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

 Switch
User Score
8.6

Generally favorable reviews- based on 743 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 634 out of 743
  2. Mixed: 41 out of 743
  3. Negative: 68 out of 743
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  1. DerPandaYT
    Dec 13, 2020
    10
    Loved it. Big fan of the Dragon Quest series and this one had nearly everything. Fun story, good fights, lovely world. It is a dragonquest game through and through.
    Only thing that i missed (it was only in dqix) was that armor changes my characters looks. I really liked that.
  2. Wboy2006
    Mar 30, 2021
    10
    The BEST RPG ever! A must play for every RPG fan! And if you don't know if you like it, download the demo. It is the first 10 HOURS of the game. There is no excuse not to play it. The story is brilliant, voice acting is great (in English at least). Characters are likable or hatable (it depends). And characters evolve in the story, characters change. Motivations change. It is a world withThe BEST RPG ever! A must play for every RPG fan! And if you don't know if you like it, download the demo. It is the first 10 HOURS of the game. There is no excuse not to play it. The story is brilliant, voice acting is great (in English at least). Characters are likable or hatable (it depends). And characters evolve in the story, characters change. Motivations change. It is a world with people, not blank slates that help you. A masterpiece. (It is sometimes a little bit grindy, but the game is so good that it doesn't even matter). A must have for any RPG fan.… Expand
  3. kanariya
    Jun 12, 2021
    10
    God game!!
    One of my best games in my life.
    Because if this game I become to look after other JRPGs.
  4. Ripper36
    Sep 10, 2021
    10
    What a wonderful game this is. Its one of the best looking games on the Switch Period. Runs smooth and plays even smoother. I loved the story and combat. Be awhere, its a huge long game that will takes alot of hours to complete but well worth it. Good job Nintendo!
  5. VikiSetyah
    Aug 25, 2021
    10
    Cool, beatiful, immersive world and story. Turn based is not my genre but with beautiful soundtrack i can enjoy this games.
  6. Tikur
    Feb 28, 2022
    10
    Its a masterpiece, simply a masterpiece.

    i have thought that the times, were I spent hours and nights into a game are over. However, this game proved me wrong, I was so fascinated from the story, the characters and the battle system, that I simply couldn't put the controller away. The turn-based battle system is easy to learn and never gets frustrated or boring. There are a variety    Its a masterpiece, simply a masterpiece.

    i have thought that the times, were I spent hours and nights into a game are over.
    However, this game proved me wrong, I was so fascinated from the story, the characters and the battle system, that I simply couldn't put the controller away.

    The turn-based battle system is easy to learn and never gets frustrated or boring. There are a variety of strategies you can experiment with. In combination with the ability system, the motivation to fight gets never lost. You always want to level up to get enough ability points for the next technique or ability. So the core element of the gameplay is motivational and very fun.

    Although it is a very important aspect of each JRPG, the gameplay alone is not the reason, why I rate this game with the 10 out of 10. The main reason are the story and in combination with that, the characters. There are so many fantastic JRPG's like the Final Fantasy Series, the Tales of Series or Xenoblade Chronicles. However creating a cast of characters where anyone of them gets a deep character developement with interesting facets is difficult to achieve. Dragon Quest did just that.
    Every character, which will become one of your allies, has his own unique motivation, his own unique attitude, his own beliefs and most importantly his own backstory with other strong characters.

    For example, the relationship between Henrik and Jasper is one of the strongest side-stories in the game. Rabs sections of characterdevelopement and funny and serious moments are balanced perfectly. Sylvandos joyful attitude will thrill you sooner or later.

    The story as a whole, gets better from act to act. The third act, which is post-game is by far the best of the three. I don't want to spoiler here. Only one thing. Best time travel plot I have seen so far.    … Expand
  7. BodkinDQ
    Dec 8, 2021
    10
    Dragon Quest XI S is a game steeped in tradition and brewed to modernized perfection: the perfect cup of JRPG tea. This is quite candidly the best JRPG and video game of this last decade. Dragon Quest XI S and Persona 5 have essentially led the era into a 2nd coming of the golden age of rpgs. So many great JRPGS in these last few years and DQ XI S is undeniably a leader of the pack. What aDragon Quest XI S is a game steeped in tradition and brewed to modernized perfection: the perfect cup of JRPG tea. This is quite candidly the best JRPG and video game of this last decade. Dragon Quest XI S and Persona 5 have essentially led the era into a 2nd coming of the golden age of rpgs. So many great JRPGS in these last few years and DQ XI S is undeniably a leader of the pack. What a phenomenal, magical adventure this game was, just... Wow! Haven't felt this naive excitement playing games in a long time. Truly a masterpiece!

