05/01/2014

Dragon Quest IX-The Elusive Solo Run (3): Why it is so good




Here comes the third part of my Solo Run feature, in which I will focus on the various reasons that make a Solo Run such an enjoyable and unique experience. A Solo Run of Dragon Quest IX is, indeed, a rather fascinating experience, which sheds a different light on the whole game. Some elements tend to be magnified by it, others reduced or entirely erased, creating a different game experience from the one you would have playing with a full-blown party. Here are the reasons that make this experience unique and well worth-trying:

The “Chosen One” factor

A Solo Run tremendously reinforces the feeling of being THE Lonely Hero who bears on their frail shoulders (or maybe not so frail, as we’ll see in the next paragraph) the responsibility of saving the whole world. Wandering alone on the huge world map is an experience like no other; it casts you as a lone ranger in a massive world and makes you truly feel like a full-fledged explorer. On top of that, it makes your experience more cohesive with the story and the cutscenes, where you always appear alone, and removes the unsatisfying experience of having your party members starring virtually no role in the storyline and never appearing in the said cutscenes. 

The “Overpowered” factor

As I mentioned in my post about the misconceptions related to the Solo Run, there is definitely a sweet and exhilarating thrill in controlling a single character that may ultimately become able to wield every single weapon in the game and to master every spell, attack and ability, which is achieved by raising both the weapon and passive skills stats to 100, along with tackling all the sidequests related to the access to extra classes and special attacks. Even more thrilling is the fact that you can reach this ultimate and comprehensive mastery much earlier than you would while playing with a full party, due to the faster leveling-up process. I personally managed to get the twelve available classes and raise ALL my stats to 100 after roughly 65 hours of gameplay, thus gaining access to this delicious state of mastery, and then spent the rest of my playthrough toying endlessly with the many possibilities that were offered to me and enjoying them to the fullest. 

The “Get the Best Gear” factor

This may be a mere detail, but it is one that definitely has some importance in RPGs. By playing Solo, you will always have enough monetary resources to buy the best equipment available right away in every new town you visit, being thus as fully prepared as you can for the unavoidable local challenge that lies ahead and avoiding the frustration of being taunted by tempting yet unaffordable items, lest you spend two hours grinding for money.  If you’ve ever been playing with a party and struggling to make ends meet, all the while despairing to see your party donning lousy mismatched equipment, you know what I’m talking about. And believe me, that may be but a detail, but it’s a very sweet one indeed, and one you may definitely appreciate. 

The “Menu Navigation is so deliciously sleek!” factor

Ever been trudging through the menu system after you recruited your party, going from menu to sub-menu in a tedious, time-consuming attempt to get things done? Ever been stranded in a shop, wracking your brain in a desperate attempt to keep your focus and get whatever gear suits each one of your character without ending up entirely confused and lost in the process? Ever raged and fumed about the whole unbearable unwieldiness of anything related to menu navigation?  If yes, then the Solo Run will undeniably make your life better, o yes precious. One Character, One Menu to rule them all: plain and simple, and definitely enjoyable. 

The “Fresh Strategies” factor

Playing Solo will definitely lead you to use creative thinking, and come up with specific strategies tailored to that way of playing. Instead of going for the traditional “buff-debuff-attack-heal” combo, you will have to figure out the most efficient way to take down foes with a more limited set of abilities, since you can only don one class at a time; doing so may involve a class change in order to get the most fitted abilities to beat a specific boss, or the resort to some moves that you would never have used in a classic playthrough with a party. It globally forces you to use your resources and abilities to the fullest, and creates some very interesting challenges that make a Solo Run all the more interesting and exciting.

The “Originality” factor

Traditionally, Turn-based RPGs are party affairs, while the whole “lonely hero” thing rather graces the realm of Action RPGs. The juxtaposition of a single hero and turn-based battles that comes forth in a Solo Run is thus a highly innovative configuration, and has to be enjoyed as such. One again, this may be a detail; but in the RPG landscape, where most titles tend to routinely recycle the same features and characteristics, any change that brings a new and fresh experience to the genre is always welcome. 

That will be it for the good reasons that make a Solo Run enjoyable. In the next post, I will conclude this feature by giving a few useful tips for the road. Thanks for reading, and be my guest anytime!

No comments:

Post a Comment