Early copies include "Slime Weapon Set."
The Square Enix Online Store has revealed a Day One Edition for Dragon Quest Heroes: The World Trees Woe and the Blight Below, as well as further confirmed the games leaked October 13 release date.
The Day One Edition appears to include an exclusive Slime Weapon Set, which were weapons limited to specific retailers in Japan. (Square Enix e-Store pre-orders got the Slime Sword, Amazon Japan got the Slime Axe, etc.)
Get a rundown of the action RPG below, via the Square Enix Online Store.
Dragon Quest, one of the most iconic RPG series from Japan, will arrive in the form of a full-scale action RPG for the first time in the history of the franchise.Read More
In Dragon Quest Heroes, the protagonists must rise up against insurmountable odds, challenging swarms of enemies and conquering gigantic monsters in an exhilarating action game. Filled with characters and monsters designed by world-renowned artist Akira Toriyama, Dragon Quest Heroes is brought to the PlayStation 4 in beautiful HD graphics.
Both Yuji Horii, the general director and creator of Dragon Quest, and Koichi Sugiyama, the composer closely tied to the series since its first installment and creator of countless musical masterpieces instilled in the memory of series fans, are closely involved in bringing this title to life.
Furthermore, ω-Force (Omega Force) from Koei Tecmo Games, the team that has created numerous popular action game series, is taking part in its development.
Dragon Quest Heroes is a title that not only DRAGON QUEST fans will enjoy but will appeal to gamers of all interests.
Release Date: 10/13/2015
Platform: PlayStation 4
PlayStation 4, Dragon Quest Heroes, Koei Tecmo, Omega Force, RPG, Square Enix
Omega Force-developed action RPG out mid-October.
Square Enix has officially announced that Dragon Quest Heroes: The World Tree’s Woe and the Blight Below will launch for PlayStation 4 in North America on October 13.
The game will be available in “Day One” and “Slime Collector’s” editions.
The Slim Collector’s edition will include a premium treasure chest-style box and exclusive downloadable content, as well as exclusive slime-themed physical items.
Get details on both editions below.Slime Collector’s Edition (Square Enix Online Store-exclusive)Get details on the game’s story below.
Day One Edition
- Slime Plushie, Slime Key Chain and Slime Lanyard.
- Helpful Slime-themed downloadable content for characters to equip including a Slime Sword, Gooey Gloves, Goomerang, Goopid’s Bow, Squishing Rod, Gungenir, Slime-on-a-Stick, Gooreat Sword and Splat O’Nine Tails
- Bonus quest items, including the Gold-digger’s Map and Happy Map
- Helpful Slime-themed downloadable content for characters to equip including: Slime Sword, Gooey Gloves, Goomerang, Squishing Rod and Gungenir
StoryWatch a new trailer below.
When a dark shockwave sweeps through the city of Arba, the monsters that once lived alongside the people in peace are driven into a frenzied rage. As either the hero, Luceus, or the heroine, Aurora, the player joins forces with a cast of iconic cast from previous DRAGON QUEST titles, such as Alena, Bianca and Yangus, to bring the rampaging hordes of monsters to their senses and to restore order to the kingdom.
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PlayStation 4, Clips, Dragon Quest Heroes, Koei Tecmo, Omega Force, Release Dates, RPG, Special Editions, Square Enix, Trailers
source: Gematsu& Siliconera
Dragon Quest Heroes is coming to North America this October, and Square Enix have announced a Slime Collector’s Edition and Day One Edition for the game. Details on both editions can be found below.
Slime Collector’s Edition ($99.99):
- Slime Plushie, Slime Key Chain and Slime Lanyard.
- Helpful Slime-themed downloadable content for characters to equip including a Slime Sword, Gooey Gloves, Goomerang, Goopid’s Bow, Squishing Rod, Gungenir, Slime-on-a-Stick, Gooreat Sword and Splat O’Nine Tails
- Bonus quest items, including the Gold-digger’s Map and Happy Map
Day One Edition ($59.99):
- Helpful Slime-themed downloadable content for characters to equip including: Slime Sword, Gooey Gloves, Goomerang, Squishing Rod and Gungenir
The Slime Collector’s Edition can be ordered exclusively via Square Enix’s online at this link. Dragon Quest Heroes: The World Tree’s Woe and the Blight Below will be released for PlayStation 4 in North America on October 13th.
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Read more stories about Dragon Quest Heroes & PlayStation 4 & Videos on Siliconera.
After playing some Dragon Quest Heroes in Square Enixs E3 booth, I had the chance to speak with Ryota Aomi, the games producer. I asked him how Omega Force approached Dragon Quest Heroes compared to other Warriors titles theyve worked on.
Well, for example, with Hyrule Warriors, what we really set out to create was a Zelda game that was a Warriors gameone that really felt like it was close to the Warriors name, he replied.
Aomi is talking about a decision made by Shigeru Miyamoto in which he flipped the table, insisting that Koei Tecmo producer Yosuke Hayashi make Hyrule Warriors a Warriors game with Zelda elements, instead of vice-versa.
The way we thought about Dragon Quest Heroes was quite different. Rather than try to create a Warriors game that featured characters from another franchise, we wanted to create a Dragon Quest game that had become an action RPG, Aomi said to Siliconera.
So, in that sense, its an evolution of the Dragon Quest series and not necessarily a Warriors game. They may look very similar, but we feel that the core of the game is very different.
Aomi made one final comment before closing the question: People are always going to think that when Koei Tecmo makes a game like this, itll just be another Warriors gamethats unavoidable. I just want to reiterate that it was not designed to be just another Warriors game.
Read more stories about Dragon Quest Heroes & E3 2015 & PlayStation 4 on Siliconera.
From the Romance of the Three Kingdoms to Hyrule, Omega Forces Warriors engine has been reworked for One Piece, Gundam, and now Dragon Quest. All of the Warriors games have a hack and slash core, but Dragon Quest Heroes: The World Trees Woe and the Blight Below has battles where mashing the attack button isnt the key to victory.
