Dragon Quest XI, the review

Dragon Quest XI had a complicated gestation. The Enix series, born on the Famicom in 1986, has been re-released several times in recent years, especially on Nintendo portable platforms. Just last year, for example, Nintendo 3DS hosted the re-release of Dragon Quest VIII: Odyssey of the Cursed King, the title that actually relaunched the franchise also in the West when it debuted - however, without numbering - back in 2005 on the PlayStation 2. This means that thirteen years have passed since then, and in the meantime it is nothing but Enix, which later became Square Enix, if it has been on its hands: the Japanese developer has experimented with new avenues at a time when the Japanese RPG genre, which Dragon Quest represented above all in Japan, seemed stagnant. Dragon Quest IX and Dragon Quest X have taken the path of the MMORPG with fluctuating results: the second, playable only online, never even got there in the West.



Which brings us directly to Dragon Quest XI, a half-way reversal that brings back the series of Yuji Horii on the path of tradition, projecting it at the same time into a more modern and shrewd landscape. The game arrives on our shelves a year after the Japanese release and we also lack the overview, because Square Enix has developed it in tandem with a peculiar version for Nintendo 3DS that will not be marketed in our country. There location it took longer than expected also because Square Enix has decided to make some important changes to the structure of the game with the specific aim of making it more attractive to the western market. Given these premises, it would have been legitimate to expect a disaster, a title without a precise identity, trapped in a kind of limbo between East and West, past and present. And instead Dragon Quest XI it is, quite simply, the best chapter of the series.



Dragon Quest XI, the review

The story: the cursed boy's odyssey

Dragon Quest has never been particularly famous for the stories it tells, more like fairy tales than complicated narrative plots, but Yuji Horii has used the capabilities of the new hardware to adapt to more modern standards without betraying the fairytale and parody spirit that has always distinguished the series. Thanks to the more dynamic shots in the cinematics, the excellent Spanish adaptation of the dialogues and the implementation of the dubbing in English, absent in the original Japanese version, Dragon Quest XI reserves a rhythm that the series, until now, had always dreamed of. It is a tightrope walker, this Dragon Quest, who skilfully swings from drama to comedy with an unprecedented naturalness. In the prologue, a woman rescues her swaddled child by paying a high price for his courage, but the baby, found and adopted a bit like Moses, grows up and becomes our nameless protagonist. Upon reaching the age of majority, the young man discovers that he is the reincarnation of the Shiny, a legendary hero who manifests himself whenever the Dark Lord threatens to invade the world.

Dragon Quest XI, the review

The problem is that some see the Shining as a threat and a bringer of doom, which forces ours to flee. Alone and without a guide, the hero will have to rely on a colorful band of adventurers who will join him for many different reasons: a thief with a good heart, two powerful twin sorcerers, a mysterious jester, a wise old man and a skilled warrior. The cast is extraordinary. The script annexes the new characters to the Lucente group with a certain organicity, giving the player time to get used to their fighting styles and their repertoire of spells, but it is always possible to remodel the party even in battle, replacing the heroes in front row with reserves. One could criticize the not-so-inspired character design of Akira Toriyama, but it has a certain sobriety that makes the protagonists much more captivating, also because Dragon Quest XI does not forget their existence, but rather explores the background, revealing secrets, explaining their motivations and involving the player in a long and full journey. of surprises.



Dragon Quest XI, the review

The world of Dragon Quest XI is a mosaic of different cultures. Each city is inspired by some country of our world and one of them, Gondola, enormously reminiscent of Venice, where the inhabitants speak in a dialect that mixes English and Spanish with hilarious results. In this regard, we would like to underline that it is not possible to change the audio track of the dubbing: it is important to understand that the game has been dubbed only in the western edition, therefore it is not possible to set the Japanese audio. And unfortunately it is not even possible to choose the format of the soundtrack that the composer of all time, Koichi Sugiyama, holds hostage to sell CDs and concerts in orchestral version: in the game, the unreleased songs and the more traditional ones are simple midis that you get used to in the long run but, despite this, you can't help but think that the soundtrack would have could have given so much more. It is indeed the weakest element of the package, because on the technical front Dragon Quest XI is a real one show thanks also and above all to the cleanliness of the image, the choice of colors and the three-dimensional modeling of characters, scenarios and creatures.

Dragon Quest XI, the review

PlayStation 4 Trophies

Fifty bronze trophies, seven silver and one gold: to unlock the platinum trophy you don't have to work too hard as many are obtained simply by following the story, but others require more effort, especially if you want to discover every secret.



The game between tradition and innovation

In reality there is not much to say about the structure of Dragon Quest XI that has not already been said, for example, in the Dragon Quest VIII review: Square Enix has faithfully followed the classic structure of the series, without looking for strange solutions such as fragments. from Dragon Quest VII or the pseudo MMORPG component of Dragon Quest IX. The player controls the protagonist and explores the locations in which the world of Erdrea is divided: Dragon Quest XI it is not an open world title, even if the vastness of the scenarios would suggest otherwise, and the locations are separated by more or less short uploads. Fortunately, we move quickly: the protagonist learns the teleportation spell within a few hours and, in this version for the West, it is possible to hold down a key to run at breakneck speed, even if the most savvy players can resort to mounts. Horses are the most common and users can call them by ringing the appropriate bells, but some enemies, once defeated, become mounts in turn and give the player additional capabilities such as the ability to fly over water and jump higher, thus reaching previously inaccessible platforms and crevices.

