Dragon Quest XI S: Echoes of an Elusive Age - Definitive Edition

 PlayStation 4
User Score
8.0

Generally favorable reviews- based on 165 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 122 out of 165
  2. Mixed: 23 out of 165
  3. Negative: 20 out of 165
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  1. Zakis1991
    Dec 26, 2020
    0
    Спасибо, что заботитесь о русскоязычных игроках. Как всегда все языки мира кроме русского
  2. Forcer77
    Dec 21, 2020
    4
    I decided to play this game because I saw so many positive reviews and how people praise this game. So I got this game and expected to enjoy of playing one of the best games.... but when I started to play I was disappointed more and more with every hour I played.
    what can I say about this game? game mechanics is very primitive and childish, dialogues are boring and childish, side quests    I decided to play this game because I saw so many positive reviews and how people praise this game. So I got this game and expected to enjoy of playing one of the best games.... but when I started to play I was disappointed more and more with every hour I played.
    what can I say about this game? game mechanics is very primitive and childish, dialogues are boring and childish, side quests are just dumb, your enemies - monsters look like toys for children, combat system is easy and annoying, combat music is also very annoying and disgusting to listen it every time when you enter combat zone. Your protagonist can't speak. he can't say even a single word. he seems to be speechless. in his dialogues you can choose only "yes" or "no" and that's all...
    Of course I can't say that this game is completely bad but I couldn't finish it. I couldn't waste my time on it because there are much better games. It's not worth my time. I was really disappointed and I can't understand how people can like it so much... On my opinion this game obviously doesn't deserve so high score and ratings    … Expand
  3. Olkadan
    Feb 1, 2021
    1
    Adventures of boring silent protagonist and his generic companions in their struggle with generic evil.
    Open world is not a big deal in 2020.
    Music is good but not used properly. Music is on the loop. I hated it eventually.
    Combat system is a classic turn based and i do not like it.

    However, if you liked Dragon Quest you may enjoy it.
    For me bad story is a deal breaker.
  4. sailorsleepy
    Jan 30, 2021
    1
    Here we have another painfully beige JRPG. It is the usual and overplayed fantasy game full of White people (people of color do not exist in fantasy worlds, much to the relief of Trump voters). Even Hotto, a town that seems to be inspired by Japanese culture and architecture is strangely full of a bunch of White people. Japan, what is with the obsession with White people...? You could atHere we have another painfully beige JRPG. It is the usual and overplayed fantasy game full of White people (people of color do not exist in fantasy worlds, much to the relief of Trump voters). Even Hotto, a town that seems to be inspired by Japanese culture and architecture is strangely full of a bunch of White people. Japan, what is with the obsession with White people...? You could at least make them interesting...? What the heck is with all of the blondes? And why does everyone have a British accent? And what in the WORLD is Erik's accent supposed to be? He sounds like a British person trying to do a New England accent. And I know that this game is cherished in Japan (which often leaves me feeling bewildered), but the art design is atrocious. Yes, I know. This game came out when DBZ was popular, and I liked DBZ too when I was 9. Characters also have gigantic foreheads and they all seem to have strabismus, they should really see a doctor about that.

    All of the NPCs look the same. You'll see the same 5-NPCs in each town. All of the soldiers wear the same clothes, even though you're supposed to be in another country. When they made this vanilla game, they were seriously not aiming for historical accuracy at ALL. I am well aware that this is your typical overplayed fantasy game full of White people, but you can tell that some areas are inspired by different cultures. But that is too much work, apparently. Dragon Quest excels at being bland, boring, inconsequential, nothing. Which seems to be on brand for JRPGs in general.

    This game has not changed at all--which is a positive thing if you live in Japan because apparently they celebrate the painfully boring and predictable. I do not know how someone can eat the same thing every night and still find it amazing. But I guess I just can't relate because I'm an American. God forbid if they could release a game that was innovative.

    I recommend this game if you like boring, predictable, bland fantasy stories about White people being the "chosen ones", carrying the light, etc. which then leads to them fighting "evil", etc. Geez, we really haven't heard that one before! Also, I am quite certain that the main character has antisocial personality disorder. He reacts with such coldness equal to Ted Bundy. Nevermind, Ted Bundy was at least interesting. He has no personality and I seriously think that he must be a serial killer. The lack of emotion is not normal. Oh, you'll also like this game if you like listening to the same 2-songs for an eternity (did they not have the budget for better music...? It also sounds so dated). The monsters look childish and stupid. Pokemon has better "monster" designs than this game.

