Dragon Quest XI: Echoes of an Elusive Age

 PlayStation 4
User Score
8.6

Generally favorable reviews- based on 971 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 822 out of 971
  2. Mixed: 70 out of 971
  3. Negative: 79 out of 971
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  1. M4nU
    Sep 4, 2018
    10
    It has been a long long time since we met...but hopefully you're finally here again. This is simply the real JRPG game for real RPG gamers! There is no way round it: You just love it or hate it...on my opinion this is a piece of classic game history and it is wonderful!
  2. Evaz
    Sep 9, 2018
    10
    A gem amongst a sea of stones.
    Never did i know,a game could feel like home.
    Ive been searching for a game to truly captivate me like this one has. Ive put countless hours into countless titles, games that have been given high praise yet not once did i find my heart put into these games until now.dragon quest does something a tad bit different from the rest. Theres so much heart and    A gem amongst a sea of stones.
    Never did i know,a game could feel like home.
    Ive been searching for a game to truly captivate me like this one has. Ive put countless hours into countless titles, games that have been given high praise yet not once did i find my heart put into these games until now.dragon quest does something a tad bit different from the rest. Theres so much heart and innocence put into it and examples of this shine with every step taken in this beautiful world.there are games that are made to sell,and there are very few games where the creators ideas and real world beliefs are put into its creation,this is one of those very few examples where the body of work is made to express the very creators being in hopes to shine a light within the players dimmed soul. Play this game with an open mind and heart, take the journey slow and steady and i promise youll enjoy every step of the way    … Expand
  3. Bailiff_Gamer
    Sep 5, 2018
    10
    Great JRPG with turn based combat that reminds me of the gold old time rpgs. The art and graphics are really good and the vintage sound effects are nice and respect the fans of the franchise.
  4. Zilve
    Sep 4, 2018
    10
    Finally a true jrpg that reminds me of the golden age of rpg's (1990 ish, ps1/ps2 era)

    After many years of mostly terrible games that all felt short on either story, gameplay, or mechanics i am glad to be playing dragon quest XI. The game looks amazing, next to also having a great story, and amazing cutscenes. As a big fan of these old school rpg's ( ff 4-10, grandia, legend of    Finally a true jrpg that reminds me of the golden age of rpg's (1990 ish, ps1/ps2 era)

    After many years of mostly terrible games that all felt short on either story, gameplay, or mechanics i am glad to be playing dragon quest XI.
    The game looks amazing, next to also having a great story, and amazing cutscenes.

    As a big fan of these old school rpg's ( ff 4-10, grandia, legend of legaia, legend of dragoons etc) i am very glad to see that the concept of these games has not been forgotten yet.    … Expand
  5. jas2336
    Sep 4, 2018
    10
    Dragon Warrior on the NES was the game that made me fall in love with RPG's so i bought this game thinking it would be worth it based on nostalgia alone and it is. On top of that the look of the game, the turn based combat, the level up and skill system and the story are fantastic. 5 hours in and I'm hooked, I can't wait to get out of work so i can fire up my PS4. 10/10
  6. Killer_Cort
    Sep 8, 2018
    10
    I really have to give this game a perfect score. It's absolutely gorgeous, has great voice acting, and is paced perfectly. I really love the art style of kind of cell shaded mixed with conventional textures. It really looks phenomenal blended together. I personally think this is the best looking JRPG made in a long time.

    I'm so sick of RPGs branching out too much before you even get    I really have to give this game a perfect score. It's absolutely gorgeous, has great voice acting, and is paced perfectly. I really love the art style of kind of cell shaded mixed with conventional textures. It really looks phenomenal blended together. I personally think this is the best looking JRPG made in a long time.

    I'm so sick of RPGs branching out too much before you even get started, but this game does a great job at keeping you focused while still giving you a lot of meat to chew on. The turn based combat is quick when it needs to be and complex enough for boss battles.

    If there are any faults to Dragon Quest XI, they are greatly outweighed by its charms to the point of being forgivable.    … Expand
  7. yitus
    Sep 17, 2018
    10
    A masterpiece of video games. It made me feel something special again that I had not felt with a video game for years.
    Dragon Quest XI is at the height of the VIII, reaching to exceed it in certain points, it has certainly become one of my favorite games and for sure it is a game that will mark a before and after in the RPG and in the Dragon Quest Saga.
    Excellent music, exceptional story    A masterpiece of video games. It made me feel something special again that I had not felt with a video game for years.
    Dragon Quest XI is at the height of the VIII, reaching to exceed it in certain points, it has certainly become one of my favorite games and for sure it is a game that will mark a before and after in the RPG and in the Dragon Quest Saga.
    Excellent music, exceptional story plot, sublime graphics.
    Honestly I can not speak badly about this game in anything. A perfect game for my liking.    … Expand
  8. LustLain
    Sep 8, 2018
    10
    Let me preface this review by saying: Do not let the large amount of negative user scores dissuade you from giving this game a shot. I understand that users can't always be bothered to justify their score with a written review, but I did the math and found that approximately 1 review per 10 negative ratings is about what you should normally expect on average. Yet here we are with 45Let me preface this review by saying: Do not let the large amount of negative user scores dissuade you from giving this game a shot. I understand that users can't always be bothered to justify their score with a written review, but I did the math and found that approximately 1 review per 10 negative ratings is about what you should normally expect on average. Yet here we are with 45 negative scores and not even a single review to back it up... not even a half-baked one. Something's clearly fishy here, and if I had to wager a guess, it's probably the work of people who are fanboys of a certain other IP that also recently got a prominent game release. The type of person who would make a huge fuss about minor graphical "downgrades" and "low" high-80s review scores would probably also be liable to get jealous/angry when a very different game reviews comparably to their darling.

