I praised Dragon Quest Treasures when it launched exclusively for the Nintendo Switch late last year, but ultimately reduced some points for some uneven performance issues that held it back. With its PC release on Steam, I can safely say that Dragon Quest Treasures is now the best it will ever be, outside a sequel or content update for the Dragon Quest offshoot title.
Dragon Quest Treasures is the latest spinoff title from Square Enix and Tose, taking place in the expanded Dragon Quest XI universe, starring Erik and sister Mia, a minor character from DQXI proper. The two wannabe treasure hunters quickly become embroiled in a grand adventure set on the mysterious island of Draconia.
Unlike the Dragon Quest series proper, Dragon Quest Treasures is an action-adventure game with a focus on exploration, resource gathering and recruiting monsters.
Dragon Quest Tresures‘s gameplay loop consists of expanding your home base by slowly renovating, upgrading and unlocking new NPCs. This is done by amassing treasure, which in turn can be displayed in Dragon Quest Treasures treasure room.
“…I can safely say that Dragon Quest Treasures is now the best it will ever be, outside a sequel or content update for the Dragon Quest offshoot title.”
Combat is relatively simple, with a basic attack button that can be combo’d in with projectile-based attacks, which run the gamut of stunning, healing, and even recruiting prospect monsters on the field. Recruiting other monsters to the player’s party allows them to join Erick or Mia in battle, which becomes essential when taking on tougher enemies and bosses.
Recruited monsters also have field abilities which can help Erick and Mia to traverse land, such as using a slime to bounce onto a higher platform or break open a gate. Overall, Dragon Quest Tresures is a fairly simple game, but thanks to its iconic art direction and world, it is one worth exploring for fans of the long-running JRPG series. With its release on Steam, Dragon Quest Treasures now is only limited by your PC’s hardware, which for most, should equal an experience far more stable and pleasing to the eye than its Nintendo Switch release in 2022.
Of course, with a high-end machine, running Dragon Quest Treasures is a breeze at 4k, using the high preset at 120fps. Still, those planning on picking up the game on the Steam Deck or other portable games console should be in for a treat, as the game’s relatively low spec requirements should mean a great experience across the board, ultimately fixing some of the Nintendo Switch’s uneven performance issues.
Keyboard and mouse controls also feel great, particularly when using the sling, which switches the game to an over-the-shoulder perspective, which naturally feels good when using a mouse. The only real noticeable issue with Dragon Quest Treasure’s PC port is the lack of higher-quality pre-rendered cutscenes, which look identical to the Switch and stick out like a sore thumb, especially when transitioning to gameplay.
