So since enough time has passed, of the changes made to DQVII Reimagined from the original what are ones that you consider definite improvements and which are horrible missteps?
Well over all, I really like it a lot! It’s a very inspired remake and addresses a lot of the problems people had with DQ7. …not that I agree that everything addressed were actually issues but I think it’s a much better remake than the 3DS version.
While I’m not a fan of the vocation system being changed again I really do like Moonlighting as it’s reminiscent of how FF5 would let you access skills from your mastered Jobs by equipping them as battle commands as a Freelancer. I think it’s one of the most satisfying ways of handling mastery in games with class-changing while keeping your characters’ skills distinct. I don’t feel like I have to get Sword Dance on everyone because it’s the best skill in the game like in the PS1 version but I don’t feel as restricted and like I have to slog as much through some really bad vocations just to access better ones like in the 3DS version.
Of course, I’m still really upset that they simplified the game’s content to such a degree. Removing three islands entirely is unacceptable when they could have been turned into optional content like a number of the other islands were. Especially when one of the cut islands was El Ciclo. The 3DS version already cut out a lot of “bloat” to keep the game more streamlined for players with low attention spans and doing it again just feels like overkill(ing machine).
The game is lovely and I adore playing it, but it also doesn’t feel like it can be the definitive version of the game. It has the same problem I felt with Persona 3 Reload where they don’t replace the original like the publishers want them to, but they still offer enough to make them worth playing and it’s kind of frustrating because they’re long enough games that it’s not reasonable to say “play every version of the game.” It’s not like DQ8 3DS where I can just say that the compromises made by putting it on the 3DS aren’t worth it and you should just play the original.
