This page details pre-release information and/or media for Dragon Quest Builders 2.
| To do:
- More in-depth sourcing from original Japanese articles is likely appropriate.
- More in depth research/comparisons on other screenshots where area differences may not be evident. (Check the minimaps!)
- There are early item icons littered throughout all of these.
- At some point the starting hammer's icon is updated from using the icon from the first game to a new one, figure out what set of screenshots it switches. Same for the Builder's gloves I guess.
- Upload final game comparison screenshots where applicable. Japanese screenshots would be nice for anything with prominent text.
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Dragon Quest Builders 2 seems to have gone through quite a few changes in development after it began previewing publicly; areas, items, and character designs differ slightly to significantly to the final release in several screenshots.
Note that some area differences may be simply due to the developers showing off certain mechanics, and are possibly not indicative of actual level design differences-remember, the game is a Minecraft-like!
Development Timeline
| To do:
Scrutinize the linked early livestream footage |
- August 2017- Dragon Quest Builders 2 is announced to be in development during the 2017 Dragon Quest Summer Festival.[1] The game was streamed, marking the earliest footage of development. At this time in development, the game still uses a significant number of assets from the first game.[2]
- Februrary 2018 - More footage of the game is shown, though the terrain generation (mainly the weird square-chunk mountains) and models are still from the first game.[3][4]
- March 2018 - A plot teaser about Malroth playing a role in the story and artwork of the new main characters is shown in Weekly Jump. [5] This issue claims the main character is descended from the first game's player character, something that isn't alluded to in the final game.
- April 2018 - The Japanese website goes live, featuring several preliminary screenshots of the starting area of the game.[6]
- Malroth as the player's companion is shown off for the first time in Weekly Jump, with some more screenshots of the game's starting area.[7] Soon after, the official website updates with higher quality versions of screenshots shown in the magazine.[8]
- The game's introductory sequence is teased, showing Malroth using his blue model in the opening narration segement.[9] Once again the Japanese website updates with higher quality screenshots a couple days later.[10]
- Early screenshots of the Isle of Awakening are shown.[11][12]
- May 2018 - Developer stream showing off the Isle of Awakening and character customization as well as discussion of DQB1 save data bonuses.[13]
April 2018
April 2
| To do:
Retake screenshot from final game during the same time of day/weather conditions. |
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The Hairy Hermit's mountaintop temple, one of the first areas in the game the player encounters. Compared to the final game, it is rather sparsely constructed, even accounting for its intentionally dilapidated state. The terrain of the mountain itself was also reworked for final.
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Final |
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The glove icon, beach layout, minimap, and camera angle are all different. (Camera cannot be placed there in the final game)
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Different mountaintemple layout. Has first game default expression.
April 16
| Pre-release (Apr 16 2018)
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Pre-release (Aug 29 2018)
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Final
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Hargon's throne room uses blocks from the first game instead of the custom ones used in the final version. Particularly notable since he uses the Dragonlord's decor, despite having no connection to the character. These blocks are obtainable in the final game, but aren't featured prominently during the story. The August revision of this scene still uses the older castle blocks from the first game, but now has custom banners for Hargon's faction and a new model for his throne. Hargon's throne seems to have been scaled slightly smaller in the August footage.
In the earliest screenshot, Malroth seems to be using his model from Dragon Quest Heroes here, another game developed by Koei Tecmo; the primary tells-aside from the color-are the golden chain necklace and fang shape. Later, in August, Malroth's model appears to have still been under revision. He appears in a developer stream with a very roughly modeled skull necklace and altered shading on his face textures.
Malroth's final model matches his design from the original Dragon Quest II. Judging by artwork on the official site, Malroth's intended design was always going to be the one used in the final version and the early model was always a placeholder.
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What appears to be a very early version of Furrowfield's town, featuring an entirely different layout and a dead tree not present in the final game. Judging by the mini medal shine in the distance, and assuming it is in the same relative orientation to the town as the final game, the Builder's Bell is on the opposite side of town compared to the final version.
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There's only 1 ghost in the final game, and HP is low for the 'healing' tutorial.
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Whitebones' animation is different in the final game.
April 22
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Final |
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In the final game, the cutscene has the camera at a higher position, and the text is both on the black text box.
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Final
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| Japanese
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さあ <山:やま>の<頂:いただき>まで <来:く>るがよい。
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ふおっ ふおっ ふおーーい！ こっちぢゃぞい！
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| Translation
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| ...But does it make sense?
