The next mainline entry in arguably the most popular game series of all time in Japan has just been announced. Dragon Quest XI is coming to both the PlayStation 4 and the 3DS, according to a live broadcast currently underway in Japan, with a release date targeted for next year. The PlayStation 4 version is being developed internally at Square Enix, and will use the Unreal Engine. The 3DS version, meanwhile, is like two games in one — it runs in full 3D on the top screen and uses retro 2D sprites on the bottom. Oddly, Square Enix also announced a version for NX, the upcoming Nintendo system that we know basically nothing about.
This will be the first traditional numbered Dragon Quest game to hit a home console in some time. Dragon Quest VIII for the PlayStation 2 was a massive hit in 2004, but follow-up IX surprised many when it was announced as a Nintendo DS release, and X is an MMO for the Wii, Wii U, and 3DS. The series has a long history with both Nintendo and Sony, bouncing between the two as their popularity rises and falls, so for this release Square Enix will get to have it both ways.