Comparison

Partia vs DRAGON QUEST VIII

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both games, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

Partia

Embark on a high fantasy adventure in this strategy role-playing game. Engage in tactical battles where magic and swords clash, and experience a story filled with friendship and betrayal. The game is actively being updated based on player feedback.

Highlights
  • Strategy Role-playing gameplay
  • High fantasy setting
  • Magic and sword combat
  • Story-driven adventure
  • Character development
  • Tactical battles
Features
Read full description

Partia is a SRPG (Strategy Role-playing) video game inspired by Fire Emblem and Tear Ring Saga series. In a high fantasy setting, the game will take players through an adventure where magic and sword collide and friendship and betrayal intertwine. Thank you guys for your reviews and suggestions. Good ones encourage us and bad ones humble us. I am constantly fixing bugs that are brought up to me and trying to change things that bother people. It takes time since I am just one guy (Imago Software is only two guys) dealing with many issues. Still things will improve in future updates that I'm working on. Meanwhile, obviously this is a paid game and I don't want to disappoint or cheat people out of their money. Here's a gameplay video from TouchArcade's Sanuku (Thank you!): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K3O9tw2L5Wg&feature=plcp This may help with your purchase decision! Also our own video that include game tutorials are at http://www.youtube.com/user/Playimago @Matthew Haralson Yes, the minor character development was very weak. More dialogs will be written in part of effort to more complete game experience! @Tony Peniyoung I was going to answer your concern but didn't really get the message! @Grievlocke Wow, having big battle animations will be really cool. Number 1 in my wish list too. Simply there was no budget and it looks like there will be no budget in the future, either- looking at the sales. @Many who wanted more stages I had random map generation for more guild quests, but I couldn't get the quality right yet. Random really never worked with the element of strategy, and became just a brute fighting. Partia 2 was planned for 25 stages that wraps up the story, but at 600 games sold, well, I wonder if I could ever get enough budget. @ErnieBernie876 I know it is not as convenient as having a restart button, but you could suspend the game and load the last save data to restart the stage from the beginning. @frozencracker It would be a bug if you have an attack option without having a valid target, but I can't seem to reproduce it. To cancel the attack while targeting, you could press 'B' button (that's the inside button) or you could choose a target then select No. I will try my best to answer any question! You could also email me to: admin@playimago.com

About

DRAGON QUEST VIII

Embark on an epic 3D adventure in a cursed kingdom. Recruit a party of unique companions, master a deep combat system with tension and skill points, and explore a vast world filled with monsters to tame and items to craft. Enjoy all content in a single purchase.

Highlights
  • Full 3D world exploration
  • Streamlined touch controls
  • Tension System for powerful attacks
  • Skill Point customization
  • Monster team recruitment and battles
  • Alchemy Pot for item crafting
  • In-game casino with mini-games
Read full description

The phenomenally popular DRAGON QUEST VIII has sold 4.9 million units worldwide, and now it's coming to the iPhone and iPad for the first time! This was the first title in the series to be presented in full 3D, and its exquisitely detailed world has to be seen to be believed! Set off on an unforgettable adventure with Yangus, the bandit with a heart of gold, Jessica, the high-born magical minx, and Angelo, knight and lothario, by your side! Everything you need is here in a single package! Once the app is downloaded, there's no more to pay, as every last shred of content is yours to enjoy. So get ready to play the epic that is DRAGON QUEST VIII from beginning to end—and far beyond! Prologue Legends tell of an ancient sceptre, within which is sealed a fearsome power... When the relic's long-dormant magics are awoken by the treachery of a malign magician, an entire kingdom falls into a cursed slumber, prompting a young soldier to embark on an unforgettable journey... Game Features – Simple, Accessible Controls The control system has been streamlined to work perfectly with modern touch interfaces. The position of the directional pad can be adjusted freely, enabling players to switch between one-handed and two-handed play with a tap of the screen. The combat system has also been reworked, allowing for one-tap battles as well as more complex play. – The Tension System During battle, you can select 'Psyche Up' to give your next attack some extra oomph! The more you psyche a character up, the higher their tension will rise, until they finally reach an insane state known as super-high tension! – Skill Points Skill points are earned when your characters level up, and can be assigned to various skills in order to learn new spells and abilities. This system allows you to perfectly tailor your team to your liking. – Monster Teams Certain monsters found in the field can be scouted for your monster team – if you're tough enough to beat them, that is! Once assembled, your crack squad can take part in the fiercely contested tournaments held at the monster arena, and can even come to your aid in battle! – The Alchemy Pot Combine existing items to create entirely new ones! Even the most unassuming objects could be ingredients for the greatest items of all! Seek out the recipes hidden all over the world, and see if you can cook up something truly special! – The Casino Fans of the series will be pleased to learn that the casino is back, and fully-equipped for fun! This time around, there are three exciting activities to enjoy: bingo, slot machines and roulette! Just don't get so caught up in the action that you forget your adventure entirely! [Supported Operating Systems] iOS15.0 and Above [Supported Devices] iPhone 6s or Higher/iPad (5th Generation or Better)

Screenshots

Partia4 screens
DRAGON QUEST VIII4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is price: Partia at $3.99 against DRAGON QUEST VIII's $19.99. Partia also leads on rating (4.2 vs 3.8) and review sentiment (78% vs 62%). On ratings volume, ads, in-app purchases and monetization model there is nothing between them.

Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Partia costs $3.99 and DRAGON QUEST VIII $19.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Partia holds the better App Store score, 4.2 against 3.8. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 134 and 401 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 78% of Partia's written reviews are positive against 62% of DRAGON QUEST VIII's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Partia ships an update every 7 months, DRAGON QUEST VIII every 16 months. The most recent releases landed on October 20, 2026 and October 26, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard5 real differences · 6 level
Partia versus DRAGON QUEST VIII: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterPartiaDRAGON QUEST VIII
Price$3.99 — better$19.99
Rating4.2 (134 ratings) — better3.8 (401 ratings)
Positive reviews78.0% of reviews — better61.6% of reviews
Number of ratings134401 — better
Update frequencyEvery 7 months — betterEvery 16 months
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationPaidPaid
Best chart rank#181#181
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS13.5 — better15.0
Further details — not scored
Size56 MB1.9 GB
Age rating9+9+
DeveloperImago SoftwareSQUARE ENIX

Customer experience

Partia

All ratings134 ratings
Positive81.3%
Neutral9.0%
Negative9.7%
Written reviews123 reviews
Positive78.0%
Neutral9.8%
Negative12.2%

DRAGON QUEST VIII

All ratings400 ratings
Positive66.0%
Neutral12.3%
Negative21.8%
Written reviews320 reviews
Positive61.6%
Neutral16.6%
Negative21.9%

User reviews

Partia

From 134 App Store ratings

What we love

  • ❤️ Labor of love - clearly made with passion and dedication
  • 🎮 Excellent SRPG gameplay - engaging and strategic combat
  • 🎨 Retro aesthetic - nostalgic graphics that feel authentic
  • 📖 Good story and characters - compelling narrative with personality
  • 💰 Affordable price - great value for the content

Room to improve

  • 🎮 Clunky controls - touch screen implementation feels awkward
  • 📱 Poor screen optimization - doesn't utilize full device screen
  • 🐛 UI issues - camp menu feels disorganized
  • ⏱️ Slow gameplay - movement and combat animations are tedious
  • 📚 No tutorial - game mechanics unexplained

DRAGON QUEST VIII

From 401 App Store ratings

What we love

  • 🚀 Smooth gameplay
  • 🎨 Gorgeous graphics
  • 📱 Convenient mobile experience
  • 🕹️ Intuitive controls
  • 🕰️ Faithful to original PS2 version

Room to improve

  • 🔇 Lack of voice acting
  • 🔍 Limited camera controls
  • 🔋 Battery drain issues
  • 🐛 Occasional crashes and freezes
  • 🔒 Cloud save problems

Bugs and requests

Partia

Reported bugs

8 issues
  • Sound not working on some devices
  • Screen display issues on iPhone X and newer models (top notch overlap)
  • Game not full 16:9 fullscreen on newer iPhones
  • Xbox One controller not supported despite controller attempts
  • Save file deletion (Chapter 8 save disappeared)
Show 3 more
  • Aspect ratio not adjustable on older devices
  • Control key sometimes moved automatically
  • Saving can be choppy at times

Requested features

16 requests
  • Controller support (d-pad and buttons option)
  • Full screen optimization for newer devices
  • In-game tutorial or guidebook
  • Battle animations
  • Character expression changes during dialogue
Show 11 more
  • More chapters and longer story
  • Healer class promotion options
  • AOE spells for mages
  • Character interaction scenes at camp
  • Weapon stat visibility
  • Potion healing information display
  • Class upgrade system clarity
  • Multiple save files
  • Ability to skip cutscenes
  • Better dialogue and story pacing
  • More diverse soundtrack

DRAGON QUEST VIII

Reported bugs

4 issues
  • Crashes during boss battles
  • Inability to load cloud saves
  • Unresponsive touch controls
  • Graphical glitches in certain areas

Requested features

5 requests
  • Landscape mode support
  • Controller support
  • Orchestral soundtrack option
  • Ability to customize characters
  • Downloadable voice acting

In-app purchases

None

Partia

No in-app purchases

None

DRAGON QUEST VIII

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Partia free?
Partia costs $3.99, with no in-app purchases.
Is DRAGON QUEST VIII free?
DRAGON QUEST VIII costs $19.99, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, Partia or DRAGON QUEST VIII?
Partia is rated higher. Partia averages 4.2 out of 5 from 134 ratings, while DRAGON QUEST VIII averages 3.8 from 401 ratings.
Do Partia or DRAGON QUEST VIII have ads?
Neither Partia nor DRAGON QUEST VIII shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Partia or DRAGON QUEST VIII?
Partia ships an update every 7 months, and DRAGON QUEST VIII every 16 months. Most recently, Partia was updated on October 20, 2026 and DRAGON QUEST VIII on October 26, 2026.
Which is more popular, Partia or DRAGON QUEST VIII?
Partia currently peaks at #181 in the App Store charts, and DRAGON QUEST VIII at #181. Chart position reflects recent download velocity rather than total install base.

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