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[RCU005]

I think something that makes Dragon Quest essential to the brand and popularity is Akira Toriyama's unique art style. I believe he has been involved since the very first game. In fact, it was the reason I got to know about the games, even though I never played one until Dragon Quest XI, which I loved from start to finish.

However, correct me if I'm wrong, the Dragon Quest movie from Netflix is the first to not have his art, and I must said I still liked it. It made me wonder if Square Enix could actually change the art style. Dragon Quest XII is said to have more mature themes as well as brand new combat gameplay. Is this a good time to make a change? Will mature themes work with Toriyama's art style which is more cartoony and silly?

What kind of style would you like Dragon Quest XII to be? How would change the art style but keep it unique to the franchise and not get lost in other JRPGs styles? I liked the Netflix style, IMO.

I remember when Fire Emblem Awakening released, I thought the art style was so unique to the game and fit perfectly. Haven't played the following games, but I know that at least the next one had the same art style. It kind of made me feel that it stuck to the franchise. Would something like that be possible in Dragon Quest?

 

[killatopak]

It probably could but I don't want it to.

 

[64bitmodels]

Dragon Quest, Dragon ball
makes sense for toriyama to make it lol

 

[SlimeGooGoo]

.

 

[NahaNago]

I think part of the reason the dragon quest movie could slightly move away from Toriyama's style is because many of the main characters in that series don't have the spiky hair of dragon ball. They are slightly more realistic in hair style so it could be adapted to more art styles . With that said I would prefer if they kept to Toriyama's style. That movie kept giving me pixar vibes with the way the characters looked.

 

[The_hunter]

Toriyama's art is the reason I keep buying DQ games, even though I haven't played a lot of them.

It would have to be someone with a great stylized art style to replace him.

 

[Graciaus]

Of course it could. Just get someone else to do a similar style.

Now mess with the turn based combat and I'm out.

 

[SlimeGooGoo]

.

 

[YukiOnna]

It could definitely work, but would people want it to? I don't think so. I certainly wouldn't.
It's different from Final Fantasy where they have a few distinct styles w/ famous artists. Even the spin-offs of DQ have Toriyama's style.

 

[Alfen Dave]

In brief, such a question would demand us to study and establish all the ethical and sociocultural consequences that such decisions would impact on the long term on a videoludic scale. You see; as we evolve through the ages, concsious and drastic visual changes to our intellectual ethos brings abrupt dissastifaction as to the why; the why of such a transformation on the art and psychosocial sphere. Which brings us to the final but ever conflicting answer of such rhetorics.

No, the answer is no.

 

[KàIRóS]

DQ is the one series where it genuinely wouldn't work especially for the monster designs, they are all iconic, my guess is that even after his passing SE is probably going to continue using his artstyle, a lot of artists can replicate it anyway, in fact I seriously doubt that nowadays Toriyama works that much in whatever designs he's involved in, just look at Dragon Ball Super manga, Toyotaro does all the art and the differences are minimal to Toriyama's style.

 

[pramod]

No

 

[March Climber]

It could work in Miyazaki's style

 

[killatopak]

Sugiyama is not among us anymore.
Without Yuji Horii and Toriyama the series will just die a slow and painful death.

Speaking of Sugiyama, now that he's gone, who's going to replace him?

 

[bender]

Speaking of Sugiyama, now that he's gone, who's going to replace him?

Someone who likes copious amounts of zippers.

 

[killatopak]

Someone who likes copious amounts of zippers.

Nah, Nomura is more of a character designer while Sugiyama is the composer.

Just thinking about the composers in SE's employ and I can't think of one that fits Sugiyama's style of composing.

 

[bender]

Nah, Nomura is more of a character designer while Sugiyama is the composer.

Just thinking about the composers in SE's employ and I can't think of one that fits Sugiyama's style of composing.

The composition will consist of nothing but the sound of zippers opening and closing.

 

[Danjin44]

It has to one way or another, sooner or later Toriyama will retire.

If it does the artist behind Dragon Quest Adventure of Dai can replace him.

 

[NeoIkaruGAF]

Yes.

But it’s not like they couldn’t find a way to keep using his designs forever. Toriyama’s chara design is so repetitive, I’m pretty sure it wouldn’t be hard for an AI to churn out Toriyama characters for the next 100 years of Dragon Quest.

 

[SlimeGooGoo]

.

 

[theclaw135]

That guy is almost 60 years old.
Toriyama is 67
Both are old dogs close to retirement

Regardless, if they don't create anything new, they can just reuse the monsters and NPCs like they've always done.
The problem are the main characters. Designing main characters is hard.

Also, story and design. Without Yuji Horii the series will lose its direction.
That's why they're asking Horii to make changes that will affect the next decades to come, because he's probably not going to be around for too long.
Unfortunately they're asking him to make the series more action oriented and "adult-oriented". I don't have a good feeling about this.


No one. He's irreplaceable.
The series will have to reuse all songs composed by him forever and ever.
Just kidding, but it will definitely not be the same.

I thought that Adventures of Dai game in development, contains no material by these individuals?

 

[Danjin44]

That guy is almost 60 years old.
Toriyama is 67
Both are old dogs close to retirement

Good point, the fact is nothing is constant, eventually new blood will come to develop new DQ games, that just how it is.

