The new "Dracula" is a great adventure with a smartphone in hand! Report on the presentation of the new "Dragon Quest Walk" for smartphones, which was highly praised by Speedwagon Ozawa!

A presentation of the newest smartphone title in the nationally popular "Dragon Quest" RPG series was held on June 3, 2019, at the Star Rise Tower in the Tokyo Tower Media Center.

The latest "Dragon Quest" game announced this time is "Dragon Quest Walk," a location-based game for smartphones in which players actually walk and explore.
⇒Smartphone game "Dragon Quest Walk" will be released in 2019! Official site, PV release & "beta trial" starting June 11!

The presentation was hosted by Kazuo Tokumitsu and Rio Hirai,

First on stage was Yu Miyake, Executive Producer of Square Enix's "Dragon Quest" series. He not only summarized the development of the series from last year to next year, but also announced that the production of "Dragon Quest 12," the latest numbered title, has started. The audience was briefly disturbed by the bombshell statement that was made without hesitation.

The new "Dragon Quest" is a location-based game!

Following this shocking opening, game designer Yuji Horii, creator of the "Dracula" series, took the stage. Mr. Horii introduced the new title and showed a video of the new title and the title "Dragon Quest Walk" for the first time in Japan.

I'm sure you've all been outside with your game consoles when you played "Dracula 9" (DS). I want people to have the same kind of adventures with their smartphones as they did with "Dragonguest Walk," said Mr. Horii with an expression of emotion and enthusiasm.

Next, Mr. Takamasa Shiba, producer of Square Enix's "Dragon Quest Walk," took the stage. He talked about how he and Mr. Horii came to develop the game.

It was three years ago when Mr. Shiba first told Mr. Horii about the project. He said that the impetus for the creation of this game came from asking Mr. Shiba what would happen if he applied the location-based games that were beginning to appear at the time to "Dracula.

At the time, Pokémon Go was also popular," said Horii. He also revealed that he and Mr. Shiba had enjoyed playing "Pokemon Go," which excited the audience.

The key point of this title is that the town in which you live becomes a Dracula field, and players level up by fighting the enemies that appear in the game.

In addition, "Slamichi," a slime with a compass on its back, was introduced as the mascot character of the game, and it was announced that the development company would be Coroplast, Inc. based on its experience in location-based games and RPG production for smartphones. Mr. Shiba appealed that the company was a very encouraging partner, citing "a company with many young people and horsepower," "many people who have been playing "Dracula" for a long time and can come up with good proposals," and "know-how in location-based games.

Speedwagon Ozawa, a Dracula fanatic, experienced the game!

In the middle of the presentation, Speedwagon Kazutaka Ozawa burst onto the stage!

Ozawa, a "Dracula" freak who has played all the titles in the series, and Hirai, a member of the "Dracula" generation, were the first in the world to experience "Dragon Quest Walk" in a playable state.

Leaving the venue with smartphones in hand, the two actually experienced the game by walking around the Tokyo Tower area. Mr. Ozawa was excited to see the mysterious visuals on the screen, a fusion of actual building information and a "Dracula"-like field map! The familiar cityscape was transformed into a fantasy world, and if you looked closely, you could see monsters walking around here and there.

This is amazing!

Next, he started a battle with Drakey, a slime that appeared in front of him! If the player successfully defeats the enemy, he or she will level up and the defeated monster will be registered in the Monster Pictorial Book. The experience is similar to the familiar "Dracula" series, except that the player is walking on a real city field. It seems that players can play the game as if they were the heroes themselves.

Another unique element of this title is the "quest" experience. Here, Ozawa-san responded to a request from an old lady who said that her daughter had not returned from a trip to the store. Next, an actual map was displayed on the screen. The map shows several landmarks that are potential destinations. Players can set their own quest destinations and earn rewards for reaching them. Of course, the farther away the destination is set, the greater the reward.

When the brave Ozawa arrives at his destination, he begins a battle with a boss character! He successfully defeated the boss and won the reward.

Ozawa said, "This is fun! This is the kind of date I want to have!" he commented. While it is fun to play alone, it may also be fun to walk or play "Dracula" with friends to reach a destination!

In addition to castles and towns, there are also dungeons and other destinations to explore. It looks like there will be plenty of challenge.

A trial event will be held as early as June 11!

Next, Mr. Shiba explained the game system.

There are three main features of this work. The first feature is the "destination system," which allows users to set their own destinations, as Ozawa-san and the others had just experienced.

The second is the "landmark system. In this title, each prefecture has a landmark, and real buildings appear in the game. The game also features quests that are exclusive to the landmarks, and there are stories that can only be enjoyed by actually visiting the landmarks.

The third is the "home system. Players can freely choose where they want to build their homes, and then construct their own homes there. In addition to being able to customize the furniture and interior design of your home, you can also enter the homes of other players and obtain items that have fallen into their homes. In addition, when you return home at the end of the day, you receive an "Outing Bonus" based on the number of steps you took and the number of battles you fought that day. As bonuses accumulate, ranks are raised and the home is upgraded. The "Outing Bonus" is said to be more of a walking element than a battle element, so players who don't want to do much fighting will be able to enjoy housing at their own pace.

Finally, the "Dragon Quest Walk" beta trial was announced; distribution of the trial will begin on June 11. The number of applicants is 20,000 (iOS: 10,000; Andoroid: 10,000). The trial session is only available in the Kanto region (Ibaraki, Tochigi, Gunma, Saitama, Chiba, Tokyo, and Kanagawa prefectures). The minimum age for participation is 18 years old.

In closing, he said, "Dragon Quest has been going on for more than 30 years, but now it's a new game where you take your smartphone and explore an actual city. There may be times when you don't know when to stop. In the not-too-distant future, people will actually be able to play it," commented Horii.

The distribution date is scheduled for the end of 2019.