Taichi Inuzuka, producer of Dragon Quest Treasures, said in an interview with Famitsu that Dragon Quest Treasures doesn’t mean the end for the Dragon Quest Monsters spin-off series. However, early in development it was almost part of the line. [Thanks, ryokutya2089!]
At the start of development, the team working on Dragon Quest Treasures conceptualized the game as another entry in the Dragon Quest Monsters series. It wasn’t until Yuji Horii expressed interest in the player being able to walk alongside their team of monsters that focus shifted to the action-oriented monster collector style present in this entry.
To maintain a balanced experience, the team working on the game ensured that the difference in strength between monsters wouldn’t be as apparent as previous entries in the Dragon Quest franchise. For example, Slimes and Giants, two very different type of monsters in terms of strength, can fight each other as equals. Another decision the development team made was to ensure achieving the ending of the game by only doing Treasure Hunts, although there are mandatory boss battles.
The developers didn’t want the main story to be an intense experience, so they accommodated the gameplay loop to be light and casual. This includes the total length of the main story, which can be completed in between 10 to 20 hours, up to 30 hours including post-game. However, the game can extend to 100 hours if the player insists on going the completionist route.
Since the game was designed to be enjoyed by a wide audience, the overall experience and length might vary depending on age and personal play style. The release of post-launch DLC depends on the public’s reception to the game.
Dragon Quest Treasures releases on December 9, 2022 for the Nintendo Switch. Preorders are available on the eShop.
