Dragon Quest XI: Echoes of an Elusive Age finally has a North American (and European) launch date. Square Enix confirmed today that the latest entry in the popular RPG franchise will arrive on PlayStation 4 and Steam on September 4.
The game was released in Japan on the PlayStation 4 and Nintendo 3DS in July 2017.
The 11th mainline story in the series, Dragon Quest XI is a fully standalone experience complete with new characters, turn-based combat, an immersive story and a beautifully detailed world that Square Enix hopes will appeal to newcomers and longtime fans alike.
The localized version will feature multiple enhancements and improvements over the Japanese release including English voiceovers, overhauled menus and UI, a first-person camera mode, improved character and camera movement including a new dash function and a hard mode for more experienced players.
Now, for a bit of bad news.
According to IGN, Square Enix has no plans to bring the 3DS version to the West. And while a version for the Nintendo Switch is in the works for North America, development from a technical standpoint is expected to "take a long time." A Square Enix rep at a recent Dragon Quest event told the publication the Switch version certainly wouldn't be ready in 2018 and could end up arriving "much later."
Dragon Quest XI is available to pre-order over on the PlayStation Store priced at $59.99. Oddly enough, the game's release date is listed as December 31, 2018, instead of the September 4 date Square Enix mentioned in today's announcement.