A new gameplay video of Dragon Quest XI: In Search of Departed Time for PlayStation 4 showcases how the game runs in its more technically advanced version. Representing what was seen during the release date announcement event, the video shows different sections of the early hours in the adventure, with scenes of exploration, story sequences, and dungeon encounters.
The video opens with the hero arriving to his home village, followed by one of his companions. Right from the start we can appreciate the unequivocally visual style that defines a Dragon Quest game. The series takes pride in its protectiveness for the most traditional RPG gameplay style over the years, and this new entry doesn’t take changes too far, even if we do appreciate some modern tricks.
For PlayStation users who haven’t been in touch with the main series since Dragon Quest VIII for PS2, the new entry will seem to them like that same game, only much more advanced graphically: The environments are more detailed, the lighting is clearly superior, and the water looks unbelievably real compared to previous representations.
The gameplay also gets some new features during exploration mode, like the ability to jump or the proximity detection that makes the proximity of our character to push or even break some of the objects that get in his way.
As for the segment in the dungeon, we’ll be really amazed by the scale and detail of the environments, clearly the most advanced of the series. The video confirms the absence of random encounters, with the hero launching his attack on the enemies, which results in a classic turn-based battle or a new alternative mode in which players can freely move the hero around the stage, with the rest of characters being controlled by the AI.
Another highlight of this segment is the part where the hero jumps in the armor of a dead enemy and uses it as a mount, which gives him the chance to run into other monsters and push them into the lava. This new armor allows us to pass through some stone barriers that were unbreakable in our human form.
Dragon Quest XI will launch on PS4 and 3DS on July 29th in Japan, although it’s not clear when it will get to North America and Europe. In the meantime, if you are a PS4 user you can download the demo for Dragon Quest Heroes 2 right now.
