What's It Like Playing Dragon Quest Monsters: The Dark Prince For 60 Hours? FULL REVIEW

[@hr-g4640]

thanks rabi, it is a great thing the youtube algorithm recommends me these type of content creators who started making videos just a year ago, like having the synagogue on my phone

[@wolfmand9641]

I will say that my main complaint is the silent protagonist trope being conflicted by inferred dialogue. They should have just given him lines, since he still OBVIOUSLY was saying a LOT.

[@thunderstashgaming]

Right, that's a really good point to make. My girlfriend was watching me play and asked me why he wasn't talking when it clearly looks like he was talking and asked me if the game is glitched 😂. Unfortunate that SquareEnix didn't give him a voice considering the rest of the voice casting was enjoyable.

[@SlimeBlueMS]

Considering every single other character is voice acted, meh

[@thunderstashgaming]

Exactly, kinda lame in retrospect. I guess I've just become accustomed to it with Link.

[@SpiritofLibegon]

Basically every DQ protagonist is silent, even in spin-off and EVEN when those spin-off protagonist are characters from another game where they actually get to talk. Like look at Treasures where you play the twins from 11, the one you use silent, the other one is the mouthpiece, regardless of who you choose. But if there is one character for whom it's a bad idea, it's Psaro. He is the damned antagonist of DQ4! And because this is only a slightly alternative story to DQ4, where the biggest difference is a change of perspective, he still is a very active character. He sets things in motion, has strong opinion, opposes other characters, etc. But now, he is silent, letting other character say things for him and even has a few fake choice option throughout the game. It doesn't work. While his intentions are still somewhat clear, the silent protagonist status is only in hindrance. I've never found this to be useful in other stories, but here it really just drag scenes down with the pointless complications it brings to narrative flow.

[@wolfmand9641]

@@SpiritofLibegon Even with everything you point out, the most frustrating aspect for me is "So you intend to XYZ?" -YES/NO - Huge dialogue - silence - more inferred dialogue - wait, so the people in game know what he's after but I don't get to hear it?! I feel ripped off. And this is from someone who doesn't know DQ4 so it feels so left field.

[@emilianoortegon6263]

Psaro is the main antagonist from Dragon Quest IV, not VI.

[@thunderstashgaming]

Thanks man, my old brain got mixed up between 4 and 6! It's been ages since I played it!

[@zilkapod]

Fair play Ive never played a DQ game, nor a DQMonsters.. I wasn't even interested at all. Then i watched your video and its definitely made me want to play it! Nice review man.

[@thunderstashgaming]

Thank you Zilka, I appreciate you sharing some positive feedback on my review! I gotta say, it was an addicting game that I'm still thinking about even after completing it so you know that's a sign that it was a special game! The Dragon Quest series is really good. If you are big fan of JRPG's then I'd say that Dragon Quest is absolutely essential. Let me know if you end up playing it and what you thought of it!

[@hihellokitty85]

I played over 80 hrs. No regrets…. I have so much backlog of games that i didn’t even play Dragon Quest XI, I will play soon.

[@thunderstashgaming]

You will not regret playing Dragon Quest XI. I’m with you on that, my backlog is quite extensive and I’m just trying to figure out the best way to tackle it without falling too far behind with the new releases. Glad you are enjoying Monsters! I’d love to see us get a sequel on Switch 2 maybe in 2025.

[@monkeygamerzofficial3012]

Dragon Quest Monsters 1 for the gameboy was amazing as was number 2. Also they linked the hero in one to the main series

[@thunderstashgaming]

I remember when they came out but didn’t play them. You think I should track them down and play them on my Analogue Pocket?

[@monkeygamerzofficial3012]

@@thunderstashgaming I mean they are Gameboy games but the gameplay is pretty much the same. The gameplay has been consistent. It was always fun to have old game bosses being your minions

[@thunderstashgaming]

@@monkeygamerzofficial3012 for me Gameplay will always be King. I still play my NES on a regular basis. I’m going to check them out, thanks for the recommendation!

[@Xion_Toshiro]

It's currently on sale; on Switch As a fan of the older Dragon Quest Monsters entries, I hope this game is worth it

[@thunderstashgaming]

I had a really great time playing this game. The Monster Synthesis/Fusion is like a whole other game within the game. You can get really creative a spend a lot of time just creating and leveling up different monsters. I hope you enjoy it, I thought there was a lot to love here!

