From its humble beginnings as an experimental project back in 2009, the sandbox phenomenon known as Minecraft has inspired a great number of projects. Whether it is a 2D exploration adventure such as Terraria, or a narrative driven episodic series Minecraft Story Mode, it is clear that everyone wants to build on the game mechanics established by the team at Mojang. The latest project to be inspired by the voxel based construction game is Dragon Quest Builders, a role playing game that is a spin off from the best selling Dragon Quest franchise developed by Square Enix. While it is an entertaining diversion from the world savings epics we have come to adore, it is definitely a game that will be more for the fans of the series, and like Little Big Planet, it will suit anyone who has a creative mind and the patience to match.
Long standing fans of the series will be pleased to discover that Dragon Quest Builders takes place in the realm of Alefgard, which was the world in which the very first game took place when it was released in 1986. In a twist to the establishing storyline, the hero decides to take up the offer of the evil Dragonlord to rule alongside the tyrant. Predictably, the final boss goes back on his word, and the hero is vanquished after relinquishing his will to fight. The entire world is brought to ruin as a result of this action, and after many years pass, a new hero is summoned to Alefgard in order to rebuild all that has been destroyed.
This kind of origin story has been used in several RPG’s before, and to its credit, Dragon Quest Builders makes several jokes at its own expense. One of these takes place right at the beginning whilst the bodiless divine force takes offence to the fact that the protagonist falls asleep during their conversation. These light hearted jokes, alongside the sharply written dialogue from the side characters that appear every so often keep things entertaining, whilst at the same time never forgetting to enforce the serious plight that has befallen the game world.
