Dragon Quest VIII: Journey of the Cursed King: Difference between revisions

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==Plot==
==Plot==
{{spoiler|start}}
{{spoiler|start}}
===Hunting for Dhoulmagus===
[[Image:DQVIII_characters.png|right|thumb|250px|Yangus, Medea, Trode, Munchie and the Hero]]
[[Image:DQVIII_characters.png|right|thumb|250px|Yangus, Medea, Trode, Munchie and the Hero]]
''Dragon Quest VIII'' begins when the evil jester [[Dhoulmagus]] steals a [[Godbird sceptre|magical sceptre]] from [[Trodain]] Castle. With this powerful sceptre, he transforms the inhabitants of Trodain into plant-like statues, as well as changing the [[Trode|king]] into a toad-like monster and the [[Princess Medea|princess]] into a horse, while covering the majority of the castle in large, green magical thorns. The {{Hero 8}}, a young Trodain guardsman, is the only resident to remain uncursed. Accompanying the cursed king and princess, he hunts Dhoulmagus, in hopes of restoring Trodain to its former glory. The Hero is eventually joined on his quest by three companions: a scarred, inarticulate bandit named [[Yangus]], a wand-waving tomboy named [[Jessica Albert]], and [[Angelo]], a rapier-wielding Templar Knight and self-proclaimed ladies' man. During their travels, the party runs into Dhoulmagus several times. A couple of these encounters involve Dhoulmagus killing someone beloved by members of the Hero's party. Individuals slain by Dhoulmagus include Alistair (Jessica's brother) and [[Abbot Francisco]], who is head of the abbey where Angelo lives. The party finally tracks down Dhoulmagus to the [[Dark Ruins]], where they find him recuperating, and finally face off against him. After his defeat, he tries to curse the party with his sceptre, but the hero is again unaffected by the curse, blocking the blast and sparing the other party members. Dhoulmagus then uses his menacing power to change into a hideous creature. However, even with his new powers, he is no match for the might of the heroes. Much to their surprise, however, they find that even with his defeat, the curse still has not been lifted. Concluding that something else must be maintaining the curse, they leave the ruins, with {{Jessica}} picking up Dhoulmagus' sceptre as they exit.
''Dragon Quest VIII'' begins when the evil jester [[Dhoulmagus]] steals a [[Godbird sceptre|magical sceptre]] from [[Trodain]] Castle. With this powerful sceptre, he transforms the inhabitants of Trodain into plant-like statues, as well as changing the [[Trode|king]] into a toad-like monster and the [[Princess Medea|princess]] into a horse, while covering the majority of the castle in large, green magical thorns. The {{Hero 8}}, a young Trodain guardsman, is the only resident to remain uncursed. Accompanying the cursed king and princess, he hunts Dhoulmagus, in hopes of restoring Trodain to its former glory. The Hero is eventually joined on his quest by three companions: a scarred, inarticulate bandit named [[Yangus]], a wand-waving tomboy named [[Jessica Albert]], and [[Angelo]], a rapier-wielding Templar Knight and self-proclaimed ladies' man. During their travels, the party runs into Dhoulmagus several times. A couple of these encounters involve Dhoulmagus killing someone beloved by members of the Hero's party. Individuals slain by Dhoulmagus include Alistair (Jessica's brother) and [[Abbot Francisco]], who is head of the abbey where Angelo lives. The party finally tracks down Dhoulmagus to the [[Dark Ruins]], where they find him recuperating, and finally face off against him. After his defeat, he tries to curse the party with his sceptre, but the hero is again unaffected by the curse, blocking the blast and sparing the other party members. Dhoulmagus then uses his menacing power to change into a hideous creature. However, even with his new powers, he is no match for the might of the heroes. Much to their surprise, however, they find that even with his defeat, the curse still has not been lifted. Concluding that something else must be maintaining the curse, they leave the ruins, with {{Jessica}} picking up Dhoulmagus' sceptre as they exit.


===The Next Owners of the Staff===
The next morning, the Hero and the others find to their surprise that Jessica is missing. While searching for her, the party enters a town called [[Arcadia]], arriving just in time to save a magician named [[Dominico]] from an apparently-possessed Jessica wielding the Sceptre. After chastising [[David]], his young servant, Dominico sends the heroes to find the Kran Spinels to aid in warding off Jessica. Once the heroes return with the jewels, Dominico uses them to create a more effective barrier against Jessica. While he prepares the incantation to erect the barrier, the party engages Jessica outside in an attempt to stall her, discovering in the process that her true objective is David, an heir of one of the seven great sages. After the battle, Dominico's barrier is able to release Jessica from her possession.
The next morning, the Hero and the others find to their surprise that Jessica is missing. While searching for her, the party enters a town called [[Arcadia]], arriving just in time to save a magician named [[Dominico]] from an apparently-possessed Jessica wielding the Sceptre. After chastising [[David]], his young servant, Dominico sends the heroes to find the Kran Spinels to aid in warding off Jessica. Once the heroes return with the jewels, Dominico uses them to create a more effective barrier against Jessica. While he prepares the incantation to erect the barrier, the party engages Jessica outside in an attempt to stall her, discovering in the process that her true objective is David, an heir of one of the seven great sages. After the battle, Dominico's barrier is able to release Jessica from her possession.


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After running an errand for Marta and finding her son Marek, the party comes back to Marta's house only to see it set ablaze by Sir Leopold. Holding her son Marek hostage, Sir Leopold forces Marta to come out and face him. He manages to kill her, and flies away to find the last living heir. Enlisting the aid of the legendary godbird Empyrea, the party tracks Sir Leopold down to the Lord High Priest's mansion and engage him. After putting down the possessed Sir Leopold, he loses his grip on the Sceptre, and dies. The Lord High Priest goes into shock, and faints. Meanwhile, [[Marcello]] (the new abbot, and Angelo's half-brother) enters, and frames the party for attempting to assassinate the Lord High Priest, and has them exiled to [[Purgatory Island]]. Marcello picks up the Sceptre, but manages to resist Lord Rhapthorne's evil influence. He assumes his position of the Lord High Priest thereafter.
After running an errand for Marta and finding her son Marek, the party comes back to Marta's house only to see it set ablaze by Sir Leopold. Holding her son Marek hostage, Sir Leopold forces Marta to come out and face him. He manages to kill her, and flies away to find the last living heir. Enlisting the aid of the legendary godbird Empyrea, the party tracks Sir Leopold down to the Lord High Priest's mansion and engage him. After putting down the possessed Sir Leopold, he loses his grip on the Sceptre, and dies. The Lord High Priest goes into shock, and faints. Meanwhile, [[Marcello]] (the new abbot, and Angelo's half-brother) enters, and frames the party for attempting to assassinate the Lord High Priest, and has them exiled to [[Purgatory Island]]. Marcello picks up the Sceptre, but manages to resist Lord Rhapthorne's evil influence. He assumes his position of the Lord High Priest thereafter.


