My thoughts on this entry are conflicting but I would not hesitate to call it a step down in the overall experience compared to Dragon Quest V. While the game has its strengths, it is brought down by a disjointed plot that undercooks ideas frequently, and gameplay that takes two steps forward and one step back. I could see the potential this game had in those areas but unfortunately it tries to do just a little too much with them and falls flat as a result. The presentation holds up well with great looking sprites and music, and Eternal Lullaby (the credits roll theme) is one of my favorite tracks in the entire series. At the end of the day, if you're a fan this is worth at least a proper try, but I would not recommend this to newcomers to the series.