“Legends Never Rest: Insights from the Creators of Dragon Quest and Final Fantasy on Their Creative Journeys”

The mastermind behind Dragon Quest, Yuji Horii, alongside Hironobu Sakaguchi, the visionary behind Final Fantasy, are truly two legends of the JRPG genre. It’s uplifting for fans to discover that neither of these renowned developers has intentions of stepping away anytime soon.

To promote the Dragon Quest 3 HD-2D Remake and Sakaguchi’s Fantasian: Neo Dimension—both released this year and distributed by Square Enix—the two industry titans engaged in a conversation covering their games, their inspirations, the minute elements that truly make them stand out, and what the future holds during an interview with Famitsu.

“Like Mr. Sakaguchi, I believe I will keep creating games for a long time,” Horii expresses in the interview, which has been translated using machine learning. “Retirement has never crossed my mind. After all, I will always be a game designer.” Since the series’ launch in 1986, Yuji Horii has been the primary game designer and scenario writer for the highly influential turn-based series, and he is set to continue his journey with the forthcoming Dragon Quest 12, a sequel that aims to transform combat and embrace a significantly darker atmosphere than the series’ traditionally cheerful tone.

Sakaguchi also shared insights into his next steps, even though he isn’t as closely associated with a single franchise as Horii. After guiding the Final Fantasy series through more than ten games, he ventured out to establish his own studio, Mistwalker, where he developed cult classics like Blue Dragon and Lost Odyssey, before eventually reconnecting with former colleagues at Square Enix for Fantasian: Neo Dimension.

“There are numerous aspects I can’t disclose, but I am working on a new project,” Sakaguchi reveals, alluding to his upcoming mysterious narrative game currently in development with the legendary composer Nobuo Uematsu involved. “I cannot elaborate on the specifics of my project, but it has been approximately a year since I completed the script, so I’m confident I will reach an optimal stage in about two years.”