    Gameplay- was ludicrously enjoyable. Combat system is excellent. It's a traditional turn based combat with modern twists like the exciting pep system and each character's individual turn is acted upon as soon as a skill is selected, rather than picking all your characters skills at the start of a turn and just hoping they act in order of agility. DQ XI S gets rid of that bollocks and its turn based combat is much more conducive to strategic combat. The great turn based combat system is furthermore bolstered when played with draconian modifiers for emphasis on more strategic gameplay, which really makes excellent use of buffs/debuffs, status ailments, set ups, effective damage, etc. If playing normal, it's fun just clobbering the hell outta enemies anyways, so both difficulties have their perks, and difficulty picks up on normal mode in act 3 and post game for sure. Also, it's fun and I mean a fricken blast to ride on defeated monsters, especially on gnarly looking dragons and on the poor slime knight, who just kinda dangles haphazardly on the side as you hop along! That gets a hearty chuckle out of me every time.

    Story- starts out fairly traditional and does have some twists that definitely aren't expected, but the story is exceptionally well told. Erik's memory loss felt all too real and completely genuine. It made me feel like I could empathize with his pain... Veronica's act 2 moment left me in a state of complete emotional distraught. The story is just so heartfelt in this game. It's just a nice fantasy story without the superfluous fluff. Erik is now my new favorite JRPG character and video game character of all time because of both his amazing combat prowess and his characterization. What a cast of lovable characters in general though. Erik and Veronica especially, but the whole cast just was so salt of the earth and fantastic.

    Graphics- cannot tell you how many times I stopped playing this game just to indulge in the breathtaking scenery! This game is gorgeous! The graphic downgrade from PS4 to Switch is barely noticeable, so well played on DQ XI for not being a slouch in the graphic department on the Switch. The water and lava areas in particular are stunning and realistic. I love the unorthodox mix of the hyper realistic graphics using anime esque qualities with realism. Brilliant!

    Music- while the story certainly got more involved and considerably better in the S version, with it's add ins that make the story more cohesive and beautifully told, the music got a much needed redo: A orchestral soundtrack and the option to use Dragon Quest VIII's soundtrack. The only downside about the original DQ XI was the music, and DQ XI S fixed that and made the music much more palpable to the ears.

    Dragon Quest XI S changed my gaming life: I was addicted to gachas before playing this game. I had stopped playing real games like I had done my whole life to play sunken fallacy games in the form of gachas and my life had hit some all time personal lows to top it all off... I played this game, forgot my woes, and everything changed and I've been playing JRPGs and beating them left and right, but DQ XI S remains my favorite game of all time. Bye bye gachas, hello rpgs my old friends! I created a metacritic account just to review this phenomenal game. I had such a blast playing this game and would highly recommend it to anyone who likes JRPGS done right. One of the few games I'd rate a perfect 10/10 or in my mind: 11/10    … Expand
  8. shw079
    Feb 4, 2022
    10
    This is my favorite DQ game and RPG game so far! The graphics are so nice, even on Switch. The plot, as always in DQ series, is intriguing. I don't have any complaint!
  9. VyseHD
    Nov 18, 2022
    10
    the best RPG ive ever played, im 80 hours into and still not finished, also looks great in the switch!
  10. waywardlaser
    Jun 28, 2022
    10
    It warms my heart to know that Japan is still making simple, medieval fantasy RPGs with no fancy bells and whistles. Just a good ol' fashioned fun time; it has a humble, retro feel with a modern coat of paint and level of polish.

    Of course you'll want to play the Definitive Edition because it has some neat extra features (like being able to play the entire game in classic 16-bit style)    It warms my heart to know that Japan is still making simple, medieval fantasy RPGs with no fancy bells and whistles. Just a good ol' fashioned fun time; it has a humble, retro feel with a modern coat of paint and level of polish.

