Tonight was the Dragon Quest 35th Anniversary live stream, and it was certainly a wild ride.
The Japanese live stream started half an hour earlier than the translated live stream, to cover all of the updates for ongoing games available in Japan.
Then the translated part began, and it was… interesting, as the translator attempted to translate everything the host and Yuji Horii were saying to one another live.
First up was Dragon Quest Keshi Keshi, a free mobile puzzle game coming out in 2021, with a worldwide release confirmed. It looks like it could be cute, although free mobile games aren’t usually my thing.
The next announcement was the next update for Dragon Quest X, and everyone held their breaths in anticipation. Dragon Quest X being shown in the worldwide live stream? Could that mean – no, it couldn’t, as the translated details about the upcoming expansion added a helpful “There are no plans for a worldwide release” note.
However, then they announced Dragon Quest X Offline!
Not what you were expecting it to look like? Yes, the MMORPG is getting an offline version that follows the same story, but with a completely different visual style that uses deformed chibis instead of the regular Dragon Quest X character models. It has other changes as well, but they didn’t say what those are.
All they talked about for Dragon Quest X offline was the Japanese release, but on the other hand, it didn’t have the explicit “no plans for a worldwide release” note that the regular Dragon Quest X news came with.
Since an offline version of Dragon Quest X had previously been mentioned as a possible way to bring it west, we might actually have a shot of getting it.
But then, we got the most exciting news of the night: a Dragon Quest III HD-2D remake.
It looks absolutely gorgeous!
I’ve had a copy of Dragon Quest III for ages, and I started playing it when I was a kid several times without actually getting very far. Lately, I’d been debating about whether or not I should drag out that old copy to play it or buy the Switch or mobile version… but now I have my answer! I’m going to wait for the HD-2D remake instead!
Not only is it being localized, but it’s getting a simultaneous worldwide release.
Oh, and then Horii teased the possibility that Dragon Quest I and II might be next, followed by a lot of talking about how he wasn’t supposed to say that.
The next game announced was a new spin-off called Dragon Quest Treasures, starring Erik and Mia from Dragon Quest XI.
Details about this one are still sparse. It’s an RPG, but not a traditional one, and the theme is treasure hunting. The platforms and release date haven’t been decided yet, but they’re aiming for a simultaneous worldwide release for it as well.
That’s not much to go on, but I’m interested in learning more.
Dragon Quest Treasures isn’t the next Dragon Quest Monsters game, either, and they confirmed another Monsters game will be announced in the future.
One last announcement remained, and everyone had a pretty good idea of what it was going to be…
We got the world’s tiniest teaser for Dragon Quest XII: The Flames of Fate! Dragon Quest XII has now been officially announced, although only its logo was shown.
They did go into some detail afterwards… but it’s all a little confusing. They made some comments about this being a Dragon Quest game “for adults,” and it’s going to be about having options and deciding your way of life. I really hope this doesn’t mean it’s going to be dark and edgy, which is how a lot of people are interpreting the “for adults” comment.
The combat system is also changing – although they were quick to say that they aren’t getting rid of the command battle system, just changing it. One fan on Reddit helpfully wrote out the exact comments here.
Dragon Quest has been known for keeping a traditional combat system, so some fans are unhappy about this news. I can’t help think back to the days ahead of Dragon Quest XI, when everyone was trying to figure out if it would be turn-based or not. We might go through a similar ordeal here with Dragon Quest XII.
They couldn’t reveal the release window or platforms, but it will also get a simultaneous worldwide release.
Overall, it was worth staying up to watch the Dragon Quest live stream! The Dragon Quest III remake looks fantastic, Treasures could be interesting, we might have a chance of getting Dragon Quest X Offline, and Dragon Quest XII has been officially announced (even if I have some mixed feelings). And who knows, the mobile puzzle game could be fun.
What are your thoughts on the Dragon Quest announcements? How do you feel about the few details revealed for Dragon Quest XII? Let me know in the comments!
