Sega's 7th Dragon III Code: VFD announced for U.S. release on Nintendo 3DS

Publisher Sega announced that its Nintendo 3DS RPG 7th Dragon III Code: VFD is due for a North American launch later this year.

The upcoming release marks 7th Dragon’s first-ever appearance stateside, following up on multiple series entries released exclusively in Japan over the past decade.

7th Dragon III Code: VFD is a console-styled RPG with an emphasis on character building and customization. The game offers eight playable classes, each boasting their own unique abilities, buffs, and magic attacks in battle. Players are also given extensive control over their characters’ appearance and voiced dialogue.

Combat in the 7th Dragon games is turn-based, and shares many similarities with Atlus’ Etrian Odyssey series. Players must carefully weigh their options before committing to a plan of attack, as specific character builds can deal elemental damage that targets enemy weaknesses.

7th Dragon III Code: VFD is the fourth game in Sega’s 7th Dragon series, which originally kicked off on the Nintendo DS in Japan in 2009. The original 7th Dragon featured 2D graphics and gameplay that recalled the style of 16-bit console RPGs, and introduced a series-spanning storyline in which Earth is under siege by an army of invading dragons.

The series shifted to a 3D presentation with 2011’s 7th Dragon 2020 for the PlayStation Portable. A direct sequel, 7th Dragon 2020-II, later hit the PSP in 2013. Though the series earned a dedicated worldwide fanbase, English-language versions of the first three 7th Dragon games never surfaced stateside.

7th Dragon III Code: VFD is the latest in a string of recent localization announcements from Sega. The publisher recently revealed that its 3DS retro compilation Sega 3D Classics Collection will hit store shelves and the 3DS eShop in North America this spring, and a localization of its revamped strategy-RPG Valkyria Chronicles Remastered will be available for the PlayStation 4 in May.

7th Dragon III Code: VFD will premiere for the Nintendo 3DS in North America this summer. A release date is not yet known.