The long-serving top producer of legendary RPG series Dragon Quest has stepped down from the role, according to sources that spoke to RPS Maw tribute site Bloomberg. Yu Miyake, who has been involved with numerous DQ games since he joined Enix in 1989 as marketer on DQ books, is moving on to head up Square Enix’s mobile games.
The change comes as part of shake-ups at Squeenix under new President and blockchain enjoyer Takashi Kiryu, who Bloomberg point out has committed to reverse SE’s flagging sales of both big releases (like Final Fantasy 16) and mobile titles (like Final Fantasy 7: Ever Crisis), possibly so he can profit handsomely enough to construct himself an arm-mounted Australian Shepherd launcher (like Final Fantasy 8.)
]]>Akira Toriyama, the mangaka whose work in video games included designing the characters for two of the most influential RPGs ever made, Chrono Trigger and Dragon Quest, on top of creating one of the most influential series across all of pop-culture in Dragon Ball, has passed away.
]]>Today, Square Enix celebrated the 35th anniversary of the Dragon Quest series, announcing a handful of new games and spin-offs from the JRPG series. The biggest reveal was the announcement of Dragon Quest 12: The Flames Of Fate, the next mainline game following 2017's Dragon Quest 11. While the developers didn't reveal too much about it, DQ12 certainly sounds like a darker, moodier take on the series, with Dragon Quest creator Yuji Horii saying, "it's like a Dragon Quest for adults".
]]>There are few games more influential on the JRPG genre than the Dragon Quest series. Classic all-ages tales of swords and sorcery adventure, held together with traditional turn-based combat in a world of charming monster & character designs from Dragon Ball artist Akira Toriyama.
While a pair of spinoffs have made the jump already (Dragon Quest Heroes 1 & 2, which I still insist are two of the best Dynasty Warriors-derivatives), today's announcement from Square Enix marks the first time in the series' 32-year history that a core game has come to PC. Dragon Quest XI: Echoes of An Elusive Age is due out this September 4th.
]]>Square Enix have announced a PC release for hack 'n' slash action-RPG Dragon Quest Heroes II [official site], which previously they'd only confirmed for PlayThings. It's a spin-off from Dragon Quest, taking that RPG's setting into hack 'n' slash action made by Dynasty Warriors developers Omega Force. I believe Dragon Quest Heroes is a bit more RPG-y than most of Omega Force's games but is still ultimately about mashing through hordes of enemies - which is grand if you like both slashing and those adorable happy slimes. Here, have a look in this new trailer:
]]>The Dragon Quest series has a long history but most of that history is unwritten on PC. In my mind, it's the big JRPG series with the cute little Slimes as opposed to the big JRPG series with the giant chicken-things. And then I remember that the Slimes and the Chocobos are all under one roof at Square Enix these days.
We're long overdue more Dragon Quest on PC and the latest release is coming our way on December 3rd. It's a spin-off ARPG in the Dynasty Warriors vein, Dragon Quest Heroes: The World Tree's Woe [official site].
]]>It's very rare to discover a game that doesn't contain either a dragon or a quest. Take Skyrim - an entire world in which even the molecules of the air are probably made up of sulphurous dragon-guffs. Read the lore. It's all in there. Among all the clutter of dungeons and dragons that are scattered throughout PC gaming's past, it is perhaps surprising that the venerable Dragon Quest series is a stranger to our particular Windows on the world. All of that is about to change in September, when Dragon Quest X arrives on Windows. Unfortunately, this may not herald a new era of slime-slapping jollity - the tenth game - which is probably the 167th in the series - is an subscription-based MMO. And it's currently only set for release in Japan.
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