===Imprisoned===
The party manages to escape from [[Purgatory Island]], returning to face Marcello on the Holy Isle of [[Neos]], and defeats him. In his weakened state, Marcello gives in to Rhapthorne's influence. With all seven sages killed, Rhapthorne is resurrected in flesh and blood. He transforms Neos into the [[Black Citadel]], and raises it into the sky to stage his attack upon the world. The heroes battle their way through the Citadel and defeat Rhapthorne in his first body. However, by doing so, Rhapthorne is able to unleash his full power and incorporate the Black Citadel into himself, transforming himself into a massive devil looming over the land. [[Empyrea]] calls upon the heroes to destroy Rhapthorne once and for all. The Sceptre of Trodain, imbued with Empyrea's essence, is now an essential weapon for the party, able to unlock the power of the seven orbs containing the spirits of the seven sages, to penetrate into Rhapthorne's mighty barrier and engage him in mortal combat. After finally ending the reign of Rhapthorne, the party restored peace to the world. King [[Trode]] and [[Princess Medea]] are changed back to their human forms, and the curse of [[Trodain]], along with its thorns, is lifted and removed.
The party manages to escape from [[Purgatory Island]], returning to face Marcello on the Holy Isle of [[Neos]], and defeats him. In his weakened state, Marcello gives in to Rhapthorne's influence. With all seven sages killed, Rhapthorne is resurrected in flesh and blood. He transforms Neos into the [[Black Citadel]], and raises it into the sky to stage his attack upon the world. The heroes battle their way through the Citadel and defeat Rhapthorne in his first body. However, by doing so, Rhapthorne is able to unleash his full power and incorporate the Black Citadel into himself, transforming himself into a massive devil looming over the land. [[Empyrea]] calls upon the heroes to destroy Rhapthorne once and for all. The Sceptre of Trodain, imbued with Empyrea's essence, is now an essential weapon for the party, able to unlock the power of the seven orbs containing the spirits of the seven sages, to penetrate into Rhapthorne's mighty barrier and engage him in mortal combat. After finally ending the reign of Rhapthorne, the party restored peace to the world. King [[Trode]] and [[Princess Medea]] are changed back to their human forms, and the curse of [[Trodain]], along with its thorns, is lifted and removed.


===The Princess's Wedding===
Seven months later, the Hero is assigned to escort Princess Medea to her arranged wedding with Prince [[Charmles]] of [[Argonia]]. After reuniting with his three friends, the hero sets sail for [[Savella Cathedral]] with the king and princess. Prince Charmles meets with the entourage personally, and forbids the party from attending the ceremony within the cathedral. On the day of the wedding, the Hero manages to slip into the cathedral with Yangus' help. However, the Princess is nowhere to be found. The Hero escapes, and finds the Princess at the cathedral courtyard waiting for him. They return to Trodain in a carriage steered by King Trode, and live happily ever after.
Seven months later, the Hero is assigned to escort Princess Medea to her arranged wedding with Prince [[Charmles]] of [[Argonia]]. After reuniting with his three friends, the hero sets sail for [[Savella Cathedral]] with the king and princess. Prince Charmles meets with the entourage personally, and forbids the party from attending the ceremony within the cathedral. On the day of the wedding, the Hero manages to slip into the cathedral with Yangus' help. However, the Princess is nowhere to be found. The Hero escapes, and finds the Princess at the cathedral courtyard waiting for him. They return to Trodain in a carriage steered by King Trode, and live happily ever after.


===Alternate Ending===
An alternate ending can be achieved once the first ending has been viewed, which unlocks the [[Dragovian]] Realm. A well-experienced party of heroes can challenge the [[Lord of the Dragovians]] at the [[Heavenly Dais]]. If successful, the hero's true origins are revealed, and the alternate ending will replace the first ending, where the player defeats Rhapthorne again. In the alternate ending, the Hero is revealed as the son of the lost Prince [[Eltrio]] of Argonia. His mother was a Dragovian maiden who escaped to the human world and met [[Clavius]]' older brother, but her father did not agree to the relationship and took her home. Following after, the Prince died just short of the Dragovian homeland. The hero was born shortly afterwards, but sentenced to exile in the human world, as his birth took the life of his mother.  Ashamed for his actions, the maiden's father went with his only surviving kin, as the mouse {{Munchie}}. Upon defeating the Dragovian lord, who had become mad after trying to abandon his human form, gives the Hero his father's ring. Clavius, King of Argonia and Prince Charmles' father, acknowledges the hero's right to marry the Princess after seeing the ring, which allows him to finally feel at peace with his lost brother. The two are wed at Savella Cathedral, much to the scorn of Charmles, who is finally confronted by his father over his initiation test earlier in the story. The newlywed couple come out of the cathedral together and embrace each other, much to the surprise of the other party members. They return to Trodain in the same fashion as the first ending, and live happily ever after.
An "alternate ending" can be achieved once the first ending has been viewed, which unlocks the [[Dragovian]] Realm. A well-experienced party of heroes can challenge the [[Lord of the Dragovians]] at the [[Heavenly Dais]]. If successful, the hero's true origins are revealed, and the alternate ending will replace the first ending, where the player defeats Rhapthorne again. In the alternate ending, the Hero is revealed as the son of the lost Prince [[Eltrio]] of Argonia. His mother was a Dragovian maiden who escaped to the human world and met [[Clavius]]' older brother, but her father did not agree to the relationship and took her home. Following after, the Prince died just short of the Dragovian homeland. The hero was born shortly afterwards, but sentenced to exile in the human world, as his birth took the life of his mother.  Ashamed for his actions, the maiden's father went with his only surviving kin, as the mouse {{Munchie}}. Upon defeating the Dragovian lord, who had become mad after trying to abandon his human form, gives the Hero his father's ring. Clavius, King of Argonia and Prince Charmles' father, acknowledges the hero's right to marry the Princess after seeing the ring, which allows him to finally feel at peace with his lost brother. The two are wed at Savella Cathedral, much to the scorn of Charmles, who is finally confronted by his father over his initiation test earlier in the story. The newlywed couple come out of the cathedral together and embrace each other, much to the surprise of the other party members. They return to Trodain in the same fashion as the first ending, and live happily ever after.
{{spoiler|end}}
{{spoiler|end}}


