Dragon Quest Monsters: The Dark Prince Gets Some More Details

Square Enix posted a new blog post providing some additional details on the recently-revealed Dragon Quest Monsters: The Dark Prince. The new details covers some more of the game’s story and characters, as well as new monsters debuting in the game and additional release DLC. Dragon Quest Monsters: The Dark Prince is planned to release on Nintendo Switch on December 1, 2023.

Dragon Quest Monsters: The Dark Prince follows Psaro, the eponymous cursed prince, and his companion Rose in the world of Nadiria. Although series fans will recognise the two characters from Dragon Quest IV, The Dark Prince is a fully standalone title and story. Psaro is cursed by his father, and the curse stops him from harming monsters. Looking for revenge, he becomes a Monster Wrangler, recruiting and fighting with monsters to build up his own loyal army. He is voiced by Gwilym Lee, who previously voiced him in Dragon Quest Heroes.

Psaro is joined by Rose, a young elvish woman. Voiced by Emma Ballantine, she is kind and can use her elven powers to reveal paths ahead. The two are also joined by the mysterious Toilen Trubble. Voiced by Hyoie O’Grady, Toilen is an excitable young magic researcher looking for special ingredients. Finally, Fizzy is a creature who has set out to try and find the best Monster Wranglers around. Voiced by Harriet Carmichael, Fizzy acts as a mentor to Psaro as he learns how to become a Monster Wrangler.

The world of Nadiria sees monsters reign supreme and is divided into multiple realms known as Circles. Each Circle is made up of three echelons: lower, middle, and upper. Nadiria has a seasonal cycle, and the monsters and landscape will change depending on the current season.

Dragon Quest Monsters: The Dark Prince will feature over 500 monsters, with Psaro developing a team of monsters that will fight for him as his curse prevents him fighting directly. The game will include a revamped synthesis system, which lets Psaro combined two monsters into a brand new one. The game’s online feature will let players battle against each other. New monsters debuting in the game include Goomulonimbus, a pair of slimes who summon thunderstorms while riding on a cloud; Vegandragora, a dragon with a symbiotic relationship with the flower on its head; and Ronin Raccoon, a cane-wielding racoon that peers into its opponents pysche.

The game will include three piece of additional DLC at launch: The Mole Hole, Coach Joe’s Dungeon Gym, and Treasure Trunks. These will allow players to earn rewards and outfits for Psaro. The Mole Hole lets players reunite with monster types they have previously encountered and find tricky to synthesise monsters. Coach Joe’s Dungeon Gym features randomly-generated dungeons with powerful monsters and unique requirements. Treasure Trunks lets players open a treasure chest for enticing rewards, though players have to wait a set period of time between openings.