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. Techiteruel
    Jun 25, 2023
    10
    I will only say that this game deserved to be GOTY of its year. Its magical
  2. 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
  3. 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
  4. JustAWeeb
    Jan 31, 2023
    9
    Great game, great characters. It felt really charming, at start at the very least, kinda dragged on for a while. The plot was pretty decent. Enjoyable and charming JRPG
  5. hileger
    Jan 19, 2023
    8
    Тупо ТОп ..........Тупо ТОп ..........Тупо ТОп ..........Тупо ТОп ..........ммТупо ТОп ..........Тупо ТОп ..........
  6. GuiBio
    Dec 29, 2022
    7
    Very good game, a bit repetitive and not such a exploration to make. All the 2d/3d thing is a little confuse and could make the game really easy with the double rewards.
  7. 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.
  8. Emanyueru
    Nov 19, 2022
    10
    Juegazo sin duda el segundo mejor Dragon Quest. buena historia,personajes, gameplay clasico de combates por turnos y unos buenos graficos con estilo artistico increible
  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. Sterrewiggelary
    Nov 12, 2022
    8
    My first dragon quest game. And while I enjoyed it, I found myself not as attached to the characters and world as I'd like to have been.
  11. SylvaConnect
    Oct 30, 2022
    2
    This game is stupid Im sorry.
    Its filled with more filler A to B story quests than FFXIV. Its seriously painful. Starting act 2 was horrible. 10 hours just to get your party back and thats WITH rushing and skipping all scenes which there's tons of.
    Not to mention you lose ALL warp locations (zoom) and have yo re obtain every single freaking one Level and quest design get a flat F In the S    This game is stupid Im sorry.
    Its filled with more filler A to B story quests than FFXIV. Its seriously painful. Starting act 2 was horrible. 10 hours just to get your party back and thats WITH rushing and skipping all scenes which there's tons of.
    Not to mention you lose ALL warp locations (zoom) and have yo re obtain every single freaking one
    Level and quest design get a flat F
    In the S version slime island was also nerfed. No metal slimes in act 1 at all. Youre forced to use electro to spawn any. I save wizard’d my save on ps4 because its bs.

    If visual novel bs quests werent bad enough, nearly all quests have such a poor description on them that youre playing a freaking guessing game on what to do. People on Gamefaqs have 6+ pages long of replies just to answer how to complete one sinple freaking mission and they end up arguing about how its done. This is absolutely poor game design.

    SE forgot this is an RPG not a Visual Novel. And Ultra speed in the S version isnt even ultra, its normal. I had quit mid act 1 the first version because of the animation speed being crap.

    The new act 2 quests are equally bad. Its just another 2 hours of complete visual novel GARBAGE.
    I love witcher 3, persona, FFX FFVII etc, other dw games are good too. This is garbage and all the high ratings are from people who probably think visual novels are any sort of interesting. Waste of time completely and a disgrace to JRPG.    … Expand
  12. 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
  13. M3G4L
    Sep 15, 2022
    9
    The best game for enjoyers of nostalgic turn-based RPG fans or for new people looking to enter the RPG sphere. The game is more than worth the price as it contains hundreds of hours In just the very foundation of the game. Fun story and loveable characters, unique designs, long story, and simple but enjoyable gameplay.
  14. lucinhagamer
    Aug 26, 2022
    10
    this gameplay is very is awesome and lets you do awesome things. love this game
  15. Rhokin
    Aug 3, 2022
    6
    I really wanted to like this game. It’s beautiful, plays wonderfully and the voice acting is phenomenal. The plot also seems decent as well, but I found it just didn’t grab me as I had hoped. The combat and character progression is where I feel the game could have really been a lot better. The combat is classic turn based with no gimmicks or anything fancy. The new moves and gear come in aI really wanted to like this game. It’s beautiful, plays wonderfully and the voice acting is phenomenal. The plot also seems decent as well, but I found it just didn’t grab me as I had hoped. The combat and character progression is where I feel the game could have really been a lot better. The combat is classic turn based with no gimmicks or anything fancy. The new moves and gear come in a slow trickle with very little in the way of improvement. The abilities just don’t feel impactful and the mana pools are huge so you can easily spam them in combat. All in all, it’s a classic JRPG that hangs onto some unfortunately archaic systems that are wrapped in beautiful world design, great voice acting and likeable characters.… Expand
  16. 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
  17. Nintendist
    Jun 30, 2022
    10
    brilliant game with brilliant ideas. i love this game, the story, the gameplay.
  18. 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
  19. Yaacgold24
    May 9, 2022
    9
    Being a huge DQ player I jumped on this one and rushed it, the experience was formidable, it was incredible
  20. andrew9
    May 4, 2022
    8
    great game .
  21. 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
  22. grimreapersims
    Apr 1, 2022
    9
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  23. DinoBeam
    Mar 27, 2022
    5
    WARNING! This game is too easy, and the only other option is Very Hard mode, and you can't change difficulty after starting. This is a huge core flaw that really sucks, and is hard to understand the existence of. I don't know why this isn't talked about more, though it is talked about. I'm over half way through the game and I have to stop. While at first the characters were charming andWARNING! This game is too easy, and the only other option is Very Hard mode, and you can't change difficulty after starting. This is a huge core flaw that really sucks, and is hard to understand the existence of. I don't know why this isn't talked about more, though it is talked about. I'm over half way through the game and I have to stop. While at first the characters were charming and the quest fairly interesting, the story is just meandering from reason for it to keep going to reason for it to keep going using anime power up tricks and such. In addition, Akira Toriyama's art design of monsters is extremely hit or miss here, with half or more of the monsters looking like off-brand toys for very young children.

    The game also feels very cheap in a number of other ways, for instance you get to a cool new area only to hear the same exact music for every other area, then you go in a cave and hear the exact same music for every other cave and dungeon. This game is doing as little as it can to make a profit, making sure to extend the playtime so people don't complain. This game is very disappointing, and I am appalled at the praise it has received by players and critics alike.

    If you are looking for a good JRPG experience, I recommend these;

    Dragon Quest IV for the Nintendo DS
    Pokemon Blue or the updated Leaf Green version
    Dragon Warrior/Dragon Quest 1
    Radiata Stories    … Expand
  24. 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!
  25. Pathock
    Mar 20, 2022
    8
    Refined JRPG. .
  26. 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.
  27. 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
  28. 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!
  29. fanmadeendings
    Feb 4, 2022
    10
    One of the best RPGs of all time, polished beyond believe. There is so much to do and the characters are all extremely likeable!
  30. GenkiYokota
    Jan 27, 2022
    0
    Imperfect version of a game gem originally released on PS4 and PC
    It has a brutal graphic downgrade and doesn't do justice to the original release of 2018.
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Awards & Rankings

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

Critic Reviews

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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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