Dragon Quest and Final Fantasy have long stood as two of the most influential franchises in the JRPG genre, both now under the umbrella of Square Enix.
With records of global sales success and decades of cultural impact, these role-playing series continue to shape the landscape of both the Japanese and international gaming markets.
Yuji Horii, the renowned creator of Dragon Quest, recently shared his perspective on the distinctive features that set his series apart from Final Fantasy, offering valuable insight for fans and industry observers alike. Originally, Dragon Quest and Final Fantasy emerged from different companies, with Enix publishing Dragon Quest and Square responsible for Final Fantasy.
Their respective merges into the entity known today as Square Enix only magnified the comparison between the two juggernauts of RPG storytelling.
As flagship titles for platforms like the Nintendo Switch, PlayStation, and numerous legacy systems, both franchises remain evergreen topics in gaming discourse. In a candid interview with Game Informer, Yuji Horii explained that while he was always aware of the innovations Final Fantasy brought to the JRPG space, he did not perceive Final Fantasy as direct competition.
"I was certainly conscious of what Final Fantasy was doing when it first launched," Horii explained.
"We needed to be aware of our peers, but my focus remained on what made Dragon Quest unique." Horii highlighted a fundamental design philosophy that distinguishes Dragon Quest from its iconic counterpart.
He described how Dragon Quest is crafted so that players can project themselves onto the protagonist, creating a more personal journey.
"In Final Fantasy, the main character tends to have a distinct voice and personality.
Players are more like observers to the hero's story," he noted.
"By contrast, Dragon Quest is designed so that players themselves step into the protagonist’s shoes, experiencing the adventure directly.
This difference was clear to me from the start and remains a core part of what makes Dragon Quest special." While Horii viewed Final Fantasy through a lens of professional respect rather than rivalry, he also spoke admiringly of the series’ achievements.
Specifically, he cited Final Fantasy 10 as a standout installment, remarking that upon first seeing it, he felt it represented the pinnacle of what Final Fantasy could achieve at the time.
This appreciation demonstrates the mutual admiration among developers who have helped define generations of video game storytelling. Both Dragon Quest and Final Fantasy continue to captivate audiences worldwide, with recent entries and classic re-releases available across platforms including the Nintendo Switch and PlayStation consoles.
Under Square Enix, the legacies of both franchises are maintained and expanded for new generations, while their creators’ thoughtful design philosophies preserve the qualities that made them remarkable in the first place.
With records of global sales success and decades of cultural impact, these role-playing series continue to shape the landscape of both the Japanese and international gaming markets.
Yuji Horii, the renowned creator of Dragon Quest, recently shared his perspective on the distinctive features that set his series apart from Final Fantasy, offering valuable insight for fans and industry observers alike. Originally, Dragon Quest and Final Fantasy emerged from different companies, with Enix publishing Dragon Quest and Square responsible for Final Fantasy.
Their respective merges into the entity known today as Square Enix only magnified the comparison between the two juggernauts of RPG storytelling.
As flagship titles for platforms like the Nintendo Switch, PlayStation, and numerous legacy systems, both franchises remain evergreen topics in gaming discourse. In a candid interview with Game Informer, Yuji Horii explained that while he was always aware of the innovations Final Fantasy brought to the JRPG space, he did not perceive Final Fantasy as direct competition.
"I was certainly conscious of what Final Fantasy was doing when it first launched," Horii explained.
"We needed to be aware of our peers, but my focus remained on what made Dragon Quest unique." Horii highlighted a fundamental design philosophy that distinguishes Dragon Quest from its iconic counterpart.
He described how Dragon Quest is crafted so that players can project themselves onto the protagonist, creating a more personal journey.
"In Final Fantasy, the main character tends to have a distinct voice and personality.
Players are more like observers to the hero's story," he noted.
"By contrast, Dragon Quest is designed so that players themselves step into the protagonist’s shoes, experiencing the adventure directly.
This difference was clear to me from the start and remains a core part of what makes Dragon Quest special." While Horii viewed Final Fantasy through a lens of professional respect rather than rivalry, he also spoke admiringly of the series’ achievements.
Specifically, he cited Final Fantasy 10 as a standout installment, remarking that upon first seeing it, he felt it represented the pinnacle of what Final Fantasy could achieve at the time.
This appreciation demonstrates the mutual admiration among developers who have helped define generations of video game storytelling. Both Dragon Quest and Final Fantasy continue to captivate audiences worldwide, with recent entries and classic re-releases available across platforms including the Nintendo Switch and PlayStation consoles.
Under Square Enix, the legacies of both franchises are maintained and expanded for new generations, while their creators’ thoughtful design philosophies preserve the qualities that made them remarkable in the first place.
