Dragon Quest series creator Yuji Horii confirms in an interview that Dragon Quest 11: In Search of Departed Time is officially in development for Nintendo NX.
Many newer gamers might not know exactly how important Dragon Quest 11: In Search of Departed Time could be in terms of sales success for whatever platform it is available on. While the Dragon Quest series has only found modest success in the west lately, the franchise remains iconic in Japan, where sales are still formidable. When news broke that Dragon Quest 10 was heading to Nintendo NX and PS4 in the near future, analysts were quick to point out the impact that a prominent Square Enix release could have on sales for both consoles.
That financial potential goes double for Dragon Quest 11, the newest instalment in the long-running series. Fans have speculated about whether or not Dragon Quest 11 would be developed for the upcoming Nintendo platform to strengthen its games lineup, whether it be during the Nintendo NX launch lineup or a few months further down the line. Now, in an interview with Nintendo Dream translated by Gematsu, series creator Yuji Horii has confirmed that Dragon Quest 11 will be part of an increasingly impressive roster of games for Nintendo NX.
Horii also confirmed that the game, which will be released in 2D and 3D versions for Nintendo 3DS alongside PS4 and NX launches, will be released simultaneously on all platforms. Horii stated that this was because "spoilers will emerge if we release one version earlier", indicating that Square Enix is confident enough in the story that preserving gamers from spoilers was a genuine concern. The Japanese release of the game won't be until May 2017, so if the Nintendo NX release date remains on schedule, it will be one of the console's first major post-launch titles.
Horii's announcement now makes the gorgeous Dragon Quest 11 the fifth official title for Nintendo's newest console. Not much is known about the NX as of yet, but rumors have suggested that it is an incredibly powerful handheld console that can function like a more traditional console via a TV docking station.
What gamers do know about the Nintendo NX's future, however, is very encouraging after what many consider to be a disappointing life cycle for the Wii U. Nintendo's NX games lineup has now added a JRPG all-star in Dragon Quest 11, and that's on top of the already eagerly anticipated The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild. It's rare for a console to launch with a number of game of the year contenders set to debut just months later, but that could be what happens for the new Nintendo platform in 2017.
Dragon Quest 11: In Search of Departed Time will release in Japan on May 27, 2017 for PS4, Nintendo NX, and Nintendo 3DS.