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''Dragon Quest VIII'''s designers include Yuji Horii as scenario director, [[Akira Toriyama]] as the art designer, [[Kōichi Sugiyama]] as the music composer, and the company [[Level-5]] handling development.
''Dragon Quest VIII'''s designers include Yuji Horii as scenario director, [[Akira Toriyama]] as the art designer, [[Kōichi Sugiyama]] as the music composer, and the company [[Level-5]] handling development.


Preliminary development began 2001, with Sony's recently released {{PlayStation 2}} console being considered a logical choice thanks to its breakout sales figures and the popularity of the previous iteration of hardware. Troubled by the rough development period of the previous game and its mixed reception from fans, as well as the drastic changes taking place in the industry during the shift to the sixth generation of console hardware, Yuji Horii struggled to form fresh ideas for what would become the eighth game. During this time a representative of Enix, Tatsuhiro Watanabe, approached [[Akihiko Hino]] of Level-5 over the possibility of developing the next ''Dragon Quest'', explaining that he was deeply impressed with the quality of [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dark_Cloud Dark Cloud]. Hino initially declined the offer, being occupied with the development of Dark Cloud 2 and feeling that such a project was beyond him at the time. However, he and Watanabe would later meet at a drinking party where Hino would list off his several complaints about {{Dragon Quest VII}}. Watanabe responded to this by stating that if he loved the series enough to have so many issues with the latest game, then why not make the next one himself? The Watanabe piqued Hino's interest further by stating that Level-5 would have to develop a working prototype to be compared against other candidates.
Preliminary development began 2001, with Sony's recently released {{PlayStation 2}} console being considered a logical choice thanks to its breakout sales figures and the popularity of the previous iteration of hardware. Troubled by the rough development period of the previous game and its mixed reception from fans, as well as the drastic changes taking place in the industry during the shift to the sixth generation of console hardware, Yuji Horii struggled to form fresh ideas for what would become the eighth game. During this time a representative of Enix, Tatsuhiro Watanabe, approached [[Akihiro Hino]] of Level-5 over the possibility of developing the next ''Dragon Quest'', explaining that he was deeply impressed with the quality of [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dark_Cloud Dark Cloud]. Hino initially declined the offer, being occupied with the development of Dark Cloud 2 and feeling that such a project was beyond him at the time. However, he and Watanabe would later meet at a drinking party where Hino would list off his several complaints about {{Dragon Quest VII}}. Watanabe responded to this by stating that if he loved the series enough to have so many issues with the latest game, then why not make the next one himself? The Watanabe piqued Hino's interest further by stating that Level-5 would have to develop a working prototype to be compared against other candidates.


Hino's competitive spirit was fired up with the context of the selection process being framed as a contest, and Level-5 completed its prototype in December of 2001.  When it was presented to Horii for his evaluation, he was shocked by both the quality of the demo and the strong technical understanding of the {{PlayStation 2}} hardware the company demonstrated. Level-5 was selected as the developer of ''Dragon Quest VIII'' and Hino was appointed as the director, which caused much surprise among Japanese fans of the time as none of the company's staff had any prior involvement with the series. Regardless Hino and his staff proved themselves to be more than capable developers, with ''VIII'' being the only time that a title experienced no delays from its announcement to release.
Hino's competitive spirit was fired up with the context of the selection process being framed as a contest, and Level-5 completed its prototype in December of 2001.  When it was presented to Horii for his evaluation, he was shocked by both the quality of the demo and the strong technical understanding of the {{PlayStation 2}} hardware the company demonstrated. Level-5 was selected as the developer of ''Dragon Quest VIII'' and Hino was appointed as the director, which caused much surprise among Japanese fans of the time as none of the company's staff had any prior involvement with the series. Regardless Hino and his staff proved themselves to be more than capable developers, with ''VIII'' being the only time that a title experienced no delays from its announcement to release.


Being developed by Level-5, with many staffers being fans of the series since their childhood, ''VIII'' is a love letter to the entire franchise. Several characters from previous {{Main Series}} games make a cameo appearance, among which are the [[Martial Artist]] and [[Warrior]] from {{Dragon Quest III}}; {{Ragnar}}, [[Healie]], and {{Torneko Taloon}} from {{Dragon Quest IV}}; There is even an [[Lord of the Dragovians|allusion]] to the [[Dragonlord]] from {{Dragon Quest}} present. Additionally, extra care was taken to ensure that the feel of the classic titles was maintained in all aspects, such as using a stopwatch to time how long it takes for the magic sound effect to play after a spell is cast to even the time of opening and closing the menu compared to the 8-bit titles. Level-5's prowess with the {{PS2}} hardware also invigorated Toriyama and Sugiyama, who were able to rely on the company to realize the more detailed character designs and richer compositions they had prepared. In regards to the former, the staff watched several dozen hours of the anime adaptation of Toriyama's ''Dragon Ball'' in preparation for developing the walking, speaking, and battle animations.
Being developed by Level-5, with many staffers being fans of the series since their childhood, ''VIII'' is a love letter to the entire franchise. Several characters from previous {{Main Series}} games make a cameo appearance, among which are the [[Martial Artist]] and [[Warrior]] from {{Dragon Quest III}}; {{Ragnar}}, [[Healie]], and [[Torneko Taloon]] from {{Dragon Quest IV}}; There is even an [[Lord of the Dragovians|allusion]] to the [[Dragonlord]] from {{Dragon Quest}} present. Additionally, extra care was taken to ensure that the feel of the classic titles was maintained in all aspects, such as using a stopwatch to time how long it takes for the magic sound effect to play after a spell is cast to even the time spent opening and closing the menu compared to the 8-bit titles. Level-5's prowess with the {{PS2}} hardware also invigorated Toriyama and Sugiyama, who were able to rely on the company to realize the more detailed character designs and richer compositions they had prepared. In regards to the former, the staff watched several dozen hours of the anime adaptation of Toriyama's ''Dragon Ball'' in preparation for developing the walking, speaking, and battle animations.


