over so you're having de ja vu tons of times per overworld crossing. I have to vouch for Final Fantasy though in the fact that the story line and backgrounds make it a little easier to deal with the repetition, I recently beat Dragon Quest 8 and I can't begin to tell you how annoying it was to see the formula pan out so precisely, no storyline to help conceal the fact that your DOING THE SAME THING OVER AND OVER AGAIN. I tell you, side quests are killer when you know you're on one.
Graphics:
So most people like Final Fantasy graphics better than Dragon Quest. I think this is mostly because Dragon Quest is on a whole cuter than Final Fantasy.
That is quite true when you look at the graphics of most console games in today's market and Final Fantasy is definitely running with that trend. Not that that's a bad thing, the environments are stunning, the magic spells breath-taking, and the battles epic...at least for the first few times you have to go through them. What I think Dragon Quest lacks in quality it gains in quantity. Battles are so much faster in Dragon Quest games. There are no fancy camera pans or especially beautiful spells but that doesn't really matter when you have to fight monsters for long periods of time. You just want to be done and over with it and Dragon Quest delivers that. That bodes well also for towns and dungeons. You can see where you're going, there are no points when you have to ask yourself, is that a place to go or just visual fluff? So although Final Fantasy graphics are incredible, Dragon Quest still has something to offer.Characters:
Dragon Quest characters are usually straightforward, unlike their Final Fantasy counterparts. This can be both a good and bad thing. The characters of Dragon Quest don't delve deep into emotions or psychological issues like Final Fantasy does which means the storylines are more about beating an evil than fighting the demons within. If you've been reading my blog you realize I am one who prefers more streamline stories. This makes Dragon Quest more appealing to me. I mean, how many who have played Final Fantasy VII really actually understood the entire story? Be honest now, how much did you guess or make up. Then take a look at the obnoxious main character of Final Fantasy VIII. Most people didn't vibe with that one. On the other hand, the stories in Final Fantasy games do help make the repetition of side quests easier to stomach, unlike Dragon Quest who just places them in front of you exactly as they are. The last thing I have to say about characters is design. In Dragon Quest, most characters are distinguishable as male or female or whatever they're supposed to be. However, Final Fantasy (especially the newer ones) blur the lines between the two. Even the masculine males look very effeminate and hard to distinguish from their female counterparts. I find this a little annoying since I really hate it when you can't distinguish to what you should or should not be tuned into.
As a CRPG fan I think I find Dragon Quest more appealing just for the sheer simplicity. Final Fantasy is a very complex series and I find it hard to digest at times. This in no way makes it bad. I am really enjoying Final Fantasy IX though I have to take small breaks in between just to recoup and get ready to delve into it again. Dragon Quest 4, however, is something I can pick up, play for a few hours, then put down again without the need for any type of emotions (frustration, excitement, etc) involved. It's a nice light snack compared to Final Fantasy's sumptuous meal.
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