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Omega Force, the Japanese studio that popularised the outlandish 1 vs 10,000 historical battle simulator, has been mounting a novel strategy of late, one designed to lure players who have tired of (or stayed entirely away from) the Dynasty Warriors series onto the virtual battlefield. Hyrule Warriors was the studio's first alliance with a hitherto unrelated video game series, a successful sojourn into to the Zelda universe in the so-called 'Musou' style. There you played as one of Nintendo's velvety mascots, pirouetting about caverns and fields, attempting to control the ebb and flow of two opposing armies in a series of battles staged in familiar Hyrule. Now, with Dragon Quest Heroes, the studio has invaded an equally cherished and storied mythology, pitting a squadron of warriors from Square Enix's RPG series against illustrator Akira Toriyama's equally loveable enemy forces.If Hyrule Warriors represented a softening of Omega Force's usual brittle style, in Dragon Quest Heroes the makeover is complete. Dragon Quest's cartoon aesthetic has been fully upheld. This is a grime-less world, its bright primary colours edged with resplendent gold. The sun sits immovable at high noon throughout the story, while the bouncing enemies (grinning blobs of slime, adorable miniature knights riding space hoppers, dragons you could curl up with as comfort toys) swipe at you, at all times maintaining cheery smiles. The tone is so relentlessly jolly you'll wonder why you can't call the whole thing off and settle down with a picnic to admire the view of the twinkling sea together instead. But beneath the joyous presentation, Omega Force's warmongering engine still purrs, hungrily.
You play as one of clutch of different heroes. Acht and Mehr are swordfighters (one boy, one girl) who fit the usual Dragon Quest protagonist's profile: young, quick and coiffured. Dirk, by contrast, is a hulk of a heavy-hitting king, able to clear great swathes of space with a sweep of his staff. Julietta, the fourth character in the starting line-up, is a mage who supports her team with strikes from her weaponised boomerang and the odd healing spell. As the game's story unfurls, you unlock other characters, most of who are taken from previous titles in the series, including fan favourites such as Jessica, Yangus and Meena.
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