• First Full Look at Dragon Quest XI Gameplay

    At the Recent Jump Festa event, Square Enix showed off the first footage of the next installment in the Dragon Quest series, Dragon Quest XI. Lots of information was revealed during the stream showing the opening cinematic, a gameplay related video exploring the map and a town, and a cutscene introducing one of the game's party members, the thief Camus. Dragon Quest XI's director, Takeshi Uchikawa, said the following about the game's map, "It is a vast map comparable to previous Dragon Quest titles. It won’t betray your expectations.”

    What is particularly interesting about the 3DS footage is that the two screens display the same information in two different engines. The top in a full 3D world with modern graphics and the bottom in classic sprite era graphics.

    Dragon Quest XI will be the first DQ since VIII to release on a PlayStation platform. It will also be coming to the 3DS and the Switch. As of right now it is planned to release in Japan next year, but there is likely going to be a western release as well.





    This article was originally published in forum thread: First Full Look at Dragon Quest XI Gameplay started by Depression Moon View original post
    Comments 22 Comments
    1. Vermachtnis's Avatar
      Vermachtnis -
      I look at Camus and all I see is Super Saiyan God Super Saiyan Future Gohan. That and the hero looks a little like Trunks has me sold on it.
    1. Wolf Kanno's Avatar
      Wolf Kanno -
      Not sure how I feel about this. Toriyama's stylized art work doesn't really mesh as well with semi-hyper realistic cg like you would think it should. The horse and dog in the trailers look really surreal, same with the FF style landscapes crawling with the more cartoony Toriyama monsters.

      The 3DS version is also a bit too busy for my taste and I wish the game would simply let you choose to play it in 3D or 2D and not try to do both.

      Other than that, it looks pretty good, and I'm curious if the tree featured in the opening movie may be connected to the one in IX. Would be interesting to see the DQ team pull another I-III and IV-VI and have the last three titles interconnected.
    1. Fynn's Avatar
      Fynn -
      Quote Originally Posted by Wolf Kanno View Post
      The 3DS version is also a bit too busy for my taste and I wish the game would simply let you choose to play it in 3D or 2D and not try to do both.
      This is actually the case, as they've stated before. You start off with both and then you have to decide at a certain point.

      I'm actually really loving all this so far! Here's hoping we won't have to wait too long for this to come out in the West!

      EDIT:

      Just noticed this!



    1. maybee's Avatar
      maybee -
      So cute ! Can't wait to get this and just go around exploring on the horse
    1. Borjitasstoi's Avatar
      Borjitasstoi -
      looks like dragon quest VI hero
      hephurm looks cool and like his design
      camille reminds old zenithia arc hero
      in summary i m so hyped and good job sqare enix i recover hope in this generation not apology of remakes for eixample toukiden riwani (toukiden psp original version japan exclusive) or translates type 0 final fantasy (along exist years ago in psp original version japan exclusive) in other words this generation its take of chance for translates psp japanese games and can play in our lenguage this is not bad idea but the fact is ¿its too late for try translate old psp games? the theory its ¿this generation tries translate suikoden tsumugareshi hyakunen no toki or 1&2)
    1. Depression Moon's Avatar
      Depression Moon -
      Quote Originally Posted by Fynn View Post
      Quote Originally Posted by Wolf Kanno View Post
      The 3DS version is also a bit too busy for my taste and I wish the game would simply let you choose to play it in 3D or 2D and not try to do both.
      This is actually the case, as they've stated before. You start off with both and then you have to decide at a certain point.
      Or you could just look at one screen and not the other.
    1. Wolf Kanno's Avatar
      Wolf Kanno -
      Quote Originally Posted by Depression Moon View Post
      Quote Originally Posted by Fynn View Post
      Quote Originally Posted by Wolf Kanno View Post
      The 3DS version is also a bit too busy for my taste and I wish the game would simply let you choose to play it in 3D or 2D and not try to do both.
      This is actually the case, as they've stated before. You start off with both and then you have to decide at a certain point.
      Or you could just look at one screen and not the other.
      Kind of hard to do that when your peripheral vision catches the movement from the other screen, course it's a moot point now since Fynn explained you can choose to stick with one eventually.
    1. Fynn's Avatar
      Fynn -
      I'm pretty sure you even have to decide on one, since the game just opens on both screens so that you can check it out, but then you just gotta go with one of the other. I don't think you can change that later.

