Yuji Horii's influence on the JRPG genre cannot be overstated. That's why I'm always on the lookout for quotes from the legendary creator of the perennially important Dragon Quest franchise. Or, in some cases—like this one!—indirect quotes courtesy of someone who has worked with Horii for many years.
Jin Fujisawa spent many years with Square Enix. In that time, he rose to direct both Dragon Quest IX and Dragon Quest X. He served as a key writer on both Dragon Quest VIII and returned in a freelance capacity for the more recent Dragon Quest Monsters: The Dark Prince. Suffice it to say, he has a lot of history working alongside Horii, and in a recent interview with Japanese publication The Change, he spoke at some length about that.
One big takeaway? Dragon Quest isn't about the story, Horii believes. Or rather, the story's in there, but it's more about... "the experience."
"Horii-san would say," Fujisawa recalls, "It's not about the scenario. The experience is what matters. You start by thinking about what sort of experience you want the player to go through." That's an important distinction from a narrative-first design philosophy, which I'd wager occurs more frequently in a franchise...