    Enough about that though, the game is absolutely fantastic. If you've ever been even remotely curious to give Dragon Quest (or JRPGs in general) a try, this game is an excellent place to finally dive in. It's absolutely gorgeous, has the robust turn-based gameplay that the series is known for, is overflowing with charm at every turn, has a colorful cast of lovable characters starring in a satisfying traditional story told with a refreshing amount of skill and cleverness, has a top-notch localization featuring mostly excellent voice acting, and is just overall an extremely joyful, cozy game to spend dozens of hours with. Some people say it's old school to a fault, but I couldn't disagree more. Its way of doing things are different than other major JRPG releases of the decade, such as Persona 5, but it's no less valid. It's absolutely not just tradition for tradition's sake.

    My single biggest criticism would have to be the soundtrack. I personally enjoy it, but in this instance, nostalgia is definitely helping prop it up. It's playful and fun, but fairly repetitive... and the fact it's MIDI is undoubtedly a disappointment. The obnoxiously heavy-handed copyright enforcement is also a bummer. That said, I do think some people are overblowing the music issue a bit... it's not ear-bleedingly bad. The default audio balance has the music too loud relative to sounds and voices though, which might be why some people are finding it so grating. I think turning music volume down to 6 is the sweet spot.

    To sum up: Fantastic game... One of the best JRPGs of the last decade, if not all time. Give it a chance.    … Expand
  9. Serenityinaz12
    Sep 4, 2018
    10
    Absolutely amazing - after a decade of the gaming media trying to force action battles down our throats telling everyone no one likes turn based anymore, here we have a game that tops all of them.
  10. FogCityRoller
    Sep 9, 2018
    9
    Sad to see this title get rating bombed. This is a top 10 PS4 title without a doubt. The art style is fantastic. I even give it an edge over Ni No Kuni and Breath of the Wild, which have art styles that are somewhat similar.

    The gameplay is intuitive. Whenever necessary mechanics will be explained as you progress. When you load a save it gives you a briefing about where you are at in    Sad to see this title get rating bombed. This is a top 10 PS4 title without a doubt. The art style is fantastic. I even give it an edge over Ni No Kuni and Breath of the Wild, which have art styles that are somewhat similar.

    The gameplay is intuitive. Whenever necessary mechanics will be explained as you progress. When you load a save it gives you a briefing about where you are at in the storyline, which as an older gamer with a not-so-perfect memory I friggin' love that they did this. It is classic JRPG structure at its best. Movement is fluid and responsive. For those familiar with JRPGs I will summarize what they have changed that I think are MAJOR bonuses:
    -Being able to customize hardmode difficulties without some blanket configuration that leaves you guessing what they changed.
    -No more random battles. YAY! You can see enemies on the screen and running away from them is extremely easy. The worst part of old school JRPGs was being out of items and MP and praying you get back into town in time before losing hours of progress.
    -Fast travel via spells including dungeons. Ropes were expensive and annoying to manage. Not anymore. 8)
    -Save points have all sorts of services including ailment curing and resurrections (downside: they cost currency)

    The combat is SO good. It has incredible depth and rewards strategy. The one downside is you don't get to truly experience how great it can be without going into hardmode settings, because the base version of the game is a bit too easy to fully flesh this out. The story isn't original by any means and Norse mythology is getting played out very quickly, but the characters are hilarious even if the way they get introduced makes them seem a bit irritating initially. The accents are all over the place and even mismatched with vernacular but I find this gives it a campy feeling that I personally love.

    The game is almost fully voiced except for the mute protagonist, non-storyline characters, and some minor dialogue. The mute protagonist is not unusual for JRPGs but it's an "immersion" technique that has not aged well at all. I really wish RPG developers would stop doing this.

    My primary complaint is the button mapping cannot be changed except for camera movement (ironic since the camera defaults are the only mappings that feel natural). The mapping is easy to get used to but initially counterintuitive by modern standards, and at times utterly baffling. Accessing the map is bound to square instead of the touchpad, and the options button toggles autorun (wtf?). L2 & R2 can skip/progress dialogue which is a real pain for anyone who puts the controller down. It's EXTREMELY sensitive too. The most minimal contact with L2/R2 can skip an entire screen's worth of dialogue.

    I know JRPGs are more popular with older gamers, especially those of us who grew up on the SNES and PS1/2. That said, many of the traditional JRPG elements might not bode well with younger gamers. The repetitive MIDI music, the grinding (necessary for harder modes, not necessary at all for the base gameplay), the "princess is in another castle" plot device, the intentionally cheesy dialogue. Many of us love this stuff though because it's familiar. It will be divisive but these aspects being present are not objectively negative.    … Expand
  11. Spazilton
    Jul 27, 2019
    10
    Almost perfect in every way. The best Dragon Quest game to date. Every bit the masterpiece 8 was and more. If Turn Based RPGs are your thing, this is the game to get. Absolutely classic JRPG, and one of the top 5 games for the PS4, and the best Dragon Quest to date.
  12. Trix122
    Sep 9, 2018
    10
    Best J-rpg of the last 10 years together with Persona 5, old school full of charisma, amazing fantasy world, depth, challenging if you play hard mode, insane graphics and scenario, great story write and plot, lovely music, every city has it's own way of speaking ,personality and accent simulating different places of the world... could continue all day.