The translations on this page need to be proofread. If you are fluent enough in this language, please make any corrections necessary! |
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| ...But does it make sense?
The translations on this page need to be proofread. If you are fluent enough in this language, please make any corrections necessary! |
|
| English official
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| ---
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*: Ho ho ho! This way, young whip-whip-whippersnappers!
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Another shot of the Hairy Hermit's rather sparse temple, showing more differing landscape of the mountain under it.
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シドー「なんだこれ…
チンケな <石:いし>の<板:い た>だが
どこか ふしぎなチカラを <感:かん>じるぞ…。
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すべこの<試練:しれん>を やりとげたとき
<汝:なんじ>は マスタービルダーとなる。
Closeups of the tablets at the Hermit's temple, several of these do not appear in the final game at all. It also appears the Hairy Hermit may not actually exist at this point in development, considering he appears in what is likely the equivalent scene to this in the final version.
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シドー「とうやら あれが
あの<声:こえ>が <言:い>ってやがった
<石柱:せきちゅう>の<試練:しれん>って ヤツみたいだな。
A closeup of an early version of the statues at mini medal puzzles.
| To do:
I think this text remains in the game |
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Notes: Chimaera wing, minimap looks nothing like the place the builder's at, still level 1, puzzles can be seen on minimap.
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August 2018
August 29
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- What appears to be an early version of Pastor Al's cabin.
- Different Builder's gloves icon.
- Early UI seems to suggest only Malroth gained exp? (He has an icon on the side of the screen with an exp bar, in the final game the exp bar is under the player's HP and the game explicitly states the Builder and Malroth share exp and levels.) Would line up with the previous game where the Builder did not gain EXP through combat. Some dialogue in the final version of the game, where Malroth comments that the player character isn't getting stronger, may be a leftover allusion to this.
- Other screenshots seem to indicate Malroth also had a more persistently visible HP bar. His HP is visible in the final game only when he takes damage.
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Malroth's level is at 1. At this point of the story the player has to be at minimun level 2 from story progression.
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At level 2 health in the prerelease screenshot shows as 30, in the final game it is 31.
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(Temple stairs are different)
September 2018
September 3
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Final |
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A different, more advanced, crafting station than the final version is visible in the screenshot, though it is mostly offscreen. The final version of the game places a worn down workbench here, fitting the abandoned island setting. It may be a placeholder.
Additionally, Lulu's dialogue is different here:
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Final
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ルル「もう お<部屋:へや>ができたのね！
……あなた すごいじゃない！
お<父:とう>さまより こぎわがいいかも…。
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ルル「さっそく お<部屋:へや>ができたのね。
<見習:みなら>いにしては <仕事:しごと>が<早:はや>いじゃない！
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| Translation
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You already made a room!
......You're amazing!
You may be even more skilled than my father...
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| ...But does it make sense?
The translations on this page need to be proofread. If you are fluent enough in this language, please make any corrections necessary! |
You already made a room!
For an apprentice, you work fast!
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| English official
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(previous text:)
<pname>! You repaired my room!
Now I have somewhere to hide in safety should
monsters attack! Not bad for a base
apprentice!
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Here and other pre-release materials mention that Lulu's father is/was a master builder, however no mention of this is made in the final game; the only information on Lulu's family is that they were killed by monsters shortly before the events of the game.
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September 12
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The shallows behind the boat appear to extend further than in the final game. Ruins of a dock appearing near the boat in the final game are absent here.
In the background the unnamed Red-Brick Room Blueprint can be seen. This spot seems to be the spot of this image.
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The camera is sligthly different. Also the speakinga animation in the final game is the 'bash' instead of the normal 'talk'.
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Ligthing is different. You cannot complete the quest out of order. 4 blocks for the room instead of 6. The icon floor displays the old room's, even in the final game.
EXP is not visible at this point of the game.
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September 18
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Final |
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An NPC that appears to be the one named Clayton in the English version of the final game seems to have had brown hair instead of blue. The other Furrowfield NPCs that appear in screenshots seem to be as they are as the final game. Malroth has his weapon.
September 26
The irrigation station is built with wood. In the final game soil is used. This can also be seen on a video released during this time.
