Dragon Quest Monsters: The Dark Prince [PC] | REVIEW

Dragon Quest Monsters: The Dark Prince had a bit of an iffy launch on the Nintendo Switch earlier this year, with reports of technical issues putting me off playing it back then. Now, with its release on PC, those technical issues have been fixed, and you know what? I’ve had a blast with the game, with it offering an addictive and rewarding take on the monster collecting formula.

Check out some screenshots down below:

Dragon Quest Monsters: The Dark Prince puts players in the role of Psaro, who might be familiar to some as the antagonist of Dragon Quest IV. As a quick heads-up, the events of the game take place prior to Dragon Quest IV and offer an alternate take on the story, so don’t be put-off if you haven’t played it before – the game gives a quick recap of the character of Psaro too, which offers a nice bit of context.

Anyway, Psaro just so happens to be the son of Randolfo, the king of all monsters, though their relationship is definitely a troubled one. This is made evident quickly when Randolfo denies assistance to Psaro’s ailing mother, and instead curses him to never be able to hurt any monster. Seeking vengeance, Psaro looks to take monsters under his command as a means to bring Randolfo down. Basically, it’s tale of good versus evil with a bit of family drama thrown in for good measure… oh, and plenty of monster collecting, of course.

The core gameplay loop of Dragon Quest Monsters: The Dark Prince revolves around taming and collecting monsters to bring to your cause, with it adding a Pokémon-like twist to the world of Dragon Quest. There are no Pokéballs to throw here though, with monsters instead joining your cause through a show of force. This is known as Scouting and takes up a turn in battle, with your chance of success represented with a percentage meter. If you succeed? Great, they’ll join your cause. And if you fail? They’ll get angry and refuse to join. Scouting becomes easier as you build up a powerful party and increase Psaro’s reputation by progressing through the story, so it’s always worth re-visiting areas to recruit monsters that might have shown little interest early on in the game.

“Dragon Quest Monsters: The Dark Prince has been a real treat, with the monster collecting and synthesis keeping me hooked in for hours on end.”

The biggest challenge? Recruiting the large monsters who roam the world, who require a bit more finesse to scout, with an emphasis placed on lowering their stats, increasing your own, and using items to weaken their resolve. It shows that the monster collecting process does develop throughout the game, with those who want to, uh-hum, ‘catch ‘em all’, having to really commit to the process.

It’s the best thing about Dragon Quest Monsters: The Dark Prince, with monster collecting proving fun, addictive, and rewarding throughout the entirety of the game. Every time I saw a new monster, I simply HAD to bring it to my team, putting me in a constant loop of battling foes over and over as a means to succeed. And when I managed to recruit monsters that had evaded my grasp earlier on in the story? It ALWAYS felt good. The fact that the game takes place in a world of ever-changing seasons adds to the appeal, with some monsters only appearing during specific seasons. It means that it always feels like there’s something new to discover in the game, but don’t worry if you’re a completionist: you eventually unlock a means to change seasons freely, making the process easier.

What complements the monster collecting is the synthesis process, which sees you fusing together your high-level monsters to make a more formidable monster. This monster might also see a boost in stats, whilst they’ll also inherit the skills of the fused monsters, making them a more versatile addition to your party. Best of all, they also bring fresh abilities, giving you extra tricks up your sleeve to best your foes. It’s a deep system that offers a lot of room for experimentation, and much like collecting monsters, it’s addictive and rewarding to see what new monsters you can create.

Check out some screenshots down below:

The monster collecting aspect of Dragon Quest Monsters: The Dark Prince is where the game shines, though it’s certainly not a slouch in other areas. Battles themselves are enjoyable, with the game adopting a turn-based approach that’s simple yet familiar in design. There’s plenty of room for strategy and utilising your monsters’ strengths to your advantage, whilst you can also allow them to attack freely by issuing simple commands to follow. You’ll also compete in tournaments to prove the strength of your party, traverse multiple regions as you explore the world, and even take on powerful boss encounters, with the game offering plenty for players to do to keep them hooked in. And hey, you might not be able to bring those bosses to your cause early on in the game, but later on? You might have more luck, even if it’s through synthesis instead…

When Dragon Quest Monsters: The Dark Prince launched on the Nintendo Switch, there were a lot of issues, with choppy frame rates, poor visuals, and regular loading times breaking up the action being the worst offenders. Thankfully, this PC release rectifies all of those problems, with zero issues with the frame rate and minimal loading to be found when playing.

As for the visuals… well… they look nice enough and are an improvement over the Nintendo Switch, but they do feel a little dated – especially when compared to recent Square Enix releases. Don’t get me wrong, they’re nice enough to look at and the traditional Dragon Quest design of the world and enemies offer plenty of charm, but they certainly don’t match up to the visuals seen in similar recent releases.

Developer: Square Enix
Publisher: Square Enix
Platform(s): PC (Reviewed), Nintendo Switch
Website: https://store.steampowered.com/app/2175540/DRAGON_QUEST_MONSTERS_The_Dark_Prince/