Dragon Quest Treasures dev details monster recruitment, Fortes, and more

News
By published

The Switch spin-off will feature familiar monsters and some that are “completely new to the Dragon Quest series”

Dragon Quest Treasures
(Image credit: Square Enix)

Dragon Quest Treasures is, as the name suggests, essentially about finding treasure. But the land of Draconia isn't just filled with hidden riches; it's also littered with monsters of all shapes and sizes. Square Enix has released a new batch of information on the spin-off in a blog post, which delves into monster recruitment, Fortes (monster's special abilities), and more.

During your adventures as the blue-haired brother and sister duo Erik and Mia, you'll have the opportunity to team up with monsters. When a monster is defeated in battle, it may "take a shine to the siblings and ask to join the gang." Having them along not only helps with finding treasure, but they'll also aid you in battle. Each monster you recruit has a particular rating, either bronze, silver, gold or rainbow-coloured, depending on how rare it is. You can recruit one-of-a-kind monsters, such as Oozabella, a little pink slime with a yellow bow to ramp up that cuteness factor.

While some monsters will be familiar to fans, Square Enix says others are "completely new to the Dragon Quest series". The post details a few of the foes you'll face, including the Marble Slime, a sandy-coloured desert-dwelling slime, and the Fiery Dragling, a baby dragon that might look adorable, but you won't want to be around it when it's having a tantrum as it "spits out jets of burning breath when angered". There's also the Stormy Sabrecat, which seemingly deals electric damage, and the Valhalla Vulture, a powerful airborne foe that frequents snowy locations. 

Each monster has a special ability known as a 'Forte', which can aid you in your quest for loot. With the Launch Forte, a monster can lift Erik and Mia into the air, allowing them to reach high ledges. The Glide Forte lets the siblings glide safely to the ground or ride on air currants to reach far-off areas. Additionally, there are Fortes for stealth, scan, and sprint. If you're keen to get your hands on all that lovely loot, Dragon Quest Treasures is coming to Nintendo Switch later this year, on December 9.

Square Enix is going big for Tokyo Game Show 2022, with the likes of Forspoken, Final Fantasy 14, and Crisis Core: Final Fantasy 7 all confirmed for the event. But it seems we're unlikely to see much of Final Fantasy 16 or Dragon Quest 12.

Check out all the biggest and best titles coming to Nintendo's latest console with our guide to upcoming Switch games.

Anne-Marie Ostler
Anne-Marie Ostler
Freelance Writer

Originally from Ireland, I moved to the UK in 2014 to pursue a Games Journalism and PR degree at Staffordshire University. Following that, I've freelanced for GamesMaster, Games TM, Official PlayStation Magazine and, more recently, Play and GamesRadar+. My love of gaming sprang from successfully defeating that first Goomba in Super Mario Bros on the NES. These days, PlayStation is my jam. When not gaming or writing, I can usually be found scouring the internet for anything Tomb Raider related to add to my out of control memorabilia collection.