# DRAGON QUEST VIII vs ATOM RPG

The clearest difference is price: ATOM RPG at $9.99 against DRAGON QUEST VIII's $19.99. ATOM RPG also leads on rating (4.3 vs 3.8) and update cadence (every 5 weeks vs every 16 months). DRAGON QUEST VIII's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 1) and ads (none vs shown). On review sentiment, ratings volume and device support there is nothing between them.

DRAGON QUEST VIII costs $19.99 and ATOM RPG $9.99 up front. ATOM RPG sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. DRAGON QUEST VIII asks for nothing beyond the download.

ATOM RPG holds the better App Store score, 4.3 against 3.8. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 400 and 221 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 62% of DRAGON QUEST VIII's written reviews are positive against 69% of ATOM RPG's.

DRAGON QUEST VIII ships an update every 16 months, ATOM RPG every 5 weeks. The most recent releases landed on September 26, 2026 and September 24, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | DRAGON QUEST VIII | ATOM RPG |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | $19.99 | **$9.99** |
| Rating | [3.8 (400 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/dragon-quest-viii/id862972069/reviews) | **[4.3 (221 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/atom-rpg/id1465288147/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **400** | 221 |
| Positive reviews | 61.6% of reviews | **68.9% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | **No** | Yes |
| Update frequency | Every 16 months | **Every 5 weeks** |
| Monetization | Paid | **Free with in-app purchases** |
| Best chart rank | — | **#108** |
| Size | 1.9 GB | 3.0 GB |
| Requires iOS | 15.0 | **12.2** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 9+ | 17+ |
| Developer | [SQUARE ENIX Co., Ltd.](https://appshunter.io/developer/300186801) | [ATENT GAMES LTD](https://appshunter.io/developer/1696294605) |

## What reviewers say

### DRAGON QUEST VIII

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/dragon-quest-viii/id862972069)

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

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

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

**What reviewers complain about**

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

**Reported bugs**

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

**Requested features**

- Landscape mode support
- Controller support
- Orchestral soundtrack option
- Ability to customize characters
- Downloadable voice acting


### ATOM RPG

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/atom-rpg/id1465288147)

**Currently charting:** #108 Top Paid · Role Playing (US App Store)

Explore a post-apocalyptic Soviet Wasteland, creating your own hero. Investigate bunkers, battle mutants, and uncover conspiracies in this offline RPG. Features deep character creation, turn-based combat, and nonlinear gameplay with multiple quest solutions.

**Highlights:** Character creation tool, Offline single-player RPG, Dozens of skills, Turn-based combat, Nonlinear gameplay, Multiple quest solutions, Deep dialogues

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| ATOM RPG - Supporter Pack | $2.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Great when you give it a chance
- 🚀 Huge game with lots of content
- 🚀 Replayable with multiple paths
- 👍 Scratches the Fallout itch
- 👍 Immersive atmosphere and writing

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Controls constantly break
- 🐛 Crashes and performance issues
- 🐛 Unbalanced gameplay and difficulty
- 🐛 Text and UI issues on mobile
- 🐛 Glitches and bugs

**Reported bugs**

- Controls breaking
- Frequent crashes
- Text/UI issues
- Glitches and bugs

**Requested features**

- Add controller support
- Improve UI scaling and readability
- Add more content and updates
- Fix bugs and stability issues


## Frequently asked questions

### Is DRAGON QUEST VIII free?

DRAGON QUEST VIII costs $19.99, with no in-app purchases.

### Is ATOM RPG free?

ATOM RPG costs $9.99, and also offers in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, DRAGON QUEST VIII or ATOM RPG?

ATOM RPG is rated higher. DRAGON QUEST VIII averages 3.8 out of 5 from 400 ratings, while ATOM RPG averages 4.3 from 221 ratings.

### Do DRAGON QUEST VIII or ATOM RPG have ads?

ATOM RPG shows ads; DRAGON QUEST VIII does not.

### Which is updated more often, DRAGON QUEST VIII or ATOM RPG?

DRAGON QUEST VIII ships an update every 16 months, and ATOM RPG every 5 weeks. Most recently, DRAGON QUEST VIII was updated on September 26, 2026 and ATOM RPG on September 24, 2026.

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*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*