    For me its goty by far.
  13. ElektroDragon
    Sep 24, 2018
    10
    I have been waiting 14 years for another single player console Dragon Quest game! I am not in the least disappointed, this game is EVERYTHING I was hoping it would be and more. Infinitely more playable and more fun than FFXV. Please fellow gamers, buy this masterpiece so Squeenix localizes future installments! They say that if it does not sell well the localization is in jeopardy.I have been waiting 14 years for another single player console Dragon Quest game! I am not in the least disappointed, this game is EVERYTHING I was hoping it would be and more. Infinitely more playable and more fun than FFXV. Please fellow gamers, buy this masterpiece so Squeenix localizes future installments! They say that if it does not sell well the localization is in jeopardy. Although if they are concerned about sales I am not sure why they'd make it a PlayStation exclusive, but regardless, this is a MUST PLAY game!… Expand
  14. ulukinatme
    Sep 25, 2018
    10
    I came into this game a little hesitant. I grew up playing many of the old Dragon Quest games, but I always preferred Final Fantasy. I have to say the Final Fantasy franchise has left me disappointed in recent years, but Dragon Quest VIII was a pleasure to play and now 100+ hours into Dragon Quest XI I can say the same for this game. I was pleasantly surprised at the bits of nostalgiaI came into this game a little hesitant. I grew up playing many of the old Dragon Quest games, but I always preferred Final Fantasy. I have to say the Final Fantasy franchise has left me disappointed in recent years, but Dragon Quest VIII was a pleasure to play and now 100+ hours into Dragon Quest XI I can say the same for this game. I was pleasantly surprised at the bits of nostalgia that are sprinkled into this game, but not too much so that it becomes a negative thing. The story really gets good as you play through the game. The characters are great. I was not particularly entertained by some characters at first, but the game completely changed my mind later as their stories developed. I can't remember the last time a game was able to do that. The combat is nothing really new for a Dragon Quest game, but the simplicity is part of that nostalgia and for me it was just fine as it was. The character designs and visuals were superb, and the music was enjoyable as well. I plan on continuing to play this game well past the 100 hours as there are still things I have yet to discover.… Expand
  15. superpyro296
    Nov 5, 2020
    8
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. This game is certainly way better than the average. Basically, this is a traditional JRPG made in 2018 by Square Enix. On almost all aspects, this game shines. We quickly see, as we start the game, that this is a high quality polished product. The story is good, the graphics are great and we have a game that will last around 100 hours (I spent 90 hours on my playthrough)

    I give 8,5/10 for this game. I don't have a lot of experience for JRPG in this category but last year, i have played Persona 5. I think those games are really different and I would definitely recommend both. Dragon Quest XI seems more targeted for a younger audience though...

    My only little complaint for this game was the difficulty level. I started with the draconian settings on (Stronger monsters) and I've been able to battle until the Octopus boss on this harder difficulty. For me, that was just too hard. Then, I turned down the diffuculty level to normal and the game became way too easy...After a couple of bosses, the normal difficulty became more balanced and I could benefit from some challenge.

    In term of story, it is generally good despite a slow start and a few holes in the middle. I think the different characters are well developed.

    I recommend this game especially for those who want to try JRPG's and see if it is for them. Don't expect anything really innovative but you will get a strong turn-based JRPG.    … Expand
  16. w0odyallen
    Oct 8, 2018
    10
    My first dragon quest experience and one that had turned me into a lifelong fan. Easily the best JRPG I've played. In my opinion this is better than any final fantasy.
  17. BryanModerate
    Jan 3, 2019
    10
    As a classic RPG gamer I found DQ11 refreshing. Brought me back to days of Ultima on C64, Original Dragon Warrior on NES and Phantasy Star on Genisis.
  18. Jmart8
    Sep 7, 2020
    8
    Don't get me wrong, I absolutely loved the game. It introduced my to the franchise and I was surprised by how much good quality content it has, will be a fan for all next releases.

    Now the low score is because of 2 things; combat system can be improved and Im nore of a action RPG kind of guy AND MAINLY because of the totally broken casino system which doesnt work and it requores you to    Don't get me wrong, I absolutely loved the game. It introduced my to the franchise and I was surprised by how much good quality content it has, will be a fan for all next releases.

    Now the low score is because of 2 things; combat system can be improved and Im nore of a action RPG kind of guy AND MAINLY because of the totally broken casino system which doesnt work and it requores you to deal with it to complete centain secondary missions (not even cheating exploits helped the 6+ horrible hours I had to struggle with that)    … Expand
  19. JGar453
    Sep 10, 2020
    8
    It harkens back to 80s JRPGs and the combat should be familiar but it never really feels like it's holding it back, if anything this is the boldest Dragon Quest game ever. The graphics are very good for its cartoony aesthetic and you'll be drawn into it not for the thrill of battle but for the cute monsters with dumb pun names. The music is okay, it gets repetitive. The combat is easy toIt harkens back to 80s JRPGs and the combat should be familiar but it never really feels like it's holding it back, if anything this is the boldest Dragon Quest game ever. The graphics are very good for its cartoony aesthetic and you'll be drawn into it not for the thrill of battle but for the cute monsters with dumb pun names. The music is okay, it gets repetitive. The combat is easy to understand. On normal mode as long as you face any enemies that look unique to you, you'll be fine, there are no random encounters. I love the versatility of equipment swapping and character swapping in battle. Every character fills just the right niche and you'll use all of them of your own volition probably. It's a bit buff and debuff heavy once you start to understand the game, with dedicated support characters. It doesn't punish being experimental with its skill tree as you can easily reallocate skill points. I guess my biggest criticism of the combat is the turn order being completely random with a dash of it being influenced by the agility stat. The generic set up of the story can be a turn off but you get in a episodic groove once the story really takes off. And then it goes really full gear in what I consider the 2nd act. The character development in that part of the game is great and it really shows how hard the developers tried to make every detail matter. The post-game has a storyline which is interesting lore wise but honestly I do take issue with some of the basic premise of it. But it does offer some more difficult combat trials. I think the main party of characters is great, I initially had negative perceptions of some of them but they all reveal themselves to be far more wholesome and troubled people than you initially believed. How I felt about characters such as Erik and Veronica drastically changed, I honestly thought Veronica was awful at first. It's a light-hearted affair but there are a couple moments that get a tad depressing in the game. One thing I thought was really cool about the North American version was some of the liberties they took with town dialogue. Every city featured some type of caricature like Spain, Italy, Hawaii, etc. but it's all very cute, the VAs are accented and have much more elaborate lines than the JP VAs, and there's this village where everyone speaks in haiku and then sometimes the kids break haiku for effect before stopping themselves. This is the kind of thing that happens when a localization team actually loves the product they're translating.