[@rikux27]

In spite of plenty of flaws, I still enjoyed the game. Took me about 45 hours to finish. Reminder me a lot of scarlet and violet in that it ran terribly, had awful UI, was so slow to do everything, required some major quality of life improvements, looked pretty ugly, had limited monster variety, and yet I still had a lot of fun playing it. It's one of those games I would rate a 6/10 objectively, but a 8/10 subjectively.

[@thunderstashgaming]

I'm happy to hear you were still able to enjoy the game despite its flaws. I too experienced those flaws, probably more since I was playing the launch day version of the game, and just as you said, despite its flaws and performance I still had a great time with the game. Makes me look forward to hopefully another entry in the DQ Monsters series on Switch 2.

[@ChromaSoul]

Steve, the big question- Do you think this will come to PC/Steam? I really hope it does.

[@thunderstashgaming]

It's tough to say. From the original announcement to the actual release date, it was never advertised as a Switch exclusive or timed exclusive. I wouldn't be surprised if the team that brought DQ Builders 3 to PC earlier this year has been assigned to work on an optimized PC version. Personally I'd love to see it on PC so more fans can play the game and of course it would be nice to play it at a higher resolution and 60FPS!

[@Kerby]

Got this game on my wishlist, maybe I'll get it for Christmas. Happy Christmannukah and New Years Steve!

[@thunderstashgaming]

Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays and New Years to you Kerby! I couldn't believe I spent 60 hours in the game yet I would have been more than willing to keep going. Hopefully you told Santa already that this is what you want for Christmas. 🎅

[@AzureKyle]

I've spent over 100 hours in the game, granted most of it was grinding to get some of the best monsters early in the game, and cleared not only the main game, but also the post game, and all the tournaments. The only thing I haven't done is complete the list of monsters, because I really don't want to have to hunt down some of the rarest egg monsters, and I've already gotten a team of most of the best monsters, with the best skills, all level 100. I played the heck out of that game, and loved every second of it.

[@thunderstashgaming]

That is awesome man, sounds like you really enjoyed it! I left off completing the game, post-game, tournaments and had my team of Monsters somewhere around level level 85-95 but don't feel the need to complete the monster list. I enjoyed the entirety of the game and am looking forward to the next DQ title be it 12 or DQ 3 Remake and certainly the next Monsters title whenever that comes out! What game are you playing now that your done with DQ Monsters?

[@AzureKyle]

@@thunderstashgaming I'm currently replaying Pokemon Scarlet with a new team now that the final DLC is out, as well as playing DQ11 and Baldur's Gate 3. I also recently started giving Danganronpa a try.

[@thunderstashgaming]

Nice man, that's a solid rotation. I have Scarlet and Violet on the shelf waiting to be played and I have a physical copy of Baldur's Gate 3 preordered. I think I have my next 3 planned out. I'm currently more than halfway through FF7 Crisis Core on PS5 in preparation for FF7 Rebirth and will review that next. Then it's on to Dragon's Dogma playthrough and review to prepare for DD2 and then Eiyuden Chronicles Rising to prepare for Hundred Heroes. Wow, I didn't realize that Danganronpa has a 10/10 Steam Rating! How is it?

[@AzureKyle]

@@thunderstashgaming That's a great lineup as well. I actually have both FF7 Remake and Crisis Core Platinumed on PS5. As for Danganronpa, I've only played the prologue and a little of the first chapter, haven't done my first trial yet, but the story is quite interesting. Basically, a group of highschool prodigies think they're going to the world's most prestigious school, but it turns out some robotic bear runs it, and they are now trapped for the rest of their lives, unless they kill one of their classmates without getting caught. You pretty much spend time exploring the school, picking up clues and try to find ways to escape, while also trying to figure out who is killing your classmates.

[@thunderstashgaming]

Wow! Danganronpa sounds pretty wild, I like it! I just finished and Platinumed Crisis Core last night around midnight. What a game. Looking forward to working on the review for it over the weekend. I've beat FF7 Remake but need to do the 2nd playthrough and Yuffie content. Are you picking up FF7 Rebirth on day 1? I have it preordered at Best Buy, comes with 2 different steelbooks which is always a nice preorder bonus. I'm downloading the Granblue Fantasy: Relink demo right now. I don't know much about the game outside of some synopsis I read. Are you planning on checking out the demo or picking up the game?

