Again in December, I reviewed Sq. Enix’s monster gathering RPG Dragon Quest Monsters: The Darkish Prince on Swap. I liked my time with it regardless of its many technical points. I anticipated it to hit PC like Dragon Quest Treasures, one other Nintendo Swap unique, however I didn’t count on a cell launch. Sq. Enix’s latest launch of Dragon Quest Monsters: The Darkish Prince on iOS, Android, and Steam brings all prior paid DLC into the sport at a decrease entry level, however removes one function. That is the web real-time multiplayer battles. Past that, Dragon Quest Monsters: The Darkish Prince on Steam and cell is already a massively higher expertise simply on worth with its lower cost level and the content material included, however is the sport price your time on this crowded launch interval and with its premium value? That’s what I goal to reply with my Dragon Quest Monsters: The Darkish Prince cell overview additionally overlaying the sport on Steam Deck.
If you happen to aren’t accustomed to Dragon Quest Monsters itself, it’s a spin-off sequence of the primary Dragon Quest video games that includes turn-based fight, however as a substitute of the primary participant preventing, you seize, breed, and lift monsters to struggle for you. Once I performed Dragon Quest Treasures, I loved it, however was advised that it’s a “Monsters-lite” sport so when Dragon Quest Monsters: The Darkish Prince was introduced for Swap, I used to be excited to play it. I ended up loving it as you may see from my overview linked above, however I believe it’s a very robust monster gathering RPG with turn-based fight no matter in the event you like Dragon Quest or not. What made Dragon Quest Monsters: The Darkish Prince extra attention-grabbing, is in the way it seems like a aspect story and prequel to Dragon Quest IV. Dragon Quest Monsters: The Darkish Prince additionally had a seasonal function the place the monsters modified relying on the season and space you’re in.
With regards to the story, Dragon Quest Monsters: The Darkish Prince, the bits from IV already made it extra attention-grabbing than the same old spin-off, however I discovered myself focusing extra on getting my very own dream monster celebration moderately than worrying concerning the narrative. I’m tremendous happy with how nicely thought out the mechanics are and the way the big zones, a whole lot of monsters, and fight made me need to preserve enjoying it extra even on Swap once I first beat it not to mention now on iPhone, iPad, and Steam Deck. Past the conventional turn-based battles and recruiting new monsters, Synthesis in Dragon Quest Monsters: The Darkish Prince is like Shin Megami Tensei’s fusion, and there’s simply a lot you are able to do with abilities right here. The seasons right here don’t simply change monsters, but additionally areas you may discover with map adjustments. This implies a water physique that you may’t cross shall be frozen in a single season letting you entry a brand new secret.
Fight in video games like this will get monotonous so I’m glad to see the various high quality of life options right here just like the techniques menu that performs out much like the unique Persona 3, direct instructions, and extra. You aren’t right here to only defeat enemies, but additionally scout them to deliver to your celebration and turn into stronger. I didn’t find yourself testing the web multiplayer on Swap a lot, so I can’t touch upon how large a loss that’s right here, however it’s a sport mode being lower nonetheless. If you happen to did play it on Swap, preserve that in thoughts as it’s the solely space the cell and Steam variations are missing in comparison with Swap.
Dragon Quest Monsters: The Darkish Prince already shipped with lots of content material, however the DLC solely elevated the expertise. This DLC was offered within the Digital Deluxe Version or as standalone DLC for the bottom sport. Simply the DLC was over $25 on Swap, so having the total base sport with all DLC included for $24 on cell makes it an incredible deal, however I’ll get to that in a bit. This DLC included The Mole Gap, Coach Joe’s Dungeon Health club, and Treasure Trunks. The Mole Gap was a dungeon that allows you to scout (recruit) monsters you’ve fought earlier than and it made min-maxing loads simpler through the sport. The DLC was additionally good to hurry issues up since you can additionally simply scout monsters who solely seem throughout a selected season or by means of synthesis.
The Coach Joe’s Dungeon Health club DLC has randomly generated maps and they’re meant to be postgame challenges moderately than skilled whereas enjoying the sport. The ultimate DLC is only a chest that may be opened as soon as an hour with 10 gadgets in whole. This is sort of a cheat DLC in the event you could. I didn’t suppose it was good to have helpful sport modes or content material in paid DLC, however that isn’t an issue anymore with all of it included on iOS, Androidl, and Steam within the base asking value.
Now let’s get to the cell port options. With Sq. Enix, you may by no means make sure what options will make it into the ultimate sport. Dragon Quest Monsters: The Darkish Prince doesn’t have controller help. That is past disappointing for the reason that sport is actually a console title ported to cell. I attempted 6 completely different controllers with none luck to make certain. Other than controller help, Dragon Quest Monsters: The Darkish Prince on iOS has cloud saves and some graphics choices. The cloud saves work nicely.
