7th Dragon III Code: VFD to release in North America this Summer

Sega has announced that 7th Dragon III: Code VFD will release in North America this summer for Nintendo 3DS. Code VFD is the third title in the handheld JRPG series, following 7th Dragon on Nintendo DS and 7th Dragon 2020 on PSP. Both were developed by the now defunct Imageepoch, and neither received an official release outside of Japan. This new title is said to be the last game in the series. Shirou Miwa returns as character designer and Yuzo Koshiro returns as composer.

Code VFD is a turn-based, dungeon crawling RPG where players create a party out of 8 different available classes.The 7th Dragon games are standalone, so no prior series knowledge is necessary. The game will be available at retail and on Nintendo eShop for $39.99/CA$54.99. The game features Japanese voices - over 40 options to choose from for your main character.

Sega has released a teaser trailer alongside the announcement, and you can find the fact sheet and English screenshots below. You can also visit the official website here.

  • A bleak world and engaging story - The year is 2100, dragons have invaded Earth and are ravaging the human race. As the protagonist, players must team up with "video game company" Nodens Enterprises to become a dragon hunter and save the universe.
  • Unique settings and time periods - Fortunately for humanity, Nodens Enterprises has found the key to tip the scales in favor of mankind. The protagonist must travel through time to three different eras -- the mythical kingdom of Atlantis, futuristic capital of the land of Eden, and present-day Tokyo -- in order to defeat the True Dragons and stand a chance against the most powerful one... the 7th Dragon: VFD.
  • A deep party system and character customization options - All characters are completely customizable from the get-go. Players will be joined by two squad members in the field, and have up to nine characters in their party. With eight classes (such as Samurai, God Hand, Rune Knight, and more), 40 voice options, and 96 appearance options, gamers will have plenty of options to develop the perfect dragon hunting team.
  • Base building with Nodens Enterprises HQ - Fighting dragons is tough work, but at least the team can recuperate at HQ where they can develop skills, collect side quests, and even go on dates. In addition, more floors such as a library, skylounge, and cat café can be added in order to improve HQ. Yes, you read that correctly, it says cat café.  
  • Lots of dragons! - Although there are a variety of enemies to fight, it would be wise to be prepared for the myriad dragons you'll face. It'll take careful planning and strategy to defeat these dragons, so choosing the right squad -- and right look -- is paramount!
7th Dragon III: Code VFD Screenshots