Dragon Quest has some of the most recognizable monsters in gaming. Ranging from cutesy to downright horrifying, the bestiary has hundreds of monsters across eleven mainline games and numerous spinoffs. This diverse group of monsters naturally lends itself well to a Pokémon style game which has been done a few times before under the moniker of Dragon Quest Monsters. These spinoffs have been exclusive to Nintendo’s handheld platforms outside of Japan. Technically this trend continues with Dragon Quest Monsters: The Dark Prince launching as a Switch exclusive, but at least now it can be played on a big screen without any extra peripherals.
One of the more interesting aspects of Dragon Quest Monsters: The Dark Prince is the general premise. The player controls a young monster wrangler named Psaro. This is the same Psaro the Manslayer, antagonist of Dragon Warrior IV, which was the last Dragon Quest game to receive a western NES release. It has since received a remake for Nintendo DS and mobile devices under the name Dragon Quest IV: Chapters of the Chosen and general consensus is that it’s one of the better mainline entries. Being familiar with Dragon Quest IV is not necessary to enjoy Dragon Quest Monsters: The Dark Prince, but it can enhance the experience as there are familiar locations and characters that make appearances.
Psaro is the product of a union between monster and human. More specifically, a human and Randolfo the Tyrant, Ruler of Monsterkind which makes him a prince and heir to the throne of Nadiria where he is the rightful ruler of monsters. But Psaro and his pop don’t have the best of relationships, and after being raised in the human world, he attempts to take the throne by force where he’s cursed with an affliction that prevents him from directly harming any monsters. Being incapacitated thusly puts a damper on his plot for a hostile takeover of Nadiria, but that’s where his monster wrangling skills come into play. He can’t dirty his hands, but he can unleash a squadron of slimes to fight his battles for him.
Psaro does not travel alone on his adventure. His main companions are an elf maiden named Rose who cries ruby tears and Toilen Trubble, an adventure with a slight impulse control problem for acquiring items through less-than-legal means. As Psaro acts as a silent protagonist, these two characters serve as his mouthpiece in most social interactions. The two companions, like most other characters in this game, are pretty one dimensional and exist primarily just to progress the plot along.
Psaro and Rose have a base of operations in Rosehill Tower which conveniently travels with them. This tower heals all monsters upon entry and offers a few services such as an item shop, bank and synthesis lab. Throughout his travels Psaro will gather colorful magic rocks called Travelite that will open new areas in Nadiria in which to travel. Nadiria is divided into six circles with each circle divided into a lower, middle and upper echelon. Traveling into higher echelons unlocks more powerful monsters to be recruited. Thanks to the Zoom spell, traveling between areas or making a hasty retreat to heal one’s monsters is quick and convenient. Whenever Psaro first arrives in a new area the monsters are difficult to recruit until Psaro fulfills a quest objective, such as boosting his reputation by winning a monster fighting tournament. Seasons change regularly, which makes it important to visit the same areas during different seasons as certain pathways and monsters will only appear during specific seasons.
Psaro enters battle by making contact with a monster on the world map. He does battle with a team of up to four monsters, though some of the larger ones occupy more than a single space. This a game that is cognizant of the grind, and as such offers a couple auto battle options. Hitting the fight command will have the team of monsters unleash an AI-determined assault, which can be somewhat guided by assigning parameters to their behavior. The player can also just press ZR and have the battles be fought on autopilot indefinitely. For the player that wants a more hands-on approach, the Order command allows the player to individually assign each monster’s action and target. Battles are turn-based affairs and defeating each group of enemy monsters is key for gaining experience and gold. Battles are also necessary for the recruitment of monsters. On rare occasion a monster will decide they want to join Psaro’s team after they’re defeated in battle, but the more reliable method of monster acquisition is to attack them a few times to weaken them and issue the Scout command. It’s not the most in-depth battle system to be found in a Dragon Quest game, but serves its purpose here.
Monster synthesis allows players to create over 500 different types of monsters, a few of which are being seen for the first time here. Synthesis works by taking two monsters who have reached level ten and picking which monster they should become. When the two parent monsters have been selected, the player can choose from some options which monster they want. Some combinations only allow the synthesized monster to be one of the parent monsters, while other combinations allow for several choices. When creating a new monster the player can select which talent groups they wish to carry over from the parents. They are typically allowed three talent trees, taken from the two parent monsters and more choices based on what’s generally available for the offspring. This allows the player some freedom in outfitting their monster with spells and abilities they like to use or can just buff the new monster with talent trees that are filled with passive stat bonuses. Catching and synthesizing monsters is among the more addicting aspects of Dragon Quest Monsters: The Dark Prince.
Dragon Quest Monsters: The Dark Prince is a game that was designed with hardcore Dragon Quest fans in mind. Like previous entries in the Dragon Quest Monsters series the story is much lighter and simpler than what would be found in one of the mainline entries. Each echelon and its layers are self contained and generally barren, making the world seem compartmentalized. Some RPG worlds feel alive, but that’s not the case here, as most areas feel rather empty with NPCs serving as little more than shopkeepers and quest givers. What saves Dragon Quest Monsters: The Dark Prince is the fun of trying to catch the player’s favorite Dragon Quest monsters, either through battle or synthesis. There isn’t a ton of grinding required to progress through the main story, but building the ideal team of monsters is a gigantic grind fest, although having iconic boss monsters such as Baramos on the team can make it feel worthwhile. Players who love all things Dragon Quest will likely overlook the aforementioned shortcomings and have a blast with the combat system and monster collection. More casual players or those not already enamored with Dragon Quest might not be so forgiving.
The graphics of Dragon Quest Monsters: The Dark Prince are perfectly serviceable. They don’t push the limits of what the Switch is capable of, but top notch technical graphics was never a hallmark of Dragon Quest. The graphics follow the established Dragon Quest style which is fine for showcasing the diverse cast of monsters, particularly the myriad slime permutations. The soundtrack is filled with modern remixes of familiar Dragon Quest tunes with an emphasis on ones originating in the fourth mainline game. Given that Switch has entered into its elder years by console standards, the performance isn’t always optimal. Loading when traveling between areas can seem long and there are occasional framerate drops and stutters. Unfortunately this isn’t a game that’s recommended for a household with multiple players as there’s only one save slot, so the player can’t have multiple save files nor could people in a household have their own save files.
Closing Comments:
Dragon Quest Monsters: The Dark Prince forgoes complexity in favor of creating an accessible and enjoyable gaming experience. The basic story and one dimensional NPCs could be a turn off for those looking for a story-rich RPG, as those seeking a grand story with a complex battle system won’t find them here. Capturing and synthesizing new monsters, however, is a simple pleasure that can easily generate dozens of hours worth of enjoyment from this title. Fans of Dragon Quest IV will likely be sold on seeing an origin story for Psaro and revisiting the world of Dragon Quest IV from an alternative perspective. As a fan of Dragon Quest it was easy to overlook the shortcomings and just enjoy monster wrangling, but those less invested in Dragon Quest may be less forgiving with the basic plot and simple gameplay.
Dragon Quest Monsters: The Dark Prince
Square Enix’s 2023 entry in the Dragon Quest Monsters spin-off series, The Dark Prince is a Nintendo Switch exclusive. Unable to harm monsters, Psaro has to tame and combine monsters to create an army.
