Push Square previewed Dragon Quest Monsters: The Withered World, the franchise's first PlayStation entry, describing it as a promising, low-stress alternative amid a packed release schedule dominated by heavyweights like Zelda and GTA 6. The game blends traditional Dragon Quest storytelling with Pokémon-style monster collecting and training, and the preview writer came away impressed after roughly an hour with the opening sections at a London event, praising its presentation, monster designs and overall cosy feel.

The game launches on PS5 on 3rd December, with Square Enix promising over 500 monsters, some unlocked via a synthesis system that combines existing creatures into new ones. Players control either Bianca or Nera, searching for an elixir to heal their fathers, while their sister Debora may pose a threat to their quest. The developer likened its tonal balance of child-friendly and more mature storytelling to a Pixar film, and the preview highlighted straightforward team-building, a Talent Points system for customising monsters, sharp visuals on PS5 Pro, and a classic Dragon Quest soundtrack, though some tutorial-heavy pacing was noted.