    So, obviously you can tell that I did not like this game. I tried to give it a go. But it's just so bad. JRPGs have such a bad reputation and you can really see why this is true. I think JRPGs are better left in Japan. They at least find tropes about White people interesting. If my review has turned you off from the game, I recommend the Witcher 3 instead.    … Expand
  5. spizer511
    Aug 28, 2022
    3
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. (Giving up 40 hours in, final party member just joined)

    I don't hold a special place for Dragon Quest games and thus I guess this just isn't my cup of tea. If you have nostalgia for JRPG's of old, Dragon Quest or otherwise, then I think this might be for you.

    I don't get the draw. I mean, the poly counts on the characters and monsters are respectable. The character and monster textures (just don't look at the curly/spiky hair) are respectable. But this feels like a nostalgic love letter that celebrates the choices made by hardware limitations in past eras, rather than anything all together impressive.

    In story telling, pacing matters. I think I could let a lot of my issues slide if there wasn't a solid second pause after every voiced bit of dialogue. Not paragraph, not string of sentences, but rather every sentence(ish). There's this awkward pause that adds so much ducking time to already superfluous dialogue. So instead of allowing the automatic advancement, I find myself sitting with my finger on the x button just to advance the scene so that the pacing feels more natural. Like when a monster jumps at a character and they turn and say, "What the..." and it pauses instead of action already in progress continuing.

    On top of that we have the punch-list:
    - The story is boring and takes forever to progress in ways you expected.
    - The characters react like every cartoon-y or cute character that comes out of Japanese pop-culture (i.e. over exaggerated everything).
    - The Environments aren't really that impressive, high texture quality doesn't make up for lack of actual things (I honestly wondered if it was originally made for the PS3 and functionally "remastered" for the PS4).

    I get it. Choices were made. But in any other medium- theater, movies, tv, audio books, western rpgs, people would lose their minds.

    Ultimately I believe I saw someone refer to this as "comfort food" in a positive review... Given the lack of challenge in both gameplay and story, I agree with this sentiment.    … Expand
  6. P1ayer_One
    Nov 27, 2021
    1
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. This game drags on and on and on. It’s got like 4 final bosses, tricking you thinking you are done each time. Just lazy storytelling really. The final 2 bosses are impossible to beat at max level unless you’ve also farmed the best gear and pep pops. If this game ended after act 2 it would be 10/10. But continues on for another 100 hours after that. A repetitive slog with nothing to offer.… Expand

Awards & Rankings

3
#3 Best PS4 Game of 2020
76
#76 Most Discussed PS4 Game of 2020

Critic Reviews

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Metascore
91

Universal acclaim - based on 25 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 25 out of 25
  2. Mixed: 0 out of 25
  3. Negative: 0 out of 25
  1. RPGamer
    Mar 3, 2021
    80
    Dragon Quest XI S: Echoes of an Elusive Age is the perfect starting point for those who are new to the series. Many small quality-of-life changes help streamline the experience for players, additional content and costumes create more flavor to the story, and the addition of the orchestral soundtrack bolsters the experience. It’s a shame that the Switch port wasn’t re-rendered to give S the same graphic prowess as the original game, but even with its noticeable downgrades, Dragon Quest XI S is well worth the time.
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  2. Games.cz
    Feb 19, 2021
    80
    This is a very solid JRPG with a fun story and a decidedly unfun protagonist. But his companions are great! You’ll be further pleased by this game’s tough boss fights, further annoyed by its repetitive music.
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  3. Cubed3
    Jan 20, 2021
    80
    Dragon Quest XI remains one of the best entries in the series, and thanks to this Definitive Edition - which boasts all the new content originally included in the Switch port - it manages to feel more polished, more streamlined and more enjoyable. The fact that this is an incredible experience is only marginally diminished by some controversial graphics alterations and a less than savoury removal of previous versions from virtual storefronts in favour of this edition. Still, the content that is on offer here is superior to the original version of the game and more than justifies a re-entry into this endearing, fantastical tale.
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