Dragon Quest Monsters: The Dark Prince is launching December 1, 2023 on Nintendo Switch. Ahead of launch, Square Enix has revealed details on what we can expect from the first game in the spinoff RPG series to release in the US since 2010’s DQM: Joker 2.
The Dark Prince stars, well, a dark prince. Psaro would rather tame and breed monsters than fight them himself, however.
Over 500 monsters can be recruited by scouting them after battle. Use items such as treats to increase the odds of their compliance.
Monsters can also be created through combining them in Synthesis, creating an all-new monster.
Each monster has a selection of talents across three categories, from spells and skills to attribute boosters and passive abilities, and parents can pass on their traits to their children.
Up to eight monsters can journey with Pasaro at a time, with four actively battling and the other four in reserve. Small monsters take up one slot, while larger monsters take up two slots, have greater stats, and can act multiple times per round.
Monsters also come in different ranks, from lowly G-rank monsters all the way up to A, S, and X.
Wait, now we’re going above S-rank? Yep! Rank S Monsters represent familiar bosses, while Rank X are “the most fiendishly powerful monsters.”
In what sounds like a departure from previous games, Psaro can issue exact orders to his monsters, or set general tactics.
During his adventures, Psaro can access two battle areas: the Endor Colosseum, and the Maulosseum of Nadiria. In these arenas Psaro can battle other monster wranglers to become the Master of Monsterkind.
Dragon Quest Monsters: The Dark Prince is coming December 1. Pre-order to receive the Head Start Set, which includes some helpful early-game items. It’s rated E10+.
