Square Enix has officially announced the release date for Dragon Quest XI: Echoes of an Elusive Age for the US and European regions. The highly-anticipated JRPG was originally released in Japan on July 29th, 2017. The localized version of the game hits the US and Europe on September 4th, 2018.
Square Enix revealed the news via Twitter through the official Dragon Quest account. The tweet confirms that there will be a PS4 and PC version, the latter of which will be sold on digital distribution platform Steam. Dragon Quest IX: Echoes of an Elusive Age is already available for pre-order for anyone living in the US, UK, France, Italy, Germany, and Spain.
It is interesting to note that there’s no mention of a Nintendo 3DS version in the tweet or even on the official site. It’s unfortunate news for Nintendo 3DS owners since they won’t be receiving a localized version of the game. They will have to settle for the Japanese version or re-play the still-great Dragon Quest IX: Sentinels of the Starry Skies, which was originally released back in 2009.
The official site describes the game as following “the perilous journey of a hunted Hero who must uncover the mystery of his fate with the aid of a charismatic cast of supporting characters. They embark on a quest taking them across continents and over vast oceans as they learn of an ominous threat facing the world.”
That description can probably apply to every Dragon Quest game ever released. The franchise is notable for staying true to the traditional roots of the JRPG genre, maintaining the same core gameplay mechanics which makes up a classic turn-based JRPG. It looks to be the same case for the latest game in the franchise, and that’s why JRPG fans keep coming back for more Dragon Quest. The classics never get stale.
Last but not least, we have made a list of previous Dragon Quest games that we think you should play before Dragon Quest XI: Echoes of an Elusive Age releases. Check it out here. The video below shows us a first look at the gameplay from the upcoming game.