Dragon Quest XI releasing on July 29th on Nintendo 3DS, Switch version TBD, trailers, footage, more
Today, during a livestream, Square-Enix finally announced the release date for the highly-awaited Dragon Quest XI: Sugisarishi Toki o Motomete. It’s going to be available (much) sooner than many were expecting, since it will be released on July 29th in Japan. Unfortunately, that’s only for the Nintendo 3DS version (and PlayStation 4), as the Nintendo Switch version wasn’t mentioned even once during the presentation.
Following the presentation, Square-Enix explained that the Nintendo Switch version was not cancelled, that they could not discuss the release date, and therefore could not tell whether it would be released alongside the other two versions or later.
Here’s the latest trailer for the game, available in three versions: Nintendo 3DS, PlayStation 4, and combined:
Next, here’s a playlist with the recordings of all the gameplay segments from the livestream. Both versions of the game (Nintendo 3DS and PlayStatation 4) are showcased:
Dragon Quest XI: Sugisarishi Toki o Motomete will be available in several editions:
- Nintendo 3DS (stand-alone): 5 980 Yen;
- PlayStation 4 (stand-alone): 8 980 Yen (chances are the Nintendo Switch version will have a similar price);
- Dragon Quest XI Double Pack Hero’s Sword Box (Nintendo 3DS + PlayStation 4): 14 960 Yen (only sold at Lawson, HMV stores, and at the Square-Enix e-Store);
- Hardware bundle: to be announced at a later date.
Square-Enix also revealed the early purchase bonuses:
- Vest of Happiness: increases the amount of XP earned after battle
- Upstart Vest: increases the amount of gold earned after battle
- Osaka: May 27th and May 28th (Abeno Q’s Mall)
- Hakata: June 10th and June 11th (Solaria Plaza)
- Nagoya: June 17th and June 18th (Mozo Wonder City)
- Sapporo: July 8th and July 9th (Sapporo Factory)
- Tokyo: July 16th and 17th (Futako Tamagawa Rise)
Next, we have a few more details about the game. In the PlayStation 4 (and presumably Nintendo Switch) version, you can jump while in the field. In dungeons, you can ride monsters, which is useful to get past obstacles (such as rocks in lava) or destroy them (like boulders). On Nintendo 3DS, there’s a special village called Yochi Village, related to StreetPass.
Regarding the main adventure, Square-Enix revealed that it would take about 50 hours to clear, 100h if you’re going for full completion (including side-quests and all the extra content).
We also got new details about the Spell of Restoration, that Yuji Horii previous teased a few times in the past. Players will be able to create one, but it will not save everything: the character’s name is one of the elements that will not be saved. However, the spell do save the general state of the game (progression, etc.) as of the time you create it. It can then be used on all versions of the game interchangeably.
Finally, here’s some new screenshots for the game:
