Dragon Quest 12 was announced recently, and marks a shift in tone that its sister series Final Fantasy has been treading for years. Final Fantasy 16 and Dragon Quest 12 seem to bringing both franchises into darker territory, especially for the Dragon Quest franchise. However, both series are riding high right now, and angling towards a more adult audience for such classic franchises will be interesting if nothing else.

It seems clear based, on the little information fans have as of now, that Dragon Quest 12 may be radically different from previous mainline games. Series creator Yuji Horii has given some vague but pointed remarks about the game's departure from its predecessors. It's title reveal trailer is also ambiguous but feels like strong evidence. Dragon Quest has historically featured vibrant visuals designed by Dragon Ball creator Akira Toriyama, but the new trailer showed off grim colors and violent flames etching out the new logo. This likely represents a shift in tone for series.

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Final Fantasy on the other hand is much more familiar with treading murkier waters and heavier plotlines. The deaths of main characters, world-shattering events, and villains with serial killer levels of depravity are all places Final Fantasy has gone before. But often those heavier tones are offset by bright color schemes, whimsical characters, and mini-games that sometimes even feel at odds with the tone of its overall stories. Final Fantasy 16 seems to heading to a much darker place, however.

Contrary to Dragon Quest, Final Fantasy has had a trend of darker stories for a while now. The immediate predecessor, Final Fantasy 15, dealt with themes of loss and inevitable sacrifice. That game featured some of the same more colorful distractions along the way, like fishing and other mini-games. Final Fantasy 16 may end up a big departure from older games in more than a few ways. While there hasn't been much revealed about the game since its initial announcement trailer, that debut and information added to the official site about its world all carry a very heavy atmosphere with them.

For Final Fantasy, this is a notable but expected move towards more adult themes. The surprise of Dragon Quest moving in that direction is likely more shocking to fans. Dragon Quest has long been marked by its brightly colored visuals and stories that are generally more lighthearted. Its heroes still need to save the world, but they often don't see the kinds of horrors that many Final Fantasy ones have. Especially after the success of the incredibly traditional Dragon Quest 11, it seems surprising to bring the series into heavier territory, although that doesn't necessarily have to be a bad thing.

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Since the announcement of Dragon Quest 12 many are probably pondering the development decision to move towards darker territory. The series hasn't exactly been geared towards children specifically, but its lighter tone and colorful aesthetics have continued to draw in new fans with each entry. Deciding to move the franchise into a more adult-oriented place may be a reflection of Square Enix recognizing its dedicated fanbase that has aged alongside the franchise. Giving something more geared towards those older fans could prove a good move on its part.

The darker direction for both Final Fantasy and now Dragon Quest also speaks to their growing appeal in the West. Moving combat into real-time for the Final Fantasy franchise has largely been an effective decision thus far, and may prove likewise for Dragon Quest. It's not confirmed but Horii has also stated there would be changes to the turn-based combat as well. Now that Dragon Quest is approaching its 35th anniversary the series has established a very powerful foothold in Japan, but this darker direction might be an attempt to swing even more of the West. It's worth keeping in mind that with so little known about Dragon Quest 12, this is entirely speculative.

While bringing Final Fantasy and Dragon Quest into more adult areas, it seems Square Enix may be using its spin-off games from each franchise to maintain a more traditional and lighthearted approach. Despite being heavily influenced by Final Fantasy, Kingdom Hearts has largely spun out into its own entity. Dragon Quest may be doing much the same with games like Dragon Quest Builders 2 and the newly announced Dragon Quest Treasures. Keeping two distinct tones could work well for Final Fantasy and Dragon Quest, as they theoretically seek to capture newer fans while keeping a segment of their respective brands more lighthearted.

Dragon Quest games are among some of the most beloved in the medium. It's likely that there are going to be fans apprehensive about a change in the series' trajectory. While longtime Final Fantasy fans are used to grim stories, it could be a big departure for Dragon Quest fans. But each franchise will still need to be careful about just how far that change goes. While Final Fantasy players are likely less averse to adult themes or dark tone, there's still a certain charm that many will want to see preserved. Part of what makes the heaviest stories in Final Fantasy's history are the moments of rest and reprieve. Dragon Quest will be walking an even tighter rope in that regard.

So much of what has made Dragon Quest games across its history has been that lighthearted and charming tone. It's not to say that gravitating towards more adult themes will be a bad thing for the series, but it'll need to be handled with care. Not just for the sake of fans but for the plot of Dragon Quest 12 itself. It could be jarring for players to find themselves racing to stop some violent or apocalyptic event to then get wrapped up in fighting slack-faced Slimes and Cruelcumbers. While it's unlikely to be that radical of a change, it's definitely going to be interesting to see how Dragon Quest 12 and Final Fantasy 16 handle their moves toward darker themes.

Dragon Quest 12: The Flames of Fate is currently in development.

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