Wednesday, July 29, 2015

So, what do all of you think about the fact that Dragon Quest XI is being made for 3DS, PS4 and (eventually, probably) NX?

As you've all surely heard by now, the brass at Square Enix revealed during a Dragon Quest-focused press conference yesterday morning that the 11th entry in the company’s vaunted RPG series is being prepped as we speak for the 3DS, the PS4 and the announced-but-still-shrouded-in-mystery system currently known as the Nintendo NX.

Here are some of the most pertinent of the details that were shared about Dragon Quest XI during the event held about 24 hours ago.

Although the same core staff members are working on both the 3DS and PS4 versions of the game, a company called Orca is assisting with the development of the PS4 release, while Toy Logic is helping make the 3DS one.

Despite the fact that they’ll look quite different in the end, both iterations of Dragon Quest XI will tell the same story, à la the pair of Ni no Kuni titles Level-5 made for the DS and PS3 a few years ago.

Intriguingly, Dragon Quest XI for 3DS will feature three-dimensional graphics on the system's upper screen (is it me, or do they look cel-shaded?), while the lower screen will showcase two-dimensional visuals that appear fairly Super Famicom-esque.



Oh, and when it comes to this game's battle scenes, if you're using the 3DS' circle pad when one begins, the fight will be depicted using the afore-mentioned 3D graphics. If, on the other hand, you're using the handheld's directional pad, the contest will be depicted using sprites.

Finally, Square Enix is shooting to release the 3DS and PS4 versions of Dragon Quest XI at some point during the series' 30th anniversary year--which means between April 1 of 2016 and March 31 of 2017.

With all of that out of the way, what do you think of this news--and of the first footage of the 3DS make of Dragon Quest XI, which can be viewed above?

Personally, I think it's great. Sure, I would've loved it if Square Enix had decided to put the game on the PS3, Vita and Wii U, too, but even as is I'm feeling pretty darn stoked.

There's no question I'll be picking up the 3DS iteration, by the way--quite possibly when it first hits store shelves in Japan.

Don't worry, I'll double dip if Square Enix (or Nintendo) eventually brings it to North America, but you just know that's going to take a number of months, if it happens at all.

Will any of you be following suit--by buying either the Japanese 3DS or PS4 releases? Or are you planning to hold out for copies that have been localized for the country or region you call home?

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