As a big fan of boardgames as well as role-playing games, it was with a bit of excitement that I set out to take a look at the recent Atlus title, Dokapon Journey. My knowledge of Japanese games is limited, so I can’t tell you anything about previous incarnations (if any) of this title. Unfortunately, what I can tell you is that the game was a disappointment. There is the making of a somewhat interesting boardgame in the vein of Talisman, Return of the Heroes, and other sorts of RPG/adventure boardgames, but it fails to provide much in the way of meaningful decisions. The interface, graphics, and even the backstory are all reasonably well done, the gameplay simply results in nothing more than a kind of Candyland with lots of chrome.

The game’s premise revolves around a kingdom in trouble. Each player (human or computer) ventures out into the kingdom to free various towns from invading monsters. Roll a die (like in a Mario Party game) and move your character around the board. Land on an empty space, a town space under siege, or on another player and a battle ensues. One player is randomly chosen as the attacker and the attacker and defender each choose a maneuver (in a rock-scissors-paper fashion) and damage (possibly) is dealt. Then the offense and defense switch sides and it repeats. If both combatants are left standing, they remain in place until the next turn comes around. Special locations exist, such as churches and stores, which provide healing and equipment respectively. The goal of the game is to collect the most cash. When a character frees a town from control of a monster, they can begin to collect taxes from that city. However, the best way to earn money is to succeed in whatever quest is currently set forth by the king. This varies from freeing a specific town from monster control, to finding and returning specific lost objects on the map, or even going from town to town to find the princess the prettiest dress in the kingdom. The rewards for these quests are generally much larger than any cash that could be earned by wandering the board and collecting taxes. As characters battle monsters, they become more powerful. There are several different classes available, but aside from a each character’s minor special power, they are all nearly equivalent.

All this would make a somewhat interesting game, but the only way to move around the board is by rolling the dice. The only decision to be made while moving is whether to turn left or right at any given fork in the road. You can’t even stop early if you roll exceptionally high. This means if you are going on a quest to a specific location, you have to keep rolling until you roll the exact number needed to land on the square. To make matters worse, some quests require you to return to the castle which means another exact die roll. As the game progresses, more and more of the kingdom is used. In later stages of the game, a player may have 10 or more turns just rolling the dice trying to move from one far corner of the kingdom to another with nothing to do but battle monsters that are far too weak to matter.

On the plus side, the game does allow for multiplayer game play. Up to four people can play using their own, or just a single game cart (on multiple DS handhelds or all on the same one). As mentioned, the story/campaign mode is not very gripping, but a shorter game with human opponents may hold a bit more interest. For anyone looking for a deep strategy game, move along, there is nothing to see here. However, the game can provide some level of fun is you are looking for a multiplayer or more casual game experience.

Kid Factor: This would work well for younger kids as things are fairly straightforward. The game doesn’t require any tricky control combinations, but reading ability is highly recommended. A smart kid could figure out the menus by trial and error, but wouldn’t be getting much out of the program. Violence is all very abstract, however the clothing on some of the characters is in the Anime/Manga style which may make it a bit to skimpy for some peoples’ taste. Nothing beyond PG, but revealing nonetheless.

Tags: Game Reviews