Nintendo has officially revealed European and US release dates for Square Enix’s industry-crushing DS game, Dragon Quest IX, or as it will be known in the West, Dragon Quest IX: Sentinels of the Starry Skies.

The RPG will become available in the US on July 11th, and in Europe and the UK on July 23rd, and will allow you to customise the looks of your own characters, as well as those of the companions that join you on your adventure, while collecting over 1000 pieces of equipment to improve your abilities.

You’ll also be able to change the class of your character at any time during the game, which affects your abilities and strengths as you level up.

Cooperative multiplayer is one of Dragon Quest IX’s biggest features, and you’ll be able to team up with three other players via a local wireless connection and move through the adventure together, destroying monsters and exploring dungeons as a group.

The interactive ‘Tag Mode’ feature in Dragon Quest IX allows you to leave the game active on your DS wherever you go, and information about your character, as well as treasure maps and customised greetings, can be wirelessly transmitted to other players who similarly have their games active and set to Tag Mode, while going about their daily business.

In addition, new in-game quests (that either extend the main storyline or are simply standalone missions) will be made available for free download once Dragon Quest IX is released, and promise to provide “hours of additional content for virtual adventurers.”

The story of Dragon Quest IX goes a little something like this:

“In Dragon Quest IX: Sentinels of the Starry Skies, players begin their adventure as a city guardian who is sent to retrieve a sacred tree’s fruits, which have the power to grant wishes.

“Players travel the world, conquer fearsome monsters and unravel an epic storyline. During their journey, players will encounter mighty opponents in fast-paced battles, and also interact with a colorful cast of characters.”

You should definitely look forward to Dragon Quest IX: Sentinels of the Starry Skies in July!

Until then, you can watch a Japanese Dragon Quest IX overview trailer to see the game in action.

Source: Nintendo Everything