What Kind of Game Could Dragon Quest XII Be?
Now that Dragon Quest XI S for Switch is safely behind them, Dragon Quest creator Yuji Horii has confirmed through a New Year’s card and a message on Twitter that Dragon Quest XII started development in 2019. Given how long it takes to create games these days, this means it’s still very early. Horii is grateful for all the fans who’ve supported the series until now, but isn’t sure of how long he’ll be able to maintain this at his age (he’s 65). He previously mentioned the intention to still go strong with game development for around another 20 years in an interview during the promotional cycle for Dragon Quest XI’s initial western release, so hopefully nothing’s changed.
There’s a more important question here: What kind of game will DQXII be? There are a few possibilities given what’s happened with mainline DQ games in the last decade.
The DQ series used to follow a predictable pattern. The first eight games were single-player titles with unique features like job systems and monster recruitment. But those are comparatively minor compared to what DQ games following Dragon Quest VIII attempted.
In a way, Dragon Quest IX was reminiscent of Dragon Quest III in letting players choose a main character and three other party members, along with their job professions. But DQIX was tailored towards single-player and multiplayer gameplay, where four friends and their created characters could complete the main quest and side quests together. It was easier to use the multiplayer features in Japan compared to western territories, thanks to how difficult it can be to gather players in a country where players are more spread out — this was a DS game with no online multiplayer options, after all. Despite the change, it still resembled a mainline game in terms of progression.
The tenth installment was by far the biggest departure for the series, as implied by its name: Dragon Quest X: Online. It was an MMORPG where players created their own characters and ventured into an online world. The option for players to venture through the world by themselves exists, but it was made to be played with others. This was really an expansion of the ideas DQIX represented, with Horii’s desire to let fans adventure through the games together. But he realized this wasn’t to the liking of every DQ fan, and the core series planners and outside developers they cooperated with were capable of making another title while continuing support for the game.
This is where DQXI came in, the first strictly single-player installment since DQVIII, made with modern production values. But DQXI was also unique through how it was a multiplatform release with three different presentations. Horii realized the old standard of initially releasing games for one platform wasn’t workable these days, which is why the PS4 and 3DS versions released simultaneously. The PS4 version was made with modern HD production values, while the 3DS version contained a 3D version with super-deformed characters and an old school 2D sprite-based version. Switch port DQIXS included the PS4 version (with extra features) and the 3DS’ sprite-based version. Notably, none of the three had any key gameplay differences.
The mainline Dragon Quest series has now reached Final Fantasy levels of unpredictability, and it’s tough to guess what kind of game Dragon Quest XII could be. DQIX was one of the highest-selling installments worldwide, so the team could make another title with that same concept. But given how long the upcoming game will take to release, it might arrive at a time where support for DQX is winding down, when the team feels time to move on to another MMORPG. It could also be another strictly single-player affair if Horii feels his story ideas will work better in that format. Who knows! There’s no way to settle on one of these.
In fact, it might be tougher to predict what DQXII could be than the inevitable Final Fantasy XVI. The next mainline FF game is a bit less likely to be an MMO thanks to how successful Final Fantasy XIV’s expansions have been. There’s still plenty of life left in it.
Horii notably didn’t indicate what stage of development this project is in, so he’s not joking when he says it will be a while. But other DQ games will release before then. It was recently announced that Dragon Quest: The Adventure of Dai will receive a new anime adaptation and an accompanying game, though what kind of game that will be is a mystery. There’s also a new Dragon Quest Monsters game in the works that only I and around two other people seem to remember. Not that I can blame them. It’s been over a year since they announced it and we’ve heard nothing since, which should provide an impression of how long it will take for us to see DQXII.
This leads to another big question: Will we see Final Fantasy XVI or Dragon Quest XII release first? Given how efficient developments for one franchise has been, this might be an easy bet. (I’m not picking a side, sorry.) But you never know what could happen with a game’s production behind the scenes.
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Geoff
News Editor | Geoff is some nerd who writes for a blog and thinks he's knowledgeable. He write a lot about video games, but is capable of writing about other subjects, too. Twitter
