I’m coming round on this DQ Monsters follow-up.
Again in Might 2021, Sq. Enix confirmed off a slew of Dragon Quest initiatives, of highest significance to most being the subsequent mainline entry Dragon Quest XII and the HD-2D remake of Dragon Quest III. Nestled in there was Dragon Quest Treasures, a by-product that, not less than to me, wasn’t on the prime of my listing of anticipated video games. That stayed true even because it was dated for December 9, 2022 earlier this 12 months. As we get nearer to the discharge of Dragon Quest Treasures, although, I’m warming as much as the prospect of this successor to the Dragon Quest Monsters sub-series.
Sq. Enix has been displaying off increasingly more of the sport, and my curiosity is piqued as a result of this appears extra bold than it first appeared. The essential premise is that Erik and Mia – siblings from Dragon Quest XI – wind up in an alternate dimension of kinds referred to as Draconia the place they got down to gather an entire bunch of treasure whereas teaming up with a bunch of social gathering member monsters alongside the best way. The essential gameplay appears centered on exploring cutesy cartoony landscapes in search of treasure, battling enemies, and deepening your pool of monsters. The fight isn’t the outdated turn-based type; as a substitute, it appears extra like a mixture of an motion RPG and even type of a 3D platformer. You should use your monsters (as much as three at a time) to bounce across the atmosphere and discover hidden treasure utilizing their talents.
Just lately, Sq. Enix began detailing extra particular points of the sport, such because the base-building portion. Erik and Mia get their very own homebase that’s slowly however absolutely populated by the varied monsters they befriend. After you unlock the bottom early within the recreation, you can begin increase its rank by accumulating treasures in addition to amassing rival gang’s flags to enhance your notoriety. These rival gangs may present up at your base or sneak up on you once you’re exploring. The totally different gangs seem to have their very own tales and quirks and never all of them are unhealthy, both. Time will inform how actually nuanced these gangs are, nevertheless it’s encouraging to see what’s been highlighted to this point.
I’m additionally struck by the delightfully Dragon Quest-y prepare line referred to as the Trans-Draconic Railway. It begins out in disrepair, however you’ve the flexibility to rebuild the prepare, permitting you to extra simply attain areas together with your workforce of monsters. Not that Dragon Quest video games are all the time stone-cold critical, however the playfulness all through this recreation is endearing, particularly as it appears that evidently the goofy presentation isn’t getting in the best way of depth.
We’re two months out from Dragon Quest Treasures’ December 9 launch and I’m rounding the nook into being excited for this new tackle Dragon Quest Monsters. I nonetheless is perhaps ready for extra information on Dragon Quest XII or the remake of Dragon Quest III, however this playful journey ought to satiate my need for Slimes and Platypunks.