As was previously announced, Square Enix revealed the Japanese release date for the latest in the long-running Dragon Quest series, Dragon Quest XI, yesterday during a press event for the game. The PlayStation 4 and Nintendo 3DS versions of the game are set to be released in Japan on July 29, 2017 for the price of 8,980 yen ($82 USD) on PlayStation 4 and 5,980 yen ($55 USD) on 3DS. A Nintendo Switch version is also in the works, as was announced during Nintendo’s Switch event on January 13th, but its release date has yet to be announced.
Dragon Quest XI will be a JRPG that utilizes a turn-based battle system, as is traditional to the series. Various side-activities, such as horse racing and slots, will be available for players to enjoy. The PlayStation 4 version of the game is powered by Unreal Engine 4 and will feature high definition 3D graphics, whereas the 3DS version will allow players to choose between cel-shaded 3D and 16-bit 2D graphical styles. The story follows a 16-year-old protagonist who, along with his childhood friend Emma, journeys into the world to discover what a hero is. Square Enix stated at the press event that the game will take between 50 and 100 hours to complete. The game will also feature the “Spell of Restoration” password system that was used in Dragon Quest I and II’s NES and MSX versions, allowing players to transfer some of their progress between the otherwise unconnected PlayStation 4 and 3DS versions of the game.
While standard edition physical and digital copies of the game will be available, the Japanese version of Dragon Quest XI will be receiving a Collector’s Edition called the “Dragon Quest XI Double Pack Heroes’ Sword Box.” This contains both the PlayStation 4 and 3DS versions, as well as elaborate collector’s cases that are made to look like books. This special collector’s edition will set you back 14,960 yen ($137 USD), exactly the cost of both versions of the game combined.
While the Japanese release date was just announced, a western release has yet to be confirmed. That being said, in a statement made to EDGE this past December, Dragon Quest executive producer Yu Miyake stated that Square Enix had been putting effort into releasing as many Dragon Quest spin-off titles – such as Dragon Quest Builders and Dragon Quest Heroes – in the West as possible “in order to soften up the ground for Dragon Quest XI.” Given that statement, it seems likely that the company is at least making an effort to bring Dragon Quest XI to the West.
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