    It's easy to make a big massive JRPG map and just have it be point A to point B but Dragon Quest doesn't half ass any areas of the map. It has small but noteable flaws but I remember it as an endearing experience and that's what matters.    … Expand
  20. pixelpassion
    Sep 4, 2018
    10
    This is a modern classic it's a old friend returned a comfort a familiarity that's lasted like no other in gaming.....it's Dragon Quest at it's finest ♥️
  21. jugadorhardcore
    Sep 6, 2018
    10
    finally a Dragon Quest! great game. a masterpiece! this genre is difficult to come by
  22. RogueCloud145
    Sep 5, 2018
    10
    Dragon Quest XI is a throwback to the golden era of JRPG. The modern day graphics, beautiful art style, amazing soundtrack and detail are everything that long-term fans (such as myself) were waiting for. The story is simple, straightforward and captivating. The characters are remarkable and charismatic. The battle system is fast, smooth and fun. The progression, pace and personal reward isDragon Quest XI is a throwback to the golden era of JRPG. The modern day graphics, beautiful art style, amazing soundtrack and detail are everything that long-term fans (such as myself) were waiting for. The story is simple, straightforward and captivating. The characters are remarkable and charismatic. The battle system is fast, smooth and fun. The progression, pace and personal reward is well balanced. I recognize it is not a game for everyone. I would not recommend to people who love action-packed games. Dragon Quest is a rather contemplative series. My final score is 10 (masterpiece)! And game of the year for me!… Expand
  23. Risax
    Sep 19, 2018
    10
    I am going to start this review off by saying I might be a bit biased, considering how I really enjoy the Dragon Quest games.

    Dragon Quest XI starts off like most Dragon Quest games. You are a village boy of sixteen years old who goes to meet the king and eventually you have to fight a demonic overlord. It does throw some curve balls, of course. But the big storypoints mostly stay the    I am going to start this review off by saying I might be a bit biased, considering how I really enjoy the Dragon Quest games.

    Dragon Quest XI starts off like most Dragon Quest games. You are a village boy of sixteen years old who goes to meet the king and eventually you have to fight a demonic overlord. It does throw some curve balls, of course. But the big storypoints mostly stay the same.

    Now, first of all, the game looks beautiful. It's so colourful and the music is fantastic. Again the character designs are done by Akira Toriyama and your protagonist resembles Android 17 quite a bit. Combat is much unchanged. You can walk around, but your position on the field doesn't really seem to matter.

    Overall, the game always kept me entertained and it never felt like a chore playing. Well, almost never. There is some content after the main game that requirers you to go through some Trials that puts you through areas you've already visited. It mainly seems to be used as a fun way to grind to defeat the True Final Boss and it gives you the chance to get better equipment and recipes, so I didn't mind it THAT much. Another thing I disliked was the voice acting, but you can turn that off if you prefer.

    In any case, I'd recommend this game to anyone who is a fan of JRPGs. You need no knowledge of the other Dragon Quest games.    … Expand
  24. Arcanm
    Sep 4, 2018
    10
    It´s a great game, the best dragon quest ever, amazing soundtrack, im a nintendo fan.
  25. Eibon
    Mar 2, 2019
    9
    The game is good, don't get me wrong. But the music is painful - just a few highly pitched tracks repeated over and over and over and over and over and over and over again... And those taunts after almost every combat as soon as you get first party member... -3 score only for music/voice yelling(after battles).

    Sound design is ruining this game. --- update --- Now when i finished    The game is good, don't get me wrong. But the music is painful - just a few highly pitched tracks repeated over and over and over and over and over and over and over again... And those taunts after almost every combat as soon as you get first party member... -3 score only for music/voice yelling(after battles).

    Sound design is ruining this game.

    --- update ---

    Now when i finished a WHOLE game(post-game included) i changing my score to solid 9(-1 for music). It's a GREAT game where you MUST see rolling credits twice to claim you finished it.    … Expand
  26. minuano2k
    Feb 1, 2019
    10
    정통 턴제 rpg의 미래.
    점점 시대에서 밀려나고 있는 현실이지만, 분명 턴제만이 줄수 있는 매력이 있다.
    그 매력을 얼마나 현대적 관점에서도 살려낼수 있느냐가 쉽지 않은 일이지만,
    드퀘11은 굉장히 멋지게 턴제의 매력을 보여주는데 성공했다.
  27. elitegeek79
    Mar 7, 2019
    10
    Delightful! Captures the essence of the series with the new art direction seen in the heroes series and some nice new touches such as using enemies as vehicles. So many charming locations and people/monsters. A lot of fun with plenty of quests and mini games. A must play for any fan of the series or JRPG lovers.
  28. Maarten95
    Apr 14, 2019
    10
    I haven't played an turnbased RPG this good since persona 5. The story aldo not very original, is very likeable. I did wish they showed the bad guy a bit more because most of the game you only see his lackeys. The combat has been fleshed out with new weapons, mechanics and skills. The graphics are amazing and so is the artstyle. If only the soundtrack was this good. This is the only badI haven't played an turnbased RPG this good since persona 5. The story aldo not very original, is very likeable. I did wish they showed the bad guy a bit more because most of the game you only see his lackeys. The combat has been fleshed out with new weapons, mechanics and skills. The graphics are amazing and so is the artstyle. If only the soundtrack was this good. This is the only bad thing I can say about the game. It felt like an stepdown from Octopath traveler who used orchastrated music. Overal this is one of the best turnbased RPG's I have ever played!… Expand
  29. PedroHF
    Mar 8, 2019
    10
    Best JRPG on the PS4 and one of the best games I have played, I love the characters and the game!
  30. Vitalick
    Dec 19, 2020
    8
    Great jrpg game , maybe not best graphics and sometimes music to repetitive but ig you like the jrpgs this is a must play game
  31. davidco11
    Sep 4, 2018
    10
    This game is like going back to the time of ps2, I am very happy to be able to play again in a new installment after so many years!
  32. Black-Templar
    Sep 7, 2018
    9
    The game is almost perfect, but the Midi soundtracks along with the voice acting is preventing the game to get a perfect score.
    I know the Japan version does not have voice acting, but the Eng Dub is absolutely horrible.
    You feel no passion at all, it's like they ask their own Devs Employees to do overtime by forcing them to do the voice acting of the characters... But yep, almost a    The game is almost perfect, but the Midi soundtracks along with the voice acting is preventing the game to get a perfect score.
    I know the Japan version does not have voice acting, but the Eng Dub is absolutely horrible.

