Dragon Quest 12: The Flames of Fate has been announced on top of a great many other exciting Dragon Quest projects, and fans are looking forward to the series’ future. There is some worry that the changes to the iconic Dragon Quest command battle system will go too far, but Square Enix likely understands what sort of reverence the public holds for this series. However, there is one other change that fans are curious and slightly concerned about.
According to Dragon Quest game designer Yuji Horii, Dragon Quest 12 will feature dark, mature content, and force players to make various decisions to determine their way of life. This sounds like a dramatic shift from the typical lighthearted good-versus-evil fantasy tone of Dragon Quest, and mirrors a trend in gaming over the past couple console generations to aim for darker themes. This seems like a fairly common trend, and there are several good reasons why.
Dragon Quest 12 is Aiming for a More Mature Market
Much of this trend was sparked by the notion that games needed to appeal to both the aging video game audience, and the North American market in particular. The North American game market isn't the biggest global gaming market, but it does contribute the most to the sales of many games, so it makes sense to try and secure a hold on it. Plus, the gaming hobby has been around in force for about three decades now, so the primary audience for games in the past can be expected to have reached adulthood.
The explanation for why this trend is occurring touches on how “darker” works of fiction are perceived as more mature, sophisticated, and acceptable for an adult to enjoy. This topic is a hornet’s nest and everyone will have their own take on it, but suffice to say that the idea has been circling around North American circles for a long time. It’s especially popular among teens that want to feel more mature, but don’t fully understand yet what that means. It’s also reasonable to desire some variety in one’s typically happy ending-filled media palette. At any rate, darker does not mean better, but if enough people think it does, then it is better — for sales.
Dragon Quest 12 is Going More Mature To Tell A More Complex Story
With that said, there are creative benefits to using a darker tone. The feeling that a writer or artist can tackle whatever story or themes they want is freeing, and can allow for a wider variety of “acceptable” stories. One big example of this working out is God of War 2018. Refocusing from the somewhat mature story of Kratos dealing with his family’s death, that was mostly just used as a vehicle for murdering mythical monsters; to that of Kratos struggling to be a good parent with the world and his past sins weighing down on him, was a big hit. Final Fantasy 16 is also getting in on the more mature action, though Final Fantasy in general is not new to darker themes.
Another, more standalone, success story is Disco Elysium. The game is politically charged to a higher degree, and the player is not getting around it. The world is also somewhat grim, and the struggles of real life can be tangibly felt. However, it uses those themes and that tone in a variety of interesting ways, and is always ready to throw something quirky the player’s way. Not every game, or every writer, can do what Disco Elysium has done, but it definitely shows that maturity and dealing with real, relatable issues has a place in media. It’s all about execution, and fans are hoping that Dragon Quest 12: The Flames of Fate executes its vision well.
Dragon Quest 12: The Flames of Fate is now in development for unspecified platforms.