Dragon Quest gets release date

By Ellie Gibson Published 8 March, 2006

It's out here next month.

Square-Enix has announced the UK release date for highly anticipated PS2 title Dragon Quest: The Journey of the Cursed King - and the good news is there's not long to wait.

The game has already been a huge hit in Japan, where it's become the country's best selling PS2 game of all time. And deservedly so, as you'll know if you read our review.

The UK version will feature some nice extras such as English voiceovers recorded by a British cast, a full orchestral soundtrack, a revamped menu system, new battle abilities and better animations.

Dragon Quest: The Journey of the Cursed King is out here on April 13th, and even if your knowledge of RPGs only extends to a rough idea of what those letters stand for, you really ought to give it a go.

Picture of Ellie.

About Ellie Gibson

Since joining Eurogamer in the mid 2000s, Ellie has written about subjects as diverse as the fall of Gizmondo, the rise of Hollyoaks actresses in Red Alert games and the noise a bear makes under NSFW circumstances.

Read more articles from Ellie by visiting the Ellie Gibson archive page.

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Comments (36) Latest comment 6 years ago

Comments threads automatically close after 30 days, but please feel free to continue chatting on the forum!

  • 786Beast #1 6 years ago

    Can't wait!

  • jellyhead #2 6 years ago

    / dances
    I'm a happy bunny now, that's cheered me right up.
    Cheers EG and SQEnix.

  • myiagros #3 6 years ago

    this is probably the best RPG i have EVER played!!

    the improvements mentioned are from the Japanese to Western versions, not exclusively to the UK version, therefore if you have played the US version you will have noticed all these improvements already.

  • vane101 #4 6 years ago

    Wahay!!!

  • aine #5 6 years ago

    Much as I'm happy that they're actually bothering to release this game over here, I'm a bit sick of them making out that the extras (orchestral soundtrack, British voiceovers, improved menus and whatnot) are exclusive to the European version, when in fact they were all present in the US version and they've done precisely bugger all beyond converting it to PAL.

  • myiagros #6 6 years ago

    Great news but how do you guys feel about the droping the VIII from the title?

    Do think this will end up with confusion like the early Final Fantasy games which were numbered diferently in Japan and the West.

  • [maven] #7 6 years ago

    An English voice-over is not necessarily a bonus... :S

  • myiagros #8 6 years ago

    @[maven] - i understand your sceptisism, but the english voice acting is actualy really good. If i understand correctly the Japanese verion had no voice acting what-so-ever, so this is definately a plus.

  • Hog-lumps #9 6 years ago

    \adds to birthday list!

  • Scientist #10 6 years ago

    "deservedly so"?
    Why does this 9/10 "deserve" to be the biggest-selling game.

  • lemonfist #11 6 years ago

    So I suppose we'll get another crappy port with big borders and no 60hz as usual from Square. Still a must-buy for me, though, at least at the inevitable price drop.

  • Hicksy #12 6 years ago

    Excellent news!

    Just a shame I will be far too busy playing Oblivion :(

    I mean :D

    /adds to "to get when it's £20 or less list"

    ;)

  • Triggerhappytel #13 6 years ago

    Can't wait! Probably my most anticipated game of 2006.

    I'll have to let the missus know I won't be available for coversation from mid April for a few weeks :D

  • groovychainsaw #14 6 years ago

    yeah, its going to run into my obvlivion time as well i suspect, which is a shame, cos I really want to play this, but might as well wait until the inevitable drop in price whilst im busy....

  • Psi #15 6 years ago

    better than ff7?

  • myiagros #16 6 years ago

    "better than ff7?"

    in my opinion YES!!

    edit: spelling
    Edited by 1 at 08/03/06 @ 15:46

  • Machetazo #17 6 years ago

    @aine:
    I agree with you, on that. It is just ridiculous for them to do that. They shouldn't be so deceptive.
    Prior to reading the knowledgeable myiagros' post, I too thought that that was additional content for PAL audiences (although Yangus sounding cockney already on the American footage, I couldn't get my head around!) :rolleyes:

    I'm looking forward to this game...The Dragon Quest release date is the first of an important year for Sqare-enix in Europe apparently. He can't just mean Advent Children, there, can he?

  • Scientist #18 6 years ago

    "The Dragon Quest release date is the first of an important year for Sqare-enix in Europe apparently. He can't just mean Advent Children, there, can he?"

