Dragon Quest XI: Echoes of an Elusive Age
A young man, about to participate in his village’s coming of age ceremony, travels to a Sacred Stone alongside his childhood friend. After a series of unexpected events, this intrepid adventurer learns he is the reincarnation of a legendary hero from a forgotten age. The young hero sets forth into an unknown world on a journey to unravel the mystery of his past… but the welcome he receives is far from warm. Upon revealing his identity to the King, the hero is branded as “The Darkspawn” and hunted by a relentless army. Fleeing from his pursuers, the hero assembles a band of endearing adventurers who believe he is actually The Luminary reborn. The hero and his newfound companions embark on a quest that will take them across continents and over vast oceans as they learn of an ominous threat facing the world.
Game Discussion
Steam User 5
Dragon Quest XI: Echoes of an Illusive Age
Drag-on Quest
Dragon Quest XI: Echoes of an Illusive Age sets out to capture the essence of classic JRPGs with its traditional gameplay mechanics and charming world. However, while it boasts some impressive aspects, the game ultimately felt like more of a chore to play than a great gaming experience.
Pros:
Nostalgic Charm: The game pays homage to the nostalgic appeal of classic JRPGs, featuring a colourful world, whimsical characters, and a timeless art style, that while simple in nature, is still pleasing to the eye.
Vast World: Dragon Quest XI: Echoes of an Illusive Age offers a sprawling world to explore, complete with various towns, dungeons, and landscapes that give players a sense of adventure and discovery.
Turn-Based Combat: The traditional turn-based combat system provides a sense of familiarity for fans of the genre, allowing strategic gameplay and character customisation through skill trees.
Cons:
Predictable Storyline: The narrative fails to break away from clichés often associated with the JRPG genre. While it attempts to introduce twists, the overall plot lacks innovation and feels predictable and dare I say, somewhat boring. The mute protagonist feels jarring and fails to get players to identify with his character or plight.
Pacing Issues: The game suffers from uneven pacing, with stretches of slow progression that may test players' patience. It certainly tested mine. The pacing issues can lead to moments of disengagement as I found it a continuous struggle to get on with the game.
Repetitive Quests: Side quests often involve fetch quests or uninspired objectives, which breeds a sense of monotony and diminishing the excitement of exploring the vast world.
Sparse Voice Acting: While certain cutscenes feature voice acting, much of the dialogue remains text-based.
Outdated Mechanics: While the turn-based combat system has its merits, it feels outdated to players like myself who are accustomed to more dynamic and innovative battle systems found in modern RPGs. In my time spent with it (I played the game on Microsoft Game Pass for PC for those wondering about my limited Steam hours), I found little strategy was required to get through battles and the constant battle aggro you draw from enemies that thrusts you into continuous encounters grew tiresome as I found I couldn't take two steps in this world without having to fight something, with enemy groups repeating themselves to nauseous effect.
Conclusion:
Dragon Quest XI: Echoes of an Illusive Age offers a nostalgic journey into the world of classic JRPGs, embracing a traditional aesthetic and gameplay mechanics. While it manages to capture some of the charm and magic of the genre, I generally found that it struggles to break free from its own conventions. Predictable storytelling, pacing issues, and repetitive quests hinder the potential for a truly memorable experience. While the game may appeal to die-hard fans of the series or those seeking a throwback to traditional RPGs, its shortcomings may leave certain players tepid to the adventure as it did me.
One word or phrase to sum up the experience
More like Disappointing Quest.
Performance/Bug related incidents
None experienced during this playthrough.
Similar to games
Octopath Traveller, Persona 5 Royal, Atelier Ryza: Ever Darkness & the Secret Hideout
Rating ★★★★★☆☆☆☆☆
Steam User 6
I have 100%ed the definitive edition back in 2021 when it got into Xbox game pass and it quickly became one of my all time favorites. Because of this game I got back into JRPGS after an almost 20 years hiatus, it's by far the best way to get into genre nowadays,
Steam User 3
wish there was a digital upgrade to the definite edition have a friend who has it and while it looks like it has some nice features added not willing to buy another copy
Steam User 1
The Good: It's an actual good rpg.
The Bad: Super Saiyan God Super Saiyan is a terrible form.
The Ugly: The King that looks like Dr.Gero.
Steam User 1
One of my favorite RPGs ever. It's a beautiful game. I highly recommend it. Unfortunately I was unable to play the S Definitive Edition, because I am a real fan of Dragon Quest and bought the Digital Edition of Light when it first released. With no upgrade option, and having already paid for the 60 dollar Digital Edition of LIght, I didn't want to buy the game all over again just to get the extras in the S version.
The Digital Edition of Light was great though, the graphics settings are superior and the base game is AAA+
Steam User 1
I've been playing Dragon Quest since the early 90s (started with Dragon Warrior III) and I can say DQ 11 is already one of my favorites. The characters are charismatic and well built and the story line is dense and interesting. The only regret is that I was too eager to acquire the game and didn't wait for the Definitive Edition, which now I have to pay full price for it if I want to get it. Luckily I also own the Switch version and I played the complete edition there.
Anyways, amazing game 10/10.
Steam User 1
Definitivamente é um dos JRPGs já criados