Dragon Quest III and Phantasy Star II are turn-based RPGs with good stories and gameplay. They have a lot of differences between them, which makes for a fun comparison. Having a science fiction RPG and a high fantasy RPG makes things more interesting for me when I write these.
Phantasy Star II is a game that I’ve changed my mind about. I still like it, but there are things that I overlooked when I first beat the game. Dragon Quest III is a game that I’ve enjoyed a lot as I’ve gone back to play it. I didn’t give the game much of a chance until I started making YouTube videos.
It wasn’t until I started making videos for YouTube that I beat both of these games. I initially enjoyed them when I beat them in the late 2010s, but as I’ve played them, my opinion has shifted. They’re both good RPGs and make for an interesting comparison.
Game Descriptions/Overviews
These games are quite different. Each has some great things in them, and a handful of mechanics that I don’t like as much. Here are some general overviews of these games.
Phantasy Star II is a science fiction RPG that takes place in a solar system. You travel between planets and space stations while you fight against a corrupted AI that has been guiding the people who live here. The developers worked in some tropes of science fiction, like humanity being an invasive species, and robots trying to exterminate humans. There is a little twist at the end, but that plot point gets abandoned in the other games.
Dragon Quest III is a high fantasy RPG, which acts as a prequel to the first game in the series. In the game, you form a party of four characters and go on a quest to defeat an evil wizard. Once he is defeated, the real bad guy is revealed, and you have to defeat him. It is a nice little twist, and the game handles it well. These are just general descriptions for each game. There is a little more to both of them, but I wanted to keep this brief. Let’s get into the main differences between these games.
Main Differences
These two games have quite a few differences. They have different settings, gameplay, and visual storytelling. Like other times I’ve compared an NES game with a Genesis game, I won’t be focusing too much on graphics.
The two settings are very different. Dragon Quest III is a high fantasy game. This means you fight with swords and magic, and the world resembles the medieval period of history. Phantasy Star II is a science fiction story where you travel across space. There are robots, guns, and high technology.
Both games are turn-based RPGs, but they have different approaches to party construction. Phantasy Star II has a large cast of characters that have defined roles and personalities. Dragon Quest III has one defined character, and you can create new party members at will. With Phantasy Star II, you meet new party members by going back to the main character’s house instead of going to a building in town to create a new character, like in Dragon Quest III.
Dragon Quest III is more cinematic than the previous games in the series. Phantasy Star II uses comic book cutscenes as a way to tell its story. Both games use in-game graphics, but Phantasy Star II goes a step further. It makes this part of that game a little more fun for me.
These are the big things that I could think of while I was looking over these games. They both have great things in them, and I love the way their stories play out. Let’s get into what each game does better than the other.
What Does Dragon Quest III do Better?
Dragon Quest III does a few things better than Phantasy Star II. It takes a more unique approach to continuing the story from the previous games. The reveal of the big bad guy is a little better, and happens at a different point in the game.
Dragon Quest III is a prequel to the first game in the series. The player doesn’t learn this until later in the game when you travel to that game’s world. Once that happens, there is more game to play, and you learn just how this game fits into the overall story the developers were telling.
The reveal of the big bad guy is a little better. In Phantasy Star II, you know that you have to fight a rogue computer, and Dark Force feels a little tacked on. The reveal that Earth is involved with all this is interesting, but not followed up on. Dragon Quest III feels like it has a natural ending before the true bad guy gets revealed to the player.
Those are the two things that I thought were better in Dragon Quest III. I’m sure there are others, but these were the ones that stood out to me. Let’s get into what Phantasy Star II does better than this game.
What Does Phantasy Star II do Better?
Phantasy Star II has several things in it that I like more than what is offered in Dragon Quest III. I love the setting and the comic book cutscenes in this game. The story is also something I enjoy more because it reminds me of other science fiction stories I like.
The way that the Phantasy Star series tells its story, as a whole, is much more enjoyable for me. Phantasy Star II has wonderful comic book cutscenes, and they add a lot to the game. Each of them looks great, and I love how they look. This form of storytelling is great, and I wish other retro RPGs on the home console had done something similar to this.
Phantasy Star II’s story reminds me of some of the science fiction books that I read as a kid. While the themes in this game are tropes of the genre, the developers use them very well. The story for Phantasy Star II is great! I love the idea of humans being an invasive species and having given control of their lives over to a computer. It is a great basis for a story, and this told very well.
Those are the big things that this game does better than Dragon Quest III. There are a few other minor things, but they aren’t significantly better. Let’s talk about which game is better, and which game I want to revisit.
Which is Better Overall and Why?
Phantasy Star II is the better RPG. I like the way it tells its story, the setting, and the characters more. This was the game that I had more fun with.
The Phantasy Star series tells its stories using comic book cutscenes. I like these more than just using in-game graphics. These cutscenes always look great, and those in Phantasy Star II are some of my favorites. It also makes the game a little better than those without these cutscenes.
Science fiction is more interesting to me than high fantasy. At the time this game was released, there weren’t too many science fiction RPGs on the home console. I like Phantasy Star II’s setting more because it feels like a grander story. It takes place across two planets and a few space stations, so it feels like a larger game.
Dragon Quest III really only develops the main character. The other party members are interchangeable. The way Phantasy Star II does things is more interesting to me. I love how you learn a little about each of your potential party members, and this makes the game’s story a little better.
Those are the three things that I think make Phantasy Star II a better RPG. This one is very close, but I tend to favor the science fiction games. Let’s look at which game I would rather go back and play.
Which Would I Rather Play?
This is a case where I don’t think there is a winner. I would rather go back and play either of these games. Both are solid RPGs with great stories and gameplay. They each have some great things in them.
Phantasy Star II has the better setting, storytelling, and I like how the game develops its characters. It also sends you on a quest to find your party members, and you have a little plot development with them. I also like how this game ties into the previous game in the series more.
Both games have a reveal that adds something to the plot. Both of them are good in their own way. This wasn’t something that you normally see in console RPGs at the time.
Dragon Quest III, being a prequel, was very cool. I like how the developers worked that into the story. It also has a fun party system that lets you customize things a bit. There is also less grinding in this game, if that matters to anyone.
This was a rare case where I couldn’t pick one over the other. I haven’t played either game enough to be tired of one, and they both have great stories. Both Dragon Quest III and Phantasy Star II are games I want to revisit at some point.
Conclusion
Both of these games are great. Dragon Warrior III is a more accessible game than Phantasy Star II. I like Phantasy Star II more, but that doesn’t mean it is the right game for everyone.
I tend to enjoy science fiction more than high fantasy because I find that setting more enjoyable. High fantasy games were everywhere on the NES, so seeing something different made the game stand out. The Phantasy Star series also drew my attention through the fourth game, and made the others a little fun to play.
Going back to play games like this is a lot of fun. I love seeing how these series evolve over time. It does feel like each of the companies was at least aware of what the others were doing and tried things to improve their games. The Phantasy Star and Dragon Quest series didn’t make the same dramatic changes to their formula as regularly as Final Fantasy did.
If you liked this post, please check out my other vs posts. Such as Inindo vs Robotrek or Inindo vs Destiny of an Emperor.