Dragon Quest VI: Realms of Revelation, known in Europe & Australia as Dragon Quest VI: Realms of Reverie, is a 1995 role-playing video game developed by Heartbeat and published by Enix for the Super Famicom as a part of the Dragon Quest series and as the last Dragon Quest game in the Zenithian Trilogy. It was released in Japan in December 1995, developed by Heartbeat; whereas the previous Dragon Quest games were developed by Chunsoft. In 2011, a remake of the game, along with Dragon Quest IV and Dragon Quest V, was released worldwide for the Nintendo DS, making this the first time the game was released in English. Another version of the game for Android and iOS devices was released in Japan in June 2015.
As the sixth installment to the Dragon Quest series, the graphics and gameplay remain close to the other games, with minor additions and upgrades.Nintendo Power Vol. 81, pp. 64–67. Nintendo of America, 1995. Retrieved 2007-4-6 The graphics were vastly improved from Dragon Quest V, which was also for the Super Famicom, but had more rudimentary graphics due to being an early game on the console. Navigation remains largely unchanged from the previous games and the turn-based battles are still in first-person. The class system from Dragon Quest III returns, with minor adjustments. Dragon Quest VI sold over three million copies in Japan, becoming the best selling game of 1995. The DS version sold an additional one million copies by March 2010.
The story follows the traditional Dragon Quest "Hero" on a quest to save the world. In this particular installment, the heroes also have to endure the personal struggle of amnesia, as many of the main characters do not initially remember who they are. After completing a series of quests, the player learns that in addition to a Real World, there is also a Dream World, made up of people's dreams, and that there is a great evil that wants to conquer both. The Hero and his new party work together to save both worlds from the ever-growing threat.
Gameplay
Dragon Quest VI is a traditional, turn-based role-playing video game (in an overhead perspective) that features random battles and a character class system that the Hero and his party members acquire new skills and spells.
The Hero travels around the world gathering a party throughout his adventure. To progress in the story, the party must defeat specific boss monsters or trigger specific flags. In order to defeat the bosses, the player must spend time training the party by gaining experience points from battles to advance in character and class levels.
Other new features were added to the series, such as: the monsters being animated when they attack. The Slime Arena and Best Dresser Contest were new mini-games introduced; the casinos return from previous Dragon Quest games.Casino Owner: Welcome to my subterranean casino! I hope you enjoy yourself!
Like previous games, mini medals can be found hidden throughout the worlds and can be traded for items.Medal King: I collect small medals which were scattered around the world. There are bonus dungeons and a few extra characters after beating the main storyline. There is a day and night system, as in some previous installments; with certain storyline events happening at night.
While the Monster Master class can catch monsters in the original Super Famicom version it is not a major part of the game. Another returning feature from the past two games is the use of the wagon, which allows characters to be swapped out for other ones on the world map.
Class system This Dragon Quest, similar to Dragon Quest III and Dragon Quest VII, has a class system. Once the party gets to Alltrades Abbey, they have the option of becoming one of several starter classes.Priest: This is the shrine at Alltrades. As you travel, you will learn the skills of your class. Does someone wish to change classes? Each class has eight levels, which are gained by winning a specific number of battles (unlike character levels, which are gained by earning experience points), and advancing in level teaches a character new spells and / or skills, which are retained across class changes.
Once a character has mastered a specific set of two or three starter classes, they can change into a hybrid class that builds on their themes. For example: mastering Warrior and Martial Artist unlocks the Gladiator Class, which learns powerful physical attacks,Man: There are higher classes that combine the skills of regular classes...If someone first masters the Warrior and Mage classes...Then he can choose to become an Armamentalist. and mastering certain hybrid classes unlocks the Hero class.
Some of the classes give special bonuses beyond their stats and abilities such as the Merchant who gives a small bonus to the party's income after every battle, or the Sage who receives a discount to MP costs.
To master a class, the character must fight a set number of battles as that class. Once certain hybrid classes are mastered, a stat relating to that class will permanently go up. There are two secret classes as well, Dragon (Hackasaurus) and Liquid Metal Slime, which are unlocked through consumable books.
Dragon Quest VI was the first game in the series to include (special attacks and other techniques that are not spells and usually do not cost MP) for human party members. These special techniques were added to the remakes of III, IV and V later on.
Plot
Setting Like the other Dragon Quest games in the series, the setting of Dragon Quest VI is medieval, complete with castles, knights, and magic. The main world is divided into the "Real World" and "Dream World", each with a separate, but similar map. To get from one world to the other, the party uses special warps (such as in wells), by ascending/descending stairs on the world map or falling through holes in the "Dream World" to the "Real World". If something cannot be found in the "Real World", it may appear in the "Dream World", such as with Spiegelspire, at the middle of the game.
