Dragon Quest Walk (DQ Walk) has been released less than a month ago. As the first game I ever bought was Dracula I on the NES, and having played the series from that point on, I had no choice but to do it.
Plus, as the name suggests, if it increases my walk volume and makes me healthier (and reduces my fat), then there's nothing more to say.
What kind of game is Dracula Walk?
The basic idea is the same as in the traditional Dracula games. There is a base storyline, and you move to spots where you advance the story by defeating monsters and leveling up.
In the Dracula series on home consoles, you move through towns and conquer dungeons on a map, but in this game, the player specifies the actual points on the map where these moves take place.
Some of the points to choose from are pre-defined, such as stores, companies, landmarks, etc., but there are also convenient items that allow you to set your own points of interest over a certain distance!
It may vary from region to region, but the sense is that these points in Tokyo are at a good distance from each other. In central Tokyo, there are many nearby, but in the suburbs where my home is located, the nearest point is only 200-300 meters away, which is just right for walking.
To start a battle, tap on a monster within a certain range, and to my delight, even monsters outside the range will crawl up to you if you tap on them. Now you can have no trouble fighting while lying on the couch at home.
Is it good for exercise?
In my case, I can conclude that it is.
In order to achieve the basic progression goals of "getting stronger" and "conquering the story based on your level", the game has a built-in mechanism that makes you want to walk.
There are three main ways to "get stronger" in the first place. The first is to level up by defeating monsters. Yes, the kind of thing you can do from the comfort of your couch at home. The second is to obtain the heart of a monster. When you defeat a monster in battle, you get "hearts" at a certain rate. The ranks of each monster's heart are from S to D. If you combine several hearts of the same rank to raise their rank, or if you are lucky enough to obtain a high rank heart in battle, you will be able to progress in terms of status.
Then there is the gacha. This one draws five items: weapon, shield, head, armor top, and armor bottom. Gems to draw gacha can be obtained by advancing the adventure and completing various missions, encountering new monsters, or defeating a certain number of monsters, except by paying.
In other words, walk anyway -> complete missions -> defeat lots of monsters (sometimes get here) -> earn Gems by leveling up, completing missions, etc. (sometimes supplement the shortage with real money) -> Gacha! -> Happiness.
In DQ Walk, a thing called Walk mode is implemented, and as long as it is activated, it automatically performs battles and heals you by breaking pots that are lying on the roadside. If you have a good level match with the monsters, they will complete the battle without getting wiped out just by walking.
You can even leave your phone in your bag and just enjoy the sound through your earphones. While listening to "Adventure Journey", you can say, "Oh, I've encountered an enemy", or "Oh, I'm going to do a kotsu-kon-no ichigeki." I should walk an extra station to level up. I'm sure I'm not the only one who does this.
The other thing to do is to look at the map as you go. The map shows the location of the monsters, but sometimes a "heart determined" monster will appear. I would take a detour, detour, detour, detour, detour, detour, detour.... I left home 15 minutes early for work.
By the way, I am equipped with an Apple Watch as an activity meter, and the number of days when I can close the ring has increased overwhelmingly compared to the past. I feel like I am able to close the ring more often than before.
But the walk is mainly on weekdays. On weekends, I use my bicycle, the most civilized and efficient way to visit the spots with my beloved Tern Surge Ltd.
Of course, I don't operate my bicycle while I am pedaling.
I can't make up the number of steps, but I can go farther.
The best part of the Dragon Quest Walk.
I know it's exercise, but where's the fun in the first place?
My own sense is that it's 20% enjoying the story, 60% enjoying the training, and 20% shivering with nostalgia.
Especially for those of us from the NES and Super NES generation, just running into a familiar monster is enough to keep us entertained for three days and three nights. And they're moving!
The aforementioned music is also wonderful, and when you put on the equipment you get and see your avatar change, you think, "Oh, I didn't know that weapon looked like that."
By the way, I am a spec-oriented person, so I prefer performance over a uniform look. It's normal for me to wear a light jacket even though my lower body is fully equipped. It's a piece of cake.
Well, I easily cut out my blonde-haired childhood friend just because she can learn Ionazun...Oh, the editorial staff is looking at me and staring at me.
Well, it seems that the Ryuuou defeat is taking place in the opposite direction from the station closest to the office. I'm going there.
