‘Dragon Quest Monsters: The Dark Prince’ iOS Review – Far Superior to the Switch Version, Though It Falls Short in Two Areas

Background: The December Switch Review Set the Expectation

Back in December, Square Enix's monster collecting RPG Dragon Quest Monsters: The Dark Prince was reviewed on Switch. The reviewer said they loved their time with it despite its many technical issues. That assessment framed the game as a strong monster collecting RPG with turn-based combat, even for players who are not Dragon Quest fans.

Before the ports arrived, the expected path was PC. Dragon Quest Treasures, another Nintendo Switch exclusive, had been expected to hit PC, so a PC version of Dragon Quest Monsters: The Dark Prince seemed logical. A mobile release was less expected. Square Enix's newest release of Dragon Quest Monsters: The Dark Prince on iOS, Android, and Steam changes that picture: all prior paid DLC is brought into the game at a lower entry point, but one feature is removed: the online real-time multiplayer battles.

For readers, the December Switch review matters because it established the core value of the game: capture, breed, and raise monsters to fight for you. The series is a spin-off of the main Dragon Quest games. It uses turn-based combat, but the player does not fight directly. Instead, the player builds a party from recruited and synthesized monsters.

The reviewer had played Dragon Quest Treasures and enjoyed it, but was told it is a "Monsters-lite" game. That made the announcement of Dragon Quest Monsters: The Dark Prince for Switch feel more substantial. The Switch version was loved, though the reviewer noted many technical issues at launch.

Spoiler Warning: Dragon Quest Monsters: The Dark Prince is described as feeling like a side story and prequel to Dragon Quest IV. That connection gives the story more weight than the usual spin-off structure. Still, the reviewer found themselves focusing more on building a dream monster party than on the narrative.

Development: What Changed When the Game Reached iOS, Android, and Steam

The release on iOS, Android, and Steam brings the game to new platforms, but not with a one-to-one feature copy. The biggest removed element is online real-time multiplayer battles. Beyond that, the ports are positioned as a better value because the base price includes all prior paid DLC.

On Switch, the DLC was sold in the Digital Deluxe Edition or as standalone DLC for the base game. The reviewer noted that just the DLC was over $25 on Switch. On mobile, the full base game with all DLC included is $24. That price point makes the package look like an amazing deal, especially because the DLC content had previously been separated from the base game.

The DLC included three main additions:

• The Mole Hole: a dungeon that lets you scout, or recruit, monsters you have fought before. The reviewer said this made min-maxing a lot easier during the game.
• Coach Joe's Dungeon Gym: randomly generated maps meant to be postgame challenges rather than content to experience while playing the main game.
• Treasure Trunks: a chest that can be opened once an hour with 10 items in total. The reviewer described this as like a cheat DLC.

The reviewer did not think it was good to have useful game modes or content in paid DLC, but that issue is no longer relevant on iOS, Android, and Steam because all of it is included in the base asking price.

The core game already had a lot of content. Dragon Quest Monsters: The Dark Prince has large zones, hundreds of monsters, and a combat loop built around recruiting and strengthening monsters. The reviewer was pleased with how well thought out the mechanics were and said the large zones, hundreds of monsters, and combat made them want to keep playing even after first beating it on Switch, let alone later on iPhone, iPad, and Steam Deck.

Two systems stand out. Synthesis is compared to Shin Megami Tensei's fusion, and the reviewer said there is just so much you can do with skills there. The seasonal system is also central: monsters change depending on the season and area, and the seasons also change areas you can explore with map changes. A water body that you cannot cross may be frozen in one season, letting you access a new secret.

Quality of life matters in a game like this because combat can get monotonous. The reviewer praised the tactics menu, which plays out similarly to the original Persona 3, direct commands, and more. The loop is not only to defeat enemies, but also to scout them, bring them into your party, and become stronger.

The reviewer did not end up testing the online multiplayer on Switch much, so they could not comment on how big a loss it is on the new platforms. But it is still a game mode being cut. If you played it on Switch, keep that in mind as it is the only area the mobile and Steam versions are lacking compared to Switch.

Latest Progress: How the Ports Play and Perform Compared with Switch

The mobile version brings a value argument, but it also brings porting questions. With Square Enix, the reviewer noted, you can never be sure what features will make it into the final game. Dragon Quest Monsters: The Dark Prince does not have controller support. The reviewer called this beyond disappointing since the game is literally a console title ported to mobile. They tried 6 different controllers without any luck to be sure.

Aside from controller support, Dragon Quest Monsters: The Dark Prince on iOS has cloud saves and a few graphics options. The reviewer said the cloud saves work well.