The E3 demo had a mission called Whacksody in Blue where original characters Luceus and Aurora team up with Dragon Quest VIIIs Yangus and Jessica to stop Gigantes from rampaging a town. This monster towers over the army of Slime Knights and it isnt fazed when Luceus pokes his foot with a sword. I pressed L2 to rotate through characters until I got Jessica, a magic user, to see if magic would be more effective. While Crack, an ice spell, hit Gigantes multiple times it didnt do much damage. Jessicas trademark Sexy Beam was equally ineffective. Just like any other Dragon Quest title using magic costs MP so repeating Crack over and over wasnt going to take out the one-eyed giant.
A hint appeared in game to use Spellcasters, catapults not magic users, to target the Gigantes eye. Spellcasters are scattered around the level with few enemies guarding them. When you sit in a Spellcaster you can move a target around and point it at the Gigantes eye (actually hitting the back of the head works just as well) to do a heavy amount of damage. A couple of hits in a row can stun the Gigantes giving the party a chance to attack it for a few seconds without worrying it will stomp on anyone in your party.
Each Spellcaster only has three shots, so most of the battle is running back and forth between Spellcasters instead of hacking and slashing at enemies. You can pretty much ignore the Slime Knights by running past them. The only monsters you have to worry about are the occasional Healslimes standing by the Gigantes feet that heal the boss monster. If you played Warriors Orochi 3, you may remember the battle with the Hydra, the Whacksody in Blue mission feels like a fuller realized version of that idea.
Dragon Quest Heroes: The World Trees Woe and the Blight Below comes out in North America on October 13 and October 16 for PlayStation 4.
Read more stories about Dragon Quest Heroes & PlayStation 4 on Siliconera.
Permalink | 0 commentsCalled the "Slimetastic" Edition, it comes with a collectible treasure chest, a slime plushie and keychain as well as nine downloadable weapons and two exclusive maps.
Dragon Quest Heroes is expected to be released on October 13th. Find out more at the page linked above.
Dragon Quest XI announcement incoming?
Square Enix will host a Dragon Quest New Title Presentation next Tuesday, July 28, the latest issue of Jump magazine confirms. It will be live streamed.
The magazine also confirms the official subtitle for Dragon Quest Heroes II will be Twin Kings and the Prophecys End. It will have a new story, but Homiron will appear yet again. A release date is still unannounced.
Heres comment from Dragon Quest series creator Yuji Horii:
Dragon Quest Heroes II: Twin Kings and the Prophecys End has a different world view from the previous game, and through that a new story will begin. Please look forward to a dramatic story. The giant monsters and crowds of monster-battle action that was so popular in the previous game is powered up, of course. There are new ways to play and additions, so please look forward to more news.Jump teases it will have news on that big title, finally in its August 3 issueits final Dragon Quest feature issuewhich should leak on July 30. Its likely it will be whatever new title is announced at the Dragon Quest press conference.
Thanks, Hachima Kikou.
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PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, PS Vita, Dragon Quest, Dragon Quest Heroes II, Jump, RPG, Scans, Square Enix
source: Siliconera
While we’re still waiting for Dragon Quest Heroes: The World Tree’s Woe and the Blight Below, Square Enix is already developing Dragon Quest Heroes II.
The second hack and slash Dragon Quest game’s full title is Dragon Quest Heroes II: The Twin Kings and the Prophecy of the End. Square Enix also announced this game will have a different setting than Dragon Quest Heroes and a new story. Homiron, the cowardly slime that follows you in the first Heroes game (pictured from the first game), returns as a teacher.
Square Enix says Dragon Quest Heroes II they have enhanced offense and defense actions, the crowd of units players fight, and the giant monsters.
Quest Heroes II: The Twin Kings and the Prophecy of the End is in development for PlayStation 4, PlayStation 3, and PlayStation Vita.
Read more stories about Dragon Quest Heroes II & PlayStation 3 & PlayStation 4 & PlayStation Vita on Siliconera.
Also with more details below high lit in redNew story, world, characters, and four-player multiplayer.
Dragon Quest Heroes II: Twin Kings and the Prophecy’s End will launch for PlayStation 4, PlayStation 3, and PS Vita in Japan in spring 2016, Square Enix announced.
The game will feature a new world, story, and protagonist, new characters from previous Dragon Quest series games, and four-player multiplayer.
Square Enix plans to share more news at the Tokyo Game Show in September.
Outside of this, Square Enix announced that total sales for the original Dragon Quest Heroes, which has still yet to launch in western territories, have surpassed one million units.
Visit the game’s official website here.
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source: Gematsu& Siliconera
Square Enix shared a first visual for Dragon Quest Heroes II: The Twin Kings and the Prophecy of the End, along with some new details on the upcoming PS3, PS4, and PS Vita title.
During the livestream event, we got a look at the above visual, where we can see Maribel from Dragon Quest VII along with Dragon Quest VI’s Carver ready to give some monsters a beat down.
Dragon Quest Heroes II will feature other new characters in a new world, story, and protagonist(s). Square Enix also mentioned that they’ll include new monsters that they weren’t able to include in the first game. It will also feature some sort of multiplayer feature that will allow up to four players to play together.
Dragon Quest Heroes II will release in Japan in spring 2016 for PlayStation 4, PlayStation 3, and PlayStation Vita.
Read more stories about Dragon Quest Heroes II & PlayStation 3 & PlayStation 4 & PlayStation Vita on Siliconera.
source: GematsuPlayable games and panels aplenty.
Square Enix has announced its plans for this years PAX Prime in Seattle, which will run between August 28 and 31.
The publishers playable lineup includes:
Square Enix will also host a number of panels and events.
- Dragon Quest Heroes: The World Trees Woe and the Blight Below (PS4)
- Final Fantasy Explorers (3DS)
- Final Fantasy XIV: Heavensward (PS4, PS3, PC)
- Final Fantasy XV: Episode Duscae 2.0 (PS4, XBO)
- Just Cause 3 (PS4, XBO, PC)
- Lara Croft GO (iOS, Android)
- Life is Strange (PS4, XBO, PS3, 360, PC)
Find full details below.PanelsRead More
Lets GO! Going from Hitman GO to Lara Croft GO
Cerberus Theatre from Noon to 1 p.m., August 28
Join moderator Greg Miller and key developers behind Hitman GO and Lara Croft GO as they take a deep dive in the process of crafting innovative mobile games from big AAA franchises. They will discuss the challenges of distilling the complex universes of well-known PC/console games and transforming them into unique experiences for completely different platforms. Panelists will include three members of the Square Enix Montreal team: Daniel Lutz, Game Director, Antoine Routon, Lead Engineer, and Thierry Doizon, studio Art Director.