    I think he means that this is the year they start self-publishing in Europe, rather than alluding to any kind of secret release list.

  • myiagros #19 6 years ago

    A wondeful Square Enix Year!! Yeah!!

    Dragon Quest VIII
    Final Fantasy Advent Children
    Kingdom Hearts II
    Dirge Of Cerberus: Final Fantasy VII
    Final Fantasy XII
    and maybe even Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII

    thankyou SquareEnix

  • myiagros #20 6 years ago

    by the way for those of you that are interested Famitsu in Japan have given Final Fantasy XII 40/40 in their latest issue.

    This is apparently only the 6th game to have recieved a perfect rating. (others were Soul Calibur, Zelda:ocarina of Time, Zelda:Wind Waker, Vagrant Story and Nintendogs)

  • PinkSpider #21 6 years ago

    1. Hooray

    2. @FFXII score: Hooray!

  • tengu #22 6 years ago

    Dragon Quest: The 'fuck me it's a bit hard, innit?' journey

    Hardest RPG I've played in a long time this.

  • lemonfist #23 6 years ago

    Harder than Shin Megami Tensei: Lucifer's Call?

  • Drakron #24 6 years ago

    The biggest problem I have with this title is the Dragonball characters ... kinda hard to get rid of the hate I have towards that series.

  • Mr_Brown #25 6 years ago

    Already had the game since Christmas, but good news for everyone else :) if not belated ¬_¬...

  • lemonfist #26 6 years ago

    Drakron, I don't like the look of it from screenshots because of the Dragonball-esque characters either, but watching trailers make it look amazing somehow.
    Edited by 1 at 08/03/06 @ 18:36

  • smelly #27 6 years ago

    EEEK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


    Dont make me choose between oblivion and dragons quest you evil monkeys!!!


    I dont have much spare time so I can only devote my spare time to one of them!!!


  • Sebmarine #28 6 years ago

    I refuse to buy anymore games from developers who can't be bothered to include 60hz support. I'm sure this game is awesome, but huge borders and slowdown a la FFX, no thank you.

  • Drakron #29 6 years ago

    God damn it Sebmarine, fall in line and serve your japanese gaming lords like everyone else or we dont get Xenosaga 3 or any other game.

    Well Lemonfist I know that the same person was behind Chrono Trigger character design (and Dragonball) but those small sprites made it easy to forget it (except when I gone to character screen and I was reminded ... not it really stop me from lusting after that pre-historical catgirl sprites) as in this I am forced to see it on cell shading glory ... and I just remenber I also hate cell shading.

  • Triggerhappytel #30 6 years ago

    Does anyone here know if the PAL version comes with the FFXII demo?

    Good news about the Famitsu FFXII score (from the team who did Vagrant Story. I always knew that was a winner). Although I'm surprised Zelda: Wind Waker got 40/40. It never really grabbed me.

  • Scientist #31 6 years ago

    "Good news about the Famitsu FFXII score (from the team who did Vagrant Story. I always knew that was a winner). Although I'm surprised Zelda: Wind Waker got 40/40. It never really grabbed me."

    Famistu's scores should be taken with a pinch of salt. It's the most over-rated magazine in videogames.

  • Blerk #32 6 years ago

    Don't forget that Atelier Iris is released in PAL-land next Friday, RPG fans! Buy! Buy buy! Buy.

  • lemonfist #33 6 years ago

    Atelier Iris looks good. It'll have a 60hz option, right?

  • Blerk #34 6 years ago

    I wouldn't count on it, sadly. :-(

  • Triggerhappytel #35 6 years ago

    "Famistu's scores should be taken with a pinch of salt. It's the most over-rated magazine in videogames."

    What, a bit like the Japanese equivalent of Edge?

    "Dragon Quest VIII
    Final Fantasy Advent Children
    Kingdom Hearts II
    Dirge Of Cerberus: Final Fantasy VII
    Final Fantasy XII
    and maybe even Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII"

    I reckon we'll get 3/6 of that list in PAL-land by the end of this year. Maybe 4/6 at a real push...

  • aine #36 6 years ago

    I refuse to buy anymore games from developers who can't be bothered to include 60hz support. I'm sure this game is awesome, but huge borders and slowdown a la FFX, no thank you.

    No 60hz doesn't necessarily mean borders and slowdown. If they do it well (admittedly Square never had a particularly good track record in this area) a decent 50hz conversion can be just as good as the NTSC.