Back in March 2026, Square Enix and Google revealed a new partnership to bring a Gemini AI-powered NPC to Dragon Quest X called Chatty Slimey. The NPC companion was described as a "conversational AI" companion who can aid the player with questions they have in the game, but as reported by Japanese outlet Toyo Keizai (spotted and translated by Automaton), Dragon Quest series creator Yuji Hori hopes that the AI NPC can be more that just a tool for players to utilize.
Hori reportedly holds this hope not just for the upcoming Chatty Slimey companion, but for all future AI-powered companions in video games, that they can be "not just a convenient tool, but a friend to each individual player."
It's a desire that, as Hori puts it, goes back to when he first created Dragon Quest. It seems like Hori views this new Generative AI (GenAI) tech as a way to complete a part of his initial vision that could not have been fulfilled when he initially developed the series, even if it's still an incomplete way of doing so.
"When I first created Dragon Quest, I wanted the townspeople dialogue to sound as much like real human speech as possible," Hori explains. "Now, AI can actually respond, so I think we can make them feel even more human. However, simply replacing townspeople with AI wouldn't be much fun."
That last comment, at least on some level, suggests that Hori is aware of the counter-intuitiveness involved in GenAI tech, making anything 'feel even more human.' But the real feeling it seems Hori hopes AI-powered NPCs like Chatty Slimey deliver, is one of friendship and companionship.
"With regular AI, people can feel embarrassed about treating it like a friend, but if it's a game character, the barrier is lower, and people may find it easier to talk to about various topics," Hori said. "I think it's wonderful that [Slimey] can also listen to people's concerns with empathy and even talk about things unrelated to the game itself. I'd like to explore ways for AI characters to accompany players as supporting companions while they play, which could expand into other series too."
"AI characters could become an entry point that teaches beginners how to play, and even after leaving the game, players might come to consider them as friends."
Of course, AI-powered NPCs are not a new thing, as we've already seen them inserted into several other games, including Fortnite with the AI-powered Darth Vader and Where Winds Meet, both of which are examples of AI-powered companions fulfilling more of a court jester role than that of a genuine friend.
We've also seen examples of studios exploring having the entire narrative of their games directly impacted by AI-powered NPCs, as studios try to find what potential there is in inserting GenAI into their games. So far, it's unclear if there's any real potential beyond them being tools for players to use when they're stuck or something for players to poke at when they want a laugh.
When Dragon Quest X's Chatty Slimey is fully implemented into the game, it'll be interesting to see how players react, and if Hori's hopes are on their way to being fulfilled.
About the author: David has been writing about videogames, technology, and culture since 2020, with a focus on reporting daily news across multiple publications, including GameDaily.Biz, GameSkinny, and PlayStation Universe before joining Wccftech in 2025. David started contributing as Canada/US reporter for Wccftech's gaming section in 2025. Besides being up-to-date on the industry's movements, he loves interviewing developers, reviewing games, and writing intricate essays about the symbolism and layered meanings to be found in rich narratives as he's done for publications like GamesIndustry.Biz, LostInCult, and others. Outside of games he loves movies, music, theatre, his hometown, and his family, though not necessarily in that order.
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