Just Cause 3 A Beautiful Playground of Creative Destruction
Sphinx Theatre from 3 to 4 p.m., August 28
Join Avalanche Studios Fred Hooper (Lead VFX artist) and Niklas Norin (Lead AI Designer) alongside Havoks Cormac OBrien as they reveal how their technology and expertise combines to create the incredible destruction and chaos that lies at the heart of Just Cause 3. Hosted by Greg Miller, youll learn exactly how they created the beautiful 400 square mile sandbox packed with possibility, compelling enemies and the largest, most realistic explosions and destruction ever seen in a videogame.
Deus Ex: Mankind Divided Bringing Adam Jensen to life
Sphinx Theatre from 4:30 to 5:30 p.m., August 28
Greg Miller hosts Jean-Francois Dugas, Jonathan Jacques-Belletête and Elias Toufexis, respectively Executive Game Director, Executive Art Director and the actor for Adam Jensen on Deus Ex: Mankind Divided. They will provide insight on what it takes to fully realize a character such as Adam Jensen, an augmented covert agent, on the new generation of consoles and PC. While Elias will share his thoughts on doing mocap and recording dialogues, our developers will dive into his story and design, as well as their goals for the experience of playing as Adam Jensen in Deus Ex: Mankind Divided. You will also get the opportunity to ask them questions about the game and their careers in the video game industry.
Hitman The Art of Assassination
Hydra Theatre from 8:30 to 9:30 p.m., August 28
Live Stream: Twitch, YouTube
Join Hitman Art Director Jonathan Rowe and Lead Writer Michael Vogt for an hour long journey into the design philosophy behind the visual and narrative universe of the world of assassination. Hosted by Game Informers Mike Futter, the pair will delve into the process behind the creation of the trademark living, breathing world of Hitman and give numerous insights and examples into the design process for visual and narrative storytelling in a world where the main character says very little. How does art direction and story design impact the player experience in a complex game like Hitman? The panel will end with a playthrough demo of the Showstopper mission from the upcoming Hitman game as well as a moderated Q&A.
Final Fantasy XIV: Koji & Sokens Wild Ride
Grand Hyatt Seattle Hydra Room 12:00 p.m. 1:00p.m., Saturday, August 29
Live Stream: Twitch
Join Final Fantasy XIV Sound Director Masayoshi Soken and Localization Lead Michael-Christopher Koji Fox as they discuss the music and lore of Final Fantasy XIV! What does Soken have up his sleeve? You wont want to miss out.
Final Fantasy XV Active Time Report LIVE
Grand Hyatt Seattle Hydra Room 4:30 p.m. 5:30 p.m., Saturday, August 29
Live Stream: Twitch
Fans will be in for a treat as Final Fantasy XV Director Hajime Tabata will be taking the stage in North America for the first time at PAX Prime as part of the ongoing Active Time Reports. In addition to sharing a few personal stories about the development of the game, he will be sharing some insights into the recently revealed trailer. Join us on Saturday as we discuss one of the most highly anticipated games from Square Enix.
Events
Lara Croft GO Launch Event
There will be a launch party at the Hard Rock Café co-hosted by IGN on Friday, August 28 starting at 7 PM to celebrate the recent launch of Lara Croft GO. PAX Prime attendees can check out the game and chat with the Square Enix Montreal development team while visiting the Lara Croft GO fan art contest gallery, organized in collaboration with Childs Play. While youre there, why not grab a traditional Montreal poutine!
Hitman: Put a Hit on Cancer
Square Enix, Hitman, and GameChanger are partnering up to put a hit on cancer, and need PAX attendees to become Agent 47. Come to the pop-up barbershop at the Square Enix booth where you can shave your head to resemble Agent 47s iconic bald look. For each head shaved at the show, Square Enix will donate $47 to GameChanger Charity and their mission of supporting children battling cancer.
For those who want to participate but prefer the hair-keeping role of a handler, you can still put a hit on cancer and receive a free Steam code for Hitman Absolution by simply making a donation of at least $1.00 to GameChanger Charity.
Visit www.47vsCancer.org to make your donation, receive your game code and join Agent 47 in support of children with cancer.
Misc.
Additionally, limited quantities of the Final Fantasy XIV Before the Fall original soundtrack and the From Astral to Umbral arrangement album will be available for purchase at the booth.
Final Fantasy XIV Before the Fall
Event SRP: $50 (Sales Tax included)
The Before the Fall soundtrack features music from Final Fantasy XIV Patch 2.2 through 2.5 and includes a bonus code for an exclusive in-game The Primogs minion, a set of five musical moogles.
Final Fantasy XIV From Astral to Umbral
Event SRP: $40 (Sales Tax included)
Popular songs from Final Fantasy XIV have been transformed into splendid band and piano arrangements in this album. This is the first official arrangement album for the title.
Industry, PAX 2015, Square Enix
source: Siliconera
Siliconera sat down with Square Enix producer Ryota Aomi and Omega Force’s director Tomohiko Sho to talk about Dragon Quest Heroes: The World Tree’s Woe and the Darkness Below. While the game runs using the Warriors engine, I noticed some differences between Dragon Quest Heroes and Hyrule Warriors, another Omega Force project, so I began our conversation with that:
How did you approach Dragon Quest Heroes differently from Hyrule Warriors?
Tomohiko Sho, Director at Omega Force:For Hyrule Warriors, what we really set out to do with that was create a Zelda game that was a Warriors game, so it should feel like a Warriors game. That’s where we started that one. The approach we took with Dragon Quest Heroes was quite different. Rather than try to create a Warriors game that featured characters from another franchise, we wanted to create a Dragon Quest game that had become an action RPG. In that sense it’s an evolution of Dragon Quest rather than just a Warriors game. They may look similar in some ways in the way that they play out but the core of the game is very different.
