Which is Better? Dragon Quest II vs Phantasy Star III

Phantasy Star III and Dragon Quest II are both turn-based RPGs. They have some similar game mechanics, but differ significantly in most areas. These two series have been my favorite to compare, so far.

It feels like the Phantasy Star series is one step ahead of the Dragon Quest series. I know that it isn’t the case, but it really felt that way. Phantasy Star would do something, and then Dragon Quest would do something similar.

I did enjoy one of these games more than the other. There are problems with each of them, but they have more strengths than faults. Like other times when I’m comparing games on different systems, I’m going to throw a few things out. I won’t be touching on graphics all that much. Let’s take a look at both games and see what they have to offer.

Game Descriptions/Overviews

Both games are turn-based RPGs that have a fair amount of grinding in them. Dragon Quest II has more, but Phantasy Star III has a lot in it as well. What I found very interesting is how the new development team for Phantasy Star III took the game back to being a Science Fantasy game. It was a refreshing change that worked well with the setting.

Dragon Quest II is a high fantasy RPG. It uses turn-based combat, has a party of three characters, and has a decent story. It builds on the story from the first game, and it sends the player on an adventure to assemble their party. It has some good ideas, but also several archaic gameplay mechanics.

Phantasy Star III is a science fantasy RPG. While it has a lot of science fiction in it, there are a few elements of high fantasy as well. The game takes place on a giant spaceship and follows three generations of the refugees from the second game. It takes place in the far future of the series timeline, which is a cool idea.

Because these games are both turn-based RPGs, there is some overlap between them. Most of them have to do with gameplay mechanics, some of the plot points, and how you’re trying to defeat evil. Let’s put that aside for now and go over the main differences between them.

Main Differences 

While there are a lot of differences between these games, I’ll only be focusing on a few areas. Mostly, I’ll go over the story, setting, and the party/characters. There might be some others, but I’ll try to stick to these three.

The stories start similarly, where “the enemy” attacks the “good guys.” Both games have you assemble a party by going on a quest. Then, things get weird as you have to explore the world. Dragon Quest II is a straightforward fantasy story. This happens in Phantasy Star III, but you also have to decide who the main character will marry. Then start over as the child of the two people you set up.

To add on to the story, the settings are different. There are more differences in the setting because of the game’s genres. Dragon Quest is all high fantasy. You’re fighting monsters and using magic. Phantasy Star III takes place on a spaceship that contains several biomes and kingdoms. There is a lot more technology and robots in Phantasy Star III, because it is a science fiction game.

There are way more characters in Phantasy Star III. Some of this has to do with its three-part structure. You also have to form a party of five characters instead of three. You don’t spend as much time with the characters in Phantasy Star III, but you get to know them better. They have more to say, and they have more conversations with each other.

What I really want to do is write more about the differences between the stories. That will have to wait for some other project. Let’s go over the differences between the core mechanics of these two games.  

Comparing Core Mechanics (Combat, Story, Visuals, etc)

I’m not going to spend much time on these three areas. I’ve already gone over the story, the combat isn’t too different, and the visuals are problematic. Some of this is a little repetitive, so I’ll keep it brief.

The way these two games tell their story is different. Dragon Quest II is more cinematic than the previous game in the series, but it only uses in-game graphics. Phantasy Star III uses in-game graphics as well, but the comic book cutscenes are used as well. These look okay, and the game would’ve benefited from having more of them.

The combat does have a few differences. Phantasy Star III has a party of five characters, and the roles are more fluid. Dragon Quest II has three characters, and each of them has a defined role in combat.

That is all I wanted to add here. I’ll save what I want to say for the other sections. Neither game does something crazy with the gameplay. The graphics are going to be different because one is on the NES and the other is on the Genesis. The story and setting are where these two games have the most differences.

What Does Phantasy Star III do Better?

There are a lot of things that Phantasy Star III does better than Dragon Quest II. The story is better, it is more creative, and the game is easier to play. It is a less frustrating RPG when I compare it to Dragon Quest II. What really stands out to me is the way it tells its story.

The development team for this game did something unique with the story for this game. It was very ambitious, and I really enjoyed it. It is told across three generations of heroes, and the play has some control over who two of the main characters are going to be. This is one of the strengths of the game, even if it was a little too ambitious for the time.

