Square Enix had a lot to share during its Dragon Quest 35th Anniversary livestream today, announcing a whole horde of upcoming Dragon Quest content for fans, including the next mainline entry and even a remake.
Dragon Quest XII: The Flames of Fate is now officially the next entry in the long-running JRPG series. It was unfortunately too early to see get any gameplay footage out of the title so the studio only shared the above teaser trailer for unveiling the logo.
However, series creator Yuji Horii answered some questions during the livestream with hints at what system are undergoing changes. Compared to the previous entry"s fixed storyline, the new one will be more open ended, giving players options and letting them choose their own way on how to play. It was described as having more darker themes. Plus, the series" classic command-based battle system is undergoing some changes, though no specific details were given.
Another big project announced during the livestream was a new remake of Dragon Quest III, the RPG that originally landed for the NES back in 1988. This upcoming release did receive a gameplay trailer, seen above, highlighting the art-style, the turn-based combat, overworld exploration, and other revamped systems.
Described as a HD-2D remake, the game sports of graphics style that should be very familiar to Octopath Traveller fans. Masaaki Hayasaki — who has worked on the latter Square Enix RPG — is the producer of the remake, and he says the new art style will let players experience the classic through fresh eyes, regardless of whether they are returning or new fans.
No release dates nor platforms were announced for the two games, but the duo will have worldwide simultaneous launches. Considering the reach and popularity of Dragon Quest XI and its numerous ports, there is a slim chance that the new games will come to all console platforms and PC at the same time this time around.
Other Dragon Quest projects revealed today include Dragon Quest Treasures, a spin-off RPG featuring Erik and Mia from Dragon Quest XI; Dragon Quest Keshikeshi, a free-to-play mobile puzzle game; as well as a new expansion and a single-player offline version of the MMO Dragon Quest X.