Ryota Aomi, Producer at Square Enix:Just by having a Koei Tecmo do a game like this, of course people are going to say ‘Oh, it’s just another Warriors game,’ that’s something that’s unavoidable, but I don’t think that’s the case with Dragon Quest Heroes. It wasn’t designed to be just another Warriors game. [Omega Force] tried to stay true to the core of the Dragon Quest series and I hope that people see that when they play it.
How do you balance boss encounters with fighting hordes of enemies?
TS: Well, at first, we only had the idea that the player would be fighting hordes of iconic Dragon Quest enemies first, but, quite early on in development – it was a little ways in, but still early on – we realized that yeah, if we’re going to have an action game like this, then players are going to want to experience massive boss battles. What we really tried to do there was get the game system and the controls in such a way that you could fight these two very different opponents using a similar system, but we also wanted to make both of those encounters different in some way, which is why some bosses have additional mechanics and take a bit more effort to defeat than the smaller enemies.
The different idea is that when you’re fighting hordes of enemies, we want the player to feel really powerful. It’s quick action and easy satisfaction. Because we didn’t want the game to solely focus on Warriors game play, we broke up that experience by making bosses much more tactical encounters. We really want the player to be able to pick out their weak points and decide how to approach them.
There are a few characters in Dragon Quest Heroes that actually don’t appear in main-series titles in the United States. What are you going to do to introduce these new characters in the game?
RA: Well, we wanted to introduce people to these characters, so that’s actually why we put them in the game – so that people [in the West] can see them for the first time and experience the story with them. Obviously there is a lot of focus on the characters that have appeared overseas and we had a lot of fun putting their stories together in the game. We put a lot of effort into emphasizing the Dragon Quest IV characters in Dragon Quest Heroes, and think players will have a lot of fun with them.
In Hyrule Warriors, characters were designed around a single mechanic – for example, Sheik had her elemental songs that would change her combo and let her use different abilities – what approach did you take to make characters unique in this game? They feel quite different.
TS: The difference there in how we thought about each character was simply based on the volume of characters that Dragon Quest Heroes has in comparison to Hyrule Warriors. Hyrule Warriors had a relatively small cast so it was easy to design each character around their own mechanic. In Heroes, you can switch between characters, and that made giving each one a unique mechanic sort of redundant. So, instead, each character does have a unique move set, but, the focus is on the combination of those characters in battle and not necessarily each individual one. We based the balancing of the game, as well as what characters would have what kinds of abilities, on how they can be paired together, not how they can be used alone.
That brings me to my next question! Usually the Warriors combat style is very fluid, but, there are some obvious bumps in the game play in Dragon Quest Heroes. There’s a casting system, for example, and building tension takes a lot of time. Was this deliberate?
TS: You bring up an interesting point! We haven’t really talked much about the pace and the tempo of the game play, but if you felt a difference than it was definitely intentional. We very deliberately tried to slow down the game play a bit in comparison to other action games out there. Today’s action games just get faster and faster and faster. What we really wanted to do with this game was create something that anyone can enjoy, so we built it to be an action game you can actually think about while you’re controlling it. It’s got a flow to it, but you won’t be carried or swept away by the action.
There are a lot of Dragon Quest fans on the team. One of the things we wanted to do was kind of transform the feeling of selecting a spell or attack from a menu, and then executing it – this is why casting takes a bit of time. Building Tension is sort of like skipping a turn to do something, right? It gives you a great benefit of dealing more damage, but, it also leaves you defenseless until it activates.
Dragon Quest has taken some interesting turns over the years – Dragon Quest Swords was a fun side project – how did you go about building these two different action games?
RA: With Swords, the main drive behind that project was the hardware. We built it specifically around the Wii Remote and looked for a different way to experience combat in the game. That’s very different from what we’re doing with Heroes for the PlayStation 4. We didn’t focus on differentiating the experience through hardware so much as differentiating the experience via gameplay, so that’s why the game has traditional action controls. They are two very different approaches. I guess you can say that Swords was a hardware based idea while Heroes is a primarily gameplay based ideas.
Dragon Quest Heroes 2 was announced very, very soon after the first game was released. Why announce the sequel so soon?
RA:Well, we can’t really get into details about what we’re going to put in the sequel yet, but, it really was quite soon after the first, wasn’t it? Truthfully, we collected a massive amount of feedback from players that had had played the first game saying ‘we love this’ and ‘we want to see more of this,’ and after seeing what people had to say, we got several ideas on how to improve and build on the experience. After that, we thought we had enough to do something more and bring that to another game, so the decision was easy, and we had enough content to move forward with a second title.
Regarding Dragon Quest Heroes 2, how is it different than the downloadable content offered for Hyrule Warriors? That is to say, all of the DLC for Hyrule Warriors could’ve probably been made into its own game. If Dragon Quest Heroes 2 is just an elaborated, improved Dragon Quest Heroes, why not make it DLC?
TS: First let’s talk about Hyrule Warriors. We want to clarify here that we haven’t confirmed or announced any sequels to that title yet. The idea behind Hyrule Warriors DLC, though, was to say thank you to the people who had already purchased the game and to allow them to experience the game in a different way with new characters and gimmicks.
We chose to do what we did for Dragon Quest because I think the story is what people really, really look for in a Dragon Quest game – in fact, that was our biggest focus in the title – so we thought that a proper way to approach telling a complete story would be in separate titles.
This is a question for Miyake, who’s been sitting patiently through this whole interview! The last time we spoke about bringing the Rocket Slime games over to the west. Has that idea been floating around the office?
Yuu Miyake, Executive Producer of the Dragon Quest series: (laughs) Well, you know, when we talk about Rocket Slime titles, they really were the first Dragon Quest action game! And hey, if Dragon Quest Heroes does well, I guess we’ll have to talk more about Rocket Slime!
Read more stories about Dragon Quest Heroes & Interviews & PlayStation 4 on Siliconera.
