When it comes to JRPGs, many games and franchises come to mind. Games such as the Final Fantasy series or the Breath Of Fire series. However, when it comes to the franchise that brought its elements for the first time, it would be the Dragon Quest series. Throughout its multiple installments and different types of spin-offs, plenty of changes have been made to the franchise. Although not everything is drastic, it’s the little changes that make a big difference in the Dragon Quest franchise.

As such, here are some of the changes that were made into the franchise and some of the ways Dragon Quest has remained the same.

10 Changed: Story Complexity

Despite what some might perceive with the Dragon Quest franchise, the storytelling of the games can still lead to some complexity. It just isn’t as complex as Final Fantasy’s storytelling. That being said, this is one of the constant evolutions that the series has made ever since the Erdrick trilogy. Initially, those three games were incredibly simple in approach with an end goal in mind.

However, by the start of Dragon Quest IV, the storytelling of the franchise started to become more and more complex. Although the design approach of the franchise’s plots has remained the same, it’s the interweaved complexities within the simple stories that have been expanded. This could take the form of the side characters’ personal issues or problems within a kingdom.

9 Same: Story Philosophy

When Yuji Horii first designed the Dragon Quest games, his intention was to keep things incredibly simple. This also extends to the plot. As brought up earlier with the complexity of the stories, everything is all interweaved. However, the general plot itself has always remained simple and to the point.

Although this might lead to the stories feeling a bit predictable at times, Dragon Quest relies heavily on ensuring that the player has an amazing adventure but not a convoluted one.

8 Changed: 3D Generated Worlds

Graphical updates are an inevitability as the franchise continues to evolve. Although the series has plenty of 2D games and is perhaps most recognized for that, Dragon Quest’s transition to the 3D world has been nothing short of exceptional.

Aside from maintaining everything that fans have loved about the 2D titles, the 3D worlds offer plenty of content to explore. Certain places can only be achieved through 3-dimensional space.

7 Same: Colorful Towns & Settings

Thanks to Akira Toriyama, who is responsible for many of the enemy and character designs of the franchise, Dragon Quest is known for its colorful looks. However, this also extends to the towns and settings that have been introduced across all the games.

Every main entry has an interesting setting that makes it incredibly memorable. Thanks to the dialogue and translations that the series later gets, some towns have a unique dialect that makes them even more remarkable.

6 Changed: NPCs No Longer Generic

Although it doesn’t really seem that way, the NPCs in Dragon Quest have improved quite a bit over the years. NPCs in Dragon Quest often acted like the standard ones that appear in most JRPG titles, where they give out some basic dialogue while also telling the player where they should go.

As Dragon Quest evolved, the dialogue itself continued to serve the same purpose of helping the player. However, the NPCs’ dialect and writing have grown to the point that they have become a little more life-like.

5 Same: Incredible Side Characters

Ever since Dragon Quest IV, the side characters of the franchise have always been consistently good. In order to make up for a protagonist who is supposed to serve as a vessel for the player, the side characters act as another device to interact with the world.

With colorful personalities and unique gameplay styles, players get to easily be invested with them while also understanding their backstories. By the time the stories end, it is these characters that people will remember the most.

4 Changed: Battle Camera

For the longest time, the Dragon Quest franchise featured a straightforward combat camera. The perspective would shift and the enemies would take up the screen, with the heroes not being visible. This way, players are able to see their moves as they go along.

However, ever since the 3D titles such as Dragon Quest VIII, the battle camera has evolved in a way where it allows the player to see their characters do moves right in front of them similar to other JRPGs.

3 Same: Gameplay Philosophy

No matter the Dragon Quest game, similar to the story philosophy, the gameplay will always remain generally the same. Outside of the newer mechanics such as Pep Up or Tension, the gameplay itself has remained very traditional and close to the very first entry in the franchise.

Elements such as the turn-based combat and general magic system have remained largely the same. Rather than changing the gameplay completely, the franchise has opted to refine the aspects that work. While it is somewhat criticized for it, many fans have praised Dragon Quest for staying consistent.

2 Changed: Backstories For The Protagonist

When the first Dragon Quest came out, it was decided to make the main character a blank slate. That way anyone was able to put themselves in the hero’s shoes and act as if they are the character. However, as the series continued to move forward, players started to get distinctive backstories for the characters that enriched them even if they are blank slates.

This means that the characters are able to become more developed as individuals despite not talking at all. Not only that, but they are also started to show some facial expressions such as being surprised or depressed. By giving backstories to the protagonists and expanding the side characters and worlds of the games, Dragon Quest manages to evoke more emotional reactions from its players.

1 Same: Blank Protagonist

Ever since the very beginning of the franchise’s inception, as mentioned before, the player has always played a blank slate. This allows people to really feel like they are in the game as they explore every nook and cranny of whatever world is in front of them. If the protagonist gets a new sword or the title of Erdrick, it isn’t the character themselves who gets it but rather the player. Allowing them to really feel rewarded.

Dragon Quest has proven the importance of the blank slate concept, with the “Hero” even making an appearance in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate. Without the blank protagonist trope which has been around for 11 mainline games and over a dozen side games, Dragon Quest might not be what it is today.

NEXT: 10 Dragon Quest Enemies With The Most HP, Ranked