Touch controls were more surprising. The reviewer was surprised at how well the game felt with touch controls. It uses a floating joystick on the left for movement and a jump button mainly while exploring. The one minor issue is that some touch targets are a bit small on non Plus/Max phones. The reviewer said these are not an issue on iPads at all. The controls feel good, but Square Enix should have left full controller support in because this is a console game ported to mobile.

Technical performance was the reviewer's main issue with the Switch version. The frame rate was rough at launch, and visuals were not great either. The reviewer said the former got addressed to some degree unlike Pokemon Scarlet & Violet, but the latter never got fixed.

By comparison, the mobile version felt much stronger. On iPhone 15 Pro, iPhone 12, and even iPad Pro, the reviewer had no major issues with visuals or performance. There were some hiccups on iPhone 15 Pro when running at the highest graphics quality setting and moving through some locations, but the reviewer said it is not remotely as bad as on Switch. The game feels massively better to play on iOS.

The original review also compared low and high graphics options on iPhone 15 Pro. That comparison matters because the mobile version does not have specific visual or frame rate settings outside the resolution option in display settings. This lets you play at low, medium, or high graphical quality options. These presets also affect other settings such as the frame rate limit and post-processing. On mobile, this setting can only be changed from the title screen, while you can adjust it on the fly on PC.

The reviewer stuck to the high setting on all tested iPhones. Dragon Quest Monsters: The Dark Prince still has some minor performance issues even on iPhone 15 Pro. The low setting seems unusable because of how blurry it gets. On the 2020 iPad Pro, the high preset has more regular frame drops than on iPhone, and it also seems to be running with some tweaked settings. Overall, even the older iPad Pro runs it well, but not as good as iPhone 15 Pro as expected. Every device tested, including iPhone 12, ran it a lot better than Nintendo Switch.

Visually, it looks a lot cleaner than Switch even on older iOS devices when played at high. The reviewer said Square Enix did not just do a bare-bones port here. It has fullscreen support during gameplay on iPhone 15 Pro, and even has a pattern or artwork to fill the screen during areas with pre-rendered or static 16:9 elements. This pattern or artwork is mainly used on iPad Pro since the game does not support fullscreen there for gameplay. The reviewer also said this applies to Steam Deck to make up for that aspect ratio in parts.

Steam Deck and PC: Where Controller Support Changes the Recommendation

On Steam Deck, the game runs differently. The reviewer could not get Dragon Quest Monsters: The Dark Prince to run at a locked 90fps regardless of settings, even at the low preset when played at 800p. They decided to opt for a 60fps target, and that was a lot easier to achieve.

One oddity is the game not letting you adjust resolution when playing on Steam Deck normally. You can do this by forcing the resolution from the game's properties before launching it.

On PC, Dragon Quest Monsters: The Dark Prince lets you adjust graphical quality low, medium, or high; anti-aliasing off, low, medium, or high; maximum frame rate from 30 to uncapped; toggle v-sync; and adjust display mode windowed, fullscreen, or borderless. If you play at 60fps, the reviewer recommended setting your Steam Deck OLED refresh rate to 60 to avoid jitter.

The Steam Deck compatibility rating is also important. The game is marked as Steam Deck Playable and not Verified because Valve says some in-game text is small and may be difficult to read. The reviewer did not have any issues with this and felt like Valve has marked games with smaller text as Verified before. Either way, the reviewer said you can safely buy this one to play on Steam Deck.

Having now played Dragon Quest Monsters: The Dark Prince on iOS, iPadOS, Steam Deck, Switch OLED, and Switch Lite, the reviewer had no doubt that the Switch version is the worst of the lot despite the online mode being removed from mobile and Steam. The massive increase in performance and better visuals, with all DLC included at a much lower asking price, only makes the ports feel better.

Current Stage: The Mobile and Steam Ports Are Now the Practical Way to Play

The timeline has moved from a December Switch review with strong gameplay but many technical issues to a new release period where iOS, Android, and Steam versions include all prior paid DLC at a lower entry point, while removing online real-time multiplayer battles. That trade-off defines the current stage of the game.

The ports arrive during a crowded release period and with what can still feel like a premium price for a mobile RPG, but the value calculation is different because the base package now includes The Mole Hole, Coach Joe's Dungeon Gym, and Treasure Trunks. On mobile, that full package is $24, compared with the previous Switch situation where just the DLC was over $25.

If you skipped Dragon Quest Monsters: The Dark Prince on Switch, the new mobile and Steam ports are the way to go. While the mobile version lacking controller support is disappointing, the reviewer still saw themselves playing it regularly because of its improvements over Switch and fantastic core gameplay loop. Having all the DLC included means you will have enough content to last even longer.

If you value controller support in a game like this, the Steam Deck is the way to go. The reviewer also hoped Square Enix will keep bringing more Dragon Quest games to mobile in the future. Right now, the iOS version of Dragon Quest Monsters: The Dark Prince is easily one of the best mobile releases of the year.