Dragon Quest Monsters: The Withered World, the next game in the long-running DQ monster-catching spin-off series, feels a lot grander than its predecessors.
It keeps the franchise spirit. You play as one of two young girls, Bianca and Nera (who also appear in Dragon Quest V), who enter a strange new world to discover a magical potion that might save their fathers from dying, necessitating a trip through monster-filled realms.
In the course of this quest, you’ll meet companion monsters who travel alongside you, and wield them in turn-based battles to level up and strive further into this world.
Where The Withered World sets itself apart is in its newly-designed biomes, which are round. The game uses a similar visual technique to the Super Mario Galaxy games (as well as early Animal Crossing titles) to suggest you’re charting an entire globe. As you roam, you’ll see trees popping up and out of the landscape, as the world around you unrolls.
It’s a novel touch, and one that underscores how this Dragon Quest Monsters chapter will differentiate itself from the fun but unsurprising Dark Prince spin-off, which released in 2023.
The Withered World preview – quick links
A strong set-up
From its opening chapter, Dragon Quest Monsters: The Withered World does feel different. It’s lighter and bouncier than its predecessor, for one thing. It leans more into the goofy and silly side of the franchise.
While the subject matter it deals with is dark, as the two protagonists are fighting to save their families, a good dose of humour and fun to begin with gives the adventure a lighter note to start on.
Perhaps it depends on your sense of humour, but the very first monster you encounter being a ‘Wax Murderer’ is a funny addition. For reference, it’s an evil but cute-looking candle wielding a sword.
Bianca and Nera also seem to make light of their situation, as abstracted from reality as it is. They take their quest with a cheeky smile and nod, and the next thing you know, they’re corralling whole menageries of monsters to do their bidding.
That lightness is also aided by the cutesy, cartoony Dragon Quest art style, which was originally developed alongside Dragon Ball mangaka Akira Toriyama. His work remains timeless and enduring because it’s just so delightful. You can see his influence in the designs of all the monsters, with their bright, beady eyes and silly smiles.
Roaming an arid planet to begin your quest, you’ll encounter all sorts of goofy little creatures, all of which you can choose to add to your flock.
A strong combination of turn-based combat and monster-catching
Those who’ve played a Dragon Quest Monsters game before will be familiar with what follows. Tasked with becoming strong enough to earn the magic to save their families, Bianca and Nera must spend time befriending or defeating monsters to level up their skills and conquer harsh terrains.
The franchise’s turn-based combat returns here, with few surprises in its delivery. As you roam, you’ll run into or approach various kinds of monsters, initiating a turn-based battle where you must command your monster friends to defend you. If you like a particular monsters, you can study them to create your own (a lot like the Digimon games, which the Dragon Quest Monsters series largely resembles).
What’s delightful in this approach is how customisable your crew is. There’s always some weirder and more wonderful monster hiding around the nearest bend, and it’s up to you to decide if you want to recruit them and then spend time buffing their attacks for the greatest impact.
While our preview was only short, it revealed much about Dragon Quest Monsters: The Withered World and how it’ll refresh the franchise’s approach to exploration and monster-hunting.
Already, it feels more focused than The Dark Prince. Leaning into clever aesthetic choices in its exploration makes it feel more compelling, and its good humour elevates its set-up immensely.
As the game continues in development, there’s hope it can keep this momentum and deliver a bright new chapter.
