Dragon Quest is one of the original JRPG franchises. The first game debuted in 1986, and the franchise continues to release new games. Square Enix announced Dragon Quest 12 in May, with the most recent game being Dragon Quest 11 in 2017. It was preceded by the MMORPG Dragon Quest 10 from 2017.
Square Enix planned on releasing a single-player version of Dragon Quest 10 on Switch in Japanese markets in February, however, the publisher recently announced it will be delaying the game until the summer.
Square Enix announced Dragon Quest 10: Offline in May 2021. The publisher intended to release the offline for the Nintendo Switch on February 26th, 2021. However, the publisher announced on December 27th it’s delaying the game until the Summer of 2022. Square Enix will announce a more specific date based on the game’s ongoing development progress.
Producer Takuma Shiraishi cited the game world’s size as a significant factor but indicated the postponed release. He also suggested that the delay has more to do with polish and final adjustment than serious development issues. Additionally, he emphasized that the delay should not interfere with updates to the online version of Dragon Quest 10.
The Dragon Quest series is remarkable for retaining much of the same spirit even after 35 years of graphical and gameplay innovations. While it’s not always good to adhere rigidly to the established formula, the retro sensibilities are a big part of what Dragon Quest fans enjoy. Dragon Quest 10 was somewhat unusual for the series by being an MMO rather than a single-player RPG. However, the game received praise for its ability to maintain the established Dragon Quest gameplay and transplant it to an MMO environment. Still, it is unsurprising that some JRPG fans might want to explore Dragon Quest 10 as a single-player game.
Dragon Quest 10: Offline will also feature new content not available on the MMO version. The new content takes place in a land called Ogreede before the main events of Dragon Quest 10. It introduces a significant new character and lets players explore the backstory of returning characters Erge and Himea.
Unfortunately for Dragon Quest fans in Europe and North America, there’s no word on a Western release for either version of Dragon Quest 10. Instead, it appears that the game will remain a Japan-only exclusive for the time being. Still, an eventual English localization isn’t’ impossible, even if it doesn’t seem to be a priority for Square Enix right now.
Dragon Quest 10: Online Releases Summer 2022 for the Nintendo Switch in Japan.
Source: Yahoo News Japan