Earlier this week we reviewed the new location-based mobile game Harry Potter: Wizards Unite from Niantic, who also worked on Pokémon GO in the past. Now, only a few days later, we found out about yet another upcoming location-based mobile game that might come with augmented reality (AR) features, and it’s called Dragon Quest: Walk (ドラゴンクエストウォーク).
As the name suggests it takes place in the popular JRPG fantasy franchise that features art styles by Akira Toriyama (Dr. Slump, Dragon Ball) and it’s next to Final Fantasy one of the oldest and most prominent JRPG game IPs out there, going all the way back to 1986. Dragon Quest: Walk is being developed and published by Armor Project, Bird Studio, and Square Enix.
初参加の目がモン戦は2位…！ 悔しくて武器のレベルを限界まで上げて超はやぶさ斬りを覚えた2戦目は、チームVジャンプのメンバーと一緒に挑んでまたもや2位！ 1位のなかじやとは9ポイント差…くうう、途中までは1位だったのに…悔しいぜ！/カワジーブイ #DQウォーク pic.twitter.com/l6Kqy2aCdF
— Ｖジャンプ編集部 (@V_Jump) June 16, 2019
Based on Google Maps
Based on the data, screenshots, and videos available to us, it seems like they will be leveraging Google Maps for Dragon Quest: Walk, even though there is no apparent cooperation with Niantic, which was founded as a Google project, but became an independent company in 2015. This means that, while relying on a similar data set, the looks and feel will distinguish more from the games that were done by Niantic.
Unlike the Niantic games, it appears that Dragon Quest: Walk might focus more on an RPG gameplay by letting you fight monsters and train your character (maybe even party of several characters), rather than collecting monsters and training them. It could be that this type of gameplay is more appealing to gamers who enjoy the Dragon Quest games as well. If there is going to be a well-implemented multiplayer option in this new title, it could easily compete with Pokémon GO, Harry Potter: Wizards Unite, and other popular games.
10連ふくびきにチャレンジしましたわ！ ドキドキの戦果はこのように…かなり武骨な雰囲気になったのでございます…！／たかっちブイ #DQウォーク pic.twitter.com/wwBoAq0uqq
— Ｖジャンプ編集部 (@V_Jump) June 12, 2019
Global release?
Landmarks and points-of-interest will help you progress in the story and will provide you with unique quests. This is a new aspect of location-based gaming, and hopefully, it will be available globally soon, and not only in Japan. As of now, we only know that a release is planned for 2019, but it has not been disclosed if that also means that it will become available globally. It is also not clear if this will be a free-to-play title or not.
As of now, there is a closed beta test running but the applications closed earlier this month. We are not aware if they accepted any testers from outside of Japan. The commercial trailer suggests AR elements to be part of the game but we have not yet seen in-game footage that could confirm that. We are looking forward to hearing more from this title soon.
YouTube: ドラゴンクエストウォーク」発表PV
Photo credit: The feature image is a still frame from the presented video and is owned by Square Enix.
Source: Dragon Quest news posts / live-streamed announcement conference
