Dragon Quest XI S : Echoes of an Elusive Age – Definitive Edition
- Genres : RPG, Action
- Publishers : Nintendo
- Developers : Square Enix
- Players : 1
- Consoles : Nintendo Switch
- Languages : British English, French, German, Italian, Spanish, Korean, Simplified Chinese, Canadian French, Traditional Chinese, American English
- Release date : September 27, 2019
I discovered the cult Dragon Quest series a little by chance while buying Dragon Quest Builders on Switch. I loved that game: its ambiance, its graphics, its soundtrack as well as its scenario seduced me. I was looking for a gameplay similar to Minecraft but with a touch of RPG and I completely fell in love with this series of games derived of the Dragon Quest saga and I bought Dragon Quest Builder II as soon as it got out.
My passion for this series began like that! Those two spin offs of the series have aroused my curiosity enough to entice me in getting the three original games that have been brought to the Switch. I then discovered a new gameplay based on a mythical series.
Attracted more and more by the series, it is naturally that I got Dragon Quest XI S on Switch. A game that I have since it got out but I was hesitant on beginning thinking that I wouldn’t have time to finish it while working or that it would take me months. So I took advantage of the lockdown to spend a little over than 80 hours on the game and I nearly finished the main adventure. I still have about 40 secondary quest as well as the Chronomis but I think I finally made my mind up about this game.
Dragon Quest XI S more than a game: an adventure
Each time that I go on Dragon Quest my feeling is the same: I haven’t had the impression to be playing to a game but truly having lived an adventure. This opus made me travel through a vast continent with multiple aspects/cultures and live a poignant story alongside of a very endearing team of characters. Yes, even Sylvando and its exuberant personality but Erik will always be my favourite.
Honestly, playing Dragon Quest is an experience to live and discover. Yes, the game is long, but you won’t get bored. You will travel, meet endearing characters with whom you will share your quest and in each place you will visit, you will encounter flamboyant characters, kind or mean… A true adventure to live from the comfort of your couch. Furthermore, the Switch version will allow you to deepen your relations with each of the members of your team. Those quests are available only on the Switch version and bring a lot to the main story and it allowed me to get a lot more attached to each of the characters. I am delighted to have plunged into my adventure alongside them a little longer.
The game is equally full of small touch of humour: It is really nice and quiet refreshing during the adventure that leads us to sometimes sad and pretty harsh scenes.
This time, I shared my adventure live thanks to Twitch and I think that thanks to this sharing with my community and the one of Nintendo Town I enjoyed this game even more the game.
Does Dragon Quest XI S hold its technical promises on Switch?
I would answer to this question with a huge yes! But to answer with more details, I will propose you to see why it is a “big yes” step by step beginning by what we can see and hear at first in this case: the music. The Switch version benefits from unmissable music from the Dragon Quest series but each of the themes have been recorded another time in orchestral version. And it rocks a lot!
The soundtrack is magnificent and only hearing the first few notes of the main theme in the menu made me want to play. It is quite impressing for me that a music, that I discovered quite late, made me want to plunge in the adventure that is Dragon Quest so much, whatever the version.
The second point, and it’s this one that will be most noticeable: the graphics. The traditional graphics from Akira Toriyama are even more beautiful in this Dragon Quest XI to arrive to graphics of the same level as Dragon Ball Z. One must like this graphics style but when one grew up with Sangoku, we can only appreciate it. Other than the graphics paste, the animations and decors are carefully drawn and enjoyable.
An option allows you to play a 2D mode but I’d rather enjoy the beautiful graphics that the Switch proposes us.
The third point is about the gameplay. It is simple to take into hand be it in the combat phases or in the exploration phases. This Dragon Quest XI takes the historical gameplay of the series. I love this style of combat turn by turn of the Dragon Quests and I appreciate immensely the automatic combat option that allows one to gain some time during the exp phases. When we chose to “act wisely” the team will manage by itself to kill the monster and in an intelligent way by using the actions that I will have chosen in most cases. Furthermore it is an enormous gain of time.
I also appreciated the fact to be able to craft my gear myself thanks to the transforge that one can use at any moment. A very enjoyable new feature.
The fourth and last point will concern the scenario of this Dragon Quest XI that I really adored! I became attached to each characters and their stories. I was passionate for their quest and for their believing in the fantastic world. I teared up, I got angry when I discovered important twists of the story. And as always, the twists and turns and other poker moves are plentiful in this game. Everything, under the form of a truly magnificent adventure in a fantastical medieval universe that puts a beautiful friendship story forward.
Conclusion
Dragon Quest XI S is a RPG that I adored at every level: scenario, gameplay, graphics, music and characters. I lived a really beautiful adventure full of twists and turns that moved me and took me in a fantastical medieval universe with neat graphics. The orchestral version music of the game literally teleported me in the heart of the adventure taking me away from my daily life. The gameplay is nearly identical to the first versions of the game and seduced me by its simplicity. I recommend vividly this Dragon Quest XI S. You will need between 80 and 90 hours to complete the main scenario but if you do all the secondary quests as well as the ones of the chronomis you will go above the 100 hours of game for sure.
In short, if you have a bit of time and you like JRPG… go ahead…
See you soon!
