The release of Dragon Quest Monsters: The Dark Prince has left fans both puzzled and disappointed due to the surprisingly scant coverage it has received. Despite marking the series’ highly anticipated return after a seven-year hiatus, the game’s launch has been met with a notable absence of reviews or even initial impressions from game journalists and YouTubers.
Far from being part of an obscure video game franchise, The Dark Prince is the fourteenth installment in the Dragon Quest spin-off series. This is the same Japanese RPG series that is often credited with pioneering the role-playing video game genre in Japan back in the 80s.
So, given the acclaim and dedication from fans this series has garnered, it’s not surprising that fans are expressing their frustration over the lack of attention it has received. Many have taken to Reddit to make sense of this bizarre situation, and most fans are pointing fingers at Square Enix.
Fans speculate that Square Enix may not have distributed review codes for the game. If true, it would be unsurprising that the game barely made a ripple on social media platforms like Reddit or Twitter. And ironically, many fans were unaware of this game’s existence until they chanced upon posts voicing concerns about the game’s lack of publicity.
However, the main reason may lie in the game franchise’s somewhat unlucky venture outside the shores of Japan.
Why Isn’t Dragon Quest As Popular In The West Compared To Japan?
Saying that Dragon Quest is huge in Japan would be an understatement. Dragon Quest XI, for instance, sold an astounding 2 million copies on its first day of release in Japan. However, in stark contrast to its success in Japan, the game’s sales figures in the West ranged from a modest 600,000 to 2 million copies throughout its entire run.
The contrasting popularity of the game in these two regions can be attributed to several factors, with the timing of its Western release being a significant one. While the release of the Famicom in Japan elevated the Dragon Quest series to a cultural phenomenon, Final Fantasy VII, Square Enix’s other franchise, stole the spotlight in the West thanks to the PlayStation console. Due to this disparity in release timings and platforms, Dragon Quest fell short of cementing a special place in the hearts of Western gamers.
Continuing its comparison to Final Fantasy, both series have taken distinctly different paths during their evolution. Dragon Quest has remained faithful to its roots, maintaining a strong traditional Japanese aesthetic, while Final Fantasy has fully embraced Western influences and character designs. This difference in design philosophy could be another key factor in Dragon Quest’s lack of appeal in the West.
Final Thoughts
While Square Enix has made efforts to promote Dragon Quest in the West, many fans believe that more could be done to promote this underrated game series outside of Japan. The silence surrounding the release of Dragon Quest Monsters: The Dark Prince has left many fans disheartened, with many hoping to see more publicity for future Dragon Quest games.