I’ll be honest, I didn’t quite know what I was walking into with Dragon Quest Monsters: The Withered World. Unfamiliar with the series, it seemed like Pokemon but with Dragon Quest. Thankfully, what I found was much more.
For those unfamiliar with the series like myself, Dragon Quest Monsters, including The Withered World, is all about collecting the various monsters of Dragon Quest. Part of collecting comes in the form of running across monsters out in the wild and the other comes with synthesis.
If you’ve played something like the Persona series or Digimon, synthesis will be familiar. You can combine two monsters to create another one. It’s a great way to both fill out a collection and to create more powerful monsters.
Every monster has a different sort of quality class, meaning their stats and abilities will be better the higher their rank. So, it’s an opportunity to get something more powerful out of two lesser monsters you may have sitting around. Plus, it’s a great incentive to keep collecting monsters to have more fuel for synthesis later on.
None of that is new to Dragon Quest Monsters, and I think it’s certainly a proven loop that works well with how established it is in the genre. The game eased me into the loop immediately, and there was no confusion getting me on board. Once I started synthesizing, the UI was very friendly and informative, too.
You are given access to all information about synthesis to create the monsters you want. Maybe you have a favorite, so you can search for it to find an avenue to getting it. It lets you know what monsters to target, synthesize, and more as you work your way through the combinations of monsters the more powerful you get. Funnily enough, as you get more information, the combined monsters will start forming these family trees that visually show it all as well.
The Withered World follows Bianca and Nera, who have been transported to this wide new world seeking a cure for their ailing fathers. For Dragon Quest fans, you may recognize Bianca and Nera as two of the main characters fom Dragon Quest V.
Exploring the world is where The Withered World shined in my short demo. As is the case with most recent Dragon Quest titles, it is gorgeous to look at and utterly charming. The almost chibi-esque style works to great effect, and the wacky monsters that wander the map are always a joy to take in.
Interestingly, The Withered World’s style is very reminiscent of something like Animal Crossing: New Horizons. The colors and proportions of everything are similar, as is the way the world moves as you walk through it.
The curve of the world rolls with you depending on the way you move, just like New Horizons. It’s a bit disorienting at first but it has the interesting effect of forcing your attention only on what is immediately in front of you. Having only a short time, I would be interested to see how that will feel after several hours of play to have that limited view.
While exploring the world, as either Bianca or Nera, you’ll be helping to heal it as well. Early on you’re given the power to heal withered roots and flower buds. These will serve as save oints, fast travel points, give some items, and I’m sure many more things as you explore.
As for the combat, it was classic Dragon Quest for the most part. Interestingly, you can give pretty simple instructions to your party of four monsters and just send them off to do the battle for you if you wish. Those are things like going all out, using all they have to kill something, to being far mor reserved to hold on to resources.
With such an early part of the game, it’s hard to say how complex or interesting combat will get over time. From what I saw, it is standard turn-based combat where weaknesses and resistances will come into play.
Dragon Quest Monsters: The Withered World Preview | Final Thoughts
Dragon Quest Monsters: The Withered World is a lighter RPG experience that seems perfect for newcomers to the genre. The world is vibrant and fun, the monsters to capture are full of character with some amazing names, and it has all the set up for a classic epic fantasy story.
Dragon Quest Monsters: The Withered World was previewed at an event during PAX West on a PlayStation 5 Pro.
