What could the Dragon Quest Builders 3 twist be?

The Dragon Quest Builders games have twists to them. Each one has a story that pulls something from a past Dragon Quest game and uses it for the base of its story. The first installment of Dragon Quest Builders pulled from the original Dragon Quest. Dragon Quest Builders 2 further developed a critical character who didn’t get much attention in Dragon Quest II. So, what could happen with Dragon Quest Builders 3? Presuming it follows the same pattern, we might be able to think about some ideas of how things could go.

First, it is important to review exactly what happens in the previous two entries. At the end of Dragon Quest, players had a choice at the end. The Dragonlord offered the hero an opportunity to rule at his side and lay claim to half of the world. Dragon Quest Builders’ story takes place in an alternate world where yeah, okay, I’ll take that deal. We get a post-apocalyptic scenario as a result.

In Dragon Quest II, we spend the whole game thinking Hargon is the villain. Except, after our heroes head out on the quest to defeat him and his minions, we learn that he was really serving a demon god named Malroth and trying to prepare the world for his takeover. In Dragon Quest Builders 2, we see plenty of Children of Hargon around and beating down anyone who’s into building. Meanwhile, Malroth is our amnesiac, smash-happy buddy.

Since all three of the original Dragon Quest games are chapters of the same story, that means a third Dragon Quest Builders would follow immediately after the previous two games. It would also involve the Erdrick bloodline, just like the past two games. Assuming this pattern would be true, we can begin making assumptions. Namely, that the game would chronologically be the first installment in the series. Dragon Quest III was the “first” in the Erdrick timeline and actually followed his journey. This means the Dragonlord hasn’t had a chance to take away people’s abilities to create and there was never a period where Hargon ran wild.

Now, in the Dragon Quest Builders games, we never follow the actual hero. The first entry makes a big deal of insisting we aren’t one. We also know that the hero from the events prior, from Dragon Quest III, kicked everything off by accepting. So, maybe one of the twists here could be that things don’t start out that bad? We’re in a world where people do still know how to build and create. But, maybe they’re taking that ability for granted? Maybe people start out as a builder who is a general handyperson for areas, but then gradually needs to take on bigger responsibilities as the hero’s fight against the bad guy draws nearer. Maybe we end up eventually even being responsible for the building of the rainbow bridge.

But, that only offers one element of a possible Dragon Quest Builders 3 twist. What about the rest of it? The two installments immediately available have something that hits you near the end. There’s a 1-2 punch. So, what could be the second part of it? Well, perhaps Dragon Quest Builders 3 could take a cue from Dragon Quest Builders 2 and have a second protagonist. This would be an NPC that is the hero. If that is the case, this would be a perfect opportunity for Square Enix to give people an installment with multiple endings. We know the first game looked at what happened if the hero accepted the Dragonlord’s offer. What if, in Dragon Quest Builders 3, our building possibilities could help guide the hero down different paths and result in different endings?

We’ll have to wait and see what the future brings for Dragon Quest Builders. The two entries released so far are each delightful in their own way, and a third would be welcomed. If it does happen, it seems like tapping into Dragon Quest III would be a likely scenario. For now, let’s appreciate the games we do have and have fun thinking about what could be.