It comes as a great surprise to me that Square Enix has announced the far-off Final Fantasy VII remake will be released episodically. While any story-based game- and Role-playing games, especially- can have its narrative broken into smaller pieces, the pacing and amount of content per portion in Final Fantasy VII is questionable, and not necessarily clean-cut. Unless, I don't know, you break it up by the literal CD swaps from the original PS1 release.
While many games have attempted episodic release schedules in the age of digital distribution, there are very few that seem justified in doing so. An episodic game needs to have a structure in which each installment tells a concise narrative, no matter how much cliff-hanging the writers wish to create in order to encourage a player to buy the next installment. What is stranger- to me, at least- is that there are specific franchises that feel primed to adopt an episodic release schedule yet have not done so.
That is where this article turns to Dragon Quest.
A large number of entries in the Dragon Quest franchise have made their appearance on (Nintendo's) portable systems, but the series has never particularly enjoyed great sales in Western markets. This might seem somewhat surprising, considering character designer and writer Akira Toriyama's art style is widely recognized for a number of reasons, one of which is a rather popular anime franchise. In the grand scheme of Japanese Role-palying games, however, Dragon Quest ranks as one of the most widely respected and recognized, and considering it is a series now eleven entries deep, this perception should come as no surprise.
The Dragon Quest games have never appealed to me very much- I find their world to be a bit too basic, the characterization too cheeky and shallow for its own good. In a way, the idea that Dragon Quest could operate as a saturday-morning cartoon feels apt. The stakes are high, but the charming nature of the world and its many checkpoints along the way help create a leisurely pacing that excuses the series' general grind-heavy nature. In truth, there have been several television adaptations of these games bearing the same name, and a particularly amusing parody by the name of Yuusha Yoshihiko To Maou No Shiro. It isn't just the series' presentation that lends itself towards serialized storytelling, however, it is also a result of the game design itself.
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In many Japanese Role-playing games, the plotted, deliberate structure of reaching a town in order to gather information before progressing to a dungeon area in order to obtain some article or unlock that will help towards a larger goal is familiar and safe. Although some variations can be applied and the formula can be scaled up or down in order to keep things fresh, this story-based approach is often reliable and completely acceptable. Gating characters in a certain region can be beneficial towards keeping a steady pace in multiple ways- limiting player access to certain information, mob types, and equipment based on how far they have progressed in the narrative keeps the game world from feeling overwhelming. In that sense, the way that many of Dragon Quest's overworlds are segmented into regions with objectives that take place in close proximity to one another makes sense from both a contextual and design standpoint. I could mention specific examples from throughout the series, but those who are already familiar with it likely understand my meaning. For those who feel they need additional context, understand this: Dragon Quest is considered a progenitor of the Japanese Role-playing game genre because it established many of the concepts and design choices that were used in the future. The difference is, while many series have evolved beyond those foundations, Dragon Quest has remained very much the same.
What sets Dragon Quest apart from other titles is how reliably its structure is applied across the series. Though specific installments use different lore and feature new monster designs, the reuse of spell names, combat and job systems, and overall tone and aesthetic result in a very familiar experience, one that is comfortable, but also exhausting at times. In a way, the entirety of the Dragon Quest franchise is somewhat episodic. Even its Massive Multiplayer Online installment utilized many of the same tropes seen in previous entries. While Square Enix admits that the localization process takes a long time because of the amount of dialogue, splitting these standard narrative beats into smaller chunks and releasing them over a long period of time could mitigate the time aspect and allow for a bite-sized portion that leaves players wanting more, rather than wearing them out.
Of course, episodic releases also allow developers to reflect on the feedback from a particular installment and apply the critique moving forward. However, many diehard fans of the Dragon Quest franchise have little issue with the systems that have endured across installments, which means that an episodic release schedule could be consistent and well-received. The only aspect that may hinder this, of course, is perhaps the idea that segmenting portions of an overworld into episodic installments might feel somewhat limiting and unfair to a player, especially one who wishes to push further into a title.
However, if we look at the successful nature of Role-playing game demos and data transfers, it is clear that perhaps the illusion of a consistent and larger world isn't necessary in order to satisfy a Role-playing enthusiast. A favorable aspect of episodic releases is the ability to build upon what already exists, adding new side-quests and allowing the player to return to previous areas. This could benefit a series as simplistic in presentation, mechanic, and narrative. While none of these aspects are necessarily unfavorable or even bad, their familiarity could be used to consistently reward a starving Role-playing enthusiast with the comforts that only Dragon Quest can provide.
