Nintendo had a lot to show off today during the Nintendo Presents video for their upcoming Switch title, and mouthful, Dragon Quest XI S Echoes of an Elusive Age – Definitive Edition. The video, consisting of a 35-minute tour of the world and features of the game, including its unique 2D mode, ended with an announcement that a demo for the game is now available.
The video is part of a series, called Nintendo Presents, which Nintendo is presenting throughout Gamescom to highlight many of its upcoming releases. The Dragon Quest XI video is an in-depth look at the gameplay, battle system and world of the game. It also features producer Hokuto Okamoto and famed Dragon Quest series creator Yuji Horii.
One of the most talked-about features that is shown off in the video is the game’s 2D mode, which transforms the game world from the modern 3D polygonal world you start out with into a 2D, 16-bit style replica. It’s a slick callback to the series history that was first enjoyed by fans who played the Japanese 3DS version of the game, which was never localized for the West. In the 3DS game, the 3D world played out on the top screen while the 2D world played simultaneously on the bottom screen. In the Switch game, which limits the player to one screen, the process for switching between the two modes is a bit different and more cumbersome. The current 3D world game needs to be saved and a new story chapter started before access to the 2D mode is granted.
As for the Dragon Quest XI S demo itself, it should run about 10 hours and has the option to save your game. Your progress in the demo can then be transferred to the main game where you can pick up right where you left off when it releases on September 27.