    You feel no passion at all, it's like they ask their own Devs Employees to do overtime by forcing them to do the voice acting of the characters...

    But yep, almost a perfect score! Still giving the game a solid 8.5 out of 10 for the exquisite gameplay and level design, along with the storytelling.

    Hopefully they will also add the option to buy the orchestrated soundtracks!    … Expand
  33. Noodle69ish
    Sep 13, 2018
    10
    The game-play is great. The story is phenomenal. The music is legendary. The art is beautiful. The progression is perfect. This series is one of the most underrated of all time over here in America, I say no more. Play this game immediately people, it will be the best 100-140 hours of your gaming life
  34. Lestatman
    Sep 14, 2018
    9
    This is my first Dragon Quest game I've played and so far I'm loving it. Love the art style, characters, voice acting (with accents), story and the turn based combat which I so missed. For me it's one of those games once you start you simply don't want to stop playing. I'm not Square's biggest fan but thank you for this.
  35. Das_reaper666
    Sep 23, 2018
    10
    I am loving this game brilliant story. Got me back into JRPGs again best one since persona 5. I would recommend this hands down
  36. gusman
    Sep 25, 2018
    10
    Best game in years. DQ XI whipes the floor with BotW, that crap doesn't deserves a 10, this game does.
  37. Sick7
    Nov 25, 2018
    10
    Great game, i loved it sooo much ! This is how i love a JRPG turn-based game. Worth all the money i invested in.
  38. UnsightlyWhale
    Nov 25, 2018
    10
    Best JRPG I have played in a long time. You just don't see turn-based combat done well anymore. Glad I bought this well worth it. I have spent a few hundred hours on it and there is still more to do.
  39. budlightlime
    Apr 10, 2019
    9
    I have played many RPGs and a few JRPGS. This is my first in the series of Dragon Quest and it has taken me on an unforgettable journey through the 110 hours it has taken me to completely finish this game.

    Pros - Great old school turn based combat - in-depth story - lovable characters - plenty of quests and challenges - over 100 hours of gameplay - colour and creative enemy    I have played many RPGs and a few JRPGS. This is my first in the series of Dragon Quest and it has taken me on an unforgettable journey through the 110 hours it has taken me to completely finish this game.

    Pros
    - Great old school turn based combat
    - in-depth story
    - lovable characters
    - plenty of quests and challenges
    - over 100 hours of gameplay
    - colour and creative enemy designs

    Cons
    - Poor music, considering you are playing the game for so long, it gets repetitive very quickly
    - The forge system was frustrating until late game
    - Random spikes in difficulty but generally quite easy    … Expand
  40. bassie0317
    Jan 7, 2019
    10
    Easely one of the best j-rpg's in years, the game looks stunning and the world is made brilliantly.
    The old-school turn based combat system combined with a great story make this game a must have for all jrpg lovers.
  41. KusoGaki
    Mar 1, 2019
    10
    I really love the Dragon Quest franchise. And this is game is one of the reasons why I love Dragon Quest. But I think the story really need to be more engaged just like the V.
  42. TimNotSam
    Mar 6, 2019
    9
    For me, this game is perfect (first time playing dq). It captures my imagination and is a perfect escape to a fantasy realm. The graphics are lively and fun- I personally get bored of drab colour. The gameplay is repitive but also fun as there is a keen sense of reward and investment. You never know what is going to happen and you find your party in different scenarios challenged withFor me, this game is perfect (first time playing dq). It captures my imagination and is a perfect escape to a fantasy realm. The graphics are lively and fun- I personally get bored of drab colour. The gameplay is repitive but also fun as there is a keen sense of reward and investment. You never know what is going to happen and you find your party in different scenarios challenged with truly fun events. This game by all means follows a formula and isn't deep, but for someone who is stressed a lot and doesn't play games to relive this stress, it is perfect.

    EDIT: I stand by my earlier claims, however I have come to be a little pestered at the recycled assets, music, extended and needless travelling at times (I mean the rediscovering/revisiting/back& forth -trying to not give any spoilers away) and finally, the side quests. These are mostly fetch/search quests or battles where you have to use some form of pep. Very pointless copy and paste sort of things that reward well enough that if you do not do them, youre missing out on useful items. I don't think they are needed, except for the people that want 100% completion    … Expand
  43. Modest
    Apr 28, 2019
    9
    The dragon quest series is kinda big in Japan, just to throw an understatement out there. The "people calling in sick" the day after the release quote reminds me of when i was a teenager and bought ff7. I was enamored by it, and it changed a simple likening of videogames into a full blown passion. Once i grew up, gotta a little older i realized that that feeling would probably never returnThe dragon quest series is kinda big in Japan, just to throw an understatement out there. The "people calling in sick" the day after the release quote reminds me of when i was a teenager and bought ff7. I was enamored by it, and it changed a simple likening of videogames into a full blown passion. Once i grew up, gotta a little older i realized that that feeling would probably never return as intens as it felt like when i was younger, but Dragon Quest 11 made me feel like that kid again. The feeling of going on a grand adventure in a fantasy land where you get to know your  party of heroes and the world they live in. It has all the fundementals that made Jrpgs my favorite kind of games.

    Amazingly well written and voice acted story, characters backstory are handled with care and attention and the world is visually stunning, also the battle system is as oldskool as you can get and i love it for it.

    As for the music... yes there are issues, the sound quality is not top notch as they were going for a more retro sounding soundtrack to me me personally it didn't bother me as much as it did other fans of the series. It definitely could have used a couple of more variety in tracks though the ones that are there are good in there own right.