===Localization===
===Localization===
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* New ending with [[Jessica Albert|a certain lady]] and some minor additional scenes leading to it were added.
* New ending with [[Jessica Albert|a certain lady]] and some minor additional scenes leading to it were added.
*New sets of outfits for every playable character.
*New sets of outfits for every playable character.
*The Hero keeps his bandana when going into high-[[tension]] mode.
*The Hero keeps his bandana when going into high-[[tension]] mode, losing the super saiyan hair.
*Some of the most revealing outfits for Jessica were toned down or altered.
*Some of the most revealing outfits for Jessica were toned down or altered.
*Two scenes, one involving [[David]] and another involving Marcello, were also toned down.
*Two scenes were toned down by censoring  [[David]] being forced to eat dog food and Marcello no longer stabbing himself with a dagger to snap himself out of Rapthorne's control.
*New "rarified" monsters that only appear under specific conditions, like [[Cherreevil Blossom]], [[Crème caraslime]], or [[Morrimp]].
*New [[Rarefied monster]]s that only appear under specific conditions, like [[Cherreevil Blossom]], [[Crème caraslime]], or [[Morrimp]].
*A [[Cameron's Codex|new camera mode]] is available. There are several sidequests related to it, giving players rare rewards. The last few quests contain a [[Stella|a character]] from {{Dragon Quest IX}}. The game includes a limited photo editor for pictures taken with the new mode.
*A [[Cameron's Codex|new camera mode]] is available. There are several sidequests related to it, giving players rare rewards. The last few quests contain a [[Stella|a character]] from {{Dragon Quest IX}}. The game includes a limited photo editor for pictures taken with the new mode.
*There is DLC equipment in this release, most notably {{Erdrick's sword}}.
*There is DLC equipment in this release, most notably {{Erdrick's sword}}.
*New items were added. With a couple of the new items, players to ride a [[Silver sabrecat|silver]] and a black great sabrecats.
*New items were added. With a couple of the new items, players to ride a [[Silver sabrecat|silver]] and a black great sabrecats.
*Some bosses, skills and spells were re-balanced. The most notable example is the [[Twin Dragon Lash]] skill.
*Some bosses, skills and spells were re-balanced. The most notable example is the [[Twin Dragon Lash]] skill being nerfed considerably.
*[[Princess Minnie]]'s rewards are expanded. Some include new weapons and even costumes.
*[[Princess Minnie]]'s rewards are expanded. Some include new weapons and even costumes.
*A [[Walking corpse]] operates a night shop in [[Arcadia]] where a [[Seed of skill] can be purchased once every 24 hours in real time.
*A [[Walking corpse]] operates a night shop in [[Arcadia]] where a [[Seed of skill] can be purchased once every 24 hours in real time.


==Trivia==
==Trivia==
*''VIII'' is the first, and so far only, entry in the main series to begin with a battle sequence. This is a response to fan criticism of }{{VII}}'s notorious prologue.
*''VIII'' is the first, and so far only, entry in the main series to begin with a battle sequence. This is a response to fan criticism of {{VII}}'s notoriously long prologue.
*On {{PS2}}, ''DQ VIII'' had synthesised music in Japan, and orchestral elsewhere. On {{3DS}}, the situation was the opposite: orchestral music in Japan, and synth everywhere else.
*On {{PS2}}, ''DQ VIII'' had synthesised music in Japan, and orchestral elsewhere. On {{3DS}}, the situation was the opposite: orchestral music in Japan, and synth everywhere else.
*[[Angelo]] cannot be seen in any of the game's box artworks despite joining the party relatively early in the game.
*[[Angelo]] cannot be seen in any of the game's box artworks despite joining the party early in the game.


==Credits==
==Credits==
===Core design group===
{| class="wikitable sortable"
*Scenario & game design: [[Yuji Horii]]
|+ Core design group
! Role
! Staff
|----------
|Scenario & game design
|[[Yuji Horii]]
|----------
|Character & monster design
|[[Akira Toriyama]]
|----------
|Music composer
|[[Kōichi Sugiyama]]
|----------
|Director
|[[Akihiro Hino]]
|----------
|rowspan="4 |Scenario staff
|Jin Fujisawa
|-
|Atsushi Narita
|-
|Amo Kamimura
|-
|Shigeki Nakadera
|----------
|}