    Of course you'll want to play the Definitive Edition because it has some neat extra features (like being able to play the entire game in classic 16-bit style) and the orchestrated soundtrack. Even though this was originally made for the PS4 I thought it looked fantastic on my Switch. Such a damn good port.    … Expand
  11. Nintendist
    Jun 30, 2022
    10
    brilliant game with brilliant ideas. i love this game, the story, the gameplay.
  12. azuritauwu
    Jul 7, 2022
    10
    The best experience of a RPG game, great story, good gameplay, 80+ hours only for the main quest, hard mode in draconian mision for replaying, orquestal soundtrack, japanese voices.
    Masterpiece of rgp games
  13. lucinhagamer
    Aug 26, 2022
    10
    this gameplay is very is awesome and lets you do awesome things. love this game
  14. ELYS1UM
    Sep 20, 2022
    10
    This game is a standout in the already phenomenal Dragon Quest series. It has such great gameplay, a rich world, characters oozing with charm, a fun story and a great soundtrack. Admittedly, as much as I like the soundtrack, I believe the game would have benefitted greatly with more tracks and variety of said tracks. You are forced to listen to the same songs over and over again and theyThis game is a standout in the already phenomenal Dragon Quest series. It has such great gameplay, a rich world, characters oozing with charm, a fun story and a great soundtrack. Admittedly, as much as I like the soundtrack, I believe the game would have benefitted greatly with more tracks and variety of said tracks. You are forced to listen to the same songs over and over again and they aren't varied enough to prevent them from wearing. The plot was fun and had some very high highs, but it was nothing really all that special. But I believe this game is really fun and incredible, and doesn't need a groundbreaking narrative to be a 10/10 game for me. Some of the most fun gaming experiences I've had in my life came from DQXI, and I will never forget this game, or the world of Erdrea, or it's fun and charming towns, or its character-rich monster designs, or all the fun I had playing this game.… Expand
  15. NerfPlayeR135
    Dec 5, 2022
    10
    Dragon Quest finally gets an overhaul to its battle system, and the results are amazing. There's a ton of content for players new and old to the series, and I love the characters.
  16. Jrsmall
    Apr 28, 2023
    10
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. This game got me addicted to the franchise. Now I want them all. Hero and Erik are fantastic, and the spoiler of who joins you in the end is awesome. Great boss battles! I find myself addicted to just beating all these monsters and hunting the metal slimes. Hooked.… Expand
  17. The_Clear_File
    May 19, 2023
    10
    This is pretty fun.
    The game is so traditional, so I thought it would be boring or whatever?
    But not at all. That's why it's more fun. Compared to other famous franchises in Square Enix, Dragon Quest didn't try to ruin the game or change the genre at all, just maximizing the advantages they had. The story is slightly obvious, but I'm impressed by the voice in each cut scene, the    This is pretty fun.
    The game is so traditional, so I thought it would be boring or whatever?
    But not at all. That's why it's more fun.
    Compared to other famous franchises in Square Enix, Dragon Quest didn't try to ruin the game or change the genre at all, just maximizing the advantages they had.
    The story is slightly obvious, but I'm impressed by the voice in each cut scene, the motions that are mostly not reused.
    Considering what mass-produced JRPGs look like these days, this game is definitely fun.    … Expand
  18. Techiteruel
    Jun 25, 2023
    10
    I will only say that this game deserved to be GOTY of its year. Its magical
  19. novembr
    Jul 21, 2020
    9
    While it doesn't try to innovate quite as much as, say, the Persona series, this is a classically-styled JRPG that is highly polished and expertly refined in nearly every way. While Square's Final Fantasy efforts the past decade or so have been mostly overly designed, bloated efforts that attempt to reinvent the wheel, DQ stays true to its roots while honing the edges of a tried and trueWhile it doesn't try to innovate quite as much as, say, the Persona series, this is a classically-styled JRPG that is highly polished and expertly refined in nearly every way. While Square's Final Fantasy efforts the past decade or so have been mostly overly designed, bloated efforts that attempt to reinvent the wheel, DQ stays true to its roots while honing the edges of a tried and true formula. It won't convert anyone who cannot stand to play JRPGs, but will surely win the hearts of those who are accepting of the strengths and weaknesses of the genre.

    The story, as usual, is similar to past titles (FF does this too), but the characters, dialogue, and voice acting are all top notch. The English dub is superb. The music leaves a bit to be desired, however. Though the tracks are well done (especially the Switch orchestral versions), they repeat constantly and often don't fit the tone of the the scripted scenes. There should have been more variety for a game of this caliber. Balancing is fair, in normal mode, and compared to many other JRPGs, you won't find yourself needing to grind endlessly throughout the quest.