    So are you one of those guys that fell in love with games like final fantasy 7 and are longing for a similar kind of feel.. this is a must buy. Its 70 to 80 hours of pure interesting jrpg goodness for ya. So enjoy!  I am thankful it's finally here in the west hope it sticks around for a while.    … Expand
  44. UserReviewsLUL
    Feb 15, 2020
    10
    I love the atmosphere and the chance to go into old times like that. all the adventures. The decisions you can chose. The temple missions. The game is just outstanding. id give it a 20 if it were possible.
  45. JWil
    Jul 23, 2020
    8
    I give it a 8 only because the music wasn’t the best it could be and hampered the experience of a masterpiece. Will Yuji Horii, Koichi Sugiyama, and Akira Toriyama outdo themselves again?! I really hope and pray so! This game shouldn’t be missed! But if possible get the definitive version on the Nintendo Switch!
  46. rhamade19
    Sep 4, 2018
    10
    I've never played a dragon quest game, but this game looks incredibly intriguing and I'm willing to give it a shot. Everything that I've seen so far makes this game a must have in my opinion
  47. suutto
    Sep 10, 2018
    10
    totemo ii game. totemo iiyo... korezo old school na rpg de music mo graphics mo iine.
  48. Benniphx
    Sep 5, 2018
    10
    Absolutely amazing - I feel like a kid again playing the first time final fantasy. now so many years later it great to have nice old school jrpgs again.
  49. kirkender
    Jun 7, 2019
    10
    DQXI is the perfect JRPG. Its long, has great characters, lovely stories, simple and super fun combat, tons of stuff to do and gorgeous visuals.

    If you compare this game to other games, this is 6/10 - its slow, weirdly paced, filled with odd things, silly things and the combat system is limited. This is a JRPG for JRPG lovers and purists. Are you replaying Final Fantasy IV and Golden    DQXI is the perfect JRPG. Its long, has great characters, lovely stories, simple and super fun combat, tons of stuff to do and gorgeous visuals.

    If you compare this game to other games, this is 6/10 - its slow, weirdly paced, filled with odd things, silly things and the combat system is limited. This is a JRPG for JRPG lovers and purists. Are you replaying Final Fantasy IV and Golden Sun? DQXI is for you. Do you play God of War and Red Dead Redemption 2? Then you will be bored and die of that boredom.    … Expand
  50. donhocine
    Sep 4, 2018
    10
    simply a dream come true i would never taught that we will one day have a better DQ the DQ8 and 11 just did it im not far unto the game but waw this game is worth a 10
  51. The_BlueRose
    Mar 16, 2020
    8
    Que decir de Dragon Quest, uno de los JRPG´s más clásicos.
    En esta entrega sigue manteniendo esa esencia clásica de diseño, historia de la luz contra la oscuridad y el periplo del héroe. Diseños de Toriyama que aunque muy vistosos pueden pecar de repetitivos y una jugabilidad clásica que podría implementar algunas mejoras un poco más modernas.
    La experiencia en general es muy    Que decir de Dragon Quest, uno de los JRPG´s más clásicos.
    En esta entrega sigue manteniendo esa esencia clásica de diseño, historia de la luz contra la oscuridad y el periplo del héroe. Diseños de Toriyama que aunque muy vistosos pueden pecar de repetitivos y una jugabilidad clásica que podría implementar algunas mejoras un poco más modernas.

    La experiencia en general es muy disfrutable, aunque personalmente el segundo acto flojea bastante por se redundancia con respecto al primero y una dificultad bastante baja, a excepción del post game que te obliga a farmear para tener algún tipo de posibilidad.    … Expand
  52. Oldschooldrewc
    Nov 27, 2018
    8
    This was a fun game and at first you find the idea of using the old school music and sound effects as charming but it quickly wears thin after 8-10 hours. The gameplay itself is your standard classic turn based JRPG which is not a bad thing. Too many companies now try to over complicate RPG's now so it is nice to have a straight forward system. Part of the reason I have given this an 8This was a fun game and at first you find the idea of using the old school music and sound effects as charming but it quickly wears thin after 8-10 hours. The gameplay itself is your standard classic turn based JRPG which is not a bad thing. Too many companies now try to over complicate RPG's now so it is nice to have a straight forward system. Part of the reason I have given this an 8 instead of higher is because of the end of part two that leads into part three. I won't spoil it but I just felt like the whole "resolve everything with altering time" is played out. It didn't even feel necessary when it first happens as the reason revolves around characters you barely ever deal with. Second is the voice acting which is absolutely AWFUL. It seriously is one of the worst voice acted games I've ever heard. If They put the Japanese voice over work into this, I'd probably bump this to a 9 but thankfully the gameplay is so enjoyable I only knocked it down to an 8. Still this is worth playing but play knowing you'll probably mute or turn down the volume many times while playing.… Expand
  53. ScarecrowFTW
    Feb 19, 2019
    9
    I’m a bit late to the party but man am I glad I came this game has become my second favorite in the series behind number 8 the art and graphics a beautiful and the gameplay although a bit easy on the beginning becomes more difficult around the middle of the game. Love the character skill trees with just enough variance to make each unique. The only place it loses a point for me is theI’m a bit late to the party but man am I glad I came this game has become my second favorite in the series behind number 8 the art and graphics a beautiful and the gameplay although a bit easy on the beginning becomes more difficult around the middle of the game. Love the character skill trees with just enough variance to make each unique. The only place it loses a point for me is the music not bieng fully orchestrated doesn’t mean it’s bad just sounds a bit off. Akira Toriyamas art design has never looked or felt more unique than in this game. A must buy for any rpg fan.… Expand
  54. MegaPlayboy
    Jul 16, 2019
    8
    Un gran juego que te hará farmear experiencia hasta sangrar en el post game (Nivel 70 recomendado XD)...
  55. FlowserGames
    Jun 10, 2020
    8
    This is a game which is simple on the surface and deep when you get into it. The incredible art design from Akira Toriyama mixed with the unique design of each area and the cringe-inducing puns that are in nearly every town really make the game something special. Its a true testament to the Dragon Quest series as a whole and is the best JRPG of 2018:
    Pros
    -Amazing art design    This is a game which is simple on the surface and deep when you get into it. The incredible art design from Akira Toriyama mixed with the unique design of each area and the cringe-inducing puns that are in nearly every town really make the game something special. Its a true testament to the Dragon Quest series as a whole and is the best JRPG of 2018:
    Pros
    -Amazing art design
    -Interesting story
    -Good characters
    -Streamlined combat, but also very experimental
    -Painfully good puns
    Cons:
    -Little quality-of-life features (no skipping cutscenes, no battle speed toggle)
    -Sometimes bad or overexaggerated voice acting and animations
    -Some lacking character development with Jade
    -How Act 3 (spoiler) essentially reverses all character development made throughout the game