[@dreamofegs8981]

Never played dragon quest but really enjoying the game wish it would been made available on more consoles so the quality would of been better than on the switch

[@thunderstashgaming]

I agree with you 100%! It was really nice to play in portable mode but also would have been really nice to play a version that had slicker graphics and performance but hey, gives us something to look forward to on the Switch 2!

[@bigjohn3038]

Looks like I am going to have to get this one now! Enjoyed the review! 👍🤩

[@thunderstashgaming]

Thank you BigJohn, I appreciate it and don't think you will be disappointed!

[@bronzepkmn]

I’m just jumping into it honestly the choppy and laggy gameplay kind of sucks and it feels like I’m playing a ps2 game. They had dq11 running fine on switch I wish this game felt better

[@thunderstashgaming]

I get where you’re coming from. It’s disappointing when a game doesn’t run as smoothly as we’d hope, especially when we’ve seen other titles that appear to be more demanding perform well on the same hardware. Sometimes optimization can vary between games, even on the same console. Hopefully, there will be updates or patches to improve the experience but I feel like we would have gotten one by now if they were going to release a performance patch. Have you noticed any difference when playing in docked mode vs handheld?

[@bronzepkmn]

@@thunderstashgaming after playing for the past few days all day after work I definitely enjoy it a lot more I’m having alot of fun but the choppy gameplay is still annoying as well as the long loading screen. I did switch too handheld mode and it seems to run better and look better but still super choppy at times

[@thunderstashgaming]

It’s awesome that you’re enjoying the game more, but it’s surprising that handheld mode is giving you better performance when docked mode should technically be smoother. I'm happy to hear that it's smoother in handheld mode! The choppy gameplay and long loading screens can definitely be a downer, though.

[@yama6767]

This game is great, You can tell that the developer has played a lot of the Pokemon games as he said, It feels like Pokemon with how reputation and badges work. I'd of liked an option to perhaps play as Rose compared to Psaro's as 4 was one of the first games of all time to provide gendered options. The dlcs feel like they should be in the base game, I can't imagine the game without them. You should be able to fuse from the menu and check what monsters you do or don't have. You should know what monsters you have on hand and dnon't without checking if trying to scout effects it's rating.

[@thunderstashgaming]

Right, it feels like Pokemon was a big inspiration at the very least and I think they did a good job making it feel like their own. Dragon Quest as such a rich history of enemies so it was pretty cool to experience a Dragon Quest game where the monsters take center stage. I agree, I mentioned it in one of my comments earlier that I feel like Developers are instructed to find stuff to leave out of the game so they can charge for DLC and I really despise that sort of practice. Whenever a game launches with DLC, it doesn't feel right. If DLC comes out 3-6-9-12 months later because the Developers are still working on it, then for me that's an easier pill to swallow but launch day DLC will never feel right. Thanks for the heads up on that! There was a lot to learn about this game but I liked that even after completing the game there was more to learn, see and do. I can't wait for the sequel!

[@hannariel]

@@thunderstashgaming This makes no sense. Did you knew that the Pokemon creator himself said that DQ was a huge inspiration for Pokemon, right?

[@thunderstashgaming]

I did not know that, I must have missed it but that is awesome! So I got it 100% backwards! 🤣 @hannariel

[@yama6767]

Your video is really well made and your presentation skills are so professional. Keep it up. They both play each other's games, the creator of monsters though says he plays more monsters then pokemon though. But the chronological order is sorta. Shin megami tensei > DQ5(Monster taming > Pokemon > DQ Monsters. Though it would hard to say that Pokémon was not an original concept and mostly based on beetle fighting and DQ Monsters definitely borrowed WAY more then Pokemon. @@thunderstashgaming

[@thunderstashgaming]

Thank you so much Yama6767, that means a lot and I sincerely appreciate the feedback! That's a true show on respect right there. You know, I feel like it's in our best interest as fans that they both DQ and Pokemon have borrowed in some way, shape or form from eachother because I think that translates to even more enjoyment for us!