    The Switch version looks nice, given its capacity, and suffers from very few technical hitches, in my experience. Audio sounds great and not compressed to hell. Overall, an impressive port.    … Expand
  20. Jcdbengals
    Mar 24, 2022
    9
    Do not stop after the credits roll the first time! The game's true ending and plot unfolds after the credits. This wasn't explained very well, but is how the game is meant to be played. And what a game...so addicting! While the inventory menu is a bit clunky, and the characters aren't fleshed out as well as they could have been, it's still one of the best experiences I've had on the switch!
  21. Testuser134
    Oct 4, 2019
    9
    This game is a perfect laid-back experience on your switch. Enjoyable story, characters, amazing world and really beautiful towns. It's also worth pointing out how well it plays in handheld mode. I never played it before, but it certainly stands out.
  22. Hackattaque
    Apr 29, 2022
    9
    I was apprehensive going in. I had only played 2 previous Dragon Quests before this, and never really ‘clicked’ with the stop-start momentum of heavy grinding between towns & quests. But DQ11 blew me away. No random encounters, generous auto saves and flexible difficulty settings mean you can concentrate on the rich characters, the fantastic story and fun combat with gorgeously animatedI was apprehensive going in. I had only played 2 previous Dragon Quests before this, and never really ‘clicked’ with the stop-start momentum of heavy grinding between towns & quests. But DQ11 blew me away. No random encounters, generous auto saves and flexible difficulty settings mean you can concentrate on the rich characters, the fantastic story and fun combat with gorgeously animated enemies. Not grinding.

    The story at first seems standard fantasy fare. But the moment you step out from your village the world comes alive. Whereas Final Fantasy feels like high opera, this is more an epic Odyssey combined with touches of the Brothers Grimm and Disney. (But always with an adult edge.)

    The detailed and lively towns you visit are filled with interesting NPCs & hilarious dialogue, in keeping with past games. Castles and caves are a joy to fight in and explore. You learn to know and love every member of your party. The art by Akira Toriyama gives it a Dragonball-ish feeling, with each new location bringing a new mini adventure.

    The game has some tiny flaws but nothing big. The pacing of the game slows down a bit towards the end, as in most RPGs, when you prepare for the final battle by assembling artifacts. (what else?) The post-game section is a neat idea but drags at times — and, for once, requires grinding.

    Bottom line: this is one of the best RPGs I’ve ever played at a time when I thought I’d exhausted my options (BOTW, Elder Scrolls, Dark Souls, Divinity: Original Sin, Witcher) and after a slightly disappointing experience with Persona 5 and Final Fantasy VII Remake (both overly long with pacing issues imo). I highly recommend it.    … Expand
  23. e1ma
    Oct 8, 2019
    9
    I've already gone through the ps4 version, but the port of the switch version is absolutely great and probably the best version of the game. Technically, of course, a bit weaker, but mobile playable and with many extra features.
  24. Gravedigga13
    Oct 11, 2019
    9
    Top notch game, old school rpg. Story and writing can get a little cheesy at times, but the characters grew on me. I initially owned the PC version, and played it for like 20h, but stopped when I heard a switch version was in the works. Now i’m 15 hours in, and I’m glad i held back from playing it. Imo, jrpgs work better on a portable system
  25. VTL
    Dec 11, 2019
    9
    Genial version la verdad y con mucho contenido añadido (bso orquestrada, modo 2d, historia de "los minis blancos"...) la verdad que es la mejor version sin duda. Por contenido claro está graficamente las de PS4 y XBOX son mejores (sobre todo esta ultima en la X) pero el modo portatil barre a todos. Genial RPG de lo mejor de los ultimos años sin ninguna duda...
  26. syscro
    Dec 5, 2019
    9
    Excelente juego.
    - Mecánicas obsoletas para la fecha (todos acción RPG)
    - Música Orquestada, aunque se le notan en falta una mayor cantidad. - Ciertas opciones como cambiar de objetos, revisar inventario e info se hace demasiado lento. - Dificultades Fácil - Difícil. Con todo lo normalito y family friendly que son las historias de Dragon Quest le dedique mas de 200 hrs para    Excelente juego.
    - Mecánicas obsoletas para la fecha (todos acción RPG)
    - Música Orquestada, aunque se le notan en falta una mayor cantidad.
    - Ciertas opciones como cambiar de objetos, revisar inventario e info se hace demasiado lento.
    - Dificultades Fácil - Difícil.