    Overall score: 8 or 8.5/10    … Expand
  56. GothmogAngband
    Feb 5, 2020
    8
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Buen juego de rol estilo clasico combates por turnos ,como su antecesor ,pero con la diferencia que el de playstation 2 la historia es mejor… Expand
  57. ThePSButton
    Apr 4, 2020
    8
    Delicioso RPG con sabor clásico. Entre lo mejor de la franquicia y muy accesible para los que empiezan su aventura en los Dragon Quest.
  58. GlennLimos
    Nov 23, 2018
    9
    For what it is, it is close to perfect, a classic JRPG. The auto combat (which I never did use) makes combat less tedious for those who feel this way about classic JRPG combat. The game has an engaging story and it gets better and better. The characters grow on you, but to warn people, they are extremely anime, and the game gets pretty silly and close to cringy at times.

    My biggest    For what it is, it is close to perfect, a classic JRPG. The auto combat (which I never did use) makes combat less tedious for those who feel this way about classic JRPG combat. The game has an engaging story and it gets better and better. The characters grow on you, but to warn people, they are extremely anime, and the game gets pretty silly and close to cringy at times.

    My biggest complaint is the music during gameplay, it's midi, and a little less memorable than DQ8s soundtrack because of it. DQ8 still sits with me after all these years, the overworld theme there is fantastic and the orchestration of the music there made the whole game so much better. So the first thing you should do is turn down the music volume in the menu.    … Expand
  59. bonsai
    May 23, 2022
    9
    To me, this game goes directly in my top 3 JRPGs of all time, together with Chrono Trigger and Tales of Synphonia, I loved this game to death and did the platinum trophy, looking for everything to do until there wasn't anything left, 160 hours of pure fun.
  60. dramatickid
    Dec 30, 2018
    8
    A captivating plot and amazing characters are what make this game truly enjoyable despite its very linear structure and"classic" (not to say OLD) mechanics. Something a true JRPG fan would totally love but not for everyone.
  61. danistorm
    Nov 7, 2018
    9
    Dragon Quest XI is already a "modern classic" of the RPG genre. It has everything a Rpg player wants to find in a game. The dream team of Yuji, Toriyama and Koichi made it again.

    The story is deep, interesting and complex, and it is a tribute to the whole Dragon Quest saga, the character design is superb and the music (despite no being so powerful like in V,VI or VIII) is really good.    Dragon Quest XI is already a "modern classic" of the RPG genre. It has everything a Rpg player wants to find in a game. The dream team of Yuji, Toriyama and Koichi made it again.

    The story is deep, interesting and complex, and it is a tribute to the whole Dragon Quest saga, the character design is superb and the music (despite no being so powerful like in V,VI or VIII) is really good.

    The game play is the classic one even more polished, with a talent system which allow players to have tons of combat and party settings and variations.

    This game will be remembered, as other gems of the genre are, as a must play. Let the legend of Dragon Quest continue!    … Expand
  62. Charlybs
    Jul 24, 2022
    9
    Un jrpg muy divertido y largo. Aventura es la palabra que mejor lo define. Desprende alegría, gusto, buen rollo a lo largo de toda la aventura. Lo recomiendo muchísimo incluso si nunca has jugado a rol por turnos.
  63. Neatqt
    Feb 25, 2019
    9
    Cast: 10/10
    Story: 9/10
    Fun: 9/10
    Gameplay: 10/10

    Recommended
    ----------------------
  64. chrisdan23
    Jun 9, 2022
    8
    Dragon Quest ist so ein Sache für sich. Ein Spielkonzept, dass sich einfach sträubt zu altern. Im Kern spielen sich Dragon Quest Games heute immer noch so, wie vor zwanzig Jahren, auch wenn der neue Ableger der Serie in schickem 3D Look daher kommt. Das Kampfsystem ist rundenbasiert und klassisch im besten Sinne. Die Story ist der typische Heldentruppen Epos, der durch zwei, dreiDragon Quest ist so ein Sache für sich. Ein Spielkonzept, dass sich einfach sträubt zu altern. Im Kern spielen sich Dragon Quest Games heute immer noch so, wie vor zwanzig Jahren, auch wenn der neue Ableger der Serie in schickem 3D Look daher kommt. Das Kampfsystem ist rundenbasiert und klassisch im besten Sinne. Die Story ist der typische Heldentruppen Epos, der durch zwei, drei geschickte Wendungen im Laufe der Geschichte immer mal wieder reanimiert wird. Das klingt alles nicht sehr spannend? Die besondere Stärke von Dragon Quest waren seit jeher die charmanten Charaktere. Auch hier hat man wieder mit dem Autor des Dragon Ball Universums zusammen gearbeitet. Das ists was dem Spiel das gewisse extra gibt und heraus holt aus dem Einerlei der klassischen JRPGs. Daher nicht nur zu empfehlen für Fans des Genres. Die werden den Titel sowieso suchten.… Expand
  65. hector_bcn98
    Nov 16, 2022
    9
    Agradezco tanto a Square Enix que me diese una experiencia JRPG clásica de toda la vida, con turnos y todo, que ahora solo pido que traigan el X Offline y saber algo más de XII.
  66. NoLameGames
    Feb 28, 2022
    9
    What a grand adventure this game was! A total gem, I'd never played a Dragon Quest game before, I'd heard it was good, but was always skeptical about that. I was in for a wonderful surprise this game was a breath of fresh air in the JRPG scene. It's very tried and true, but it had just enough QOL features to show what a JRPG should be striving for in this day and age.
  67. Sensou
    Aug 29, 2022
    9
    I kind of understand why people can say this game is the best JRPG besides Persona 5 or even Fire Emblem Three Houses (which a bit different in genre).

