I Love Dragon Quest As Is: Am I Going to Like DQXII?

We all know that it’s been a while since we’ve heard anything about the next Dragon Quest mainline title. We’ve had a couple of spinoffs, like Dragon Quest Treasures and even a new Dragon Quest Monsters game, but other than the XII‘s logo, we’ve not seen anything else from the next instalment of the iconic franchise. I’m a long-time Dragon Quest fan, as you can probably tell from this blog, so I’ve been keeping an eye out for Dragon Quest XII news since it was announced back in 2021!

One of the previously announced aspects of the new Dragon Quest title was the fact that it was taking a bit of a tonal shift from its predecessors, opting for darker themes and a switch up from its classic turn-based battle system. This made me nervous; I adore DQ’s turn-based system, and I also find the games easier to digest than other RPG titles such as Final Fantasy or Shin Megami Tensei. Sure, there’s serious parts, but I find Dragon Quest is great as a franchise that’s lighter and filled with silly moments and monster designs.

*Dragon Quest first launched in 1986, making it one of the first JRPGs ever made. It’s now an iconic franchise, with nearly 100 million units sold across all its titles. Source: Square Enix*

I’ve been a Dragon Quest fan since 2010, so of course a switch up from its well-known format and plot would rattle me a bit, but it may also be a welcome change. I can’t deny that I’m interested in a darker or more mature story coming from the creators of Dragon Quest. DQXI handled its more mature and darker moments exceptionally well, so I would hope that an entire game with those kinds of themes would also be an interesting and exciting experience. The franchise is also nearly 40 years old; a change from its original format was bound to happen eventually!

Of course, it’s been so long since we heard any update other than the game still going ahead that we don’t know if this is still the case for the latest mainline DQ title. It may have been overhauled completely! But I find that while Dragon Quest isn’t as popular in the west as Final Fantasy, it’s a great gateway JRPG for younger players. The monsters don’t look too scary, the plots are easy to follow and the games are textbook examples of turn based combat; a staple in other JRPG titles.

While change makes me nervous, it was guaranteed to happen. All games switch up their original formats eventually to entice the next generation of gamers. If the format is changed or not, I’m eager to hear an update and maybe even see some footage of Dragon Quest XII. I’m sure once it comes out, I won’t be shutting up about it!