A closed beta for Dragon Quest Walk launches in Japan later this month.
Location services-based AR games are all the rage at the moment. Thanks to the initial groundwork laid out by Google Ingress and the unprecedented popularity of Pokemon Go, it seems as though every major franchise has begun toying with the idea of their own AR mobile apps. Major properties, such as The Walking Dead and Jurassic World, have already launched their own GPS-powered AR experiences; with Niantic planning the launch of another game based on the Wizarding World of Harry Potter later this year.
Now it appears as though the field will soon grow even more crowded with the announcement of Dragon Quest Walk, a location services-based AR game featuring the monsters and townspeople from Square Enix’s legendary RPG series Dragon Quest.
Beginning June 11th exclusively in Japan, 10,000 iOS and 10,000 Android users will have the opportunity to download the closed beta and participate in a series of quests that will take them across various landmarks throughout Japan.
According to the information provided (translated by Gematsu), as well as the hour-long announcement video, players will take on a variety of Quests located at specific ‘Landmarks’ scattered across Japan. As they physically walk throughout their real-world environment towards their objectives, they’ll come across a variety of monsters to battle, as well as townsfolk to interact with; the more they walk, the more content they’ll unlock.
By completing Quests and interacting with the environment and characters, players can unlock a helping of special items which they can use to decorate their own personal in-game room.
“Walk the fields and talk to the townspeople while moving forward on your quest,” states the company on the games official website. “Battle against various monsters, grow, prepare your equipment, and even challenge formidable enemies… The Dragon Quest that has appeared on game consoles in the past has finally made the leap to the real world. Now, set off on your adventure!”
As previously stated, Dragon Quest Walk has so far only been confirmed for release in Japan; no word yet on the possibility of a potential Western launch.
