Key Preview Takeaways:
- The Toriyama artwork type makes the newest model on this long-running Dragon Quest sub-series immediately interesting.
- A staggering 500 collectible monsters left me blown away by the range and sheer roster measurement.
- Some individuals in my preview session skilled movement illness whereas exploring the world map.
Whereas the core Dragon Quest video games are the principle draw for a lot of followers of this long-running franchise, the well-established Dragon Quest Monsters sub-series has garnered its personal devoted following since its debut in 1998. Very like its counterpart within the Pokemon collection, Sq.-Enix’s monster-collecting RPG is all about capturing Dragon Quest’s weirdest critters and coaching them to be the perfect. With the upcoming entry Dragon Quest Monsters: The Withered World, the sequel is seeking to elevate the monster-collectathon and turn-based battle gameplay even additional, all channeled into Dragon Quest’s stylized, high-fantasy storytelling that is delivered to life by the artwork type of the legendary Akira Toriyama.
At PAX West 2026, we bought some hands-on time with Dragon Quest Monsters: The Withered World, seeing the expanded narrative with a number of protagonists, amassing a number of the Dragon Quest franchise’s strangest monsters, and including them to our get together. It is so far bought the makings of one of many strangest and most expansive entries thus far with over 500 monsters to gather — however above all, it is particularly specializing in the center and plentiful appeal that Dragon Quest Monsters is all about.
The Withered World focuses on the additional adventures of Bianca and Nera, the returning protagonists from Dragon Quest V, as they embark on a brand new journey in one other realm. After each of their fathers contract a mysterious sickness, they discover that the one remedy is in a brand new realm often called the Witherwood, which is coping with its personal disaster. After discovering a magical watering instrument to assist restore sacred bushes within the decaying lands, the pair will crew with different monster wranglers and collect an enormous get together of monsters to assist deliver steadiness to the realm and save their mother and father.
What makes the Dragon Quest Monsters sub-series such a well-loved spin-off is that it typically goes for a extra light-hearted, folksy journey that is pleasurable for all ages. Furthermore, it actually leans into the inherent appeal and weirdness of the Dragon Quest collection by letting you crew up with a number of the franchise’s most weird foes. Sure, you may have a celebration filled with the Slime monsters, and that might very nicely be a strong crew if you happen to energy them up nicely sufficient.
However what Dragon Quest Monsters: The Withered World focuses greater than different video games is the expertise of its lead monster wranglers, Bianca and Nera. In distinction to Pokemon, DQ Monsters makes the lead monster wrangler extra of a key fixture of the get together than earlier video games, and The Withered World particularly does that with each Bianca and Nera having distinctive perks and favored monster varieties. This creates extra alternatives and advantages for constructing out particular monster events for the particular wranglers, particularly with Bianca’s desire for dragon and beast varieties.
Although there’s extra of a story following with The Withered World, there’s nonetheless loads of time to discover the completely different zones and construct up your get together at your leisure. The 2 areas I bought to discover have been the beginning desert zone round Witherrealm’s core kingdom and the tropical island zone with some significantly highly effective monsters roaming round. Relying on the protagonist you selected at first, you may have a celebration that is constructed for sure circumstances – akin to Nera’s glasscannon-style construct of therapeutic all MP post-battle for magic-focused monsters and resurrecting fallen allies, or Bianca’s extra brawler construct favoring holding the get together’s HP topped off and having a better time bedazzling foes. Nonetheless, regardless of your selections, the protagonists and new monster wranglers will meet up over the course of the journey and mix their events.
Very like different DQ Monsters video games, battles play out within the acquainted turn-based design, with the monster wrangler providing strategies on targets and particular assaults, utilizing gadgets to heal allies, and even letting the monsters do their very own factor with the auto-battle operate. It is pretty normal with its strategy and execution, however it all makes for a satisfying circulation. I particularly recognize the way in which get together composition works. Whilst you can have a celebration of 4 mid-sized monsters, bringing within the bigger ones will take up extra particular person slots, making for a smaller get together, however a doubtlessly stronger one relying in your chosen wrangler and what their skills are.
With apparently over 500 collectible monsters to coach and evolve, Dragon Quest Monsters: The Withered World is actually emphasizing the huge roster of allies to accumulate. Even throughout my restricted hands-on time, I used to be blown away by how a lot selection there was within the number of monsters. Additionally, the designs are so expressive and colourful, which actually leans into the Toriyama affect. The core method to broaden your get together is, after all, via battling and scouting. Relying on the kind of monsters, you may meet sure circumstances to have the ability to scout them in the midst of a struggle. If you’re stronger than them, or if you happen to’ve managed to beat them down sufficient, you may outright recruit them throughout battle, which can add them to your roster and finish the struggle.
Together with the acquainted beats of battling and amassing monsters, The Withered World additionally provides the power to synthesize new ones, basically merging lots of the acquainted Dragon Quest monsters into new creations. That is on prime of the already giant variety of base monsters, lots of that are spiced variations of current creatures – such because the Coconut Slime, a extra tropical cousin of the enduring Slimes. In my case, I mixed a Bantamweight rooster monster with a Platypunk to create a Bullfinch monster, a brand new powered-up beast that helped add some energy to my get together.
Sadly, one notable difficulty that got here up throughout previews was that some customers is likely to be vulnerable to movement illness whereas taking part in. Whereas I personally did not expertise this, some gamers in my session and others did not react nicely to the visible type of world exploration specifically. This visually fascinating world map is introduced as a stylized, rolling map that may look a bit of disruptive to some. Luckily, the sport’s accessibility choices embrace methods to ease movement illness by adjusting the digicam and visible results throughout exploration.
To date, Dragon Quest Monsters: The Withered World is shaping as much as be one other strong and charming entry within the sub-series. The monster-collecting type of RPG is a reasonably crowded market lately, however Sq. Enix’s efforts to double down on the appeal and wholesomeness of Dragon Quest’s world are what make this collection so distinctive and enjoyable to dive into. I had a blast with my restricted time with Dragon Quest Monsters: The Withered World, and I can not wait to see what different oddities and peculiar creatures to uncover.
Whilst you’re right here, take a look at these current previews of different large upcoming video games we have checked out not too long ago!
Alessandro Fillari is a longtime video games media skilled. Discuss video video games with him on BlueSky at @afillari.bsky.social.
