Dragon Quest 12 is struggling to be a more mature entry to the series, as revealed by series creator Yuji Horii. Considering how the JRPG series has always appealed to all ages, we can see why Horii might be struggling with the next game.
In a lengthy radio interview (translated by NoisyPixel’s Ryuji), Horii revealed that the next entry in this JRPG series will take a while. Since the game is attempting to be a more adult entry, it seems that there’s a struggle getting that tone right. The recent pandemic was also blamed for the game’s slow development.
“Mmm, I guess it will take a little while,” Horii said. “This time we are making a game directed toward an adult audience, so we are having a lot of trouble (laughs). There was also the Coronavirus pandemic.”
The decision to make Dragon Quest 12 more adult has been seen as a weird directional shift since fans enjoy this series for its fairy tale-esque stories and cutesy Akira Toriyama art. Enemy monsters from the game are also popular with gaming audiences, with adorable designs such as the iconic Slime being turned into myriad merchandise.
Also worth noting is that the series’ most recent entry, Dragon Quest 11, was a relative success in the US. Back in 2021, the game sold 2 million copies and was dubbed the best-selling Dragon Quest title in the US. Granted, it didn’t make a dent on gaming juggernauts like Final Fantasy or Zelda but it’s far from a failure.
While we’re definitely down for Dragon Quest 12 to have mature topics and stories, we hope it doesn’t try to be too bleak or edgy. Change is needed to avoid being stale but if the series isn’t broken, why try to fix it? On a personal note, this writer loves the series for its fun world, well-designed characters, and simple turn-based combat.
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No release date for Dragon Quest 12 has been released. In the meantime, fans can enjoy Dragon Quest 11 on PS4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, and PC.