Dragon Quest Monsters: The Dark Prince review - A new perspective on an RPG classic

Dragon Quest Monsters: The Dark Prince has been out for a week or so now, and it’s the only thing I have played on my Nintendo Switch since. As a long-time fan of the Dragon Quest franchise, I find it odd that I never really got into the Monsters sub-series. It’s a compilation of all the things I like in one place: Pokemon, Monster Rancher, and Dragon Quest! Even though I missed out on the previous games for one reason or another, I was relieved to find that it didn’t matter at all.

The story of Dragon Quest Monsters: The Dark Prince doesn’t require you to know anything about the previous games or the story in the main canon of the franchise - but it doesn’t hurt.

With over 500 monsters to tame and command in battle, plenty of skills and passives, and a vast world to explore, I’ve found myself in love with this game. It’s not perfect, but it’s so much fun.

Note: This article is subjective and reflects the writer's opinions.

Dragon Quest Monsters: The Dark Prince revives a classic DQ game from a fresh perspective

The seasons change and so does the exploration (Image via Square Enix)

Dragon Quest Monsters: The Dark Prince may seem like a strange name to the average gamer, but I’ll make some sense of it for you. For those unaware, this Monsters game stars Psaro, the half-Monster son of Randolfo the Tyrant. Psaro is also, interestingly enough, the final boss of Dragon Quest IV.

This game offers players a new perspective on the events of Dragon Quest IV, including familiar characters alongside some new ones like the kleptomaniac Toilen Trubble and the adorable Frizzy. Psaro wants to depose Randolfo the Tyrant, once and for all, not to mention, break the curse that’s been placed upon him.

I’ll leave players to discover the rest of the story themselves. Ahead of the game’s launch, we spoke to director Kento Yokota, who said Psaro was a perfect fit to be the main character - and after playing this game for a few weeks, I’m inclined to agree.

Robot Birds, Slimes, Bats, Elementals, this game has it all (Image via Square Enix)

As someone who has been playing Dragon Quest games since the 1980s, I really appreciated what Square Enix did with Dragon Quest Monsters: The Dark Prince. Even if I didn’t know all the monsters and where they were from - and there were, of course, new ones - I was able to leap right in and have fun.

While Dragon Quest Monsters: The Dark Prince aims to amass a horde of monsters and pit them against others in battle, you don’t have to micromanage and pick every single command. You can also choose to let the monsters do their own thing, and it’s worked well for me so far. You can also use the Tactics system to suggest a game plan for each monster, but that’s as far as it goes.

Whether in coliseum battles to increase your rank, à la Monster Rancher, or exploring and recruiting a wide assortment of Slimes, Skeletons, and Golems like you would in Pokemon, the gameplay loop feels satisfying, giving a slow, steady ramp of challenge.

Friend and foe alike are pretty darn adorable (Image via Square Enix)

As you explore the game, you’ll go through a variety of realms in a fashion that made me think of Dante going through the realms of Hell. Each realm has three tiers, and each tier has a “big bad” monster that dominates it. If you defeat them, you can progress and have an easier time scouting the monsters on that tier. It’s a simple but satisfying gameplay loop.

No two Slimes are exactly the same

There's plenty of variety in the various monsters of this game (Image via Square Enix)

Dragon Quest Monsters: The Dark Prince rewards you for picking multiples of the same monster type in a few ways. Sometimes, you need a couple of Slimes to make a bigger, better Slime, for example. Some of the evolutionary lines to make the really good monsters are ridiculous, that’s for sure.

That said, as you use the Scout function - or bribe monsters with Meat - you’ll start to see differences. Though a monster may share a name and type with another, they won’t necessarily have the same ability lines.

Each monster has two sets of abilities they can invest Talent Points into. One is usually a series of stat buffs, while the other are spells and actions that they can take. As you merge them together via Synthesis, you can make what you consider the “perfect” monster.

You can make the perfect squad - it just takes time (Image via Square Enix)

On the topic of Synthesis, perhaps my favorite part, unlike Pokemon, you pick what the fusion creates. When breeding Pokemon, it’s not always clear what you’ll get. Conversely, when using Synthesis, you get a list of possibilities and pick what you want. You also keep whatever skills and stats from the talent trees you select.

While cute, there are some performance issues in Dragon Quest Monsters: The Dark Prince

The slowdown does exist, but it is not as consistent or bad as other Switch games (Image via Square Enix)

The bright aesthetic of this Dragon Quest game is in line with the rest of the franchise, and the voice acting is sound. I loved how each realm felt unique, with aesthetics ranging from “Underworld Prison” to “Slime-filled Candy Land.” While these were all lovely visuals, there are issues to discuss.

Unfortunately, Dragon Quest Monsters: The Dark Prince does not play as well as Dragon Quest XI did on the Nintendo Switch. I noticed several points of lag and framerate issues. They don’t last long, but they do exist.

The draw distance is fairly shallow also - often, you don’t see enemies until they’re very close. However, these are the only real issues I had with Dragon Quest Monsters: The Dark Prince, if I can be completely honest.

In Conclusion

This game delivers fun and poignant moments alike (Image via Square Enix)

Dragon Quest Monsters: The Dark Prince, other than its minor technical flaws, is a truly charming experience. Combining the gameplay of the Monsters franchise with the stellar story and characters of Dragon Quest IV was an inspired idea. There are so many different ways to play the game when it comes to designing your team.

The puns and humor that have made the Dragon Quest franchise famous are combined with a tense, drama-filled story. There’s tons of content in the game, in the main story and beyond, and plenty of amazing monsters to recruit. If you love the Pokemon and Monster Rancher style games but have never picked up a Monsters game, now’s the time to pick up Dragon Quest Monsters: The Dark Prince.