Play the Dragon Quest action RPG at PAX Prime this weekend.
Square Enix has released a new story trailer for Dragon Quest Heroes: The World Trees Woe and the Blight Below.
In Dragon Quest Heroes, players can join forces with franchise favorite characters, including Dragon Quest IVs Alena and Dragon Quest VIIIs Yangus, and take on hordes of monsters. Each of the games 12 playable characters has unique abilities and play diferently from each other. Kiryls lance, for example, keeps monsters at bay, while Neras magic bubbles blast monsters away. New characters, such as the two protagonists, King Doric, and scientist Isla, will also appear.
If youre at PAX Prime in Seattle this weekend, you can try your hand at battling the Gigantes monster at the Square Enix booth. Players will be awarded a free slime fan and can visit the Slime Wall to squash and defeat slimes. (Were guessing its similar to the promotion Sony ran in Japan.)
Heres a rundown of Dragon Quest Heroes story:A dark cloud has fallen over the city of Arba, driving the once peaceful monsters into a frenzied rage. As either the hero, Luceus, or the heroine, Aurora, the player joins forces with an iconic cast from previous Dragon Quest titles to bring the rampaging hordes of monsters to their senses and restore order to the kingdom.Dragon Quest Heroes: The World Trees Woe and the Blight Below will launch for PlayStation 4 in North America on October 13 and in Europe on October 16.
Watch the new trailer below.
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View some screenshots at the gallery.
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PlayStation 4, Clips, Dragon Quest Heroes: The World Tree's Woe and the Blight Below, Koei Tecmo, Omega Force, PAX 2015, Screenshots, Square Enix, Trailers
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Permalink | 6 CommentsThe entire console gaming thing by passed me completely. I went from arcade games of Centipede and PacMan to PC gaming and it was with a little trepidation when I was assigned to cover fellow writer Rob Lashleys first session on the first day of PAX (his flight the previous night had been cancelled).
Dragon Quest is an RPG series published under the Dragon Warrior name in the US until 2002 (to avoid conflict with a similarly named pen-and-paper game) when Square Enix was able to register the name Dragon Quest for video games with the US Patents and Trademark Office.
The basic storyline of most Dragon Quest titles have you playing the hero who is saving the land from peril, usually accompanied by a party of group members that are unlocked as you play the game. Recurring elements such as certain boss NPCs and their mascot Slime appear in this latest installment which is an Action RPG for the PlayStation 4 and launches in October in the US.
I was handed the PS4 controller, located the X button and watched the opening trailer. The king of Arbas body guards Luceus and Aurora are out with a floating jellyfish monster (fans will probably start nitpicking at this point for me not knowing what it is) Prince Healix (hint: he heals) enjoying a festival in the city of Arba when a wave of energy sweeps through. When it passes, the monsters that live and work alongside the humans turn on them.
You choose to play either Luceus who is a bit of a pompous fellow and uses fire powers, or Aurora who is rather a hot head but uses ice powers. Our little flying spaghetti monster prince Healix is our healer and the king of Arba aka The Royal Rumbler makes up the rest of the starting party.
As I sat back and used the left toggle to move, the right to shift the camera and the appropriate buttons to attack and use skills, I commented, This isnt too bad. And after a few battles, Now I see why people like consoles, you can totally sit back on a couch and play the game.
Then I reached advancement for new attack combos. Okay 4 squares for this one 4 triangles for that Thats doable 3 squares and a triangle Press right trigger and what? Wait Okay. I can do this. Build some skills, get new combos. Lucky me. I had selected/boosted one which had you jump in the air and come down hard. While you are airborne, press R1, square and whaaarrrgarrrble
The game is beautifully rendered and made me think of Japanese cartoons in its fine polish. There is quite a bit of customization and several characters that you meet and add to your party, all which are playable and each has unique spells and abilities to upgrade. As your characters level and the adventure grows harder, switching out between characters strategically will help players get through certain scenarios. Fans will encounter familiar and iconic characters from the series, from Maya of Dragon Quest IV, Alena and Bianca, to Yangus, the thief with a heart of gold from Dragon Quest VIII. All are voiced and fans can look forward to viewing the cutscenes.
Aside from these characters, you can collect monster medals and summon them on the battlefield as allies, or use their unique skills. In major boss battles, you can summon up to 24 of them to fight by your side. The game does auto-save, but there are also Save Game slots that you can use just before a new encounter in case you want a do-over.
As an Action RPG, Dragon Quest Heroes is pretty epic as you carve your way through swarms of enemies and giant monsters turned evil. The graphics and animation are top notch, the main characters Luceus and Aurora, so typical of Japanese cartoons it took me back to my childhood. From the opening scenes, you know (but your characters dont) theres one person responsible for the monsters behavior, and perhaps you find out why Healix did not turn when all the other monsters did. Dragon Quest Heroes promises a rollicking good time for those with better dexterity than me, who enjoy a fun hack n slash with a great storyline.
Carolyn Koh / Carolyn has been writing for MMORPG.com since 2004 and about the MMO genre since 1999. These days she plays mobile RTS games more, but MMOs will always remain near and dear to her heart.
Author: Carolyn Koh
Created: September 01, 2015
Access the additional episodes upon reaching a specific point.
The downloadable content episodes released for Dragon Quest Heroes: The World Trees Woe and the Blight Below in Japan post-launch will be included on-disc in the western release, free of charge, Square Enix announced.
The episodes will become available once youve completed the main story up to a certain point, and by meeting a few conditions. Most will be available after defeating King Hydra. Youll be able to take on the episodes by checking your mail at the in-game post office.
Some of the episodes include:
Dragon Quest Heroes: The World Trees Woe and the Blight Below will launch for PlayStation 4 in North America on October 13 and in Europe on October 16.
- Alenas Episode Completing Alenas episode will get you her original Dragon Quest IV costume! I think she looks really cute with the tights! Alenas episode brings her into a competition for the Colissea Cup. Completing the quest will get you alternate arranged costumes for both the tomboy Tsarevna and her loyal friend, Kiryl and rare accessories!
