Square Enix announces Dragon Quest Walk, a Pokemon-Go style mobile game

Pokemon Go was a cultural phenomenon when it was released almost three years ago. While it massive popular in its first year, the hype has since died down. Pokemon Go’s declining user base may indicate to some that AR games are waning in the public eye, but Square Enix must think there’s still a market for AR exploration games. The company announced Dragon Quest Walk, a new augmented reality game for Android and iOS.

Details are sparse right now, but Dragon Quest Walk basically looks like a Pokemon Go clone featuring characters and monsters from the massively popular Dragon Quest RPG series. Players will need to visit real-world locations and complete challenges and quests of some sort. The trailer shows players battling monsters in some locations, but exact gameplay mechanics are as yet unknown.

The game is currently slated for a Japan-only release on iOS and Android devices. Dragon Quest has met with mixed receptions when released internationally. The series is a household name in Japan, so much so that Japan supposedly wrote a law banning video games from being released on weekdays as Dragon Quest III’s Wednesday release caused thousands of school and work absences in 1988 (though this was later proven to be a rumor). However, the games haven’t struck the same chord with Western audiences. That said, it’s a possibility that Dragon Quest Go may not make its way to the West.

Still, an AR adventure game based in the Dragon Quest universe sounds like something the series’ fanbase would receive well. It’s too early to speculate on the success of the game, but AR may be ramping up once again.