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. the-mighty-ant
    Nov 16, 2020
    8
    A truly wonderful and heart warming adventure.

    I was playing JRPG's over twenty years ago but in recent years had become tired of the genre. This game restored my faith. A wonderful story, enjoyable gameplay loop all in a fascinating world to explore and with a wonderful orchestrated soundtrack. Truly memorable. N.B. the DEMO is one of the most generous available with around 10    A truly wonderful and heart warming adventure.

    I was playing JRPG's over twenty years ago but in recent years had become tired of the genre. This game restored my faith. A wonderful story, enjoyable gameplay loop all in a fascinating world to explore and with a wonderful orchestrated soundtrack. Truly memorable.

    N.B. the DEMO is one of the most generous available with around 10 hours of gameplay. If in doubt check it out!    … Expand
  2. grimreapersims
    Apr 1, 2022
    9
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  3. 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
  4. Andrewblank610
    Sep 28, 2021
    9
    2nd best Dragon Quest game by far after 8. Every character is fun and has a great story both alone and combined with the other. Just wish they'd add DQ8 monster capturing to the newer games.
  5. 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.
  6. 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
  7. letunglinh
    Dec 18, 2021
    9
    Siêu phẩm JRPG mọi thời đại. Cảm giác như xem phim chứ không phải chơi game. Nghệ thuật
  8. kuki_nuri
    Jan 25, 2022
    8
    Ha sido mi primer Dragon Quest y en general me ha encantado. Si te gustan los juegos de combates por turnos, te gustará. La banda sonora espectacular, una bonita historia, unos personajes entrañables y unos gráficos muy simpáticos. Quizás la forma que está repartida la historia a veces se hace un pelín pesada y los final boss los vi un poco fáciles, por lo demás, genial!
  9. 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!
  10. 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!
  11. Pathock
    Mar 20, 2022
    8
    Refined JRPG. .
  12. 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
  13. 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
  14. Nintendist
    Jun 30, 2022
    10
    brilliant game with brilliant ideas. i love this game, the story, the gameplay.
  15. 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
  16. 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
  17. 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.
  18. 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.
  19. 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.
  20. 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
  21. 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
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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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