- Bjørn Battle Meet Bjørn the Behemoose, one of the largest bosses in the series! He first appeared in Dragon Quest V as a terrible evil that Neras family sealed away. Since Bjørn is so huge, youll have to jump on his massive body and deal damage to him that way
- Great Demon Lord Zoma Battle The scary looking monster here is The Great Demon Lord Zoma, the final boss of Dragon Quest III! Zoma will freeze your party with a strong ice spell. Maybe itd be a good idea to stock up on ice resistant equipment before taking on this challenge!
- Nokturnus Battle Nokturnus, the hardest boss in Dragon Quest VI! Goooooood luck!
- Psaro Battle and Playable Character saro the Manslayer himself! Hes the only character that can equip greatswords! Psaros form changes when he uses his coup de grâce! He will burn his surroundings with the heat ray that he shoots from his eyes!
- And more
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PlayStation 4, DLC, Dragon Quest Heroes: The World Tree's Woe and the Blight Below, Koei Tecmo, Omega Force, RPG, Square Enix
source: Siliconera
Square Enix shared the latest on Dragon Quest Heroes II: The Twin Kings and the Propecy of the End in this week’s issue of Jump magazine. [Thanks, @kazu4281.]
The magazine scan from Jump shows us Balzack from Dragon Quest IV as a giant boss character, along with some familiar monsters from the series in Treeface, Platypunk, Gryphon, and Draguar.
As previously reported, the first visual of the game which is shown at the top of the scan features Carver from Dragon Quest VI, alongside Maribel from Dragon Quest VII, who’ll be joining as new characters in Dragon Quest Heroes II.
Dragon Quest Heroes II will release in Japan for PlayStation 4, PlayStation 3, and PlayStation Vita in Spring 2016.
Read more stories about Dragon Quest Heroes II & PlayStation 3 & PlayStation 4 & PlayStation Vita on Siliconera.
Other original characters also unlikely to appear?
Luceus (Akuto in Japan), one of the protagonists of Dragon Quest Heroes: The World Tree’s Woe and the Blight Below, won’t appear in Dragon Quest Heroes II, his voice actor Tori Matsuzaka confirmed on Twitter.
The non-appearance of Luceus likely means Dragon Quest Heroes‘ other original characters, including Aurora (Meer in Japan), Doric (King Dirk in Japan), and Isla (Julietta in Japan), also won’t appear.
In July, Dragon Quest series creator Yuji Horii said Dragon Quest Heroes II will have a different setting and new story. However, while new Dragon Quest series characters like Carver (Dragon Quest VI) and Maribel (Dragon Quest VII) will appear, so will Dragon Quest series characters that were playable in the original game, like Maya, Kiryl, and Terry.
If you missed it, catch the latest update on Dragon Quest Heroes II here.
Dragon Quest Heroes II is due out for PlayStation 4, PlayStation 3, and PS Vita in Japan in spring 2016. The original Dragon Quest Heroes is due out for PlayStation 4 in North America on October 13 and Europe on October 16. It has been available for both PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 3 in Japan since February.
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PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, PS Vita, Dragon Quest Heroes II, Koei Tecmo, Omega Force, RPG, Square Enix
source: GematsuPlayable characters and systems introduced.
Square Enix has released a new overview trailer for Dragon Quest Heroes: The World Tree’s Woe and the Blight Below detailing the game’s characters and systems.
The video, which is narrated by King Doric, introduces the game’s playable characters, including:
Players will form a party of four heroes to battle. The monsters you defeat will sometime turn into “Monster Medals,” which can be used at any time during battle to summon that monster. You’ll be able to upgrade your heroes and equipment—buy new weapons and shields, create new accessories, buy stat-enhancing orbs, and unlock new skills and talents.
- Luceus (original)
- Aurora (original)
- King Doric (original)
- Isla (original)
- Healix (original, non-playable)
- Maya (Dragon Quest IV)
- Alena (Dragon Quest IV)
- Kiryl (Dragon Quest IV)
- Bianca (Dragon Quest V)
- Nera (Dragon Quest V)
- Terry (Dragon Quest VI)
- Jessica (Dragon Quest VIII)
- Yangus (Dragon Quest VIII)
Dragon Quest Heroes: The World Tree’s Woe and the Blight Below is due out for PlayStation 4 in North America on October 13 and Europe on October 16.
Watch the trailer below.
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PlayStation 4, Clips, Dragon Quest Heroes: The World Tree's Woe and the Blight Below, Koei Tecmo, Omega Force, RPG, Square Enix, Trailers
Square Enix has released new in-depth information regarding the characters who appear in Dragon Quest Heroes: The World Trees Woe and the Blight Below. Some of the characters are original to the upcoming title, however some may be quite familiar to longtime fans of the franchise, such as Nera (Dragon Quest V: Hand of the Heavenly Bride) and Yangus (Dragon Quest VIII: Journey of the Cursed King). Heres a look at all the characters, along with a little bit of backstory for each one.
the story of Arba, and its up to you to restore peace to the kingdom with help from Dragon Quest protagonists both new and old.
Dragon Quest Heroes: The World Trees Woe and the Blight Below will release in North America for the PlayStation 4 on October 13th, 2015 for $59.99. A special Collectors Edition is also available for pre-order from Square Enixs online store.
Read more stories about Dragon Quest Heroes & PlayStation 4 on Siliconera.
Like all Dynasty Warriors games, the action in DQ Heroes can be repetitive, but there’s something inherently fun about mashing buttons and slaying dozens of monsters at a time with fantastic visual aplomb and crazy acrobatic skills. Given the fact that DQH brings Akira Toriyama (the artist behind Dragon Quest, Blue Dragon, Chrono Trigger, and yes… Dragon Ball) and Koichi Sugiyama together again, fans of the Dragon Quest franchise are probably already picking this game up when it launches in the NA and EU next week (on the 13th and 15th respectively).
And that’s OK, because it just so happens that it’s a pretty darned fun time, if you don’t mind a little button mashing. It should be noted that DQH has been out in Japan since February and did so well that a sequel has already been announced. Provided it sells well enough here, the same will likely happen in the West.