While the story was ambitious, the gameplay wasn’t. This is an easier game to play when I compare it to the other RPGs I’ve played up to this point. I felt like I got to know the characters more in this game than in other RPGs. Even though you start over a few times, I never felt it was frustrating.

Overall, I liked the story in Phantasy Star III more. That was the key point that really separated these two games. Much of the gameplay is the same, so it all comes down to personal preference. I also enjoyed the science fiction setting more.    

What Does Dragon Quest II do Better?

There isn’t too much that I think is better in Dragon Quest II. It is a more challenging game, but that doesn’t mean it is an improvement over what Phantasy Star has. It does a better job of continuing the story for its series, and I like the artwork more.

Dragon Quest II is a direct sequel to the previous game in the series. You play as three descendants of the hero from the first game. It expands the world to be more than an island, and does a good job of making the game feel bigger than it is.

Dragon Quest II has a similar art style to the other games in the series. I like the Akira Toriyama artwork and how it was digitized into this game. I’m also a fan of Dragon Ball, which is one of the many reasons I enjoy this game. Phantasy Star III is a little too muted for my liking, and I don’t like that the animations on the combat screen are toned down.

Those are the two things that stood out to me. Since both games are sequels, I put more weight on continuing the story from the previous game in the series. This isn’t always the case with retro games, but with these series, they’re both telling stories across their games.

Which is Better Overall and Why? 

Phantasy Star III is the better RPG overall. It has a better story, setting, and I like the gameplay more. The way it tells its story is more imaginative and more fun than Dragon Quest II.

I think the way this game told its story was great! Being told over three generations was very cool, and I like how some of the characters bridge the gap between the main characters. It would’ve been nice if some of the ideas in this game had been followed up on. Being set in the far future was great, and I would like Sega to revisit this idea.

The setting grew on me as I was playing this game. I thought it was a little weird at first, but I enjoyed it the more I played. It is nice that the developers went back to having more fantasy in it. Also, they worked Dark Force into the game quite well.

This is a more imaginative game than Dragon Quest II. Being unique can cause problems for a game, but it didn’t here. Phantasy Star III tried some new things, and most of them worked. I also enjoyed the gameplay more in this game.

Which Would I Rather Play?

This wasn’t even close. Phantasy Star III is the game I would rather play. I had more fun with it when I revisited it for this project. It is an easier game to play, more creative, and the story is much better.

Out of all the RPGs that I’ve played in this series, Phantasy Star III was the easiest. It is a shorter game than some of the other games, and it is easy to learn how to play. The only difficult thing for me was remembering the town and location names. It was a step up from the difficulty of the previous game in the series.

Phantasy Star III is a more creative game than Dragon Quest II. Some of this is going to tie into the game’s story, but overall, the game is more creative. It is a mix of science fiction and fantasy, has a cool structure to its story, and has great graphics.

The story in Phantasy Star III is much more interesting than Dragon Quest II. It is told in three parts and has four endings. There are three main characters, and you have some control over which character you play as. This was something that was very creative and was probably a little ahead of its time.

This is one of the games that I’ve drastically changed my mind on over the years. My first experience with it wasn’t all that great, and I’m glad I went back to play it. The more I play Phantasy Star III, the more I enjoy the game. I still like the fourth game more, but this is one of the better RPGs on the Genesis.   

Conclusion 

This is getting a little harder as I move through the RPGs that I own. The Dragon Quest series has a big issue with graphics, and how they barely changed from game to game. Phantasy Star III was made by a different development team than the other games in the series. One had continuity, and the other tried something a little different.

Trying something different doesn’t always work out. In this case, I think it did, even if I don’t think this is the best game in the series. With Dragon Quest II, I wish the developers had tried something different. Instead, they made a solid high fantasy RPG with a good story. It just doesn’t do anything to really stand out.

Phantasy Star III simply does too many things better than Dragon Quest II. There are a few cases where something more traditional will beat out an ambitious game. This wasn’t the case here. If Phantasy Star III had been a train wreck, then I would’ve put Dragon Quest II over it. They’re both good games, but the creativity of Phantasy Star III was able to elevate it.

If you liked this post, please check out the other posts in this series. Some examples are Phantasy Star II vs III and Dragon Quest vs II.