The Dragon Quest Monsters series, a monster-collecting spin-off based on Dragon Quest, has returned with its latest entry: 'Dragon Quest Monsters 4: Bianca and Nera of the Parched Land' (hereafter DQM4).
Considering that the previous game, DQM3, signaled the revival of the series after 22 years, there were a fair number of disappointing aspects as well. Released amidst an era of visually dazzling titles, DQM3 could hardly be called a graphical marvel, and its online battles—a core element of the game—drew criticism for only supporting the Nintendo Switch. Even so, driven by anticipation for a new DQM game after 22 years, it achieved global cumulative sales of over 1 million copies.
Perhaps thanks to that success, DQM4 seems to have taken its predecessor as a lesson in many ways. Featuring adorable character designs for its two main protagonists, Bianca and Nera, as well as Debora, the game demonstrates improvements over the previous title across various areas, including online battles and synthesis—the game's core mechanic.
Three years after the previous entry, we were curious to find out what kind of progress DQM4 has made compared to its predecessor, and why Bianca and Nera were chosen as the protagonists. We met with Director Kento Yokota and Producer Takuma Shiraishi to hear all about DQM4.
DQM3 arrived after 22 years, whereas DQM4 is coming out just 3 years after its predecessor, which feels remarkably fast. This was likely influenced by the positive reception of the previous title. How do you feel about this?
Yokota: The previous game was the first in the series to launch simultaneously worldwide. Thanks to that, I think many people played it not only in Japan but also overseas. Because DQM3 was released that way, we received a lot of feedback. While there was positive acclaim, there were naturally quite a few areas for improvement as well. Based on that feedback, we reflected those insights into this title by building on what worked well and improving what received negative evaluations.
Releasing a new game after 3 years feels like a remarkably fast development period considering recent game development trends. I don't think we could have made it this quickly without both the producer and the development team, so I am very grateful.
The DQM series has finally reached its fourth numbered entry. From a developer's perspective, what is the core of the DQM series, and how was it carried forward into DQM4?
Yokota: Although it's the fourth numbered entry, considering that the first game was released in 1998, it's a series that has spanned 28 years. It is the longest-running spin-off series in Dragon Quest, carrying a rich tradition. In a DQM series like this, I believe the most important element is the synthesis system. As the core of the series, it is a system that needs to evolve and advance alongside it, so we have treated it with great importance in this entry as well.
Bianca and Nera appear as the main characters, joined by Debora. In the original Dragon Quest V, these Heavenly Brides are depicted as meeting for the first time. However, meeting each other in DQM4 during their childhood might create consistency issues with Dragon Quest V. It could be seen as a bit of a plot hole. How did you resolve this?
Shiraishi: First, please understand that we cannot reveal at this time whether DQM4 connects to Dragon Quest V or if it is a separate parallel world.
Rather than revealing something right here, we want to leave how closely connected it is to Dragon Quest V as something for players to experience, debate, and speculate about on their own. Furthermore, since Bianca and Nera enter the world of DQM4 rather than staying in the world of Dragon Quest V, we designed the game so that anyone can enjoy it even if they aren't familiar with Dragon Quest V.
Meanwhile, Debora, who was added in the DS version, is not a main protagonist, but she plays a very significant role in the story. Explaining in detail would be a spoiler, so I cannot say more, but please look forward to it.
Personally, compared to the previous game, the visual improvement stood out the most. How would you summarize the visual style DQM4 aims for in one sentence?
Yokota: The visual difference from the previous game should be striking at first glance. Regarding first impressions, we set our directional goal from early development to achieve current visuals. Since both protagonists are young girls and have compact character proportions when moving around the field, we focused on a bright, cute feel characteristic of the Dragon Quest series so it would feel as charming as possible.
Of course, even while making it cute, we refrained from making it excessively cute. If it's too cute... how should I put it? Adults might feel a bit embarrassed playing it, so we balanced it appropriately. On the flip side, we also designed it so that it wouldn't be too scary for children, aiming for a design that people of all ages and genders can enjoy.
Shiraishi: To add to that, while the overall theme was intended to be bright and cute, the monsters themselves were not stylized/chibified, so cool designs faithful to the originals as well as sinister monsters like Demon Lords appear properly. We designed it so players can enjoy the world of DQM4 with a wide variety of monsters, so if any players are worried that the monsters might be too cute as well, I'd like to take this opportunity to reassure them not to worry.