There are two main characters, Luceus and Aurora: the royal guards for King Doric of Arba. Doric is one helluva fighter himself and will join your party early on. The kingdom of Arba has lived for eons in harmony with the monsters, but something sinister is driving them mad, and the monsters begin to take over towns across the entire world. You, as either Luceus or Aurora (you’ll switch between all characters in battle, but you pick one for the main story), will travel across the realm hunting down the reason for this dark time.
It ain’t Shakespeare folks, but the cinematics are well done, as is to be expected from a Square Enix game. Additionally, you can choose either English or Japanese voiceovers, so purists don’t have to have the somewhat goofy-sounding English voices if you don’t want to. There are some truly bright spots in the VO though: Tsarevna Alena and Kiryl from DQ4 are particularly funny thanks to their heavy Russian accents and goofy Russian-English way of speaking. It’s clear the translators had a ball with DQH, as everything from the dialog down to the names of the monsters you summon to fight alongside you has some sort of humor injected. And Kiryl’s “ultimate” tension ability? I laughed out loud more than once with that one.
Bear in mind, for at least the first few hours, DQH is a fairly linear game. After you manage to get your airship (would it be a Square Enix RPG without one?), you’ll also get side quests, random maps that uncover new areas, and stuff like that to make things less of a beeline from story mission to story mission. But don’t get too excited. This is still an Omega Force game. You will pretty much be spending all of your time slapping the ever-living crap out of dozens of bad guys at a time. It’s all the little things DQH does that makes things more interesting.
As mentioned briefly above, one of the main things that gives DQH some sense of strategy, especially during the many missions in which you must protect someone or something, is the ability to summon monsters to fight for you. As you beat foes, they may drop Monster Medals. These can be used to summon defending friendly versions of the monsters, or even one-time use monsters that can heal you or buff you in some other way. In light of the fact that so many scenarios are often rehashes of the same idea (defend this, kill all the monsters, or close all the Nightmaw gates), it’s nice to have this extra layer of interaction with missions. You’ll have to mix and match and manage which monsters you want on the field of battle in real time, as some take up more spots on your monster roster than others (like the sturdy Golem).
As you progress through the story, you’ll amass an army of heroes from past Dragon Quest games. From Terry to Maya to Jessica, the major fan favorites are pretty much all there. The downside is that some have very similar move-sets. Terry, Luceus, and Aurora all wield swords and shields, and they all seem to have the same sorts of moves, though Terry’s branch off a bit more. Luceus and Aurora are likely so similar because they’re the “main characters”, but because of this you’ll wind up only wanting one or the other on your party. Being able to switch between playstyles and characters with the L2 button is fun, but only when your party is varied enough make it so. And King Doric? Dude’s a beast. Use him!
If there’s any one real downside to DQH, it’s that they give you this full 4-person part of awesome characters… and completely neglect to put in any form of co-op. Even Hyrule Warriors let Wii U users play together. With the parties of four, Dragon Quest Heroes was absolutely ripe for couch and PSN co-op, but they decided not to include it for whatever reason. It’s a huge blunder, and one that I hope the sequel remedies.
Aside from the surprising lack of MP, DQH is a very polished and entertaining hack n’ slash RPG. It’s camera leaves a lot to be desired, as it can often get lost and it really needs to be able to zoom out more from the action. It’s something I dealt with, but it was a noticeable issue and one that doesn’t have an easy fix.
Dragon Quest Heroes: The World Tree’s Woe and the Blight Below won’t entirely scratch that JRPG itch for a true Dragon Quest, but fans of Action RPGs will find it more than filling. With several dozen hours of gameplay, loads of side quests, items to craft and collect, and achievements to earn, DQH is a lot like a JRPG fan’s version of Diablo. It would be nice if the game was coming to other platforms, but this one’s a PS4 exclusive in the West. October is a really full month for games, but if like me you enjoy a solid Action RPG more than most other games, this one’s a no brainer.
GAMEPLAY – 8 Dragon Quest Heroes brand of the Dynasty Warriors action is top notch. Add in the monster medals, the ability to switch between four heroes, and bashing in dozens of monsters at a time and you have a treat for the Action RPG fan. However, like all DW games, it gets more a little repetitive.
VISUALS AND SOUND – 8 The art and music of Akira Toriyama and Koichi Sugiyama do more than enough to make you forget that DQH was made for both PS3 and PS4. I wish the English VO was better, and more fully applied, but it’s solid enough.
LONGEVITY – 7 You could easily get several dozen hours out of this one. But chances are, unless you’re a completionist, you’ll stop once you’ve played through the story and won’t come back.
VALUE – 9 Your standard $60. For the amount of hours you’ll get, with no Day One DLC or microtransactions I’m aware of, this one’s a fair and honest “buy it all for one price” game. A rarity these days.
POLISH – 8 The camera. This is my big detractor. Like FFXV’s demo before it, Square Enix seems to want to keep you close to the action, which is fine… but when things get hectic as they do in Omega Force games you want to be able to pull back and get a better view of the situation.
OVERALL SCORE: 8.0
William Murphy / Bill is the Managing Editor of MMORPG.com, RTSGuru.com, and lover of all things gaming. He''s been playing and writing about MMOs and geekery since 2002. Be sure to follow him on Twitter for all of his pointless rambling.
Author: William Murphy
Created: October 07, 2015
source: GematsuMeet the monsters of the upcoming action RPG.
Following last week’s characters infographic, Square Enix has released a new infographic this week detailing some of the monsters of Dragon Quest Heroes: The World Tree’s Woe and the Blight Below.
You’ll battle a variety of monsters in the upcoming action RPG. The infographic introduces just four different types of these creatures.
The infographic is attached to the right, but we’ve also produced a text version below.Slime (first appearance: Dragon Quest)Dragon Quest Heroes: The World Tree’s Woe and the Blight Below is due out for PlayStation 4 in North America on October 13 and Europe on October 16.
The iconic Dragon Quest Slime draws near!
This iconic monster appeared in the very first Dragon Quest and has become a staple of the series, as it is the first monster players encounter in many of the games.
It gets its charm from its jiggly-jelly body and lovely round eyes.