    Dragon Quest XI has a massive world (probably the biggest out there), not like Persona which you only play on the deck of your house and Fire Emblem that only play around in the monastery. So you can explore the world and find lot of    I kind of understand why people can say this game is the best JRPG besides Persona 5 or even Fire Emblem Three Houses (which a bit different in genre).

    Dragon Quest XI has a massive world (probably the biggest out there), not like Persona which you only play on the deck of your house and Fire Emblem that only play around in the monastery. So you can explore the world and find lot of things which some of them are jaw-dropping due to the beauty of it. The Academy and Octagonia are my favorite place in DQ XI.

    The music, OST or BGM (whatever you call it) is heavenly. It's the truth, I play the game mostly only to dive into the world of DQ XI with the majestic yet soothing music. Japanese musicians truly never fails to set the tone for a game.

    Besides that, DQ XI is truly the default of JRPG. When we talk about JRPG, DQ XI is the closest game that can completely reflect what JRPG is which a good thing IMO but at the same time, they are lacking some unique selling point from big hit JRPG like Persona 5 and Fire Emblem Three Houses as well as the 1st Ni No Kuni.

    Besides that, the characters is DQ XI is perfect. I love Sylvando, Veronica and Rab due to their quirkiness. On top of that, you can play as your party member because all the party member will get separated in some point in the game which becomes my favorite part of the game because they tried to explore and do things their own after getting separated.

    The craziest thing is the post-content which act more like DLC for me rather than post-content and it's a big chunk of post content which basically it's equal to 1/2 of the main game. Completely loving the post-content.

    Overall I do enjoy the game as a die hard JRPG fans and I can say that DQ XI offer the best and the most beautiful scenery out of all JRPG game out there with another one of the best heavenly music to complement that.    … Expand
  68. MoniWhite
    Feb 7, 2022
    8
    Not one of the better Dragon Quest games but it's still Dragon Quest so I love the traditional turn based battling
  69. Ginger_Avenger
    Nov 19, 2022
    8
    It's the same JRPG comfort food you come to crave after while, just as with the previous installments. Nothing groundbreaking, but it's a well put together world and cast that makes it way thru the typical RPG plot. All the usual creatures and gear is there, but with the current gen upgrade, everything has a colorful charm to it. It'd be hard to hate something like this, but you won't haveIt's the same JRPG comfort food you come to crave after while, just as with the previous installments. Nothing groundbreaking, but it's a well put together world and cast that makes it way thru the typical RPG plot. All the usual creatures and gear is there, but with the current gen upgrade, everything has a colorful charm to it. It'd be hard to hate something like this, but you won't have your mind blown either. It's still the same RPG experience from twenty years ago. I give the western PS4 release a downgraded score since we apparently only got the lower grade music, not the orchestral version.… Expand
  70. Eddyy
    Mar 27, 2022
    10
    graphic and story are beautiful
    music is perfect
    story and citys 12/10

    realy good game
  71. Edenscott
    May 8, 2023
    9
    One of the best modern JRPGs, very chill, but entertaining to play with traditional JRPG combat.
  72. TianLong1
    Mar 31, 2023
    9
    Never have I ever experienced such an engaging adventure, with such endearing characters and greatly structured story, one of the longest also. The soundtrack is amazing. The gameplay is really simple and turn-based but provides you with enough evolution and variety to keep you going for 100 hours of gameplay, since there are so many enemies and ways to defeat them. The only aspect I didntNever have I ever experienced such an engaging adventure, with such endearing characters and greatly structured story, one of the longest also. The soundtrack is amazing. The gameplay is really simple and turn-based but provides you with enough evolution and variety to keep you going for 100 hours of gameplay, since there are so many enemies and ways to defeat them. The only aspect I didnt like was the fact that your protagonist doesnt talk at all, no voice acting to give him some semblance of personality. When a NPC would talk to him with great voice acting, your protagonist would simply nod while smiling like an idiot. And also, I wish the game was not so "grindy" in the end in order to defeat the final boss.… Expand
  73. sawduck
    May 8, 2023
    8
    A very enjoyable game but my god is it long, i might try some of the older games next
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Awards & Rankings

18
#18 Best PS4 Game of 2018
19
#19 Most Discussed PS4 Game of 2018
29
#29 Most Shared PS4 Game of 2018

Critic Reviews

All reviews »
Metascore
86

Generally favorable reviews - based on 86 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 80 out of 86
  2. Mixed: 6 out of 86
  3. Negative: 0 out of 86
  1. PLAY! Zine
    Mar 11, 2019
    85
    Might not be the greatest game of all time, but it probably is the best game in the most quality maintaining JRPG series of all time. Is that even better? Could be! Do not miss this gorgeous yet pretty nostalgic game set in a well known universe of the Dragon Quest franchise.
    Read full review
  2. CD-Action
    Jan 9, 2019
    85
    Dragon Quest XI clings to tradition, but when you buy a DQ game, you don’t expect a revolution. You expect vibrant characters and thrilling adventures and that’s exactly what you get, amplified by the level of execution unparalleled not only in the series, but in the whole genre. [11/2018, p.66]
  3. GameGrin
    Jan 2, 2019
    100
    Dragon Quest XI: Echoes Of An Elusive Age is a perfect game, it sticks to with traditional JRPG roots while still bringing in a few new mechanics to freshen it up a bit.
    Read full review
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