    Con todo lo normalito y family friendly que son las historias de Dragon Quest le dedique mas de 200 hrs para completarlo al 100%.
    En su dificultad draconiana es cuando le sacas el máximo provecho al juego, aunque el port trae consigo un downgrade en gráficos, no se extrañan en ningún momento, ademas del plus del audio en japones que debió existir desde siempre, junto con las quest de los cronolimos en vez de las dianas, hacen esta versión la mejor experiencia para jugarla. Valio la pena la espera y hace que aunque no te guste la saga DQ este titulo debe estar en los imprescindibles.    … Expand
  27. RevanDLS
    Oct 29, 2019
    9
    Me he esperado a esta versión para jugarlo (A pesar de que algunas otras versiones sean superiores gráficamente) y sinceramente, no me arrepiento para nada. Un diseño de personajes muy bueno, como siempre vamos… Una historia que sin ser la panacea es entretenida, sobre todo al final que es cuando más interesante se pone. Los añadidos de esta versión se agradecen muchísimo para hacer másMe he esperado a esta versión para jugarlo (A pesar de que algunas otras versiones sean superiores gráficamente) y sinceramente, no me arrepiento para nada. Un diseño de personajes muy bueno, como siempre vamos… Una historia que sin ser la panacea es entretenida, sobre todo al final que es cuando más interesante se pone. Los añadidos de esta versión se agradecen muchísimo para hacer más redondo el juego. Solo dos pegas, combates demasiado sencillos y misiones secundarias bastante repetitivas. Creo que este juego es lo que FFXV debería de haber sido y por donde Square Enix debería de tirar…… Expand
  28. ianhsieh2008
    Oct 30, 2019
    9
    Amazing port from the PS version. The orchestrated soundtrack is awesome, and graphics is beautifully suited on the Switch's screen. The demo is even better than some of the full-price games, and it helped me quench the thirst of longing for the real game. One disappointing point is that the 2D version requires you to start from a certain point in a chapter, but the cutting off of aAmazing port from the PS version. The orchestrated soundtrack is awesome, and graphics is beautifully suited on the Switch's screen. The demo is even better than some of the full-price games, and it helped me quench the thirst of longing for the real game. One disappointing point is that the 2D version requires you to start from a certain point in a chapter, but the cutting off of a chapter is not obvious.
    The pacing is great that I feel like I haven't done anything, but the story has progressed so much. I didn't need to grind too much, usually it's grinding for the materials I need for forging, not for level. It is worthy for my wait for the NS version.    … Expand
  29. Lewonski
    Sep 27, 2019
    9
    O port desse jogo para o switch esta fenomenal, mesmo com pouco poder de hardware conseguiram fazer este jogo rodar de uma forma bem satisfatória. O jogo em si é muito bom e te rende diversas horas de gameplay. Um prato cheio para amantes de jrpg, que agora poderão jogar em qualquer lugar.
  30. alexwk31
    Oct 20, 2019
    9
    Since this was my first Dragon Quest game ever, I cannot say how this compares to previous entries in the series. That said, I loved this game so much. The world, the characters, the combat. All of it was just so much fun and engaging. Dragon Quest XI S has easily become one of my favorite games. I’m definitely gonna play future games of the series now.
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Awards & Rankings

2
#2 Best Switch Game of 2019
9
#9 Most Discussed Switch Game of 2019

Critic Reviews

All reviews »
Metascore
91

Universal acclaim - based on 50 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 49 out of 50
  2. Mixed: 1 out of 50
  3. Negative: 0 out of 50
  1. RPG Fan
    May 11, 2020
    96
    Overall, there are not many negative things I can say about Dragon Quest XI S: Echoes of an Elusive Age - Definitive Edition. This version took the foundation of an already truly excellent RPG experience and built upon it further, offering new features and quality of life improvements along the way. I poured over a hundred and twelve hours into Dragon Quest XI S, which is more than I've spent on any other RPG recently, and I never once looked back with regret as I wholeheartedly fell in love with the gameplay and story. Having only played Dragon Quest XI S, I can't say for certain if there is enough new content here to warrant an additional playthrough, but if you've yet to play Dragon Quest XI and have access to a Nintendo Switch, this version is truly the "Definitive Edition" that the title claims it is.
    Read full review
  2. Nintendo Force Magazine
    Apr 29, 2020
    95
    This game has become my favorite Dragon Quest ever, one of my favorite JRPGs ever and certainly one of the best games you can buy and play on the Switch. [Issue #43 – November/December 2019, p. 8SH]
  3. RPGamer
    Dec 5, 2019
    100
    Dragon Quest XI S is a game for both long-time fans and newcomers alike. There are many Easter eggs and references to past Dragon Quest games that will subtly reward fans, but at the same time, the charming world of Erdrea and its characters are appealing to newcomers of all ages. Even those who have played the previous versions of Dragon Quest XI may find the vast improvements of the Switch version compelling enough for another round, especially with the Tickington quests, new character content, and marriage options. This game is a masterpiece, and it sets a new high standard for not only the series, but console RPGs in general. Hopefully the series will continue outdoing itself with further instalments.
    Read full review
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