Dragon Quest XI: Echoes of an Elusive Age Image
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86

Generally favorable reviews - based on 86 Critic Reviews What's this?

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8.6

Generally favorable reviews- based on 962 Ratings

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  • Summary: DRAGON QUEST XI: Echoes of an Elusive Age tells a captivating tale of a hunted hero and is the long-awaited role-playing game from series creator Yuji Horii, character designer Akira Toriyama and composer Koichi Sugiyama. While it is the eleventh mainline entry in the critically acclaimedDRAGON QUEST XI: Echoes of an Elusive Age tells a captivating tale of a hunted hero and is the long-awaited role-playing game from series creator Yuji Horii, character designer Akira Toriyama and composer Koichi Sugiyama. While it is the eleventh mainline entry in the critically acclaimed series, DRAGON QUEST XI is a completely standalone experience that features entirely new characters, a beautifully detailed world, finely tuned turn-based combat, and an immersive story that promises to appeal to longtime fans and franchise newcomers alike. Expand
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Dragon Quest XI - 'The Legend of Luminar' Official Trailer | E3 2018
Score distribution:
  1. Positive: 80 out of 86
  2. Negative: 0 out of 86
  1. Jan 2, 2019
    100
    Dragon Quest XI: Echoes Of An Elusive Age is a perfect game, it sticks to with traditional JRPG roots while still bringing in a few new mechanics to freshen it up a bit.
  2. Aug 28, 2018
    95
    Dragon Quest XI: Echoes of an Elusive Age does not find the black thread of anything nor try to revolutionize the genre at all; On the contrary, it seeks to pay tribute to its legacy that has forged through more than three decades and that has led it to become one of the most important exponents of the genre and one of the most beloved franchises in Japan. If you are a lover of the JRPG then do not hesitate, Dragon Quest XI is an adventure that you must live and experience.
  3. Aug 28, 2018
    92
    Dragon Quest XI is simply the best Dragon Quest of all time. A classic old school RPG, with all the best things taken from over 30 years of JRPG.
  4. Aug 28, 2018
    90
    Innovation in games is talked about a lot, but it's also great to see traditional gameplay formulas that have been around for decades presented exceptionally well. Dragon Quest XI is one of the best modern examples of this; its beautiful presentation, both visual- and story-wise, combines with a tried-and-true gameplay formula for a journey that’s full of heart and soul. Once you find yourself sucked into the world of Dragon Quest XI, it's going to be hard to put down until you reach the grand finale.
  5. Sep 27, 2018
    85
    Dragon Quest 11 falters in the pacing of its story and features an unimpressive OST but at the end of the day, this game is like getting together with an old friend and hanging out on a cool summer’s day; it’s familiar and oh so comforting.
  6. Oct 29, 2018
    80
    The sheer density of content in the main quest means it will take a staggering amount of time to complete. Compounded with some entertaining and charmingly written side-quests, this journey breaks the 100 hour mark easily. There can be a few too many instances of catering to the lowest common denominator that even the hard mode modifiers can't fix, but if it means more people can enjoy this amazing game, then so be it. The only thing holding back what could be almost a masterpiece for the genre is its terrible soundtrack.
  7. Aug 28, 2018
    60
    It’s traditional to a fault. It may look beautiful and the voice acting is a worthwhile addition, but overall Dragon Quest XI does nothing to push the JRPG genre forward. It’s a shame, as despite Square pushing XI as its big Western RPG this is a game that’s incredibly hard to recommend to a new audience.

See all 93 Critic Reviews

Score distribution:
  1. Negative: 20 out of 218
  1. Sep 6, 2018
    10
    Last year the best JRPG on the PS4 was Persona 5, and this year is Dragon Quest XI! Persona 5 was a great success for Atlus because it keptLast year the best JRPG on the PS4 was Persona 5, and this year is Dragon Quest XI! Persona 5 was a great success for Atlus because it kept its unique style - they used the same formula which they used in the predecessors. The same thing Square Enix has done with Dragon Quest XI. The story of this game is great, but I will not talk about the story because of spoilers. I will actually say something about gameplay. Dragon Quest XI is a turn-based RPG with a semi-open world. The semi-open world allows to player to explore the world through the story, so that you can explore a new region then you must first advance through the story. This way the player can enjoy the story and a gameplay at the same time (it's not like open world games where you can completely ignore the story and use only the mechanics of gameplay). There is no more random encounter. Now, the enemies are moving freely on the map and if the player make a contact with the enemies, the battle screen will open. The battle system is the same as the predecessor with a couple of new elements. Now, the player can choose between two styles in battle: classic style (characters are stationary on battlefield) and modern style (characters can be moved around battlefield). One of new element is a swapping system which allows players to change characters during battle with those who are outside the active team (this reminds me of battle system from FFX). This function can allow you to make a better strategy (tactic) in battle. When comparing gameplay of Dragon Quest XI with Dragon Quest VIII (the best Dragon Quest game), I can say that Dragon Quest XI is an upgraded version of Dragon Quest VIII (so for this reason would like to see the remake of Dragon Quest VIII for the PS4 with the same engine). Full 14 years, Dragon Quest VIII has kept the title of the best Dragon Quest game, and now it has been surpassed by Dragon Quest XI. As a conclusion I can say that Dragon Quest XI has a great story, gameplay, very beautiful graphics and great sound. This game is the best Dragon Quest game and is one of the best JRPGs ever. We need more such JRPGs on PlayStation, with turn-based battle system and semi-open world. Persona 5 and Dragon Quest XI prove that such games can be more successful than some action RPGs. Expand
  2. Jun 7, 2019
    10
    DQXI is the perfect JRPG. Its long, has great characters, lovely stories, simple and super fun combat, tons of stuff to do and gorgeousDQXI is the perfect JRPG. Its long, has great characters, lovely stories, simple and super fun combat, tons of stuff to do and gorgeous visuals.