Metal Slime (first appearance: Dragon Quest)
This cowardly Slime is rare and quick to flee, but the experience points are astounding if you defeat it!
A monster from the Slime family with a metallic body believed to be caused by mutation. It’s known to provide astonishing experience points, making it highly sought after by adventurers. However, it’s extremely difficult to find and defeat thanks to its penchant for running away and its metal body.
Gigantes (first appearance: Dragon Quest II)
A malicious and powerful one-eyed giant with a burning hatred for humanity!
A one-eyed giant said to be the anger of a terrible dark being given a monstrous form. It wields a giant club and confronts heroes without holding back any of its terrifying strength.
Healslime (first appearance: Dragon Quest II)
A kind monster that restores its comrades with heal spells!
A Slime monster with newfound mobility thanks to its dangling tentacles. Gliding through the air on its own magical power, this kind monster prefers to heal its allies rather than heal others.
Not only does it appear as a monster in Dragon Quest Heroes, Healix the Healslime is a special friend that bonds with the party of heroes as he travels with them.
Dragon Quest Heroes
Dragon Quest Heroes: The World Trees Woe and the Blight Below still seems like an odd match to me. You take one series, known for being rooted in traditional RPG mechanics and emphasis on exploration, and mix that with that with Warriors games, which are known for being relatively light on both. So how does Dragon Quest Heroes handle it?
Dragon Quest Heroes gets a lot right in blending the two series. Of course you have the basics: stats, level gaining, and assortments of weapons and armor to equip. Theres even a skill tree for each individual character that allows them to learn both active and passive abilities, for example my main character could learn how to summon fire tornadoes then get an upgrade that makes the tornadoes more effective. Your choices are pretty limited all things considered, but the games heart is in the right place.
On top of the basics, Dragon Quest Heroes has a surprisingly large story complete with its own lore and world-building. At its core, the plot is an excuse to bring together characters from all the different Dragon Quest games, but its actually fairly enjoyable as a stand-alone tale. The emphasis on cutscenes and dialogue makes the game feel like a genuine RPG tale.
One of my favorite RPG details in the game is how much more developed the playable characters feel compared to what one might expect in a Warriors game. Usually tons of different characters are always joining your group in these games. Youll get to pick your favorites, of course, but its easy to lose track of everyone with you on your quest. Dragon Quest Heroes goes a long way in remedying that issue and making your party feel special.
Every newcomer gets introduced in a fun cinematic that shows off their personality and lets them play off the rest of the party. But after the introductions, it actually takes a while before theyre officially part of the team. Instead, youll often have to go through mini story arcs fighting alongside the characters as AI-controlled partners before they decide to join forces with you.
One situation that stands out to me is that Jessica and Yangus were introduced at the same time, but they quickly split paths. I ended up following Jessica (sorry Yangus) on her side, and spent the rest of the mission helping her stop a group of enemies from destroying buildings. During the mission you get a taste of the explosive arsenal of spells Jessica has at her command. By the time I unlocked Jessica as a playable character, I was genuinely excited to put her into my party.
Even after youve recruited new people, they dont just fade into obscurity because they actually feel like party members during battle. When you pick four characters you like and start a mission, youre free to switch between them at any time. Whoever youre not playing as gets controlled by an AI, and as partners theyre actually genuinely helpful, often hurling status effects at enemies and healing you when needed. Its a big difference from other Warriors games Ive played, where it felt like my allies might as well not exist if Im not playing as them.
Beyond what Dragon Quest Heroes excels in, it also has a host of other staple RPG elements including tons of side quests and a fairly in-depth item crafting system that arent as well thought out. While these are appreciated, I actually found them to be kind of annoying because navigating the menus attached to these features takes forever. Every time you want to say turn in materials for a sidequest, you need to go through the following: go the menu, wade through the quests, pick the quest, hear some dialogue, get a delayed pause after talking the quest, move to the menu to complete the quest, get another weird delay so that your quest can be marked as completed, then listen to a ridiculously long victory jingle, the finally receive your reward. It may not seem like a big deal once, but the time really adds up. Considering how many quests there are, its really quite astounding how inefficient the system feels. The crafting menu process is a little less offensive, but the dialogue before your item gets made is the same every time and gets really tedious to read.
At least at a glance, though, Dragon Quest Heroes definitely feels like it could pass for a full-fledged RPG. It even gives you designated grinding spots in case you need to level up a bit! Where the illusion starts to break is in how it handles its structure and the design of its maps.
Like most Warriors games, the game gets broken down to missions that you can select from a hub area. Thats to be expected, but it definitely kills a lot of the RPG-vibe Dragon Quest Heroes otherwise gives off. Dragon Quest Heroes has a fairly large world if the map the game shows you is to be believed, but overall the world feels rather small and disconnected in the way it gets presented.
The levels in Dragon Quest Heroes are also pretty small. Even compared to other Warriors games, they feel really tiny and focused. Usually youre given two or three larger squares, then a bunch of narrow chokepoints that enemies can come from. Things are usually set up this way because the vast majority of your missions involve protecting something from enemies that come from every direction.
As a result of the map design, Dragon Quest Heroes really lacks a sense of exploration. You always have a map of the entire area when you start, you know that chances are very high that youre going to be defending someone or something during the mission, and there isnt much to discover on the maps themselves beyond an occasional treasure chest. Theres no real sense of adventure that a more traditional Dragon Quest might convey, and I think thats one of the worst things you could leave out.
Dragon Quest Heroes isnt a perfect mixture between Dynasty Warriors and Dragon Quest, but it does a lot right. After playing through the game, Id really like to see what the game would be like if they took the RPG elements even further into the level design. I dont think its necessary that Dragon Quest Heroes totally give up its identity as a Warriors game in terms of map design, but I cant help but think about how cool a genuine dungeon or world map would be when made in this style of game.
Food for Thought:
The main characters feel like some kind of metaphor for the two different franchises. The male protagonist always goes on about tactics and the importance of strategy, while the female protagonist just wants to beat things up. Im really not sure if that was intentional or if the writers just thought it was a funny juxtaposition, because the joke gets severely overused throughout the story as if they were just silly character gags.
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