The Dragon Quest community was aflutter for the 40th anniversary of one of the most iconic RPGs in existence. There was a ten-minute presentation given by Executive Producer Yosuke Saito and Game Designer Yuji Horii, where they made two key announcements: one of which was an update on the development of the next mainline game and sneak peak of Dragon Quest XII: Beyond Dreams. Suffice it to say, the fan base (at least here in the West) reaction felt mixed. The protagonists’ look was one of the focal points of group discussions, so, what do YOU think about the new hero?
Despite the fact that Akira Toriyama’s work on character design was confirmed, there was a lot of initial backlash on the new hero’s appearance:
The presentation shared a full character illustration, and it’s hard to miss the dark circle under their eyes. With a franchise that has as high of visibility as Dragon Quest, this had to be intentional. The Dragon Quest team already scrapped the initial idea for the 12th installment and rebuilt it from scratch. Perhaps it may be on the nose, but the title includes Beyond Dreams, and the character is described to have strange visions in their sleep.
Something else I picked up on that another person on the internet shared was the possible link between the new hero and the reptilian figure also seen in the trailer:
Looking closely, we see the same hilt, similar emblem, and similar hairstyle. It is a viable theory that they are either one in the same or connected in another manner. Will Dragon Quest XII have something akin to Link and the pink rabbit from The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past? We see very little of the reptile/dragon, and given the fact that we are a long way from the final product, the development team likely doesn’t want to show their hand so soon.
I personally was a little taken aback by the protagonists’ tired look; however, that shortly petered out after rewatching the trailer a few more times. There is still so much unknown about this title, and I’d rather not let the internet dictate my feelings just because the announcement did not meet expectations. The teaser trailer carried the essence of Dragon Quest, the bombastic orchestral music, distinct art style, and bright and playful colors. While it’s a shame the development team had to start again from scratch and thus further delaying the games’ release, I’m confident we will learn more and will eventually grow fond of our new hero…
What are your thoughts on the new hero for Dragon Quest XII: Beyond Dreams? Please share your thoughts with us on our Boss Rush Facebook Group or our Boss Rush Discord.
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