*Character & monster design: [[Akira Toriyama]]
{| class="wikitable sortable"
*Music composer: [[Kōichi Sugiyama]]
|+ Level-5 staff
*Director: [[Akihiro Hino]]
! Role
*Scenario staff: Jin Fujisawa, Atsushi Narita, Amo Kamimura, Shigeki Nakadera
! Staff
|----------
|Programming director
|Yasuhiro Akasaka
|----------
|3D system programmer
|Kenji Matsusue
|----------
|rowspan="2 |Main programmer
|Tomohiro Misei
|-
|Yoichi Kawaguchi
|----------
|rowspan="2 |Battle system program
|Takayuki Kobayashi
|-
|Koji Chado
|-
|Mamoru Itagaki
|----------
|Motion systems & plug-ins
|Makoto Shikasho
|----------
|rowspan="9 |Scenario script
|Masahiro Noda
|-
|Yoshio Fukushima
|-
|Tetsu Konno
|-
|Yukinori Yamaguchi
|-
|Keiji Noda
|-
|Naohiro Ikeda
|-
|Takaharu Takesada
|-
|Kiyonori Tsutsumi
|-
|Kazuma Shinkawa
|----------
|Programming support
|Usuke Kumagai
|----------
|Character director
|Jun Sonobe
|----------
|Main character models & motion
|Akiyuki Tomita
|----------
|Sub-character design
|Tomokazu Arisaka
|----------
|rowspan="6 |Sub-character models & motion
|-
|Kengo Todaka
|-
|Shinya Hayakawa
|-
|Chie Sasaki
|-
|Hiroto Jinnouchi
|-
|Akiko Shigeto
|-
|Jun Suzuki
|----------
|rowspan="2 |Event motion
|Emiko Ikeuchi
|-
|Takashi Hara
|----------
|rowspan="6 |2D Graphics design
|Noriaki Sonoda
|-
|Miho Tanaka
|-
|Noriko Maruya
|-
|Kazuyuki Koga
|-
|Takahiro Koshio
|-
|Yukari Fujiki
|----------
|Event movie arrangement
|Eiji Ishii
|----------
|Monster & effects director
|Ken Motomura
|----------
|rowspan="12 |Monster models & motion
|Jun Maeda
|-
|Takahiro Fujimatsu
|-
|Takehiro Fujii
|-
|Tomoe Ueda
|-
|Yoshiaki Kusuda
|-
|Hiroshi Niwa
|-
|Hiroshi Sawano
|-
|Takayoshi Hirose
|-
|Kenichi Kurakari
|-
|Yuuki Kokubu
|-
|Takeshi Akasaka
|-
|Mineaki Sugata
|----------
|rowspan="4 |Effects design
|Yoshiaki Kōya
|-
|Rika Yamashita
|-
|Youhei Fujimura
|-
|Mitsuhito Nakajo
|----------
|rowspan="2 |Art directors
|Takayuki Sameshima
|-
|Kazunari Matsuo
|----------
|rowspan="3 |Original backgrounds
|Shinichi Matsumoto
|-
|Nobuyuki Yanai
|-
|Kaoru Minami
|----------
|rowspan="22 |Map graphics
|Naoko Mori
|-
|Miyuki Sumiyoshi
|-
|Noboru Tsuda
|-
|Tadahiro Masuya
|-
|Wataru Shimanouchi
|-
|Akari Uchino
|-
|Hisami Miyamoto
|-
|Daisuke Koga
|-
|Kōsuke Uemura
|-
|Yasuyoshi Sasaki
|-
|Tatsuya Asano
|-
|Hidenobu Sasaki
|-
|Kengo Okabe
|-
|Yasuhito Tsugimoto
|-
|Hiroshi Matsuyama
|-
|Tetsuya Maeda
|-
|Nahoko Kawabata
|-
|Satoshi Baba
|-
|Masako Arakawa
|-
|Daisuke Simakawa
|-
|Naotsugu Zushi
|-
|Yasuhiro Fukuyama
|----------
|Sound effects
|Dai Yamanaka
|----------
|rowspan="3 |Sound production support
|Tomohito Nishiura
|-
|Yumiko Hashizume
|-
|Takeshi Inoue
|----------
|rowspan="10 |Special thanks
|Takeshi Majima
|-
|Taku Tanaka
|-
|Jiro Morinaga
|-
|Keiji Nagao
|-
|Koji Hori
|-
|Noriko Ikeura
|-
|Tatsuru Nakaza
|-
|Yukiko Harada
|-
|Tomoko Hirayabu
|-
|Asako Fujita
|----------
|}


===Level-5 Inc.===
{| class="wikitable sortable"
*Programming director: Yasuhiro Akasaka
|+ Music & vocal production
! Role
! Staff
|----------
|Music
|Tokyo Metropolitan Symphony Orchestra, conducted by Kōichi Sugiyama
|----------
|rowspan="3 |Music programming
|Kōichi Sugiyama (SUGIYAMA KOBO)
|-
|Hidenori Miyanaga (TOSE)
|-
|Ryoue Takagi (TOSE)
|----------
|Dialogue production
|SIDE UK LTD.
|----------
|rowspan="2 |Voice casting
|Andy Emery
|-
|Cheryl Prince
|----------
|Voice direction
|Kate Saxon
|----------
|Sound engineer (dialogue)
|Ant Hales
|----------
|rowspan="11 |Lead actors
|Ricky Grover
|-
|Emma Ferguson
|-
|Blake Ritson (as Blake Riston)
|-
|Jon Glover
|-
|Victoria Shalet
|-
|Josh Cohen
|-
|Keith Wickham
|-
|Brian Bowels
|-
|Richard Pearce
|-
|Jessica Martin
|-
|Jonathan Keeble
|----------
|rowspan="25 |Other actors
|Kerry Shale
|-
|Sarah Hadland
|-
|Cate Debenham
|-
|Morwenna Banks
|-
|Simon Greenall
|-
|Stephen Grief
|-
|David Holt
|-
|Eve Karpf
|-
|Jo Wyatt
|-
|Jon Voce
|-
|Jonathan Kydd
|-
|Peter Dickson
|-
|Ewan Bailey
|-
|Emma Tate
|-
|Robbie Stevens
|-
|Stephen Critchlow
|-
|Caroline Bernstein
|-
|Lewis Macleod
|-
|Maria Darling
|-
|Mark Silk
|-
|Walter Lewis
|-
|Rob Rackstraw
|-
|Laurel Lefkow
|-
|Rupert Degas
|-
|Jack Burke
|----------
|}


