In a recent press conference, Enix and Square announced that the upcoming Dragon Quest VIII will be developed for the PlayStation 2. Furthermore, the merging companies have given the honor of developing this game to Level 5, whose current project list includes Dark Cloud 2 and True Fantasy Online. The staff will also include familiar faces such as series' creator Yuji Horii as the scenario planner, and the noted Akira Toriyama as the character designer.

In addition, screens featured in the upcoming issue of the Japanese magazine Shonen Jump reveal the cel-shaded graphics and characters drawn in Toriyama's unique style. No release date for Dragon Quest VIII is in sight, but RPGamer will share any details as they become available.