Rating this game on its own merits, rather than as a Dragon Quest game since it's the only instalment I've played (although I do plan on playing XI very soon).
This game SLAPS. While some people might not like it, I really enjoy how the story follows a very loose structure, going from town to town, meeting various people, seeing their stories and helping them out. It's a really nice comfort game and one of the first real JRPGs I ever played. It can be a bit grindy and it's a shame that a good portion of its multiplayer content is now inaccessible, but I still have a lot of fun regardless. Also this game's sound design, just perfect.