 |
| Mike Salbato |
With several enhancements in tow.
03.28.18 - 10:07 AM
It's been awhile since Dragon Quest XI was confirmed to be coming to Western markets, but this morning Square Enix has finally revealed the release date: September 4th, 2018.
In Japan, Dragon Quest XI: Echoes of an Elusive Age released on PlayStation 4 and Nintendo 3DS in 2017, with a Switch version planned, but not much more has been said about that version. For the West, Square Enix has confirmed that DQXI will release on PlayStation 4 and Steam, but the 3DS version — notable for being the same game as its PS4 cousin, but playable in both 2D pixel and 3D polygon modes — will not be making the journey here. In a statement to IGN, Square Enix commented on the Nintendo releases:
"We are also developing the Switch version for Europe and North America," reads Square Enix's statement, "but development is expected to take a long time from a technological standpoint as well, so we still have a long way to go until its release".
So, just like in Japan, the Switch version's release timing is up in the air. Given the massive popularity of Nintendo's latest console, there's little doubt Square Enix will want that version on the market as soon as it's feasible. In the meantime, PS4 and Steam players have a lot to look forward to in September.
Besides just the mere fact that we have a release date for Dragon Quest XI, the Western release will include many enhancements and new features not (yet) present in the Japanese releases:
- English Voiceover
- Draconian Quest, a hard mode that offers additional challenges for more experienced players.
- Overhauled Menus & UI, with graphical enhancements and more intuitive navigation.
- Camera Mode, allowing players to take in views of the beautiful landscape, character renders and ferocious monsters in detail.
- A New Dash Function and many other system enhancements such as improved character and camera movement
Dragon Quest XI is available to pre-order right now on the PlayStation Store, and doing so will get you a "The Legend Reborn" PS4 theme that you can use right away, a selection of items when the game launches. Those items are 15 Seeds of Skill, 3 Über Agates of Evolution, and perhaps most importantly, the "Vest for Success," which I'm pretty sure one is required to wear while singing "See My Vest" at least once.
We have a selection of new screenshots in our Dragon Quest XI gallery, as well as a first look at English gameplay and the game's opening in the videos below. Look for more details on the game as its September 4th release (yes, he's going to do it) draws near.
My thanks to Mike Sollosi and Caitlin Argyros for contributing to this report.
