Dragon Quest Heroes: The World’s Tree Woe and the Blight Below

Though you likely need to be a fan of Japanese RPGs to get something out of Dragon Quest Heroes, its "hack and slash" real-time combat, wide variety of enemies, and strategy-oriented battles is sure to please gamers itching to play something fresh and new. There's a real sense of adventure and excitement here, as you'll build your fighter's abilities, take on many missions (that don't seem repetitive or redundant), and slice and dice through thousands of cartoon-like enemies on big battlefields (along with huge boss monsters). It's key to swap between the right characters at the right time and to execute the right kind of attack to defeat the horde of creatures. You'll see each fighter's hit points and magic points on the screen, so you can decide who might be ideal for the job and when it's time to level them up, as well as seeing a small map in the upper right-hand corner with color-coded characters so you can see what you're up against.

It's also fun to collect monster medals to transform enemies into allies who can fight alongside you in battle, with up to two dozen teaming up with you at any one time. These big set pieces are complemented by gorgeous graphics, smooth animation, and a high-quality soundtrack. There's nothing major to complain about here, but as previously mentioned, those who aren't fans of this genre might not "get" the gameplay as much as someone with a soft spot for these Japanese RPGs. Still, this is a fun fantasy brawler with more depth than meets the eye.