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
Buy Now
Buy on

Review this game

  1. Your Score
    0 out of 10
    Rate this:
    • 10
    • 9
    • 8
    • 7
    • 6
    • 5
    • 4
    • 3
    • 2
    • 1
    • 0
    • 0
  1. Submit
  2. Check Spelling
view
per page
  1. bigdalton
    Jan 15, 2021
    10
    What a game. It gave me Final Fantasy 7-10 vibes all the way. While the menus could be a bit better the fighting, collecting, making armor and questing were top notch. The story is just beautiful and funny while keeping the tension high.
    I just finished perfect armor an all characters and will finish the last boss fight tonight. I might cry a little afterwards.
  2. Tubey
    Apr 18, 2021
    9
    First, what it gets right - a gorgeous art style, beautiful use of colour, which you'd expect from a Toriyama aesthetic. This is the best Dragon Quest has ever looked. Tremendous world design, with various beautifully done areas each with a distinct theme (even though the Haiku village I could happily do without, unbelievably annoying!) An engaging cast of characters with decent voiceFirst, what it gets right - a gorgeous art style, beautiful use of colour, which you'd expect from a Toriyama aesthetic. This is the best Dragon Quest has ever looked. Tremendous world design, with various beautifully done areas each with a distinct theme (even though the Haiku village I could happily do without, unbelievably annoying!) An engaging cast of characters with decent voice acting, even if some are notably better than others. A really polished combat system, familiar to DQ veterans but also very accessible (even if the free camera gimmick is just that; a gimmick.)
    It's so easy to get roped into this game and spend 100 hours just trying to find everything, squeeze every bit of life out of it, because it is just that engaging. In many ways, this is an JRPG masterpiece.

    Things it gets wrong - the enemy variety, whilst superficially good, suffers from very over the top sprite swaps as the game progresses and comes across as extremely lazy. The mediocre skill trees, where most abilities are 'samey' and you end up looking to unlock stat increases instead. The silent protagonist trope is done to extreme excess here and begins to grate towards the end; the game is lucky the writing and supporting characters are so good. A clunky Act 3 (particularly the transition to it, which just broke my engagement in the game - annoyingly I can't explain why without spoilers but, yeah, everything up to the end of Act 2 is sublime, and then it tumbles off a cliff. Your mileage may vary with it.)

    The soundtrack is... passable. It's an orchestral affair which should be better than it actually is. It's technically impressive but to my ears is a bit muted throughout and doesn't leave a lasting impression.

    But for all it gets wrong, it gets much more right. It's a very, very good game, with some very obvious flaws - for that reason this is the lowest 9 I could give, closer to a high 8. It's one of those rare games where a 1-10 scoring scale doesn't seem appropriate - this is an 8.8 for me. It doesn't join the echelon of 'greatest games I've ever played' for me, but it's firmly on the second tier and I can say with no hesitation that it was a pleasure to spend 100+ hours in Erdrea.    … Expand
  3. SamL01
    Dec 7, 2021
    10
    My absolute favourite game of all time! The story is excellent, the end game content is huge and the turn based combat system is perfect

    A very well balanced game and I will certainly be playing it again in the near future

    Its always on sale so if you haven’t already got it, get it! You won’t regret it
  4. KingMike860
    Dec 10, 2020
    10
    This game is a masterpiece you should definitely play it. Open world game great story good characters overall perfect game.
  5. Ali1983
    Dec 8, 2020
    9
    this game is soo classic and it's worth your time I played DQ 8 on PS2 back than and it's almost same style.... S version give better orchestra.