*3D system programmer: Kenji Matsusue
{| class="wikitable sortable"
|+ Square Enix Co., Ltd.
! Role
! Staff
|----------
|Project management Division 4th Unit - General Manager
|Yū Miyake
|----------
|Project management Division 4th Unit - Public Relations
|Ryoichi Kuramochi
|----------
|rowspan="3 |Project management Division 4th Unit - Staff
|Takamasa Shiba
|-
|Hiroshi Satō
|-
|Mayumi Takita
|----------
|Localization director
|Jin Kimura
|----------
|Translation director
|Richard Mark Honeywood
|----------
|rowspan="3 |Translators
|Will Blatchley (PLUS ALPHA TRANSLATIONS)
|-
|Clare Saracine (PLUS ALPHA TRANSLATIONS)
|-
|Matt Alt (ALTJAPAN)
|-
|Hiroko Yoda (ALTJAPAN)
|----------
|Localization editor
|Morgan Rushton
|----------
|rowspan="2 |Localization assistants
|Naima Yamamoto
|-
|Mizue Uda
|----------
|Other localization staff
|Yuko Tomizawa
|----------
|Localization general manager
|Masashi Hiramatsu
|----------
|QA coordinator
|Koji Numata
|----------
|QA assistant planner
|Mikihiro Hayashi
|----------
|rowspan="2 |QA technical engineers
|Kazuya Okamoto
|-
|Hisato Iwatsuki
|----------
|QA technical assistants
|Yusuke Sadamasa
|----------
|QA senior tester
|Minako Ikeda
|----------
|rowspan="8 |QA testers
|Masaki Nakamura
|-
|Akira Morishita
|-
|Yasuhiro Hayashida
|-
|Kenichi Yamamoto
|-
|Mei Ito
|-
|Takaaki Hagiwara
|-
|Shinya Kawamura
|-
|...and all other QA staff
|----------
|QA technical director
|Hideyuki Kato
|----------
|QA manager
|Yukihiro Shibuya
|----------
|QA general manager
|Koji Yamashita
|----------
|Senior vice president & General Manager (publicity)
|Koji Taguchi
|----------
|rowspan="3 |Publicity staff
|Minako Gotō
|-
|Ayako Kawamoto
|-
|Makiko Noda
|----------
|rowspan="4 |Ratings advisors
|Hiroko Hamada
|-
|Reiko Kondo
|-
|Sueko Kogai
|-
|Akira Kashiwagi
|----------
|Legal manager
|Ayako Hino
|----------
|rowspan="6 |Special thanks
|SUGIYAMA KOBO
|-
|Katsuyoshi Nakatsuru
|-
|Kaori Okada
|-
|Keiji Honda
|-
|Katrin Darolle
|-
|Hiroshi Hatajima (GAL ENTERPRISE)
|----------
|rowspan="4 |Assistant producers
|Eisuke Yokoyama
|-
|Noriyoshi Fujimoto
|-
|Naofumi Matsushita
|-
|Naomi Ozawa
|----------
|rowspan="2 |Producers
|Ryutaro Ichimura
|-
|Yoshiki Watabe
|----------
|rowspan="2 |Chief producers
|Yū Miyake
|-
|Taichi Inuzuka
|----------
|General producer
|Yukinobu Chida
|----------
|Publisher
|Yōichi Wada
|----------
|}


*Main programmer: Tomohiro Misei, Yoichi Kawaguchi
{| class="wikitable sortable"
|+ Square Enix, Inc.
! Role
! Staff
|----------
|Quality assurance manager
|David Carrillo (Ribs)
|----------
|Assistant QA manager
|Mohammed A. C. Wright
|----------
|Senior QA coordinator
|Aaron J. Adams
|----------
|QA associate
|Jason Sanders
|----------
|QA coordinator
|Mathew A. Clift
|----------
|rowspan="3 |Assistant coordinators
|Alfred Holz
|-
|Greg Melancon
|-
|Robert Allen Peeler
|----------
|rowspan="20| QA team
|Sam Baek
|-
|Cheryl Baker
|-
|Tim Bui
|-
|Carmelo Cabezo
|-
|John Clark
|-
|Kythera Contreras
|-
|Jesyka D'Itri
|-
|John Fournier
|-
|Jeremy G. F. Goldsmith
|-
|Chandler Green
|-
|Cassidy Hammermeister
|-
|Isagani Camangian
|-
|Alicia Y. Kim (Alicia Kim)
|-
|Harley Meeks
|-
|Max P. Mena
|-
|Matt Sanchez
|-
|Lila Shin
|-
|Adam Raun
|-
|Steven Ray
|-
|Kien Trieu
|----------
|rowspan="3 |QA translators
|Arthur T. Kawamoto
|-
|Emi Bliss
|-
|Kazuo M. Tanaka
|----------
|Localization manager
|Yutaka Sano
|----------
|rowspan="3 |Public relations
|Sonia Im
|-
|Kumiko Hakushi
|-
|Frederick K. Hashi
|----------
|rowspan="4 |Product marketing
|Fernando Bustamante
|-
|Felice V. Wu
|-
|Philip Ser
|-
|Dais Kawaguchi
|----------
|rowspan="3 |Marketing communications
|Patrick H. Cervantes
|-
|Jonathan Cooperson
|-
|Tim Law
|----------
|rowspan="2 |Sales
|Alaine C. de Leon
|-
|Traci Jones, Shundea K. Brooks
|----------
|Legal counsel
|Neal Black
|----------
|Executive director, Sales & Marketing
|Shinji Futami
|----------
|Senior vice president
|Shinji Hashimoto
|----------
|President & COO
|Daishiro Okada
|}


