Dragon Quest VIII for 3DS now has a release date

Nintendo has announced that the 3DS remake of Dragon Quest VIII: The Journey of the Cursed King will now release in Europe on January 20, 2017.

The 3DS version of the beloved PS2 game will include some new features such as two new playable characters and new side quests.

Players now have the ability to host monsters on the go, which wasn't present in the PS2 version. There is voice acting in plot-heavy cut-scenes, new story content that will give more backstory about the game's protagonist and its main antagonist. The game will also feature an alternative ending.

Nintendo has said that some of parts of the game have been streamlined to make the game more fun. There is no need to go to church to save your game as there is now a quick save function. (Die-hard fans will still probably go to church to save their game, tough.) There is also a speed up feature for random battles, which will make grinding more bearable.

There is also a photo mode that lets you take pictures outside of battles and cutscenes. The main protagonist and the party can perform poses and you can add filters, frames and stickers.

Will you be picking up Dragon Quest VIII for the 3DS? Let us know in the comments below.