Writing after a lot of dragon quest series experience...
This is one of the best games in franchise and one of the most stunning, full 3D and detailed games on Nintendo DS!
As a fan of DQ series, I love to try out different weapons and their skills, but no game other than DQ7 or DQ heroes tried me to mix and experiment with customizable human characters like this game.
Almost all weapon series offered by the franchise, along with so many classes, abilities, skills and of course a lot of monsters(their names are so much fun as they all got some pun!) which are not scene in other games. Though I will admit that some of the job unlock or weapon quests are really annoying and sometimes felt impossible but when you complete them, it is very satisfying!
Each and every part of story is emotional, albeit most of them have sadness but I believe there is to learn something from each of them: gratitude, sacrifice, learn to move forward, etc. There is no character in your party members as you create them(though some may disagree here), but the NPCs and scenes brings a lot more depth into the as a whole.
The story and music are also awesome and never bores me, a full character customization, almost all overworld appearance changes by each equipment... I am stunned by the fact that how much detailed this DS game is! Its even more detailed that DQ11. For any fan in the series it's a must try!! 10/10.
The best way to play it is by using an emulator like Drastic/Desmume/MelonDS in HD settings, preferably in X3 or X4 scaling, and you will be amazed how beautiful and stunning a DS game can look like!
Also, the post game is GRAND and almost never ending, so much depth is there in alchemy as well, though getting legacy bosses and grottoes to higher level can feel repetitive, there is an option to use save file editor to bring them straight to your desired level to save time. Happy Questing!!