With regards to controls, I used to be stunned at how nicely Dragon Quest Monsters: The Darkish Prince felt with contact controls. It makes use of a floating joystick on the left for motion and a soar button primarily whereas exploring. The one minor challenge you would possibly run into is a few contact targets being a bit small on the non Plus/Max telephones. These aren’t a difficulty on iPads in any respect although. The controls really feel good, however Sq. Enix ought to’ve left full controller help in since this can be a console sport ported to cell in spite of everything.
One in every of my solely actual points with Dragon Quest Monsters: The Darkish Prince on Swap was on the technical aspect. The body charge was tough at launch with visuals not being nice both. The previous received addressed to a point not like Pokemon Scarlet & Violet, however the latter by no means received fastened. On iPhone 15 Professional, iPhone 12, and even iPad Professional, I had no main points with the visuals or efficiency. There are some hiccups on iPhone 15 Professional when operating on the highest graphics high quality setting and transferring by means of some places, but it surely isn’t remotely as dangerous as on Swap. The sport feels massively higher to play on iOS. Take a look at the comparability under for the high and low graphics choices on iPhone 15 Professional:
There aren’t particular visible or body charge settings on cell exterior of the decision possibility in show settings. This allows you to play at low, medium, or excessive graphical high quality choices. These presets additionally have an effect on different settings just like the body charge restrict and post-processing. This setting can solely be modified from the title display screen on cell when you can regulate it on the fly on PC. I caught to the excessive setting on all my iPhones. Dragon Quest Monsters: The Darkish Prince sadly has some minor efficiency points even on iPhone 15 Professional as I discussed above. The low setting appears unusable with how blurry it will get. On my 2020 iPad Professional, the excessive preset has extra common body drops than iPhone, and it additionally appears to be operating with some tweaked settings. Total, even the older iPad Professional runs it nicely, however not so good as iPhone 15 Professional as anticipated. Each gadget I examined on together with the iPhone 12 ran it loads higher than Nintendo Swap.
Visually, it seems loads cleaner than Swap even on older iOS units when performed at excessive. Sq. Enix didn’t simply do a bare-bones port right here. It has fullscreen help throughout gameplay on my iPhone 15 Professional, and even has a sample or paintings to fill the display screen throughout areas with pre-rendered or static 16:9 components. This sample or paintings is especially used on my iPad Professional because it doesn’t help fullscreen there for gameplay. This additionally applies to Steam Deck to make up for that facet ratio in components. I’m glad to see Sq. Enix put within the work right here to verify it nonetheless seems good no matter facet ratio.
Dragon Quest Monsters: The Darkish Prince Steam Deck impressions
On Steam Deck, no matter my settings, I couldn’t get Dragon Quest Monsters: The Darkish Prince to run at a locked 90fps even on the low preset when performed at 800p. I made a decision to go for a 60fps goal, and that was loads simpler to attain. One oddity is the sport not letting you regulate decision when enjoying on Steam Deck usually. You are able to do this by forcing the decision from the sport’s properties earlier than launching it. Dragon Quest Monsters: The Darkish Prince on PC enables you to regulate graphical high quality (low, medium, excessive), anti-aliasing (off, low, medium, excessive), most body charge (30 to uncapped), toggle v-sync, and regulate show mode (windowed, fullscreen, borderless). If you happen to play at 60fps, I like to recommend setting your Steam Deck OLED refresh charge to 60 to keep away from jitter as nicely.
Having now performed Dragon Quest Monsters: The Darkish Prince on iOS, iPadOS, Steam Deck, Swap OLED, and Swap Lite, there’s little question that the Swap model is the worst of the lot regardless of the web mode being faraway from cell and Steam. The large improve in efficiency and higher visuals with all DLC included at a a lot decrease asking value solely makes it higher. One factor to notice is that the sport is marked as Steam Deck Playable and never Verified as a result of Valve says some in-game textual content is small and could also be tough to learn. I didn’t have any points with this, and I really feel like Valve has marked video games with smaller textual content as Verified earlier than. Both method, you may safely purchase this one to play on Steam Deck.
If you happen to skipped Dragon Quest Monsters: The Darkish Prince on Swap, the brand new cell and Steam ports are the way in which to go. Whereas the cell model missing controller help is disappointing, it’s nonetheless a sport I see myself enjoying frequently with its enhancements over change and unbelievable core gameplay loop. Having all of the DLC included means you’ll have sufficient content material to final you even longer. If you happen to do worth controller help in a sport like this, the Steam Deck is the way in which to go. Hopefully we see Sq. Enix preserve bringing extra Dragon Quest video games to cell sooner or later. Proper now, the iOS model of Dragon Quest Monsters: The Darkish Prince is definitely the most effective cell releases of the yr.
