The PC port of Dragon's Quest Builders brings a lot of quality of life improvements from Dragon Quest Builders 2, but in the process it makes the game a lot more easier than its PS4 or Switch versions. Regardless, it's a solid port of an excellent game and a must play for the fans of the series. However, which version you would want to get depends on the amount of challenge you want out of it.
The Good
- Charming story and visuals
- Compelling gameplay loop
- Great structure and pacing
The Bad
- Not very challenging
Dragon Quest Builders is the PC port of the 2016 game, which was also released for PS4 and Nintendo Switch. The block-building action-RPG is developed by Square Enix.
The original Dragon Quest Builders was pretty much my game du jour when it first launched in 2016. Not only was it my first ever Dragon Quest game, it was also my first survival craft building style game, and I immediately became obsessed with it, sinking countless hours into the Vita version. It was also quite a formative game for me, as without it I probably wouldn’t have been into things like Stardew Valley or No Man’s Sky, both of which I now consider among my all time favourite things. All of this to say, Dragon Quest Builders is a very special game. It’s a bit strange of Square Enix to drop a PC port of this game 8 years later, especially when its vastly improved 2019 sequel already exists on the platform. But I’m not about to say no to an excuse to replay Dragon Quest Builders, so here we are.
For the uninitiated, Dragon Quest Builders is an action RPG spinoff that combines the classic Dragon Quest aesthetic and storytelling with the open-world survival crafting gameplay of Minecraft. This might sound weird at first but the 3D voxel style is actually quite fitting for Dragon Quest – a series that started life in the 8-bit generation. There are also some surprisingly poignant narrative threads connecting to that original Dragon Quest, though I’m not about to spoil them here.
The marriage of storytelling and survival crafting actually works quite well. The game is split into multiple chapters, each taking place in a new location with its own self-contained storyline that revolves around setting up and protecting a town for the locals to inhabit, while steadily gathering a crew of buddies to help in the fight against an encroaching evil. You do this by teaching the people of the kingdom how to build – an ability they have mysteriously lost – and fend for themselves. It’s not the best story ever but it’s more compelling than you might think, further elevated by the charming visuals and music that come from it being a Dragon Quest entry.
This version also carries over a lot of the quality of life changes from Dragon Quest Builders 2. For example your weapons and armour no longer degrade, while your hammer is always equipped and has the large block bashing move from the sequel, that makes material gathering a much easier task. Your primary melee attack weapon is also always equipped. Additionally, you’re not able to carry huge amounts of items instead of them being separated into stacks of 99 units. You’re also given more inventory slots to start off.
These are not changes the game was asking for, but they do make Dragon Quest Builders a significantly easier game than its PS4 or Switch versions. While it dampens the already meagre challenge, I do think it contributes to the chill hangout vibe this game is going for. Naturally, your mileage may vary.
Visually, this is still the game from 2016 but with a few changes you might reasonably expect from a PC version. The draw distance has been pushed out significantly, making it easier to see things in the distance, as well as support for higher resolutions and framerates for those who want it. The game also works perfectly on the Steam Deck, some of the menus require touchscreen input.
All things considered, this is a solid if somewhat odd PC port of an excellent game that brings in a host of quality of life changes. If you played and loved Dragon Quest Builders 2 and wanted to play the previous game, the transition will now be less jarring than before. But for those craving something closer to the team’s original vision, you’ll want to stick with the PS4, Vita, or Switch version.