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 common video games within the sequence, Dragon Quest IV, what the Monsters sequence 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 had 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 common character from the sequence previous and in addition has a monstrous heritage himself, so we felt he was an incredible match for the Dragon Quest Monsters sequence. As soon as that selection was made, we determined to set the story on the planet of Dragon Quest IV: Chapters of the Chosen, the unique recreation that Psaro comes from.
What variations do you suppose Dragon Quest Monsters brings to the monster-taming style?
There are a number of different video games on the market the place you staff up with monsters to combat, however the distinctive function that makes Dragon Quest Monsters stand out is the synthesis system that permits you to 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 sequence
Apart from remakes, that is the primary time Dragon Quest Monsters has been playable on a house console. What challenges did that carry when growing the sport?
With the transfer to greater screens than on the earlier handheld platforms, we will present extra info, however as a result of you may play the Nintendo Swap in moveable mode too, it was necessary to regulate the display screen format, so the motion was not tough to observe on the display screen in that mode both.
Every surroundings 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 sequence are so characterful and distinctive. We felt that it could be an incredible thought to tailor the areas that they stay in to match that individuality and got here up with the seasons system. We made certain that the passing of the seasons wouldn’t intrude with the development of the story in any approach, however there are many monsters that may solely seem in case you go to their habitat in the best season, so watching out for the altering seasons turns into one other pleasing facet of the gameplay.
There’s an enormous variety of monsters in The Darkish Prince. How onerous is it to slender down which monsters make the lower?
It’s certainly fairly tough to stability every thing as a way to get a roughly equal quantity from every monster sort, monsters of various sizes and ranging silhouettes and in addition a fair choice from the varied Dragon Quest video games, so we tweaked the lineup many instances earlier than selecting the ultimate lower. Nonetheless, the work to determine on which monsters to incorporate is a number of enjoyable in itself.
How do reserve monsters work in The Darkish Prince? Are there any new mechanics to your again row?
Very like 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 sequence are on stand-by to be tactically swapped out together with your beginning lineup relying on the opponents you end up dealing with or developments throughout a battle. They’re an important ingredient, particularly when battling in opposition to one other participant.
For solo play, if you end up progressing via the story, placing a monster that may use therapeutic spells in your reserve slots will be actually handy, as it is going to allow you to heal at any time.
We’ve seen the Goomulonimbus already, however what different new Slime variants can we count on to see in The Darkish Prince? And do you might 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 might 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 most important distinction between the mainline Dragon Quest sequence and the Dragon Quest Monsters sequence 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 individuals may really feel as if these mechanics are advanced and totally different, however for Dragon Quest Monsters: The Darkish Prince we now have tweaked and streamlined your complete system to be easier and extra accessible than earlier than, so it’s the good title for followers desirous to get into the sub-series.
You can too look ahead to an incredible story that includes the protagonist Psaro and varied characters related to him, with many twists and turns alongside the best way. The gameplay and the story are each stable and pleasing, so please give Dragon Quest Monsters: The Darkish Prince a attempt. You’ll be able to even begin with the free demo!”
This interview has been edited calmly for readability.
We need to thank Yokota-san for chatting with us about Dragon Quest Monsters: The Darkish Prince. The RPG is out now completely on Nintendo Swap. Tell us in case you’re having fun with the sport within the feedback.
