So after playing this game for over a hundred hours, I've finally been able to pry my hands from it to take the time to type up a review for it. It's so addicting and it honestly was beginning to interfere with my productivity for a while.

So anyway, here goes.

Graphics-
Right from the get-go, I noticed something odd. In-game, your character along with your team-mates and important NPC characters are 3-dimensional models, while non-important NPCs are 2D sprites. While this did throw me off for a little while, it didn't really disrupt the overall graphics in general. Sure, the 2D sprites stood out, but I got used to it after a little while of playing, and then eventually stopped noticing it. For the DS, this game's 3D graphics are exceptional. However I must warn you: if you have a DSi XL like I do, the graphics will definitely look stretched out and a little off at points.

Gameplay-
This game is huge. In fact, the beginning of the game is about 10-15 hours long on its own. There are 184 quests to do outside of the game's main story, 64 of which will be released weekly by Nintendo up until the final quest next year. There's so much bonus content, that the only way to get all of it in your lifetime would be to sit down and play it constantly for months on end. There are over 400 achievements, hundreds of enemies to encounter, weapons to wield, armor and clothes to wear, accessories, skills and alchemy recipes you'll encounter throughout your journey. While sadly there's no casino this time around, you'll probably get over it when you realize that there are literally millions of dungeons for you to explore post-game, and the story bosses are challenging and your victories will feel so rewarding. The rest of your DS games will start to get jealous after you reach your 100th hour playing this and only this. Same goes for the 200th hour, and the 300th hour of playing this game, and so on.

The multiplayer is phenomenal.While you cannot play via wi-fi, you can play with a small group of friends and one can 'host' the multiplayer game in their world, which means their story progress will be recorded when everyone's done playing in that world. You can also trade maps and upgrade the Stornway inn depending on how many guests can be canvassed.

Every single day, DQ IX's online shop is updated with tons of goodies that range from new shoes to alchemy items. It's exciting to see what you'll get tomorrow and the next day. This definitely keeps me coming back every morning to see what's new.

Replayability-
I guarantee you that your time spent doing the main quest will pale in comparison to how much time you'll be spending post-game with all the quests, and playing with friends. It's such a vast game that you'll possibly be playing this years from now and still have yet to get everything there is to offer in this game.

Current MSRP value as of this writing: $35 USD (not including tax), and it's a steal at that price. If you have a DS and don't have this game, you are really missing out.

350 Viz.

nice review i love this game so much its not even funny

I know right? It's so addicting. Every time I'm considering playing an MMORPG, I just fire up DQIX and it fulfills what I want in an online RPG :]