Play Dragon Quest II - Akuryou no Kamigami (Japan) Online

Dragon Quest II came out on the Nintendo Entertainment System in 1987, developed and published by Enix. It was part of that early wave of console RPGs where the focus was on building a world bigger than what many players had seen before, without the cinematic flair or complex plots that would come later. You got a large overworld, more towns, and a sense of journey that built directly on what the first game established.

You start as the sole hero but soon recruit two companions, a prince and a princess, each with their own spells and strengths. Your goal is to stop an evil priest who has awakened dark gods, which means traveling across continents, talking to villagers for clues, and delving into multi-level dungeons filled with traps and monsters. Combat is turn-based; you input commands for each character then watch the round play out. The game is known for its sharp difficulty spike in the later half, where enemy encounters become frequent and punishing, requiring some level grinding to survive. Exploring every corner of the map and finding hidden items or shortcuts gives a real sense of accomplishment, and despite the grind, moving your party across the world and gradually overpowering foes feels satisfying and earned.