Today, during a livestream on Nico Nico hosted by the Japanese magazine VJump, new gameplay of Dragon Quest XI was showcased, presented by Producer Yosuke Saito an Director Takeshi Uchikawa.
We get to see some 3DS footage in 3D mode, including battles. Interestingly during the first fight we get to see a skillchain between Senya and Veronica, then another in which the hero and Camus attack together. Then we move on to the skill panel that allows players to unlock abilities and passive buffs for their characters.
A second fight gives us a look on another skillchain between the hero and Camus that lets the latter steal an item, and one between Martina and Row.
Following, more gameplay was shown from the PS4 version, including the “Tied Play” hard mode. Instead of making battles harder in a simple linear way, it adds four special conditions: you can’t run away from battles, you can’t equip armor, you can’t purchase items, and you have a “curse of embarrassment” that prevents you to talk with NPCs and to at times even to act in battle. It’s indicating by the UI element with the small locks on the left of the screen.
We also get the PS4 version of the skill panel, including “secret panels” that don’t show which skill they activate, and need to be unlocked first. After that, we also see the crafting of a greatsword, which is done via a dedicated minigame.
After that, the gameplay shows horse riding, a brief glimpse of the equipment menu, and the ability to dash against enemies on horseback, killing them instantly. After a battle, a cutscene is shown, with a bit of dialogue, and a boss battle.
If you want to see more about Dragon Quest XI, you can watch the spectacular opening prologue video released just yesterday, some new commercials starring celebrities, new screenshots highlighting the story, and more footage displaying riding monsters and more. You can also download a spiffy PS4 theme for free.
Dragon Quest XI will launch in Japan on July 29th for PS4 and 3DS, with a Nintendo Switch release also planned at some time down the line.