No, Dragon Quest 11 isn't the first NX game but Square says it's "under consideration"
Dragon Quest 11 was announced by Square Enix this morning for the unlikely pairing of PS4 and 3DS. It has also been widely reported that it has been confirmed for Nintendo's upcoming NX console but this is not officially the case. In a statement supplied to GamesRadar+ Square Enix says “It is under consideration, but we don’t have further information to share at the moment.”
While both console versions of Dragon Quest 11 will follow the same story, the PS4 and 3DS versions of the game will be very different. The PS4 game will run on the Unreal Engine 4 as an open world RPG, while the 3DS equivalent will split the action across two screens with a more traditional portable style and 2D and top down graphics. Developed by Square Enix and Toy Logic respectively, you can see both in action in the videos below.
It might not officially be confirmed for NX but this is definitely a hint at what's to come. Third parties are clearly already getting involved in whatever console Nintendo is keeping quiet on until next year. The Wii U is only noticeable in its gaping absence from this line up. It would only make sense for the version under consideration to be the Unreal based PS4 game which is good news when it comes to potential processing power of the mysterious NX. The message here suggests that third party developers are preparing to return to Nintendo and that can only be a good sign for whatever the NX has in store.
We don't have a release date as yet and when it comes to a journey west, as reported by Eurogamer, Square Enix says "We don't have a concrete plan at the moment. However, we will consider it as we've done in the past for other Dragon Quest titles. We don't have further information to share at the moment."
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Louise Blain is a journalist and broadcaster specialising in gaming, technology, and entertainment. She is the presenter of BBC Radio 3’s monthly Sound of Gaming show and has a weekly consumer tech slot on BBC Radio Scotland. She can also be found on BBC Radio 4, BBC Five Live, Netflix UK's YouTube Channel, and on The Evolution of Horror podcast. As well as her work on GamesRadar, Louise writes for NME, T3, and TechRadar. When she’s not working, you can probably find her watching horror movies or playing an Assassin’s Creed game and getting distracted by Photo Mode.