Although Dragon Quest VIII: Journey of the Cursed King isn't stuck on PlayStation 2, as the game has been released on Nintendo 3DS as well as on smart devices, the eight entry in the series by Square Enix has yet to be properly remastered (although something could be coming to celebrate the series' 40th anniversary).
As Square Enix doesn't seem interested in doing so, some dedicated fans have taken it upon themselves to improve the original PlayStation 2 version to offer the definitive Dragon Quest VIII experience. This is exactly what HuffleScuf did with their PS2 Remaster Pack, which introduces new HD UI, fonts, and textures that make the game look amazing on the PCSX2 emulator. The developer released comparison screenshots and a video which can be found below that highlight the changes introduced by their pack. The pack itself can be downloaded by going here.
While Square Enix doesn't seem interested in properly remastering Dragon Quest VIII, the Japanese publisher hasn't forgotten one of its flagship series, as it is currently working on the twelfth main entry in the series, Dragon Quest XII: The Flames of Fate, which is being co-developed in Unreal Engine 5 by Orca, the studio that also co-developed the eleventh entry in the series. Last year, a spin-off game called Dragon Quest Treasures was also released worldwide on Nintendo Switch, a charming yet simplistic title, as Nate highlighted in his review.
Dragon Quest Treasures offers plenty of charm, solid core mechanics, and a certain slot-machine-style appeal, but fortune favors the bold, and the game holds back in too many ways. Unremarkable visuals, simplistic combat, and the eventual repetitive feeling of treasure hunting limit the experience. Younger players and hardcore fans of the franchise may still covet Dragon Quest Treasures, but the game could have truly sparkled with a bit more polish.
About the author: Francesco De Meo has been covering video games and technology since 2012, starting his career at small outlets like Gamersyndrome and GeekSnack. After joining Wccftech gaming section in 2015, he quickly expanded his video gaming coverage with in-depth reporting, interviews with iconic industry figures such as Grasshopper Manufacture founder and No More Heroes creator Goichi "Suda51" Suda, Resident Evil series creator Shinji Mikami, Team NINJA's president and Nioh series director Fumihiko Yasuda, and Silent Hill creator Keiichiro Toyama, reviews and on-the-ground coverage of major industry events such as Gamescom and E3. When he's not reporting or reviewing, Francesco can be found playing the genres he loves most, spending time with his six cats, reading, writing music, playing guitar and drumming for his progressive rock band.
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