Did you enjoy this musing on the nature of Dragon Quest? Is this article lacking in context? What do you think of episodic design being applied to Role-playing games? As always, we encourage discussion, so feel free to share this article with others, comment below, and of course, subscribe for more content. This is only one of many narrative-focused articles being posted on the site in the month of May, so stay tuned for more in the future.
While many games have attempted episodic release schedules in the age of digital distribution, there are very few that seem justified in doing so. An episodic game needs to have a structure in which each installment tells a concise narrative, no matter how much cliff-hanging the writers wish to create in order to encourage a player to buy the next installment. What is stranger- to me, at least- is that there are specific franchises that feel primed to adopt an episodic release schedule yet have not done so.That is where this article turns to Dragon Quest.
A large number of entries in the Dragon Quest franchise have made their appearance on (Nintendo's) portable systems, but the series has never particularly enjoyed great sales in Western markets. This might seem somewhat surprising, considering character designer and writer Akira Toriyama's art style is widely recognized for a number of reasons, one of which is a rather popular anime franchise. In the grand scheme of Japanese Role-palying games, however, Dragon Quest ranks as one of the most widely respected and recognized, and considering it is a series now eleven entries deep, this perception should come as no surprise.
The Dragon Quest games have never appealed to me very much- I find their world to be a bit too basic, the characterization too cheeky and shallow for its own good. In a way, the idea that Dragon Quest could operate as a saturday-morning cartoon feels apt. The stakes are high, but the charming nature of the world and its many checkpoints along the way help create a leisurely pacing that excuses the series' general grind-heavy nature. In truth, there have been several television adaptations of these games bearing the same name, and a particularly amusing parody by the name of Yuusha Yoshihiko To Maou No Shiro. It isn't just the series' presentation that lends itself towards serialized storytelling, however, it is also a result of the game design itself.
In many Japanese Role-playing games, the plotted, deliberate structure of reaching a town in order to gather information before progressing to a dungeon area in order to obtain some article or unlock that will help towards a larger goal is familiar and safe. Although some variations can be applied and the formula can be scaled up or down in order to keep things fresh, this story-based approach is often reliable and completely acceptable. Gating characters in a certain region can be beneficial towards keeping a steady pace in multiple ways- limiting player access to certain information, mob types, and equipment based on how far they have progressed in the narrative keeps the game world from feeling overwhelming. In that sense, the way that many of Dragon Quest's overworlds are segmented into regions with objectives that take place in close proximity to one another makes sense from both a contextual and design standpoint. I could mention specific examples from throughout the series, but those who are already familiar with it likely understand my meaning. For those who feel they need additional context, understand this: Dragon Quest is considered a progenitor of the Japanese Role-playing game genre because it established many of the concepts and design choices that were used in the future. The difference is, while many series have evolved beyond those foundations, Dragon Quest has remained very much the same.What sets Dragon Quest apart from other titles is how reliably its structure is applied across the series. Though specific installments use different lore and feature new monster designs, the reuse of spell names, combat and job systems, and overall tone and aesthetic result in a very familiar experience, one that is comfortable, but also exhausting at times. In a way, the entirety of the Dragon Quest franchise is somewhat episodic. Even its Massive Multiplayer Online installment utilized many of the same tropes seen in previous entries. While Square Enix admits that the localization process takes a long time because of the amount of dialogue, splitting these standard narrative beats into smaller chunks and releasing them over a long period of time could mitigate the time aspect and allow for a bite-sized portion that leaves players wanting more, rather than wearing them out.
However, if we look at the successful nature of Role-playing game demos and data transfers, it is clear that perhaps the illusion of a consistent and larger world isn't necessary in order to satisfy a Role-playing enthusiast. A favorable aspect of episodic releases is the ability to build upon what already exists, adding new side-quests and allowing the player to return to previous areas. This could benefit a series as simplistic in presentation, mechanic, and narrative. While none of these aspects are necessarily unfavorable or even bad, their familiarity could be used to consistently reward a starving Role-playing enthusiast with the comforts that only Dragon Quest can provide.
Did you enjoy this musing on the nature of Dragon Quest? Is this article lacking in context? What do you think of episodic design being applied to Role-playing games? As always, we encourage discussion, so feel free to share this article with others, comment below, and of course, subscribe for more content. This is only one of many narrative-focused articles being posted on the site in the month of May, so stay tuned for more in the future.
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