Post Games A History of Dragon Quest (and Why To Try It Now) (Andrew Webster)
Feb 2, 2026
Andrew Webster, senior entertainment editor at The Verge and longtime games journalist, walks through Dragon Quest’s creators, evolution, and push to Western audiences. Short takes cover the series’ charm, its influence on JRPGs, the school-day release myth, why DQ8 and DQXI mattered overseas, and which modern remakes make the best entry points.
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The Creators Behind Dragon Quest's Charm
- The series' charm comes from a creative trio: Yuji Horii, Koichi Sugiyama, and Akira Toriyama.
- Toriyama's art gives Dragon Quest its recognizable, cutesy visual identity.
Localization Flattened The Series' Humor
- Early Western localizations stripped away Dragon Quest's playful tone and puns.
- That flattened localization made charming games feel dull or childlike to Western players.
Simplicity Divides Players
- The core combat loop is deliberately simple and repetitive, which divides players by taste.
- Fans find comfort in predictable progression while skeptics call it monotonous.