The newest entry to the classic series "Dragon Quest" has been released in Japan since July 29 — making it the 11th installment of the highly popular role-playing video game. Just two days after its release, it sold two million copies. Currently, it has sold over three million units.
"Dragon Quest XI: Echoes of an Illusive Age" was released for PlayStation 4 and the Nintendo 3DS, and it has done very well in sales. The game sold more on the 3DS that on the PlayStation 4 version. This is unsurprising since the "Dragon Quest" franchise first came out on Nintendo systems, so avid fans of the platform are more inclined to purchase the game.
The game is reported to have different gameplay experience depending on what platform players choose to use. The Nintendo 3DS has two options; players will be able to choose between a 2-dimensional platform akin to the classic gameplay, or a 3-dimensional simplified open world experience similar to modern iterations of the game. The PlayStation 4 is utilizing the modern Unreal Graphics engine that focuses on more fluid and crisp visuals.
Game developers Square Enix also aim to release the game on the Nintendo Switch, but have not announced an official release date. This suggests that the Japanese developers have heavily focused on making sure that the PlayStation 4 version of the game runs smoothly — given that this is the first time that they released "Dragon Quest" outside of the Nintendo system.
Additionally, it is also reported that the original trilogy will be released within the month. It can be surmised that this move is a marketing strategy to attract newer players to the franchise. If "Dragon Quest XI" attracts newer players, the trilogy will serve as context to educate the fans on the back story of the video game.
There isn't an exact release date for Western players as of now, but it has been set to be released in the United States on 2018.
