Dragon Quest XI @ Jump: first interview of Yuji Horii

This week, Dragon Quest XI: Sugisarishi Toki o Motomete is featured in Jump magazine, along with the very first interview of Yuji Horii about the game. In it, the creator explains that this time around, he’s involved from start to finish. With Dragon Quest X, he was more of a supervisor, but this time around, he’s directing the whole thing, starting with scenario writing. He even wants to be involved in the final battle optimisations.

Since this is the 30th Anniversary of the Dragon Quest series, the theme of the game is “time” (which can be seen in the title itself: Sugisarishi Toki o Motomete, In Search of Departed Time). The developers hope to bring a sense of nostalgia to old-time fans, but also a sense of excitement and fun for new players. This can also be seen on Nintendo 3DS, which has both 2D and 3D styles (though not at the same time, except during the intro).

As for the logo, it’s a throwback to the very first game, though Yuji Horii does point out that the dragon is facing in the other direction. Also, it’s the first time since Dragon Quest III that the number is behind the title: for Yuji Horii, this is a sign that Dragon Quest XI: Sugisarishi Toki o Motomete is both a return to the series’ origins, but also an evolution.

Dragon Quest XI: Sugisarishi Toki o Motomete will come out on both the Nintendo 3DS and the PlayStation 4, and there’s several reasons for that. First, they wanted to have as many people as possible play the game. Secondly, while they do wanted to make the game for a home console, they also saw all those people enjoying Dragon Quest IX when it came out on a handheld (the Nintendo DS).

So in the end, they decided to make the game for both platforms (3DS and PS4). They also thought about which art-style would be best suited for each version, and the results is what we saw on Tuesday during the livestream. Yuji Horii notes that it’s pretty interesting how you can actually play the very latest entry in the Dragon Quest series entirely in 2D on the 3DS: he confirms that fans will be able to fully enjoy the story even with this style.

Finally, Yuji Horii makes some comments about the Nintendo 3DS version, and explains that the game really takes advantage of its capabilities, providing a unique experience only possible on this platform. He ends by confirming that all details about the protagonist have already been decided… but quite obviously, he won’t tell us more now!

Source: Jump
Via: Gematsu