Story Dragon Quest VI opens as the Hero and his party of a mysterious woman and a bulky man approach Murdaw, the demon king's castle.Hassan: We have to destroy the demon king! After the woman uses an ocarina to summon a dragon, the party enters the castle and comes face to face with the Dreadfiend Murdaw (Demon King Mudō "魔王ムドー" in Japanese version). Overpowering the trio, the demon king appears to destroy each member of the party, but suddenly, the Hero wakes up in the mountain town Weaver's Peak. Tania, a young woman from Weaver's Peak, insists that he was having a bad dream and introduces herself as his sister.Tania: Wake up, brother!
After getting out of bed, the town elder tasks the Hero to get a crown in preparation for the annual Mountain Spirit festival, which takes him to Haggleton. The hero finds out the man who is supposed to make the crown has gone out somewhere to the northwest of town and never came back. The Hero heads in that direction and finds a large hole with the crown maker just barely hanging on. The hero attempts to rescue him and succeeds, but in the process, slips and falls to the world below. In this mysterious world, the Hero finds a nearby town in which the townspeople cannot see him. The Hero receives a tip from one of the townspeople: There is a special well to the north from which people who enter never come back; the Hero heads in that direction, enters the well, and returns to his world.
After receiving the ceremonial crown from the crown maker for no charge after saving his life, the Hero heads back to Weaver's Peak just in time for the festival to begin. During the festival, the Hero receives a mysterious vision that a great evil will take over the world; the elder asks him to leave the village in preparation for this disaster. The next day, the Hero finds out that the world that he stumbled onto was called the "Phantom World" and is given a pass by the elder that allows him entry into Somnia, where he can meet the king.
At Somnia, the Hero meets Carver, who does not seem to remember the Hero. The Hero then meets Captain Blade, leader of Somnia's military, who gives the potential soldier candidates a task to find a special item in a tower. The Hero manages to find this item successfully and formally becomes a soldier of Somnia. After a task, the Hero and Carver work together to obtain a horse for an old man. Carver also becomes a soldier of Somnia. The Hero and Carver speak to the king, who informs them that to defeat Murdaw, they need the Mirror of Ra. The Hero and Carver discover another portal similar to the one near Haggleton, which eventually leads them to Port Haven, another town where they can not be seen. Milly, also appearing to have lost her memory, sees them and helps them become visible via Madame Luca's help.
The party discovers a Somnia Castle in the “Phantom World” and learns that the prince—who looks like the Hero—is missing. They also meet Captain Rusty, who bears a striking resemblance to Captain Blade. Gaining entrance to the Moonmirror Tower, the party meets Ashlynn, a woman who was invisible in the “Phantom World” at first, too, and together they find the Mirror of Ra.
The party travels to Murdaw's castle in the original world. After defeating Murdaw, the Hero uses the Mirror on him. Murdaw then turns into the King of Somnia, confused and unaware of what happened. The king reveals that the original world is in fact the Dream World and the Phantom World is the Real World. Upon traveling back to the Real World, the King of Somnia thanks the party for defeating Murdaw in his dreams, but the real Murdaw lives and that the party must travel to Ghent to retrieve a boat to get to Murdaw's lair. In Ghent, Nevan, a healer, joins the party and allows them to use the Ghent Clan's ship. During the fight with the real Murdaw, the Hero is again sent back to Weaver's Peak. With the Mirror of Ra, however, the Hero warps back into the battle and defeats Murdaw.
The Queen of Somnia tells the Hero to discover who he really is. This quest leads the party to Arkbolt, where a terrible monster is blocking a nearby cave. The reward for defeating the monster is the famed Sunderbolt Blade, but before the party can strike the final blow, a warrior by the name of Terry kills the monster, winning the sword. After traveling both worlds, the party learns that Murdaw was not the only evil in the world, having fought several other monsters that all seem to be connected.
In Sorceria, the party learns that this is Ashlynn's home.Mrs. Calbe: But, Ashlynn, you should remain here as the new elder. As a descendant of the sorceress, it is your obligation. The elders tell Ashlynn that the Demon Lord is watching her and give her the powerful spell Magic Burst to fight him. The party also learns that the only way to get to the Demon Lord is through Zenith Tower, but to activate the tower, they need to collect the sword, armor, shield, and helmet of legend. While doing so, the Hero meets his double in Real Weaver's Peak, who gets spooked, and speaks 'Y-You. Y-You're m-m-me!', and says that he must prove himself to be faithful to his family if he is to join powers. Returning to Real Somnia, the King and Queen tell the Hero that he is indeed the prince.Shera: Now you can take your rightful place as prince of Somnia. When he fused with his clone, the Hero gained his memory back, much like Ashlynn and Carver previously.
The party reaches Cloudsgate Citadel and meets Dhuran (デュラン), who claims to have taken over the castle. He summons Terry to fight the party and then fights the party himself. Dhuran then reveals that all the enemies the party has faced were just pawns of Mortamor, the Archfiend. Milly reveals that Terry is her brother and Terry decides to join the party and fight against Mortamor.