*Battle system program: Takayuki Kobayashi, Koji Chado, Mamoru Itagaki
*Motion systems & plug-ins: Makoto Shikasho
*Scenario script: Masahiro Noda, Yoshio Fukushima, Tetsu Konno, Yukinori Yamaguchi, Keiji Noda, Naohiro Ikeda, Takaharu Takesada, Kiyonori Tsutsumi, Kazuma Shinkawa
*Programming support: Usuke Kumagai
*Character director: Jun Sonobe
*Main character models & motion: Akiyuki Tomita
*Sub-character design: Tomokazu Arisaka
*Sub-character models & motion: Kengo Todaka, Shinya Hayakawa, Chie Sasaki, Hiroto Jinnouchi, Akiko Shigeto, Jun Suzuki
*Event motion: Emiko Ikeuchi, Takashi Hara
*2D Graphics design: Noriaki Sonoda, Miho Tanaka, Noriko Maruya, Kazuyuki Koga, Takahiro Koshio, Yukari Fujiki
*Event movie arrangement: Eiji Ishii
*Monster & effects director: Ken Motomura
*Monster models & motion: Jun Maeda, Takahiro Fujimatsu, Takehiro Fujii, Tomoe Ueda, Yoshiaki Kusuda, Hiroshi Niwa, Hiroshi Sawano, Takayoshi Hirose, Kenichi Kurakari, Yuuki Kokubu, Takeshi Akasaka, Mineaki Sugata
*Effects design: Yoshiaki Kōya, Rika Yamashita, Youhei Fujimura, Mitsuhito Nakajo
*Art directors: Takayuki Sameshima, Kazunari Matsuo
*Original backgrounds: Shinichi Matsumoto, Nobuyuki Yanai, Kaoru Minami
*Map graphics: Naoko Mori, Miyuki Sumiyoshi, Noboru Tsuda, Tadahiro Masuya, Wataru Shimanouchi, Akari Uchino, Hisami Miyamoto, Daisuke Koga, Kōsuke Uemura, Yasuyoshi Sasaki, Tatsuya Asano, Hidenobu Sasaki, Kengo Okabe, Yasuhito Tsugimoto, Hiroshi Matsuyama, Tetsuya Maeda, Nahoko Kawabata, Satoshi Baba, Masako Arakawa, Daisuke Simakawa, Naotsugu Zushi, Yasuhiro Fukuyama
*Sound effects: Dai Yamanaka
*Sound production support: Tomohito Nishiura, Yumiko Hashizume, Takeshi Inoue
*Special thanks: Takeshi Majima, Taku Tanaka, Jiro Morinaga, Keiji Nagao, Koji Hori, Noriko Ikeura, Tatsuru Nakaza, Yukiko Harada, Tomoko Hirayabu, Asako Fujita
*Music: Tokyo Metropolitan Symphony Orchestra, conducted by Kōichi Sugiyama
*Music programming: Kōichi Sugiyama (SUGIYAMA KOBO), Hidenori Miyanaga (TOSE), Ryoue Takagi (TOSE)
*Dialogue production: SIDE UK LTD.
*Voice casting: Andy Emery, Cheryl Prince
*Voice direction: Kate Saxon
*Sound engineer (dialogue): Ant Hales
*Lead actors: Ricky Grover, Emma Ferguson, Blake Ritson (as Blake Riston), Jon Glover, Victoria Shalet, Josh Cohen, Keith Wickham, Brian Bowels, Richard Pearce, Jessica Martin, Jonathan Keeble
*Other actors: Kerry Shale, Sarah Hadland, Cate Debenham, Morwenna Banks, Simon Greenall, Stephen Grief, David Holt, Eve Karpf, Jo Wyatt, Jon Voce, Jonathan Kydd, Peter Dickson, Ewan Bailey, Emma Tate, Robbie Stevens, Stephen Critchlow, Caroline Bernstein, Lewis Macleod, Maria Darling, Mark Silk, Walter Lewis, Rob Rackstraw, Laurel Lefkow, Rupert Degas, Jack Burke
===Square Enix Co., Ltd.===
*Project management Division 4th Unit (Dragon Quest Series) - General Manager Yū Miyake
*Project management Division 4th Unit (Dragon Quest Series) - Public Relations Ryoichi Kuramochi
*Project management Division 4th Unit (Dragon Quest Series) Staff Takamasa Shiba, Hiroshi Satō, Mayumi Takita
*Localization director: Jin Kimura
*Translation director: Richard Mark Honeywood
*Translators: Will Blatchley (PLUS ALPHA TRANSLATIONS), Clare Saracine (PLUS ALPHA TRANSLATIONS), Matt Alt (ALTJAPAN), Hiroko Yoda (ALTJAPAN)
*Localization editor: Morgan Rushton
*Localization assistants: Naima Yamamoto, Mizue Uda
*Other localization staff: Yuko Tomizawa
*Localization general manager: Masashi Hiramatsu
*QA coordinator: Koji Numata
*QA assistant planner: Mikihiro Hayashi
*QA technical engineers: Kazuya Okamoto, Hisato Iwatsuki
*QA technical assistants: Yusuke Sadamasa
*QA senior tester: Minako Ikeda
*QA testers: Masaki Nakamura, Akira Morishita, Yasuhiro Hayashida, Kenichi Yamamoto, Mei Ito, Takaaki Hagiwara, Shinya Kawamura, ...and all other QA staff
*QA technical director: Hideyuki Kato
*QA manager: Yukihiro Shibuya
*QA general manager: Koji Yamashita
*Senior vice president & General Manager (publicity): Koji Taguchi
*Publicity staff: Minako Gotō, Ayako Kawamoto, Makiko Noda
*Ratings advisors: Hiroko Hamada, Reiko Kondo, Sueko Kogai, Akira Kashiwagi
*Legal manager: Ayako Hino
*Special thanks: SUGIYAMA KOBO, Katsuyoshi Nakatsuru, Kaori Okada, Keiji Honda, Katrin Darolle, Hiroshi Hatajima (GAL ENTERPRISE)
*Assistant producers: Eisuke Yokoyama, Noriyoshi Fujimoto, Naofumi Matsushita, Naomi Ozawa
*Producers: Ryutaro Ichimura, Yoshiki Watabe
*Chief producers: Yū Miyake, Taichi Inuzuka
*General producer: Yukinobu Chida
*Publisher: Yōichi Wada
===Square Enix, Inc.===
*Quality assurance manager: David Carrillo (Ribs)
*Assistant QA manager: Mohammed A. C. Wright
*Senior QA coordinator: Aaron J. Adams
*QA associate: Jason Sanders
*QA coordinator: Mathew A. Clift
*Assistant coordinators: Alfred Holz, Greg Melancon, Robert Allen Peeler
*QA team: Sam Baek, Cheryl Baker, Tim Bui, Carmelo Cabezo, John Clark, Kythera Contreras, Jesyka D'Itri, John Fournier, Jeremy G. F. Goldsmith, Chandler Green, Cassidy Hammermeister, Isagani Camangian, Alicia Y. Kim (Alicia Kim), Harley Meeks, Max P. Mena, Matt Sanchez, Lila Shin, Adam Raun, Steven Ray, Kien Trieu
*QA translators: Arthur T. Kawamoto, Emi Bliss, Kazuo M. Tanaka
*Localization manager: Yutaka Sano
*Public relations: Sonia Im, Kumiko Hakushi, Frederick K. Hashi
*Product marketing: Fernando Bustamante, Felice V. Wu, Philip Ser, Dais Kawaguchi
*Marketing communications: Patrick H. Cervantes, Jonathan Cooperson, Tim Law
*Sales: Alaine C. de Leon, Traci Jones, Shundea K. Brooks
*Legal counsel: Neal Black
*Executive director, Sales & Marketing Shinji Futami
*Senior vice president Shinji Hashimoto
*President & COO: Daishiro Okada
===Square Enix, Ltd.===
*President and CEO: John Yamamoto
*Senior vice president: Tomohiro Yoshikai
*Senior vice president - sales and marketing: Michael Sherlock
*Senior European marketing manager: David Dyett
*Marketing communications manager: Stéphanie Journau
*PR managers: Alex Huhtala, Charlotte Fraczek
*Associate manager - marketing & PR: Abbass Hussain
*Chief of production department: Sebastian Ohsan Berthelsen
*Associate localisation producer: Yuko Tomizawa
*QA supervisor: André Woitczyk
*Technical assistance: Alex Moresby
*QA coordinator (English team): Morgan Rushton
*QA coordinator (French team): Isaak Vié
*QA coordinator (German team): Stefanie Jahn
*QA coordinators (Italian team): Alessandro Bovenzi, Carlo Trevisan
*QA coordinator (Spanish team): Ricardo Robredo Quintana
*English QA team: Lao Akintoye, Oli Chance, Alex De Moller, Sofie Dodgson, Liban Hassan
*French QA team: Cindy Bamba, Julien Bouille, Laure Deslandes, Eric Lestang, Jess Mallevre, Selçuk Sarpdag, Dimitri Siger-Perian
*German QA team: Jay S. Bannmüller, David Gudisch, Inna Kaysina, Larissa Kogleck, Alastair Morse, Nora Neye, Miika Virtanen, Matthias Winter, Joe Witt
*Italian QA team: Dario de Cesare, Rachele Dini, Mario Donisi, Enrico Ghira, Lorenzo Grimaldi, Riccardo Rossi
*Spanish QA team: Ivette Bermúdez Cañete, Juan Carlos Chaparro, Álvaro Fernández González, Iria Lamas Pérez, Ana Lastra Álvarez, Raúl Nieto García, Píndaro Vargas-Farías, Alejandro Vivancos Galiano
*Localisation team: Stefanie Deinet, Geneviève Marier-Howard, Rafael Rios Perez
*Special thanks to: Katrin Darolle, Antonio Marfuggi, Joshua Wong, Ikuyo Sanford, Rustam Roy, Kumiko Kondo, Tomoko Nunomura, Toshio Murouchi, Michel Sainisch, Phil Spencer, Mark Bulley, Saori Hill, Andy Clark, Andi Ewington, Jo Wain, Anthony Hinds, Kirk O'Connor, Jim Smith