The Parched Land, which serves as the setting for DQM4, was previously a region only mentioned in older titles. A location that existed only in lore has now fully revealed itself after decades. We'd like to hear the reason behind this and how the environment of the Parched Land affects monsters and gameplay.
Yokota: As you mentioned, the Parched Land was a mysterious country only mentioned in passing in the original Dragon Quest I. To be honest, I always wanted to explore the Parched Land at least once. However, even in DQM3, the world was not closely connected to Dragon Quest I and II, so it remained just a vague thought.
Personally, it bothered me that it was only mentioned without its lore ever being expanded. While developing DQM4, I consulted with creator Mr. Horii about it, and he agreed, saying, "That's certainly true." Starting from choosing Bianca and Nera as protagonists to the atmosphere of the fields, it was the perfect title to feature the Parched Land, so we decided on it as the setting for DQM4 with the theme of returning to a world of the past.
Shiraishi: Because of that, in DQM4, the theme of reviving the Parched Land is integrated into both the world building and the game systems. For example, system-wise, you water dried seeds to make them sprout, attempting to create a feeling where the game's setting and gameplay are seamlessly fused together.
We noticed that the world is nearly spherical, with terrain curving up over the horizon. Worlds are typically constructed as wide, flat planes—was there a reason for choosing such a unique shape? Also, since the spherical shape can cause motion sickness, are there any measures in place for this?
Shiraishi: Earlier, we mentioned that the main characters are cute young girls. You can think of the spherical world shape as incorporating those visual characteristics of the protagonists.
As for motion sickness, it was something we were aware of, as playtesters reported it as well. Therefore, we have included various motion sickness reduction options in the game, such as adjusting the camera distance.
If motion sickness is severe, you can turn on all motion sickness prevention options. In this case, it will deliver an experience different from the spherical world visual we intended, but we believe the most important thing is ensuring players can play comfortably. We have prepared various countermeasures, so please enjoy the game with the options that suit you best.
Looking at Bianca and Nera's traits, they are subtly different. Bianca leans aggressive, whereas Nera is defensive. Does choosing a protagonist affect the game's difficulty? Also, will the unchosen protagonist appear later as a rival or in some other way?
Shiraishi: There are differences in effects depending on the protagonist, such as which monster families are easier to recruit or unique Master's Aura support skills, but the difference is not drastically game-breaking.
As you know, both Bianca and Nera are Heavenly Brides, and choosing whom to marry was a huge topic when Dragon Quest V released. We wanted to give players that kind of choice in DQM4 as well. It was also something Mr. Horii intended, but to reiterate, you can make your choice casually. It won't cause any issues in playing the game.
Since the field is spherical, it got me thinking: if you keep walking in one direction, is it possible to go all the way around and return to where you started?
Shiraishi: Although it is spherical, the world is designed with edges, so walking continuously in one direction will not bring you back around full circle.
Yokota: If we had made the world massive and left the edges open, it might have been possible. But making it that large could cause issues, and it didn't fit the vision for DQM4, so we didn't design it that way. Of course, during development, we did talk about whether players could circumnavigate the spherical field (laughs).
Shiraishi: If players could roam completely freely without walls or boundaries, they might end up running in circles and getting lost. You can think of it as placing minor restrictions to prevent that. While the field structure is spherical, opening the map displays a traditional flat Dragon Quest map marked with north, south, east, and west.
We understand over 500 monsters will appear. Along with returning monsters, new ones must have been added as well. How did you determine the balance between them, and what criteria were used to select the new monsters?
Shiraishi: Fundamentally, whether a monster fit the world of DQM4 was the most important factor. Based on that, we adjusted which monsters to include or omit, as well as their ranks.
For new monsters, various ideas were proposed within the team. After selecting options based on system requirements, we reviewed them again to ensure we respected Akira Toriyama-sensei's original work. Since Toriyama-sensei has passed away, there are designs for characters and monsters he did not work on, but out of respect for the world he built, we carefully selected monsters that fit it. We then finalized our decisions on these candidates with input from Mr. Horii.
Meanwhile, regarding Toriyama-sensei's designs, Director Yokota was practically a devotee, evaluating them with extreme rigor. If he said, "This monster doesn't fit sensei's work," it was cut immediately.