[@PSN9695]

I’m having a hard time between buying this with DLC or buying Pokémon Scarlet or Violet with DLC. I loved the demo even though it’s short. But I’m having a hard time choosing which to buy this holiday.

[@thunderstashgaming]

Oooo that is a tough decision. I have Pokemon Violet sitting on my shelf waiting to be played too and after played DQ Monsters I'm itching for a similar experience pluys like you said, the new DLC just came out for Pokemon. The only good thing is it's likely you can't go wrong with either game. I think the longer you wait on Dragon Quest, the more time it gives SquareEnix to add patch updates whereas with Pokemon Scarlet/Violet, I feel like the window to add a performance patch at least on the Switch 1 has likely closed but you never know about Switch 2. 🤔

[@wolfmand9641]

It depends on what you're after. Kit building and story are better in DQM Scarlet/Violet dlc and competitive meta are superior.

[@PSN9695]

@@wolfmand9641 I never really done competitive. I just like getting everything (Pokémon, Monsters, Items, e.t.c.) and playing through the story.

[@wolfmand9641]

@@PSN9695 IMO if you're after story in gen 9, you need the DLC. Where as with DQM the base game contains the story and the DLC is just supplemental/bonus. The base game of gen 9 really doesn't have much story ☹️

[@kyleward3914]

I don't know whether this matters to you, but the DLC in DQM:tDP is completely optional. It's day-one, on-disk DLC that adds some stuff that seems nice, but, unless I'm mistaken, doesn't expand the story or add additional monsters or anything.

[@michaelj3648]

Awesome and extensive review, thanks Steve. happy holidays and New Year to you and your family

[@thunderstashgaming]

Thank you MichaelJ and let me know if you end up playing the game! It certainly exceeded my expectations! Happy Holidays and New Year to you and your family too! 🎅

[@ModernXXV]

games coming to steam on sep 11th very excited to play it

[@thunderstashgaming]

Yeah, I heard it’s coming to Steam on September 11th! 🎉 Super exciting-you’re going to have a blast with it. Hopefully it's performance will be much improved on Steam! Let me know how you like it once you get to play!

[@Nextendoh]

Auto battle and speed up is already in place in DQ :)

[@thunderstashgaming]

It makes such a difference! It's a nice feature for the fights that either don't present much of a challenge or the fights where your not trying to recruit a monster.

[@neo-ng4vs]

Yoo Steve congrats on over 800 subs, and happy new year

[@thunderstashgaming]

Hey Thank you Neo and Happy New Year to you too! What the first game your going to play this year?

[@neo-ng4vs]

@@thunderstashgaming a new x wing Lego set was the first thing I was building, what about you?

[@thunderstashgaming]

Nice! My girlfriend and I actually just finished the Home Alone Lego set a week before Christmas, that was a fun one. I think I am going to finish and review FF7 Crisis Core on PS5. I want to make sure that’s completed before Rebirth releases on 2/29. Might do Dragons Dogma next so I’m prepared for DD2 in March. Have you played Dragons Dogma?

[@dandandandandandandan]

0:35 Psaro is from Dragon Quest IV and not VI

[@thunderstashgaming]

Shoot thanks Dan, I couldn’t remember if it was IV or VI. It’s been ages since I played it. Have you played The Dark Prince yet?

[@dandandandandandandan]

@@thunderstashgaming Yeah I just started post game and having a blast. Other than what I pointed out, your content is pretty good and it's nice to know you already past 60 hours of gameplay. Keep it up :)

[@thunderstashgaming]

Awesome man, glad people are enjoying this game! Thank you, I appreciate that feedback and will do my best to keep it up and always look to improve! 🤝

[@mikedepue]

I very nearly quit in Aamon's Sanctum.

[@thunderstashgaming]

Aamon's Sanctum can definitely be a tough spot! It’s one of those moments where the challenge really ramps up. Glad you powered through it! What did you think of the rest of the game?

[@mikedepue]

@@thunderstashgaming I loved the rest of it, it was completely spectacular. But in Aamon's Sanctum, I broke down and had to use a guide, and I'm not sorry. Lmao

[@yama6767]

Yo my dude it was Dragpm Quest 4. Dragpm quest 6 sucks raw ass

[@thunderstashgaming]

Thank you for the heads up, it had been so many years since I had played DQ4 that I mixed them up!

