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A Dragon Quest lead says that he doesn't think the series necessarily always has to take the form of a turn-based RPG.
Speaking to Game Informer, Masato Yagi, director on Dragon Quest 7 Reimagined and Dragon Quest 11 S: Echoes of an Elusive Age – Definitive Edition explains: "People may feel differently about this, but personally, I don't believe that a Dragon Quest title must always feature turn-based combat."
Instead, he says, "What matters is the underlying theme of the game and selecting the most accessible system that best brings that theme to life, so turn-based combat isn't necessarily a requirement."
As for the state turn-based RPGs are in now as a genre, Yagi says "I would say that the biggest innovation of the last decade has been the increase in turn-based games within the indie scene." He adds, "Creators from various countries and generations have revisited the turn-based genre they grew up with, exploring new approaches to presentation, systems, pacing, and storytelling. I believe this has led to the emergence of unique and diverse titles."
Of course, to see where giving up on turn-based combat gets you, you just need to look across the halls at Square Enix at Final Fantasy. While the latest games have received critical acclaim from both fans and critics, and even while games like Final Fantasy 7 Remake try and split the difference between real-time and turn-based combat, there is a loud section of the fanbase who are clamoring for the series to return to its turn-based roots – especially in the wake of games like Persona 5 and Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 introducing more players to the genre in recent years.
Although I'm unconvinced Dragon Quest 12 is a game that actually exists yet, this does make me wonder what that game is going to look like – especially with the darker tone. I'd argue Dragon Quest moving away from turn-based combat would be far more shocking than when Final Fantasy did it.