Dragon Quest XI, the review

Perhaps you feel the lack of a more elaborate exploration, perhaps a few more puzzles in the dungeons, but Dragon Quest XI is actually a title quite easy, at least until you run into some really tough bosses or enemies. In those cases, the game encourages you to intelligently employ the spells and techniques in the arsenal of the various characters, especially the abilities that can empower the party or weaken the enemies, as well as the appropriate weapons and attacks. The player has some control over the growth of the heroes. Each of them is linked to a sort of chessboard that allows you to consume i Skill Points earned at level ups to progress in different directions that represent the various skills: each new unlocked box allows you to access the surrounding ones in a kind of chain that requires a little planning. However, it is possible reset points spent at any time, while giving up a small amount of money. This, too, is a facility that takes Dragon Quest XI away from the more frustrating aspects of the past.

Dragon Quest XI, the review

The veterans of the series will in fact remember the need to "grind" some levels to face the most complicated missions with greater serenity. In this regard, it is worth remembering that it is possible to check a series of items, at the beginning of a new game, which allow you to customize the difficulty experience, for example by removing the possibility of escaping combat or buying new items from merchants. In Dragon Quest XI there is no real Game Over, since the defeat of the party sends us back directly to the last save with the wallet halved. Despite this, Square Enix has implemented a novelty that significantly lightens the "grind" sessions, namely thecamp. It is a safe zone, located on each map, where players can completely regenerate health and mana for free, but also converse with the group to find out new details about the story and save the game at the statue that replaces them. traditional little churches. At the camp it is also possible to use the celestial forge, a craft system very similar to the one already implemented in Dragon Quest VIII and Dragon Quest IX. Once you have learned an alchemical formula - often hidden in books around the world - it is possible to manufacture the corresponding object through a nice minigame: By completing the process with a minimum of attention, you can get your hands on highly effective weapons and protections.

Dragon Quest XI, the review

The search for the rarest materials and hidden formulas prompts the player to explore every corner of the world, which is anything but frustrating or boring as enemies appear on the screen and wander around with ease. It is also possible to attack them in advance to start the fight with a small advantageAt that point, the game loads the party members into the canonical row opposing the enemies. The combat takes place in turns, ordered according to the agility levels of the characters and monsters. We might have liked an indicator to suggest the order of actions, but by then Dragon Quest XI would have become too easy. The Square Enix title, in fact, does not offer particularly complicated mechanics. In this sense, the possibility of choosing an alternative control system, which allows you to orient the camera at will and to move the characters on the battlefield, arouses some perplexity, since it has no practical effect on the clash: it probably serves to give players greater freedom in the arrangement of the characters if they decide to share a photo or video of the fight.

Dragon Quest XI, the review

But perhaps Square Enix originally thought of implementing a strategic arrangement system, only to retrace its steps, who knows. The fact is that the combat system, in Dragon Quest XI, it's simple and intuitive, really suitable for everyone. No great tactical minds are needed and the enemies are so funny and neat in the animations that every battle is delightful. However, there is no lack of novelties, represented specifically by perky powers. When characters take a certain amount of damage, they become temporarily stronger and unlock a series of cinematic special attacks that they can perform alongside their companions. The perky state lasts for several turns and does not necessarily end at the end of a fight, so players can manipulate this power-up somewhat to take on the toughest bosses and enemies, not to mention that there are numerous secondary missions which require you to defeat a certain opponent with a specific perky power.

Dragon Quest XI, the review

Some inhabitants of Eldrich, in fact, will entrust us with small optional tasks to be completed at any time to obtain items and formulas as a reward. Dragon Quest XI is an extremely long-lived title in this sense. The only main "campaign", so to speak, lasts between forty and fifty hours, to which we must add a substantial post game which, in reality, is not so optional: in fact, it takes up the threads left in suspense and continues the story, leading to a alternative ending which completely closes the circle. It is an intelligent and different solution than usual that recycles assets in a sensible way, using a narrative trick that we cannot anticipate. However, we can tell you that if you love to 100% complete the games that belong to this genre, Dragon Quest XI may be able to surprise you.

Comment

Tested version PlayStation 4 Digital Delivery Steam, PlayStation Store Price 59.99 € Resources4Gaming.com

9.0

Readers (124)

8.9

Your vote

Dragon Quest XI is one of those titles that is played with a smile perpetually on your face: it's fun and engaging, intuitive and complex at the same time, and tells an intriguing story full of colorful characters and surprising twists. Colorful, clean, splendid to look at, it constantly reminds us why Dragon Quest is the quintessence of the Japanese role-playing game. Square Enix has found an almost perfect balance between innovation and tradition, modernizing a historic brand without distorting it in any way: the result is probably the best Dragon Quest ever made in thirty-two years of honorable service.

PRO

  • The direction and the irresistible cast embellish the narrative
  • The combat system is simple but full of possibilities
  • The adventure is long and full of extra content
  • It is a feast for the eyes
AGAINST
  • Although it can be customized, the default difficulty level is quite low
  • The soundtrack in midi format is a bit disappointing
  • Menus could have been updated better
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