Get ready for one of the most exciting and stylish action RPGs of the year: Infinity Strash: Dragon Quest Adventure of Dai arrives on Xbox Series X|S and PC next week!
This new game presents a fresh take on the legendary Dragon Quest series, with exciting action-based gameplay and anime-infused visuals that capture the kinetic style of the beloved manga and TV series it’s based on. Take a look at the trailer and you’ll see what we mean.
Ahead of the game’s launch, we thought we’d tell you a little about the game to give you a preview of what to expect and share some information direct from the game’s Producer Takumi Kasai!
But first, we should probably address a question some of you have.
What is Dragon Quest The Adventure of Dai?
Many of you may already be familiar with Dai and his friends from the acclaimed anime TV series and long-running manga. However, for some of you, this may be your first introduction to Dragon Quest The Adventure of Dai. I have to imagine many have never had the pleasure.
The good news is that no prior knowledge is needed to enjoy the game. It follows the story of the anime series, so you’ll be introduced to the world and its characters naturally over the course of the adventure. You’ll learn to love Dai, Popp, Maam and the gang just as fans did through the series.
That said, we’re sure many of you are curious about the franchise, so allow us to provide a brief introduction.
In 1989, writer Riku Sanjo and illustrator Koji Inada launched a new manga in Japan: Dragon Quest: The Adventure of Dai. Inspired by the popular videogame series, it told the ongoing tale of a young man – the titular Dai – who dreams of growing up to become a hero.
The story ran until 1996 over 37 volumes, and among the best-selling and most highly regarded manga series of all time. It also inspired the acclaimed anime series of the same name in the 1990s, and a remake which started in 2020.
Infinity Strash: Dragon Quest The Adventure of Dai adapts the first 41 episodes of this new series for the game, charting his rise from humble beginnings to a true hero.
Ask the Producer: Why make Dragon Quest The Adventure of Dai into a game?
Takumi Kasai: The project was originally started to go along with the start of the new animated series.
While a new anime series for ‘The Adventure of Dai’ was to be adapted, this story had never been made into a console game before. Since it bears the name Dragon Quest, Square Enix felt that a game adaptation was in order, so we initiated the game project at the same time as the anime.
We’re very pleased to have been able to adapt this fascinating work into a game and present it to the world!
So, what do you do in the game?
Your first port of call will be Story Mode. As the name implies, this is where you’ll experience the narrative, an adventure that takes you through multiple, varied stages. You’ll explore areas full of classic Dragon Quest monsters, take bosses on in epic one-on-one battles and more.
Every playable character has their own playstyle, able to deal out unique combos and special skills. Some like Dai, for example, are all about getting in close and taking enemies apart with powerful sword techniques.
Others, like Popp, specialize in magic, and are able to take on enemies at a distance with flashy ice and fire attacks. Meanwhile Maam can provide both melee and long distance attacks as well as healing support.
The variety of characters and abilities means there’s an incredible depth to combat, especially when you factor in more advanced skills like parries and perfect dodges. It looks great too, with incredible effects and animations that directly reference the anime. It all makes for combat that feel incredibly exciting to engage in.
As you play, you’ll also collect accessories known as Bond Memories. Not only do these augment the stats of the character you equip them to, they also unlock scenes from the original manga for you to enjoy!
The Temple of Recollection
If you want to take a break from the story, experiment with different characters or just make your heroes stronger, you should head to the Temple of Recollection.
This ever-evolving, repeatable dungeon changes every time you play it. As you take on each dangerous floor, you’ll earn valuable rewards, including some enticingly powerful Bond Memories that can make your heroes even tougher.
The deeper you delve into the dungeon, the more dangerous it becomes… but the greater the rewards become too. Of course, you can only keep your prizes if you exit the dungeon, which you can do every five floors. You’ll have to decide whether to leave when given the chance, or gamble it all on what may lie ahead.
It’s classic risk/reward, and it makes for one heck of a compelling loop!
Ask the Producer: How did you approach production of this new game?
Takumi Kasai: Since there was an existing anime and manga for Dragon Quest The Adventure of Dai, I felt that the most important thing was to create a game that has the utmost respect for the source material.
To that end, I was not only responsible for supervising the production, but also thinking about what would really make the fans happy. I thought it was very important to create a game that would please those existing fans.
But we also wanted to attract new fans too. We have prepared plenty of exhilarating action and challenging dungeons, so we hope that people who are not familiar with the anime will play this game and get to know the world of ‘The Adventure of Dai’!
Ask the Producer: How does the game differ to the anime and manga series?
Takumi Kasai: Since the original Dragon Quest: The Adventure of Dai has a very well-thought-out narrative, it wasn’t very challenging to make the game story follow the original narrative.
However, because the story is so seamless, there were parts of the game where the storytelling became overly long. So, with the approval of the original author, we altered the story in these parts to keep a good pacing for the game.
We also adjusted the way we present the story to make the experience unique to the game – such as using voice dialogue during battle to progress the narrative and incorporating a storyline before we switch to the battle phase.
It was challenging, but we’re hopeful that this part of the game will be accepted by fans. If you’re new to the series and want to know more about the world of Dragon Quest The Adventure of Dai, we hope it inspires you to see the new anime!
Infinity Strash: Dragon Quest The Adventure of Dai preorder bonuses
Infinity Strash: Dragon Quest The Adventure of Dai releases September 28 for Xbox Series X|S and PC via Windows Store. There’s still time to preorder and claim some awesome early purchase bonuses for all editions:
- Dai’s special outfit “Legendary Hero”
- The Bond Memory “The Hero’s Tutor”.
In addition to the Standard Edition of the game, there’s also a Digital Deluxe Edition, which contains the following bonus items:
- Legendary Mage – Popp Outfit
- Legendary Priest – Maam Outfit (Warrior Priest)
- Legendary Martial Artist – Maam Outfit (Martial Artist)
- Legendary Swordsman – Hyunckel Outfit (Dark Armour Blade)
- Legendary Warrior – Hyunckel Outfit (Dark Armour Spear)