A brand new trailer for the upcoming Dragon Quest XI: Echoes of an Elusive Age shows off the games gorgeous looking engine and the group of six companions who will accompany the hero on his journey.
The game itself is meant to be a throwback to classic Dragon Quest titles, and each of the characters in the party reflects that a bit in their design and characterization. Developer and creator of the Dragon Quest series, Yuji Horii spoke to Siliconera about each of the six companions in greater detail.
The characters include Erik, the young, somewhat nihilistic thief, sisters Veronica and Serena, the entertainer Sylvando, the martial artist Jade, and an old man named Rab. Each of the companions will accompany the Luminary, the nameless hero (in Dragon Quest tradition) on their journey to fight the growing evil threatening their land. Horii talks about how each character, aspects of their personality and some of the design philosophy going into their overall look.
Erik is perhaps the most grounded of the characters, being a fairly young thief who has an air of nihilism about him. He is the first character to join the Luminary, helping him escape from a castle dungeon early on in the game.
Veronica and Serena were designed specifically as a pair, to follow previous female duo Maya and Meena in Dragon Quest IV. They are opposites in both personality and function for the party, with Veronica being a mage and Serena a healer.
Sylvando has a flamboyant, chivalrous personality due to his status as an entertainer. Horii discusses how his design looks slender but muscular. This is to showcase that his training and skills at feats of acrobatics.
Jade acts as a sisterly figure to the Luminary. In terms of her abilities, she's a martial artist. Finally, Rab is an older character who retains a more mischievous, stern air about him over a kindly-looking grandfather.
Dragon Quest XI: Echoes of an Elusive Age is the 11th mainstream title in the long-running Dragon Quest series, which first debuted back in 1986. It will feature many elements found in the series, including turn-based combat, classic monster and character designs by famed artist Akira Toriyama, and more.
The game is already out in Japan for the PlayStation 4 and the Nintendo 3DS in 2017, selling 3 million copies. It will be getting a worldwide release for the PlayStation 4 and Microsoft Windows on September 4th, with a Nintendo Switch version planned for a future release.
What are your thoughts on the companions of Dragon Quest XI? Looking forward to some classic Dragon Quest gameplay? Leave your comments below.
