Dragon Quest Builders – Android Review

Square Enix commemorated the 36th anniversary of the Dragon Quest series by bringing the original Dragon Quest Builders to mobile platforms, priced at $27.99. Set in the world of the first Dragon Quest game, the narrative follows a builder tasked with reconstructing a world ravaged by the Dragonlord. What makes Dragon Quest Builders stand out is its successful integration of Minecraft elements with the storytelling, enemies, and overall charm of Dragon Quest.

Dragon Quest Builders successfully captures the essence of a classic Dragon Quest experience, embracing the series' signature charm through its vibrant characters, iconic monsters, and memorable music. From the intricate world-building to the engaging village construction, the game immerses players in a delightful mix of exploration and crafting.

Character customization in Dragon Quest Builders is modest, allowing players to tweak three colors of cosmetic items. The adventure kicks off with a character awakening in a unique tomb, unveiling the game's distinctive world design. Despite the world being predominantly built from material cubes, the 3D models of characters, enemies, and NPCs are rendered with charm and precision.

Landscapes are visually appealing, boasting a generous draw distance and minimal loss of detail. Although the frame rate slightly drops in undocked mode, the game's focus on exploration and crafting diminishes the impact on overall gameplay. The crafting safe-space concept adds a strategic layer, as players build various structures to attract NPCs and fend off enemy attacks.

The introduction of enemy attack waves transforms the game into a brief hack-and-slash experience, as NPCs join forces to defend the village. While the battling mechanics are not overly sophisticated, they align with the retro RPG charm of the Dragon Quest series.

Exploration proves satisfying, despite the character's limited movement speed and jumping capabilities. Crafting plays a pivotal role, with equipment degradation adding an extra layer of strategy. Managing equipment and hunger gauge becomes crucial for consistent progress, as the game prompts players to venture out into the world and return to base for regrouping.

Crafting, although straightforward, presents some quirks in the menu system, requiring players to adapt to faux directional-pad controls. The game's chapter structure restricts experimentation in crafting, maintaining focus but limiting creativity.

NPC-driven quests add depth to the gameplay, ranging from exploration tasks to monster slaying and building structures. Each quest contributes to the overall progression, encouraging players to delve into unexplored regions through portals.

While the game's structure may feel a bit unconventional initially, with progression resetting in each chapter, the massive chapters offer engaging content. However, players should be aware that not everything built carries over to the next chapter. One major setback for the Android version is the lack of robust controller support. Although touch controls on Android are commendable, tablet users may find them less intuitive. Additionally, the absence of Cloud saving is a significant drawback for a game with substantial playtime.

In spite of these drawbacks, Square Enix introduced some useful features to enhance the mobile experience, including the ability to save anywhere and an undo button for actions. The mobile version also includes paid DLC for creative mode, providing additional content for Terra Incognita.

The game's performance on newer Samsung phones is generally commendable, although issues with heating and power consumption arise. Unfortunately, the tablet version faces noticeable performance issues, especially on the Samsung Galaxy Tab A9, and lacks control customization, impacting the overall experience.

In conclusion, Dragon Quest Builders offers a compelling mix of crafting, base-building, exploration, and strategy. The game's fun and addictive nature, coupled with its nostalgic elements, make it a worthwhile experience. Dragon Quest Builders on Android has the potential to be a standout premium game. However, the absence of crucial features such as cloud save support and proper controller integration, coupled with performance issues on tablet, hinders its full potential. Despite these drawbacks, the mobile version, especially on newer Samsung phones, stands as the best way to experience the original Dragon Quest Builders. Square Enix's pricing strategy may raise eyebrows, but for fans of the series, the mobile adaptation is a worthwhile addition, albeit with a few reservations.

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