In Dragon Quest 7, most of the story comes from the sub-plots on each
island. This means that some NPCs on these islands have as much development as
the main characters. It also means that the game can tackle a bunch of
different stories with varied themes and presentation. The main problem with
these is the same as other aspects of the game: Quantity over quality. Trying
to fit over 20(!) stories into one game means none of the characters you meet
get enough time to make an impact, even if This Game is 100 Hours Long.
As much as I disliked the wait for classes and completely eviscerated
the Rashers and Stripes fight, that segment was one of the game's best points,
writing-wise. It’s an interesting set-up with some twists along the way and a
satisfying conclusion. Though the focus is as always on NPCs, we get some with
visible personalities and drama that comes from how their characters interact. Apart
from the dull dungeons and awful boss fight, I was fairly engaged.
But even this high point in the narrative still serves the argument I’m
making. One of the reasons it’s a better part of the story is because it lasts
longer, giving the characters time to grow. And then once this quest is over?
Those interesting side characters limply trail off into oblivion, never to be
heard from again. You never go back. Never hear what became of them afterwards.
They’re from the past, so they don’t even get a late-game cameo. For all
intents and purposes, they had zero effect on the world, the plot, or the main
characters.
They
had an ENRAGING effect, but only out-of-character.
