Following the game’s announcement during the Dragon Quest broadcast in May, information on Square Enix’s upcoming next installment in the Dragon Quest Monsters spinoff series, Dragon Quest Monsters: The Withered World, has been slowly revealed to fans. This information has culminated in the announcement of the game’s release date along with a two-minute trailer explaining the premise of the game and central mechanics that make it unique.
The trailer begins by showing off a long list of monsters available in the game, ranging from cute companions to large fighters. As hinted at when the game was first announced, players will follow the journey of the two new monster wranglers, Bianca and Nera, as they try to find their way through the kingdom of Witherwood. With the power they acquire there, they can befriend monsters to use for traveling and battles, with each battle giving them the chance to befriend more monsters.
The second half of the trailer explores some of the new mechanics in the game touched on in the Steam store page. Players will be able to augment creatures with additional traits by raising them, giving them customizable strengths and weaknesses. Players will also be able to take two different monsters and combine them together through a process called synthesis. The resulting creature will not only be a surprise but will also be more powerful than the two monsters that made it up. The teams that players create will be able to help them through the game’s single-player mode or in online battles. Finally, the trailer shows off more of the Witherwood kingdom with farm, beach, and plain areas.
The Dragon Quest Monsters series has historically brought the whimsical art style and tone of the original games to the world of monster collecting and battling, with Dragon Quest Monsters: The Withered World promising to bring the most expansive look on the concept so far. The game is set to release on Switch 2, PS5, Xbox Series, and PC on December 3rd.