Dragon Quest Monsters: The Withered World

Dragon Quest Monsters: The Withered World (ドラゴンクエストモンスターズ4 枯れ木の国のビアンカ・フローラ) is the fourth main installment in the Dragon Quest Monsters series. In this new adventure,Fluffy gets the help of Bianca and Nera (from Dragon Quest V), who embark on a journey to bring back life to the Witherwood. During their quest, they will meet Debora, acompanied by Fizzy.

Just as The Dark Prince, this game is numbered in Japan, yet it is not numbered in the international release. DQM4 is planned for release on Nintendo Switch 2, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 5, XBOX Series X|S and PC via Steam and Windows on December 3rd, 2026 with subtitles in Japanese, English, French, German, Italian, and Spanish. It also includes Japanese and English voice acting.

The package illustration was made by Hayato Yamamoto.

Setting edit

Premise edit

Bianca and Nera are searching for the fabled Leaves of Life that will supposedly heal their sick fathers. One night, the girls are visited at their bedsides by a mysterious fairy called Fluffy, who leads them to continue their search in another land: the Kingdom of Witherwood. However, they find Witherwood has been ravaged by malevolent forces that have all but eradicated the Leaves of Life… Fluffy bestows the girls with the power to befriend monsters, and the duo set out to revive the Leaves of Life—a quest that will take them to all corners of this strange new world.

Characters edit

  • Bianca (voiced by Eva Feiler in English, Marina Inoue in Japanese): An energetic kid who takes care of her friends and leads by example.
  • Nera (voiced by Kimberley Capero in English, Kana Hanazawa in Japanese): A compastionate child who likes to help at any opportunity.
  • Debora (voiced by Rebecca Hanssen in English, Romi Park in Japanese): Nera's willful older sister who isn’t afraid to voice her opinion.
  • Fluffy (voiced by Caius Nicholas in English, Yoshino Aoyama in Japanese): Bianca and Nera's mysterious yet dependable guiding hand.
  • Fizzy (voiced by Harriet Carmichael in English, Hina Suguta in Japanese): This oddball is always ready to dish some words of encouragement.
  • King Withers: The monarch who rules the Kingdom of Witherwood.

Gameplay edit

This game builds up on the monster-raising gameplay of The Dark Prince. The player can have 4 monsters in the active party and 4 more in reserve, for a maximum of 8 monsters in the party. The Withered World contains over 500 monsters to befriend and raise, divided into eight families. Each monster will also have one of nine ranks from G to X, a size of either small (S) or large (L), as well as its own personality. The monster's personality is a returning feature from the Game Boy Color entries in the series.

Another feature that also returns from Dragon Quest Monsters and Dragon Quest Monsters 2 is that the active party follows right behind the protagonist at all times on the world map.

A brand-new mechanic is The Wrangler's Spirit. This new power can be unleashed once per battle. If Bianca is the one to unleash it, she will heal her monsters' HP and boost their attack power. If it is Nera who activates it, she will restore MP and boost defence instead. Like in Dragon Quest Treasures, it is possible to alternate between the two playable characters at will.

The time of the day will affect the available monsters in each area, and how they behave.

Much like it's predecessor, The Withered World releases with paid DLC that enhance its gameplay.

Trivia edit

Gallery edit

External links edit