[@vagrantman100]

If you enjoyed it you have to play dq4.

[@thunderstashgaming]

I have Chapters of the Chosen on DS but it's sitting in my backlog! My goal is to complete all the mainline Dragon Quest games but it's going to be very time consuming. Are you planning to pickup the DQ III Remake when it release in November? It looked great today at the Nintendo Direct and I was very excited to see I and II will be coming out in 2025. Love the HD-2D art style.

[@vagrantman100]

​@@thunderstashgaming of course! Dq3 is the Goat. All the mainlines games are amazing but because you loved the story of DQM3 you will really like dq4.

[@cyruspark6472]

The games amazing

[@thunderstashgaming]

Glad you are enjoying it! One of the biggest surprises in gaming this year IMO! Can’t wait for the next one!

[@Chichirumiru]

I have never played a DQM game and thought this would be a great starting place... This game was painful, after a few hours I could not force myself to keep playing. The world is a giant empty wasteland and the seasons exist just to waste your time, the game runs like shit and everything is oversaturated and looks ugly. I started playing DQMJ1 instead and am already having much more fun even with all of the problems it has.

[@thunderstashgaming]

Bummer about the game, but glad you found something more enjoyable in DQMJ1! For me personally, DQM3 became really fun once I was able to synthesize monsters and really grasp the depth of monster synthesis system.

[@angelgodric]

Auto fight so you don't fight in the game AI does it for you what is the point of playing a game like that I will just read a book

[@thunderstashgaming]

I think auto-fight can be useful for fighting weak enemies that don't require much thought if in turn it helps to make the game feel less repetitive. The fact that you can change tactics in battle, and choose the skills and frequency your Monsters are using at any time during the game so your party can stick as close to the strategy you are going for manually as possible makes it useful.

[@cj_skywalker]

When you can't tell what game a character is from, it's automatic dislike. X( Psaro is the main antagonist of Dragon Quest 4, not 6. X(

[@thunderstashgaming]

Thanks man, I literally played Dragon Quest IV 31 years ago and forgot it that it was Dragon Quest IV and not Dragon Quest VI. 👍🤣

[@ominiouspressence4853]

It's not worth the price, it's a rip off.

[@thunderstashgaming]

Do you think the game is a rip off or the DLC or both?

[@ominiouspressence4853]

@@thunderstashgaming The mole hole dlc, is what ruins the price of the game. Cause once u get this dlc, the game is pretty much easy win all the way. U have already monsters from different rank right there already, ready to be synthesized. Breaking the immersion from going out there and scouting them. From that point onwards, u will smash through story in no time. This reason, is why I think it's not worth the full retail price.

[@thunderstashgaming]

Ahh I see what your saying and might I add I think you made a valid point. Maybe it was best then that I discovered the DLC until I reached the Upper Echelon. I think there's a place for the DLC for the people who may not have enough time to go out and scout all the monsters but still want to be able to create some cool monsters, level them up and experience the story. Probably best that they made it DLC then that way its completely optional and your only paying for it if you really want it.

[@ominiouspressence4853]

@@thunderstashgaming The game is awesome though, no doubt there lol. It's just the price, cause of the dlc. I will get it, when it goes on sale.

[@thunderstashgaming]

Lol yeah I seriously enjoyed the game. It made me a believer in the DQ Monsters series and I'm looking forward to buying the next one because of it. The subject of DLC and Microtransactions as a whole is an interesting subject that needs more statistical data. For the most part, I am not a fan of DLC and certainly not a fan of microtran$actions but occasionally there is some good DLC that truly warrants purchase. All too often DLC gets announced and it feels like the Developer purposefully left out a portion of the game so they could sell it to you as DLC and I don't like that at all. Occasionally we get awesome DLC like the Mario Kart Booster Course Pack you receive 48 new tracks for 25 bucks which is an awesome deal IMO. I usually wait for DLC to go on sale too but since I was reviewing the game I felt I should buy at least one of the DLC's. I definitely can see your point of view on DLC. 👍

[@KrGsMrNKusinagi0]

The just did a reprint Walmart had them on sale for 30 bucks physical copy

[@thunderstashgaming]

Thank you for sharing the news! That's a great deal for the physical version!