{| class="wikitable sortable"
|+ Square Enix, Ltd.
! Role
! Staff
|----------
|President and CEO
|John Yamamoto
|----------
|Senior vice president
|Tomohiro Yoshikai
|----------
|Senior vice president - sales and marketing
|Michael Sherlock
|----------
|Senior European marketing manager
|David Dyett
|----------
|Marketing communications manager
|Stéphanie Journau
|----------
|rowspan="2 |PR managers
|Alex Huhtala
|-
|Charlotte Fraczek
|----------
|Associate manager - marketing & PR
|Abbass Hussain
|----------
|Chief of production department
|Sebastian Ohsan Berthelsen
|----------
|Associate localisation producer
|Yuko Tomizawa
|----------
|QA supervisor
|André Woitczyk
|----------
|Technical assistance
|Alex Moresby
|----------
|QA coordinator (English team)
|Morgan Rushton
|----------
|QA coordinator (French team)
|Isaak Vié
|----------
|QA coordinator (German team)
|Stefanie Jahn
|----------
|rowspan="2 |QA coordinators (Italian team)
|Alessandro Bovenzi
|-
|Carlo Trevisan
|----------
|QA coordinator (Spanish team)
|Ricardo Robredo Quintana
|----------
|rowspan="5 |English QA team
|Lao Akintoye
|-
|Oli Chance
|-
|Alex De Moller
|-
|Sofie Dodgson
|-
|Liban Hassan
|----------
|rowspan="7 |French QA team
|Cindy Bamba
|-
|Julien Bouille
|-
|Laure Deslandes
|-
|Eric Lestang
|-
|Jess Mallevre
|-
|Selçuk Sarpdag
|-
|Dimitri Siger-Perian
|----------
|rowspan="9 |German QA team
|Jay S. Bannmüller
|-
|David Gudisch
|-
|Inna Kaysina
|-
|Larissa Kogleck
|-
|Alastair Morse
|-
|Nora Neye
|-
|Miika Virtanen
|-
|Matthias Winter
|-
|Joe Witt
|----------
|rowspan="6 |Italian QA team
|Dario de Cesare
|-
|Rachele Dini
|-
|Mario Donisi
|-
|Enrico Ghira
|-
|Lorenzo Grimaldi
|-
|Riccardo Rossi
|----------
|rowspan="8 |Spanish QA team
|Ivette Bermúdez Cañete
|-
|Juan Carlos Chaparro
|-
|Álvaro Fernández González
|-
|Iria Lamas Pérez
|-
|Ana Lastra Álvarez
|-
|Raúl Nieto García
|-
|Píndaro Vargas-Farías
|-
|Alejandro Vivancos Galiano
|----------
|rowspan="3 |Localisation team
|Stefanie Deinet
|-
|Geneviève Marier-Howard
|-
|Rafael Rios Perez
|----------
|rowspan="18 |Special thanks to
|Katrin Darolle
|-
|Antonio Marfuggi
|-
|Joshua Wong
|-
|Ikuyo Sanford
|-
|Rustam Roy
|-
|Kumiko Kondo
|-
|Tomoko Nunomura
|-
|Toshio Murouchi
|-
|Michel Sainisch
|-
|Phil Spencer
|-
|Mark Bulley
|-
|Saori Hill
|-
|Andy Clark
|-
|Andi Ewington
|-
|Jo Wain
|-
|Anthony Hinds
|-
|Kirk O'Connor
|-
|Jim Smith
|}
==Gallery==
==Gallery==
<center><gallery>
<center><gallery>
Retrieved from "https://dragon-quest.org/wiki/Dragon_Quest_VIII:_Journey_of_the_Cursed_King"