Yokota: I previously worked as an advertising director, and back then I frequently commissioned illustrations from Toriyama-sensei, which is probably how I became that way. I do evaluate Toriyama-sensei's artwork strictly, and personally feel a strong responsibility to preserve that and the Dragon Quest universe.
With the exception of DQM2, the DQM series has always featured characters from numbered main entries as protagonists. This makes one wonder if future titles will also feature existing characters. Is the development team aware of this sentiment, and what are your thoughts on it?
Shiraishi: We are aware of that sentiment internally as well. However, it's difficult to answer questions at this point about who the protagonist of the next title might be.
Yokota: Choosing the protagonist is a topic we deliberate over every time. Featuring an already established character has both pros and cons. If we introduced an original protagonist, players might not show interest because they don't know the character, so as a spin-off, it's a dilemma we face each time.
However, that doesn't mean we will always use existing characters in the future. I don't even know yet whether we will make a next entry or who its protagonist would be (laughs).
For DQM3, there are still players enjoying online battles today. However, there was a lot of debate surrounding online battles. You must have received a fair amount of feedback. How was that reflected in DQM4?
Yokota: To be honest, in DQM3, we simplified the battle system in hopes that many new players would join. Naturally, we adjusted the balance in many areas as well. As a result, rather than finishing it as a flawless title, I think there were a fair number of shortcomings. That means there were quite a few areas needing improvement regarding battle balance.
Since balance is a crucial element in online battles, we paid close attention in DQM4 so that similar issues wouldn't happen again. Above all, since the feel of play in online battles changes depending on a monster's abilities, we thoroughly reviewed monster abilities in DQM4 to prevent specific monsters from dominating usage simply because they are strong.
Shiraishi: It's something we realized watching DQM3, but it reaffirmed that online battles are what keep players engaged over a long period. Therefore, in DQM4, we improved the online battle specifications so players can enjoy them more comfortably. A primary example is cross-platform play. Unlike DQM3, players on different platforms can now battle each other, so we expect even more players to enjoy it.
Come to think of it, the protagonist of Dragon Quest V was known as the 'Legendary Monster Wrangler.' This aligns somewhat with the concept of Monsters. Given that the Heavenly Brides of Dragon Quest V are the main leads, could the Dragon Quest V protagonist make an appearance?
Shiraishi: Please understand that we cannot reveal which characters might appear at this time, as we want to leave whether DQM4 connects to Dragon Quest V or exists as a parallel world to the players' imagination.
However, as you know from playing the demo, DQM4's main characters—Bianca, Nera, and Debora—travel from the world of Dragon Quest V into the world of DQM4, so it will feel different from the original game. Since we intended for players to enjoy it even without having played the original, we will leave the rest to your imagination.
Yokota: Considering the Dragon Quest V protagonist becomes the Legendary Monster Wrangler, it would make sense for him to appear as a Monsters protagonist, but... how should I put it? You could call it an unwritten rule of the Dragon Quest series.
A main character from a previous game has never returned as a main protagonist in a later entry. The same went for Terry, the protagonist of DQM1. Whether this is a rule set by Mr. Horii or not, it has become somewhat of an established rule, so we intend to keep respecting it.
We are curious why Debora was excluded from the main protagonist roster. In the DS version, she was added as a bride candidate. Was there a specific reason?
Shiraishi: During initial considerations, since all three are grouped together as Heavenly Brides, we planned for her to be a protagonist candidate as well. However, based on Mr. Horii's judgment, it was narrowed down to Bianca and Nera. That was likely because Debora was not in the original game and only appeared in the DS remake.
However, that doesn't mean Debora's role is minor. Although she is a character added in the DS version, she plays a vital role for us and in DQM4. While her position differs from Bianca and Nera, she is treated with great importance in the story. I think everyone will fall in love with Debora after beating the game.
Finally, do you have a message for Korean players?
Shiraishi: A wide variety of monsters appear in DQM4, and I'm sure there are monsters that everyone loves. I hope you find those monsters and enjoy playing this game.
Yokota: DQM4 belongs to the RPG genre, but it is structured with an accessible tone and a story easy enough for children to understand. That doesn't mean it lacks depth, though. Through the signature synthesis system, we designed it so players can experience the unique fun of the Monsters series.
Our goal was to create a game that people unfamiliar with gaming or new to the Monsters and Dragon Quest series can enjoy casually. We would be grateful if those players give DQM4 a try as well.
