Yuji Horii, creator of the Dragon Quest game series, confirms Dragon Quest XI's release on Nintendo's upcoming console, the Nintendo NX.
In 2015, Japanese game developer Square Enix confirmed that Dragon Quest XI: In Search of Departed Time will be released for the PlayStation 4, Nintendo 3DS and Nintendo NX. However, Square Enix's press release, which followed the announcement, specified that the NX release was still under consideration, contrary to the prior release confirmation.
For a while now, fans have been left wondering whether or not Square Enix will ever continue the Nintendo NX release. However, that changed with Nintendo Dream's October issue, which highlights a discussion between Yuji Horii, Masahiro Sakurai and Junichi Masuda. Note that Sakurai is the series director for Super Smash Bros. while Masuda is a series producer for Pokémon.
The confirmation came when Sakurai probed Horii regarding the Dragon Quest XI: In Search of Departed Time, which is the 11th installment in the Dragon Quest game series.
"The 11th installment in the series will be released simultaneously on Nintendo 3DS and PlayStation 4, and including NX it's coming out on three platforms, right?" Sakurai asked. This is according to Gematsu's translated version of the discussion. Horii responded with "That's right" and commented on the difficulty of working with different hardware.
During the conversation, Horii also revealed that there will be a 2D and 3D version for the Nintendo 3DS. He then proceeded to confirm that there will be four versions across three platforms.
One of Horii's major concerns is the sense of distance, which differs for each of the supported platforms. According to him, the movements on the 2D and 3D versions of the Nintendo 3DS feel different compared with the PS4 version when in action. He assured that he and his team are working on the game to the best of their abilities.
Even with the technicalities of a multi-platform release, however, the Dragon Quest game series creator reaffirmed that the story-driven game will definitely be released for all platforms on the same day. He noted that this is to prevent spoilers for the story.
Many have commented that if Square Enix pushes through with its plans of releasing Dragon Quest XI: In Search of Departed Time, it will be one of the biggest titles the console will carry. Nintendo NX is scheduled for a March 2017 release. It has been confirmed to come fitted with a Tegra X2 Chip and an estimated $250 to $350 price tag.
Below is Dragon Quest XI: In Search of Departed Time's PlayStation 4 gameplay video.
Photo: BagoGames | Flickr
