Dragon Quest Treasures: a charming spinoff with a relaxed, retro vibe
As I step through its vibrant, cartoon-esque world, I find myself relaxed yet enticed by Dragon Quest Treasures. This monster-recruiting RPG is a far cry from Dragon Quest XI, even if its protagonists Erik and Mia appear in both games, albeit much younger in this Switch-exclusive spinoff title. In fact, it’s fair to say DQT is a totally different experience.
See the trailer for Dragon Quest Treasures here
Your goal as Erik and Mia, switching between them almost whenever you like, is to hunt for treasure, which should be no surprise given this game’s title. You do this by travelling to different zones within the islands of Draconia, a fantasy land made up of the aged corpses of two enormous dragons.
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As you find and bring home different pieces of loot, you’ll increase the value of your treasure hunting team, and upgrade your base, too. Your headquarters is in an old train station, which you’ll need to return to its former glory as you play, restoring lines between it and remote stations. This in turn allows for fast travel to these specific locations, which aids in exploration.
When setting out to an area, the rate at which you uncover treasure is affected by the team of monsters you take with you. A percentage is displayed over each location, with 100% being the best you can get, described in-game as the golden ratio. In other words, you’ll need to calibrate your party carefully if you want to raid certain areas.
You’ve given a party of monsters early on in Dragon Quest Treasures. The way it works is you encounter creatures, fight them, and you have a chance to scout them once they’re beaten. To do this, you need to head back to your base and talk to the relevant NPC, named Miss Cecily, and then trade the required items to recruit the monster you’re after.
In terms of story, Dragon Quest Treasures begins with a simple but fun premise. Children Erik and Mia live on a viking ship, and decide one evening to sneak off and look for treasure, like we all did as kids, right?
Sadly, they incur the displeasure of the aforementioned plunderers, and one thing leads to another. Before we know where we are or what we’re doing, Erik and Mia have befriended a small flying cat named Purrsula and winged pig named Porcus, and have travelled to the far-flung Draconia via the means of a portal in a temple. The kid duo also have shiny daggers which aid them in hunting treasure, a pastime they share with our new animal friends.
A cast of other, equally charming characters are met soon thereafter, and the true goal of our heroes is revealed: to find the Seven Dragon Balls, *cough* I mean the Seven Stones. (Forgive me this game is drawn by Akira Toriyama.)
That being said, Dragon Quest Treasures is such a chill game that there almost doesn’t need to be an overarching plot. Simply exploring the world in the name of treasure hunting is enough reason to load this game up, tune in and drop out, as if listening to an album or Spotify playlist.
Combine this simplicity with the pleasing, Wind Waker-esque aesthetic, and the whole thing delivers a satisfying retro vibe. For those who are too young to remember the GameCube era, Dragon Quest Treasures could also serve as an introduction to RPGs, given its straightforward, non-demanding feel.
Not to say this game is all easy. There are plenty of high-level enemies around the map who will flatten you and your monster companions, but it’s not too difficult to escape their clutches if you’re in dire need. Still, it’s best to be prepared because once an ally is downed, they will drop any treasure they’re holding, potentially meaning the loss of your newly-acquired loot before you’ve had the opportunity to deposit it in your base’s vault.
After a mere eight hours in Dragon Quest Treasures, I’m not comfortable calling this piece a full review and scoring the game, but I can say I’m glad to be playing it. It’s a charming adventure that takes a different approach to the franchise - one that only a spinoff can.
If you’re looking for Dragon Quest XII, you’ve come to the wrong place, but if you’re after a pleasant, endearing adventure where you recruit monsters to fight alongside you while hunting for valuables, in a world that harks back to the early 00s in the best possible way, then Dragon Quest Treasures deserves a place in your Nintendo Switch library.
Dragon Quest Treasures releases 9 December, 2022 for Nintendo Switch. Game tested with code provided by Square Enix.
Topics: Dragon Quest, Nintendo Switch, Square Enix