    If you compare this game to other games, this is 6/10 - its slow, weirdly paced, filled with odd things, silly things and the combat system is limited. This is a JRPG for JRPG lovers and purists. Are you replaying Final Fantasy IV and Golden Sun? DQXI is for you. Do you play God of War and Red Dead Redemption 2? Then you will be bored and die of that boredom.
    Expand
  3. Sep 19, 2018
    10
    I am going to start this review off by saying I might be a bit biased, considering how I really enjoy the Dragon Quest games.

    Dragon Quest
    I am going to start this review off by saying I might be a bit biased, considering how I really enjoy the Dragon Quest games.

    Dragon Quest XI starts off like most Dragon Quest games. You are a village boy of sixteen years old who goes to meet the king and eventually you have to fight a demonic overlord. It does throw some curve balls, of course. But the big storypoints mostly stay the same.

    Now, first of all, the game looks beautiful. It's so colourful and the music is fantastic. Again the character designs are done by Akira Toriyama and your protagonist resembles Android 17 quite a bit. Combat is much unchanged. You can walk around, but your position on the field doesn't really seem to matter.

    Overall, the game always kept me entertained and it never felt like a chore playing. Well, almost never. There is some content after the main game that requirers you to go through some Trials that puts you through areas you've already visited. It mainly seems to be used as a fun way to grind to defeat the True Final Boss and it gives you the chance to get better equipment and recipes, so I didn't mind it THAT much. Another thing I disliked was the voice acting, but you can turn that off if you prefer.

    In any case, I'd recommend this game to anyone who is a fan of JRPGs. You need no knowledge of the other Dragon Quest games.
    Expand
  4. Apr 28, 2019
    9
    The dragon quest series is kinda big in Japan, just to throw an understatement out there. The "people calling in sick" the day after theThe dragon quest series is kinda big in Japan, just to throw an understatement out there. The "people calling in sick" the day after the release quote reminds me of when i was a teenager and bought ff7. I was enamored by it, and it changed a simple likening of videogames into a full blown passion. Once i grew up, gotta a little older i realized that that feeling would probably never return as intens as it felt like when i was younger, but Dragon Quest 11 made me feel like that kid again. The feeling of going on a grand adventure in a fantasy land where you get to know your  party of heroes and the world they live in. It has all the fundementals that made Jrpgs my favorite kind of games.

    Amazingly well written and voice acted story, characters backstory are handled with care and attention and the world is visually stunning, also the battle system is as oldskool as you can get and i love it for it.

    As for the music... yes there are issues, the sound quality is not top notch as they were going for a more retro sounding soundtrack to me me personally it didn't bother me as much as it did other fans of the series. It definitely could have used a couple of more variety in tracks though the ones that are there are good in there own right.

    So are you one of those guys that fell in love with games like final fantasy 7 and are longing for a similar kind of feel.. this is a must buy. Its 70 to 80 hours of pure interesting jrpg goodness for ya. So enjoy!  I am thankful it's finally here in the west hope it sticks around for a while.
    Expand
  5. Apr 17, 2020
    9
    A true epic of a JRPG, with the story alone lasting well over 100+ hours. Playing the game is more akin to watching an entire movie series orA true epic of a JRPG, with the story alone lasting well over 100+ hours. Playing the game is more akin to watching an entire movie series or binging several seasons of your favourite TV show. Combat is fun and engaging, with great high-quality animations and a large cast of characters introduces a lot of variety in combat spells/abilities.

    If you were looking for that one game to sink countless hours into, this is it.
    Expand
  6. Jun 10, 2020
    8
    This is a game which is simple on the surface and deep when you get into it. The incredible art design from Akira Toriyama mixed with theThis is a game which is simple on the surface and deep when you get into it. The incredible art design from Akira Toriyama mixed with the unique design of each area and the cringe-inducing puns that are in nearly every town really make the game something special. Its a true testament to the Dragon Quest series as a whole and is the best JRPG of 2018:
    Pros
    -Amazing art design
    -Interesting story
    -Good characters
    -Streamlined combat, but also very experimental
    -Painfully good puns
    Cons:
    -Little quality-of-life features (no skipping cutscenes, no battle speed toggle)
    -Sometimes bad or overexaggerated voice acting and animations
    -Some lacking character development with Jade
    -How Act 3 (spoiler) essentially reverses all character development made throughout the game

    Overall score: 8 or 8.5/10
    Expand
  7. Jun 19, 2019
    0
    Супер унылое рандомное казино, очень быстро надоедающая рандомная боевка, очень долгие бессмысленные повторяющиеся анимации (типа там прыгаетСупер унылое рандомное казино, очень быстро надоедающая рандомная боевка, очень долгие бессмысленные повторяющиеся анимации (типа там прыгает что-то или тому подобное), которые нельзя пропустить, много репетатитва и сюжет поначалу достаточно интересный сливается просто в ж. Expand

See all 218 User Reviews

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