It can't be overstated just how perfect Dragon Quest localizations end up. There is so much charm bursting with every interaction in this game. I was a bit down on having recruitable monsters in favor of a traditional party at first but in the end it worked out just fine. When it did give you party members, there was an initial fear that they were too under leveled to end up at all useful, but the game is paced so that never ends up being a problem for long. The animations on the monster sprites are just superb. There is a masterful understanding of perspective at play with every encounter. The pacing of this game really is fantastic. I always enjoy the grind in this series more than some others, but it was nice that the game flowed more smoothly in regards to how often you would even need to grind. The party chat function did a lot in terms of connecting with your human companions. They weren't ever present in the narrative but they would offer some nice character and world building when you chose to engage with them, which I did constantly.

The biggest gripe to have with this game is how you can only take 4 of your 8 party members into most dungeons. That is where the majority of levelling is done and having party members miss that ended up rendering them useless. I never deviated from the team of 4 I always had on hand, and that made a lot of the experience a bit dull since I was incentivized to just stick with the same members and their limited spells.

This game is indicative of why Dragon Quest is such a revered series. They always implement new ideas while retaining all of the heart. This is an entry that shows what the series can be at its best.