The final game has more crafts unlocked
| To do:
Oh my god I hate this website TURNS OUT YT IS BANNED? SO LIKE SEARCH 'Dragon Quest Builders 2 Speedrun Any% 1/2' by どらうが ON IT AND GO TO TIMESTAMP 45:18 FOR A REFERENCE ON WHAT RECIPES THE FINAL GAME GIVES YOU AT THIS LEVEL?? LIKE I GET WHY ITS BANNED BUT DUUUUDE I'M TRYING TO DO SOMETHING HERE AND ADD INFORMATION FOR THE PAGE I DONT HAVE 1000 HOURS TO SCREENSHOT 200 IMAGES *IN JAPANESE!!* Sorry abt that |
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Bigger bash cannot be obtained at that level, nor in furrowfiend. The flower pot cannot be obtained in Furrowfield, and flowers are a key item with value storywise. This Bigger Bash seems to be 2x5x5 as opposed to 5x5x5. It may have been altered using the debug menu for this image, as the debug menu is known to have that option in the final release.
The hammer seems to either have ultimallet properties or the cracked stone used to be breakable as is. Debug mode also has an option to give the player ultimallet propeties, so it could have been activated that way.
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Another shot of Pastor Al's cabin.
(Check if all items can be found)
The item on the table cannot be obtained in the final game Furrowfield.
October 2018
October 1
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Judging by the minimap this is the location of the image
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There's a similar spot in the Debug island, placed in the Scarlet Sands of the debug build too.
- Malroth and the Builder now seem to have the unified EXP bar like the final game.
October 15
| To do:
Please finish uploading all the prerelease images... |
The ruins of the bar has chests present not in the final game. The foundation blocks of the walls use a different bronze block than the final version; that kind of block is obtainable in the final game, but not during the portion of the story where the player repairs the building.
October 22
The layout of the Silver Bar is very different from the blueprint the player must follow final version. Like the first bar, it uses silver block variants that are not present in the blueprint in the final version.
- Mini medal signs are now as they appear in final.
Check: if the magnet puzzle is different
November 2018
November 12
| To do:
- Check: if the... checklists for explorer shores shown here are different.
- Check: Getting fireworks at such a low level (and thus story progression) as in one of these screenshots is impossible in the final game, I thiiiink?
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Malroth's persistently visible HP bar seems to be gone now (or it may have vanished earlier, double check)
Hairy Hermit's temple is now much closer to, if not exactly the same as, the final version.
November 19
This just seems to be showing off photomode with a bunch of dev-built stuff. Hairy Hermit's temple is final here I guess.
November 26
Check: Do enemy Magi (red/green) appear here in the final game? I thought it was just Shamans (blue/purple).
December 2018
December 3
- You're never supposed to go with Malroth past the ocean whirlwinds to the tower. Though it is perfectly possible to visit this area out of intended sequence in the final game, the only thing preventing you from doing so is not knowing where the location is. Malroth's presence is likely to avoid spoiling that he leaves the party.
December 6
A demo is released for the game, allowing you to play the tutorial segment at the start of the game.
December 20
The full game is released.
Unsorted
The trunk seems to be the wood from the final game
References
- ↑ Dragon Quest Builders 2 announced for Switch - Nintendoeverything, August 5 2017
- ↑ Youtube reupload of streamed gameplay - RPGSite, Youtube
- ↑ New Dragon Quest Builders 2 footage, can bring over save data the first game - Nintendoeverything, February 16, 2018
- ↑ ドラゴンクエストビルダーズ TOPビルダーコンテスト～ビルダーズ2への道～ Square Enix, via Youtube
- ↑ Dragon Quest Builders 2 Japanese subtitle, protagonist, and setting revealed - Weekly Jump, via Gematsu, March 30th 2018
- ↑ Dragon Quest Builders 2 details and screenshots - Official website, via Nintendoeverything, April 2, 2018
- ↑ First look at Malroth in Dragon Quest Builders 2 - Weekly Jump, via Nintendoeverthing, April 6, 2018
- ↑ Dragon Quest Builders 2 Marth(sic) details and screenshots - Official site, via Nintendoeverything, April 8, 2018
- ↑ Dragon Quest Builders 2 takes place after Dragon Quest II - Weekly Jump, via Nintendoeverything, April 13, 2018
- ↑ Dragon Quest Builders 2 Japanese site gives details of the Hargon Order Official website, via Nintendoeverything, April 16, 2018
- ↑ Dragon Quest Builders 2: a few more story and gameplay details, Weekly Jump, via Nintendoeverything, April 20, 2018
- ↑ Dragon Quest Builders 2 details and screenshots – story overview, Vacant Island, evolved building elements, Official site, via Nintendoeverything, April 23, 2018
- ↑ Dragon Quest Builders 2 details and footage – carryover save data bonuses from the first game and more - Weekly Jump, via Nintendoeverything, May 10, 2018