    great story 9/10
    good graphic 8/10
    excellent sound music10/10
    great game play 9/10
  6. MahOgre
    Dec 12, 2020
    9
    I alredy love DQ, and now they added the jap voices(had to play the original muting the voices, I'm an eng dub hater), and that "old school" mode is just a whole new game on top of the original experience, this one is good, extremely good.
  7. dnztanaci
    Dec 6, 2020
    10
    This is a must-play for JRPG fans. The price is also pretty good for its value.
  8. Theuzetz
    Dec 7, 2020
    10
    This game is a love letter to JRPG fans, and a great introduction for people that want to get into the genre. Not only one of the JRPGs I've ever played, but one of my favorite games of all time, this is a masterpiece no one should miss out on
  9. Rafael021
    Jan 31, 2021
    10
    Um ótimo jogo de RPG, tem uma grande historia. Quem gosta de RPG recomendo.
  10. BigPapa1
    Jan 30, 2021
    10
    It's honestly a better and more complete game than that overrated final Fantasy 7 remake
  11. UnknownMight
    Jan 1, 2021
    8
    A tad too traditional, don't go play this game expecting any novelties and you will enjoy it
  12. Rabney08
    Jul 9, 2021
    10
    This game just rocks. Just mastering the mini sledge was an addicting time sink. I’ve never played a single DQ game but I love the lore and gameplay so much!
  13. MeleeHD
    Dec 7, 2020
    8
    Pretty decent JRPG if you're a fan, espeically if you are Dragon Quest fan. You already know what to expect and of course filled with all the DQ humor, really enjoyable sitdown to game on
  14. dmshakespeare
    Nov 8, 2021
    9
    I have a lot of love for Dragon Quest as a series and Dragon Quest XI is my favorite to date. I hadn't played many traditional JRPGs for a long time until I picked up Persona 5, and shortly thereafter the original Dragon Quest XI launched. I had a bit of a difficult time getting into the original though due to the grating midi soundtrack. So once I found out that the definitive editionI have a lot of love for Dragon Quest as a series and Dragon Quest XI is my favorite to date. I hadn't played many traditional JRPGs for a long time until I picked up Persona 5, and shortly thereafter the original Dragon Quest XI launched. I had a bit of a difficult time getting into the original though due to the grating midi soundtrack. So once I found out that the definitive edition would feature a fully orchestral score, I was ready to jump right back in.
    And boy am I glad I made that jump. DQXIS has quickly become my top "comfort game", beating out Stardew Valley and Spiritfarer.
    I'll start off by saying I wasn't impressed by the story at first, as it was very heavy on fantasy tropes and cliches and I predicted almost every major plot point (though there was one move in the second act that I thought was pretty ballsy and didn't really expect). But what made it click was realizing that it was the closest a game I've played has come to capturing the feel of a D&D game. I even made the realization early on that almost every character is basically a personified D&D class and has similar ability sets. That's when the game's writing clicked and I actually got really on board, despite the fact that it didn't surprise me that much, if ever.
    This was strengthened by its wonderfully fun gameplay and stunning art direction. While neither had quite the same level of depth or ambition that Persona 5 did, that never made the game feel shallow or dull. The battles were thoroughly fun, if at times a bit grindy.
    If there's one thing I wish, I'd say that I wish there were more than two battle tracks, especially considering that neither of the battle tracks are that interesting. I'll also say there are some dungeons that feel like they're padded with some meaningless fluff that I wasn't entirely on board with.
    All in all, Dragon Quest XI is about as cookie-cutter a JRPG as you can get, but I'll say two things about that: 1. Dragon Quest reverses a right to be a bit generic since it's the granddaddy of JRPGs and 2. what kind of soulless monster doesn't like cookies?    … Expand
  15. my1metacritic
    May 20, 2021
    10
    I've never played a Dragon Quest game and DRAGON QUEST XI S: Echoes of an Elusive Age – Definitive Edition is the perfect game for newcomers like me. With its great characters, comfortable gameplay and splendid storytelling; this game is one of the finest JRPGs I've ever played.
  16. Mscox93
    Oct 12, 2022
    10
    This game is great,and though I love the Nintendo Switch,the graphics don’t do it Justice! To have the full modern experience go for the more powerful consoles with the Definitive Edition! This is “Dragon Quest 11” so it’s a great game,but even better with the new instrumental music. The Switch version doesn’t really look nice at all,and really made me drop the game! I’m so happy they madeThis game is great,and though I love the Nintendo Switch,the graphics don’t do it Justice! To have the full modern experience go for the more powerful consoles with the Definitive Edition! This is “Dragon Quest 11” so it’s a great game,but even better with the new instrumental music. The Switch version doesn’t really look nice at all,and really made me drop the game! I’m so happy they made a definitive edition of the more powerful consoles!… Expand
  17. kikecorrales
    May 2, 2021
    10
    Uno de los mejores juegos que he jugado, una historia que te atrapa, unos personajes muy carismáticos, escenarios variados y bonitos, un sistema de combate por turnos perfecto que consigue ponerte en algún aprieto de vez en cuando. recomendado a cualquier persona que se inicie en los JRPG o a los expertos en el género.
  18. IvanHielo
    Nov 20, 2021
    10
    El mejor RPJ de la generación, el mundo y ciudades son una delicia visual, los personajes carismáticos y entrañables y la historia una auténtica pasada, sentí al jugarlo una montaña rusa de emociones. Sin duda uno de los mejores de toda la saga
  19. Seungmin7142
    Feb 7, 2022
    10
    100시간 동안 하는 내내 지루하지 않고 재밌게 했다
    컨텐츠도 다양하고 인물들도 매력적이고 성우 연기도 맛깔났다 후속작이 매우 기대됨
  20. RPG_Fanatic
    Jun 21, 2023
    10
    I am glad that the game continues to be a classic RPG in all aspects.i Love the art style,the music and the turn battle strategic.I hope they continue releasing the sequels being classic RPG because o love the Dragon Quest franchise so much.
    .......
    Dragon Quest XI for me is the best.
  21. lovejina83
    Jun 14, 2023
    10
    It is a masterpiece that expands the worldview of Dragon Quest. 11S is perfectly over 11 as a complete version. There's no boring section in the game and I've played this for 500 hours on repeat. 11 will have to join the best Dragon Quest game with DQ3 and 5.

Awards & Rankings

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

Critic Reviews

All reviews »
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.
    Read full review
  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.
    Read full review
  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.
    Read full review
See all critic reviews »