Dragon Quest VII: Fragments of the Forgotten Past: Difference between revisions

The main flow of the game is different than the other ''Dragon Quest'' games; instead of exploring one large world, the party goes to separate continents by placing stone shards into their appropriate pedestals in the Shrine of Mysteries. Once all of the missing shards are located and placed for a particular pedestal, the party is transported to the trapped location in the past. After solving whatever problems plague the location, the party then travels back to the present. From there, they can travel via boat, carpet, or sky stone to the modern version of the location they just saved. These saved lands appear on the main map, although the originals (from the past) can only be revisited through the ruins.  

Like most of the other ''Dragon Quest'' games, this game has several mini-games to participate in. The Haven, similar to the one in ''Dragon Quest IV'', lets the player recruit people from various towns. They then live in the town, which changes depending on the type of people living there (e.g. several merchants will bring more stores to the town). As usual, a prominent feature is the casino: poker, slot machines, and luck panel can all be played in ''VII''.

The Ranking Association allows the player to compete for the highest stats, like the Best Dressed Contest from ''[[Dragon Quest VI]]''. The player can also [[Monster recruitment|catch monsters]], although they are only displayed in the [[Monster Meadows]], unlike in ''[[Dragon Quest V]]'', where monsters fought alongside the party. Blueprints are found to add new environments to the park, allowing space for nearly every monster.

''Dragon Quest VII'' retains the vocation system introduced in ''VI'' for learning abilities. The game also includes '''thirty-four''' Monster Vocations, which can be unlocked by using the appropriate Monster Heart at [[Alltrades Abbey]], or by mastering prerequisite Monster forms. This allows a party member to transform into a monster during battle, gaining the resistances (and vulnerabilities) of that species.

The ability to [[Monster recruitment|catch monsters]] functions similarly to the Super Famicom version of ''VI'', although they no longer participate in battle. Instead, tamed monsters are sent off to a nature preserve called [[Monster Meadows]]: here the monsters can be seen in their natural environment and be interacted with in the same manner as human NPCs. Blueprints are found to add new environments to the park, allowing space for nearly every monster.

The Immigrant Town in the original PSX, similar to the one in remakes of ''Dragon Quest IV'', lets the player recruit NPCs from various towns. They then live in the town, which changes depending on the type of people living there (e.g. a high concentration of merchants will begin to turn the town into a mini-Mecca). The town will change suddenly once its population reaches a benchmark, with each stage having its own treasures to find. If the player is dissatisfied with how the town developed or missed some items, they can revert to a previous stage by kicking out enough citizens.

 

In the 3DS remake, the town is renamed to The Haven, where monsters who have managed to become human can be sent after encountering the player.

==Plot==

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''Dragon Quest VII'' tells the story of a young hero, the son of a prominent fisherman in the village of Pilchard Bay on Estard Island, the only land mass in the world, and his friends in a fantastical, medieval-like world. They set out on adventures through the world's past and learn about its history. Upon discovering different lands in the past and solving the troubles, they reappear in the game's present-day map.

The party begins their adventure when the hero and Kiefer discovers a mysterious stone fragment of a map his father brings home from a fishing trip. Further investigations lead him to discover that the world he lives on, which seems to consist of only his small island, used to contain many continents that have somehow been sealed away. By placing found shards on pedestals in Estard's ruins, the Hero and his friends are sent to different lands in the past which the party eventually realizes. Once they solve the problems in the area's past, the land masses appear in the present.

After the world is restored, Orgodemir, the Demonlord, disguises himself as God and seals several of the islands away once again; this time Estard is sealed as well. The party sets out to revive the elemental spirits: Wind; Fire; Earth; and Water. Orgodemir is then revealed as the Demon Lord to the world whereupon he claims to have done so to trick humanity. Orgodemir then raises his Dark Palace and with the aid of the Flying Rock, the party confronts him in a final battle.

'''''For a full synopsis on events that happen in Dragon Quest VII, click on the Dragon Quest VII navigational tool.'''''

* Vocation ranks go up faster.