With the sport out within the wild so that you can tame, we had an opportunity to talk to The Darkish Prince’s producer, Kento Yokota, who additionally labored as a producer on Dragon Quest XI. We spoke about why The Darkish Prince is revisiting one of the crucial standard video games within the collection, Dragon Quest IV, what the Monsters collection brings to the monster-catching RPG desk, and recommendation for newcomers to this sub-series.
Nintendo Life: Why did you determine to revisit Dragon Quest IV, particularly Psaro?
Kento Yokota, Producer on Dragon Quest Monsters: The Darkish Prince: Whereas we have been speaking to Mr. Horii Yuji (the creator of Dragon Quest) about selecting the protagonist for the sport, Psaro’s title got here up as a result of he’s a widely known and standard character from the collection previous and in addition has a monstrous heritage himself, so we felt he was an incredible match for the Dragon Quest Monsters collection. As soon as that selection was made, we determined to set the story on this planet of Dragon Quest IV: Chapters of the Chosen, the unique recreation that Psaro comes from.
What variations do you assume Dragon Quest Monsters brings to the monster-taming style?
There are numerous different video games on the market the place you crew up with monsters to battle, however the distinctive function that makes Dragon Quest Monsters stand out is the synthesis system that means that you can create new monsters to make use of. I might be delighted to see this idea extra recognised and synthesis programs unfold for use in additional video games.
We felt [Psaro] was an incredible match for the Dragon Quest Monsters collection
Except for remakes, that is the primary time Dragon Quest Monsters has been playable on a house console. What challenges did that deliver when growing the sport?
With the transfer to greater screens than on the earlier handheld platforms, we will present extra data, however as a result of you’ll be able to play the Nintendo Swap in transportable mode too, it was vital to regulate the display structure, so the motion was not tough to observe on the display in that mode both.
Every atmosphere adjustments with the seasons in The Darkish Prince. Why did you determine to implement a seasonal system within the recreation, and the way does it have an effect on gameplay and monster taming?
All of the monsters that seem within the Dragon Quest collection are so characterful and distinctive. We felt that it could be an incredible concept to tailor the areas that they dwell in to match that individuality and got here up with the seasons system. We made positive that the passing of the seasons wouldn’t intervene with the development of the story in any method, however there are many monsters that can solely seem when you go to their habitat in the correct season, so watching out for the altering seasons turns into one other satisfying side of the gameplay.
There’s an enormous variety of monsters in The Darkish Prince. How laborious is it to slim down which monsters make the lower?
It’s certainly fairly tough to stability all the pieces as a way to get a roughly equal quantity from every monster kind, monsters of various sizes and ranging silhouettes and in addition an excellent choice from the varied Dragon Quest video games, so we tweaked the lineup many occasions earlier than deciding on the ultimate lower. Nonetheless, the work to determine on which monsters to incorporate is numerous enjoyable in itself.
How do reserve monsters work in The Darkish Prince? Are there any new mechanics to your again row?
Very similar to with the comrades who wait in your cart in numbered Dragon Quest video games like Dragon Quest IV: Chapters of the Chosen, Dragon Quest V: Hand of the Heavenly Bride and Dragon Quest VI: Realms of Revelation (identified in Europe as Realms of Reverie), the reserve monsters within the Dragon Quest Monsters collection are on stand-by to be tactically swapped out along with your beginning lineup relying on the opponents you end up going through or developments throughout a battle. They’re a vital component, particularly when battling towards one other participant.
For solo play, when you find yourself progressing by the story, placing a monster that may use therapeutic spells in your reserve slots may be actually handy, as it’ll allow you to heal at any time.
We’ve seen the Goomulonimbus already, however what different new Slime variants can we anticipate to see in The Darkish Prince? And do you will have a favorite Slime from earlier Dragon Quest video games?
Sure, there are different new Slime monsters along with Goomulonimbus. Personally, my favorite Slime monster is the Slime Knight. Many Japanese gamers can’t assist however inform of his heroic exploits in Dragon Quest V!
Do you will have any recommendation for gamers who love Dragon Quest IV, however have by no means performed a Monsters recreation and may make this one their first Monsters title?
my favorite Slime monster is the Slime Knight.
The largest distinction between the mainline Dragon Quest collection and the Dragon Quest Monsters collection is that, in Monsters, it’s monsters relatively than individuals who do the preventing, and also you progress by synthesising monsters collectively to create new ones.
Some folks may really feel as if these mechanics are complicated and completely different, however for Dragon Quest Monsters: The Darkish Prince we have now tweaked and streamlined your entire system to be less complicated and extra accessible than earlier than, so it’s the excellent title for followers desirous to get into the sub-series.
You too can stay up for an incredible story that includes the protagonist Psaro and numerous characters related to him, with many twists and turns alongside the way in which. The gameplay and the story are each strong and satisfying, so please give Dragon Quest Monsters: The Darkish Prince a strive. You possibly can even begin with the free demo!”
This interview has been edited flippantly for readability.
We need to thank Yokota-san for talking to us about Dragon Quest Monsters: The Darkish Prince. The RPG is out now completely on Nintendo Swap. Tell us when you’re having fun with the sport within the feedback.
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