Dragon Quest 9 director says the real challenge is surprising players, not just making them cry

Former Dragon Quest 9 and 10 co-director Jin Fujisawa has offered a fascinating look at what he learned from series creator Yuji Horii. In a new interview, Fujisawa said he originally believed the storyline was the most important part of an RPG. Over time, Horii convinced him that the playerÔÇÖs experience matters more than the plot outline itself. The example he gives is Dragon Quest 5ÔÇÖs marriage choice, which is powerful not simply because it changes the story, but because players feel the weight of making that decision themselves. For RPG fans, this is a useful reminder of what makes the genre special. Players do not only remember cutscenes. They remember moments where a system, choice or surprise made the world feel personal. Fujisawa also said that making players cry can be easier than genuinely surprising them, and that emotional surprise is where happiness often comes from. His latest game, Pain Pain Go Away, is due on PC on May 20 and appears to carry that philosophy into a very different form: a visual novel about entering patientsÔÇÖ subconscious and typing away trauma.