Dragon Quest is one of the most renowned video game franchises on the planet and more or less invented the entire premise of the turn-based JRPG back in the mid-80s, back before even Final Fantasy. The series’ creator, Yuji Horii, spoke with Yahoo Japan about the legacy of Dragon Quest and its future.
Dragon Quest VR
The above video is a trailer for the arcade-exclusive Dragon Quest VR game from Japan. You can read our hands-on impressions of the experience here. What he’s alluding to in the interview though, is for an official entry in the series for actual consumer platforms at home.
In the interview referenced above, as translated by Google Translate, Horii says:
“I think it’s a question that everyone wants to ask, but what will happen to “Dragon Quest” in the future? It’s a secret (laughs). It also affects what happens to the game console, and in the future, the day may come when you can enjoy it in VR, such as the world of “Dragon Quest” is there while you are in the room.
Also, I think it would be interesting if AI systems could be used in the characters and conversations of fellow characters. It would be nice if the friends who ventured together grew up with AI and became people to talk to. We hope to continue to provide new and exciting play under the name Dragon Quest.”
The most recent main line entry in the Dragon Quest series is Dragon Quest XI: Echoes of an Elusive Age. It’s out on PS4, Switch, Xbox, and PC and is available as part of Game Pass on the latter two platforms.
Rather than simply numbering entries like Final Fantasy, the Dragon Quest series is well-known for its esoteric and fancy subtitles. Some of my favorite subtitles include Dragon Quest II: Luminaries of the Legendary Line (NES, 1987) and Dragon Quest IX: Sentinels of the Starry Skies because I’m a sucker for alliteration.
What exactly a Dragon Quest game could look like in VR is a big mystery. If the arcade adaptation is anything to go by it probably means adapting things to a more action-focused format, which could be a lot of fun. But it’s hard to know how they will adapt the heavy exposition, menu-heavy interface, and slower pace that the series is known for.
Let us know what you think down in the comments below!