 

[SlimeGooGoo]

.

 

[Porcile]

Dragon Quest is more about being Yuji Horii's thing. I would be more worried about replacing him than Toriyama.

 

[elbourreau]

I think, Toriyama designs are nowaday the lamest part of the DQ saga.

Said it...

You can burn me now.

 

[NeoIkaruGAF]

Designing main characters is hard.

That’s why Toriyama has been designing the same ones for 30 years

 

[Danjin44]

Adventure of Dai is an old manga based on DQ.


Indeed.
But I wish the series kept what made people fall in love with it intact.
If they go the action-oriented route and force some "adult" content it won't be the same.

Megami series is as old as Dragon Quest and still kept the turn based combat, so will DQ.

Also wouldn't take whole "adult" too seriously, they are not going make DQ game "M" rated game.

You can burn me now.

Gladly....

 

[SlimeGooGoo]

.

 

[Danjin44]

If it was Atlus making DQ, sure.
But this is Square-Enix, they want to move away from turn-based because they can market the game to even more people (ironically people that never cared about Dragon Quest to begin with, go figure)

I think its mostly with Final Fantasy because it become too big, the series sells as much as AAA western game, so they need to try have the mass appeal.

DQ is popular in Japan but not so much in west and their game not highly big budget compare to Final Fantasy, so similar to Atlus, DQ can get away from having turn based combat.

 

[theclaw135]

Adventure of Dai is an old manga based on DQ.

I'm referring to the upcoming video game.

To my knowledge, Infinity Strash is not being worked on by Toriyama or Horii.

 

[SlimeGooGoo]

.

 

[Danjin44]

I'm hoping so.
I lost all hope in Square-Enix, so I always expect the worse from them.

In my opinion I wouldn't worry, FF series was always about being experimental, meanwhile DQ was always about staying "classic".

DQXI was "classic" ass JRPG almost to a fault.

 

[GeekyDad]

No

 

[RCU005]

Now mess with the turn based combat and I'm out.

Oh boy, prepare for the worst:

https://www.dualshockers.com/dragon...ed-yuji-horii-not-turn-based-unreal-engine-5/

 

[Fuz]

 

[KXVXII9X]

It could work, but Toriyama's art style is iconic. I liked the Dragon Quest movie, but would prefer it much more in the original designs. The one used for the movie seemed a bit more generic.

Since the next Dragon Quest game is seeming to be a big change from the series in terms of combat and tone, I think it is the best time to experiment with art style. So, I'm not opposed to it for right now.

 

[CosmicComet]

Yes it could.

The Dragon Quest Adventures of Dai anime doesn't use Toriyama's style but it's still distinctly Dragon Quest.

So long as the iconic monster designs stay put (and they are easy to emulate due to their simplicity) it will remain Dragon Quest.

 

[Belthazar]

No, especially since he also designs the monsters.

 

[Belthazar]

Since the next Dragon Quest game is seeming to be a big change from the series in terms of combat and tone, I think it is the best time to experiment with art style. So, I'm not opposed to it for right now.

I disagree, having big changes of even more of a reason to maintain his style to keep at least some familiarity.

 

[Rickyiez]

Yupe , Dai no Daibouken isn’t Toriyama style

 

[RoboFu]

This would be a case that the series has so much of his artwork that they can just draw on previous characters and designs for years to come.

 

[Fuz]

Yupe , Dai no Daibouken isn’t Toriyama style

And could be anything, we know it's Dragon Quest only because it's in the title.

 

[Merkades]

Since I don't particularly like Toriyama's art style, I would say yes. Granted I fully believe I am in the minority here. Regardless, I can tolerate the style just as I can the music (which I also don't particularly care for). Hmm...I also don't like silent protags, and most of the party members are just "meh". And yet I quite like the games, so I guess it is either a "greater than the sum of its parts" thing or I am more neutral than I thought about these things.

 

[Rickyiez]

And could be anything, we know it's Dragon Quest only because it's in the title.

The series precedes most of the DQ games. It’s real Dragon Quest before Toriyama styled DQ is even a thing

 

[CosmicComet]

And could be anything, we know it's Dragon Quest only because it's in the title.

Not really.

We know its Dragon Quest because of the monster designs.

That poster just happens to not show that.

We had a Dragon Quest 3D movie which was also not in Toriyama's style and it still looked great.

 

[NeoIkaruGAF]

And could be anything, we know it's Dragon Quest only because it's in the title.

Counterpoint: anything by Toriyama could be Dragon Quest unless you already know it isn’t.

 

[Furball]

Speaking of Sugiyama, now that he's gone, who's going to replace him?

Most likely candidate is Hayato Matsuo . He work with alot of DQ game as arranger . Other Candidate maybe Hitoshi Sakimoto which also did few arrangement and programing for DQ . Their style also most close to Sugiyama

 

[CosmicComet]

Counterpoint: anything by Toriyama could be Dragon Quest unless you already know it isn’t.

My favorite Dragon Quest was a spinoff, Dragon Quest: Chrono Trigger.

 

[Werewolf Jones]

There are multiple people in the industry who can replicate Toriyama's style flawlessly it'll never go away even after he's passed.

 

[It's all in the wrist]

Of course it could work. There are many compelling art styles that would fit the mood of a Dragon Quest game.