      Now this game opens up a whole sort of dilemmas for me. Should I get this for PS4 with its jaw-dropping graphics and iverworld that really reminds me of the best part of DQVIII, or the 3DS version for the portability and more traditional feel? And if I go for the 3DS version, should I go with the DQVII-like art style, or the old-timey 16bit sprites?

      This is all too much for me. Ideally, I hope this would turn out to be completely different experiences so that I'd be justified in buying both, but it's hard to tell now
    1. Wolf Kanno's Avatar
      Wolf Kanno -
      I'm actually planning on the 3DS version and using the 16-bit graphics. DQ just feels better to me as an old school 2D experience.
    1. Del Murder's Avatar
      Del Murder -
      I can't believe they made it two ways. That is too cool. The 3D looks beautiful so I may have to go with that.
    1. Formalhaut's Avatar
      Formalhaut -
      If I were to get a Dragon Quest game, would this be a good start? Or is it better to start with one of the older ones.
    1. Del Murder's Avatar
      Del Murder -
      I think start with VIII. It's more modern and will be closer to other games you may have played but still has the classic charm. IV or V are also great alternatives.
    1. Depression Moon's Avatar
      Depression Moon -
      The two styles gives it more replay value. I'd play it in 3D first then on my 2nd playthrough in 2D.
    1. Fynn's Avatar
      Fynn -
      Quote Originally Posted by Formalhaut View Post
      If I were to get a Dragon Quest game, would this be a good start? Or is it better to start with one of the older ones.
      You could do it like Del says, or you could start from the beginning, like I did, and let me tell you, it really gives you a nice sense of progression throughout the series and lets you appreciate the little things. If you do start from another game, just keep in min that I, II and III have to be played in order to fully appreciate, and the same goes for IV, V and VI, as while the series as a whole is pretty much like FF in that they're all separate stories with separate worlds, these two trilogies actually have games that form a much deeper connection even in story, especially the first trilogy.

      The first three games are available on mobile (and if you decide to emulate them instead, go for the SNES versions), while IV, V and VI are available there as well, and in DS. VII and VIII are on 3DS (VIII coming out in January, unless you go with the PS2 original), while IX is on DS. X still hasn't released outside of Japan, but the chances are growing, judging by the release of VII and VIII on 3DS and the fact that China is getting the game.

      Check out my reviews for I-VI if you're interested If anything, DQI is at least a very short game, so you can always check that out. It's worth taking a look just to see what the first ever JRPG was like.
    1. Skyblade's Avatar
      Skyblade -
      But will the Switch version switch between the old style sprites or the newer models depending on whether it's in console or handheld mode?
    1. Fynn's Avatar
      Fynn -
      It'll probably just be the PS4 version
    1. Lawr's Avatar
      Lawr -
      The graphics always look great in DQ but then I'm always reminded about how much of a grindfest these games are just to go up one level. I wish they came with a zen mode or something.
    1. Depression Moon's Avatar
      Depression Moon -
      Fynn and I can tell you it doesn't take all that long just to go up one level. I only played V and VIII, but in neither it felt that long.
    1. Fynn's Avatar
      Fynn -
      Yeah, beat I to VII and played a bit of VIII in the past and they're really not that grindy. Of course, grindier than FF, but still not as demanding as other RPGs out there
    1. Wolf Kanno's Avatar
      Wolf Kanno -
      Quote Originally Posted by Fynn View Post
      Yeah, beat I to VII and played a bit of VIII in the past and they're really not that grindy. Of course, grindier than FF, but still not as demanding as other RPGs out there
      Depends on the version actually. Most of the remakes tone down the grind, but the originals were kind of guilty of it. If it wasn't XP that was in short demand then it was usually Gold. Either way, it always seemed like you were under-leveled or under-equipped.
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