Dragon Quest XI - First Reviews
 

Here are the first reviews for Dragon Quest XI - the game launces on September 4:

Gamespot - Score: 9/10

US Gamer - Sore: 5/5

Game Informer - Score 8.25/10

EGM Now - Score 8.25/10

Eurogamer:

More information.

These appear to be console reviews.

Aaargh. Hard to tell how to take these reviews. The reviewers pretty much all start with "by the way I am a hardcore JRPG fanboi.. bla bla". Hard to trust them to be genuinely critical.

Is the game still a 9/10 for people like me who cannot enjoy most JRPGs due to the limited and grindingly repetitive menu based TB combat systems?

Most AAA JRPGs reviews will actually cover this. But all these lacklustre closeminded SJW reviewers all seem to be busy gushing their JRPG fanboi hearts out instead of giving actual useful information.

kangapoo - if you don't like menu-based turn-based battling, DQ games are almost certainly not for you. I haven't yet played XI, but the whole point is not to deviate too wildly from previous incarnations, so whilst you probably won't have to grind, you'll almost certainly have menu-based, turn-based battles, and a fair few of them.

The reviews do make it clear that DQXI is extremely conservative in terms of moving the formula forwards, almost to a fault. It really sounds like you'd prefer a slightly more action-y JRPG series like "Tales of" series, Ys/(Tokyo) Xanadu or FF15, or try Trails in the Sky / Trails of Cold Steel for a non-texty turn-based?

I was sort of thinking of getting this game but I don't like "menu" based combat. However I really like turn based combat as found in games like Might and Magic, wizardry 8 etc.

It seems to be these menus are bad GUI designed which are hang over from hand healed console days? Why not just have hot bars and stuff like M&M etc?

I am a bit disappointed that they didn’t try to add new things to the formula like previous dragon quests. Like the reviewer said one of my favorite things about a new one was seeing what was changed/added. But I’ll still certainly get it and hopefully it will at least have some things from previous versions I liked even if there is nothing new.

I'm disappointed that there has been no pc reviews.

Apart the only one low quality PC review (french), here's another one from nintendo gameboys:
https://wccftech.com/review/dragon-q…n-elusive-age/
Notice kindergarden "fit shapes" crap at lower left corner:

https://cdn.wccftech.com/wp-content/…m-1030x579.png

Yea, I wonder where it fits on this toy:

https://butalways.files.wordpress.co…-for-kids5.jpg

Does this review deserve reading? IMO not.

@joxer as a hater of all things consoles, how do you put up with these menu driven combat? I have not played this game but I never liked going through a menu to pick your spells etc. I found it annoyed and no need in a PC. You don't find this annoying and consoleish?

A GOOD pc implementations would provide short-cuts to bypass menu :)

Oh gawds, not more Lemmings bleating terms like "SJW" and "snowflake". I'm not big on pushing PC everywhere, but these people are just worse in every way. No one even brought up anything remotely related to social justice, but there they go.

LoL I assume this is a joke? Dragon Quest, and every other JRPG (their developers) were heavily inspired by CRPGs at the time, classics like Wizardry, Ultima, and the like. In addition, I don't remember the last time I played a proper CRPG without menu driven combat, apart from Action RPGs, which are a less pure offshoot of the genre.

As for the game, looks good and I've got it pre-loaded already. Between this, Pathfinder: Kingmaker, Bard's Tale 4, and Valkyria Chronicles 4, I am a happy boy indeed. Not to mention next months treasures like Underworld: Ascendant and Call of Cthulhu.

I am not sure we understand each other so let me start again….

I am not criticising Dragon Quest XI, in fact I would like to play it as it looks really nice.

However, I don't like menu driven combat as found in some console RPGs. For example, you select a character, then select menu, then select spells and then select the spell you want to cast etc. I understand why it is on some handheld consoles but I feel there is no need for this on PC even on consoles like PS4.

Is this how Dragon Quest XI going to play? even if yes, is not not bad as it sounds?

I think in PC game, why not have hot bar and spells on it? So you can either click on it or even assign hot bar key so with a single click of mouse or keyboard, you are done. As far as I remember, this is how Wizardry 8 play (may be I am wrong?). It definitely how Might and Magic 10 plays anyway…

My point is, there is no need for this menu system on PC or PS4 anymore. There are much better way to design the UI. Or am I wrong? Is there some advantage to menu driven system that I am missing?

I'm not hater of all things consoles, but have no willpower to go details (again).
I have absolutely no idea how the game plays. It'll unlock in a few moments so I'll play it later a bit then reply.
Me too but can't start it immediately, have some chores to do first. Yea, spamming is one of them, it's not a distraction! ;)

Well in combat, which is most of the time you are casting spells, it's not usually quite so bad. Usually it will be one characters turn, and then you will have a list saying something like Attack, Magic, Item, Flee. You pick one and then if appropriate a second list will pop up letting you choose which spell or item you want to use. It's pretty fast and I never have a real issue with it.

Out of combat can be more annoying depending on the game. Throwing out of combat heals can require you to open the menu, select the character, choose magic, and then choose the spell and then the target. This can sometimes be significantly more annoying, although some games are much worse than others.

This is what I image things to be and I find this annoying and poor design. However I guess I will put up with it if the game is really good. For example, I have played Trails of the cold steel on PS Vita and its very similar style yet I put up with it since I liked the story etc.

Ugh…no.

I enjoyed the early (1-4) DQ games when the series was called Dragon Warrior over here, but that was mostly due to me being very young at the time and not having many other options.

This is just way too Japanese and cartoony for me now.

Hot bar's are a relatively new feature. Every older RPG used similar menu's. Many CRPGs still do, so it's not a JRPG thing. Actually, the menu in DQ xi would have been seen as very simple and easy compared to a Bard's Tale, Realms of Arkania, or most RPG pre-late 90's and the influence of both Diablo and MMO's. DQ's major feature, as a series, is how many elements it keeps from the early days, despite updating and improving in other ways.

If there is one thing DQ took from crpgs it's using an obtuse menu during combat.
I
I'm guessing you are young? RPGs were a niche genre for decades and not one of us boring old fools had an issue with the user unfriendly UIs that were common. And, despite changes in a range of rpgs, I still find a menu driven turn based fight the truest form of RPG since it was the only form for decades.

Edit: And a correction. I guess Real Time w Pause can be called a true RPG combat style, but it is, again, newish. Turn based was the only thing around for a long time.

I will be 40 soon but I really started with RPG when Morrowind came along. I never played many of the older RPG you mentions. I did play wizardry 8 about 10 years ago and its one of my favourite RPG. I don't really care itf its CRPG or JRPG etc as I like them all but I do find menu based combat UI annoying and a design we can do without. However if Dragon Quest XI is really good, I will put up with it but probably not at full price :)

It's not and saying it is is pretty much ignorant - when was the last time you watched some of their "cartoons". They never "cartoon" things this ugly.

Not saying you should play this one. If you're unimpressed with uglyness of characters, not interested to discover what puff puff means here, simply skippit.

I remember playing Wizardry where in order to cast a spell you not only had to navigate through all the menus, but you also had to go to the manual, look up the nonsense words which was the name of the spell you were casting, and then type it in.

I had to do this so many times that even 30+ years later there are still spells I remember the name to. Tiltowait!

I have no problemm with the menu based combat. It’s pretty much the same as dragon warrior and wizardry’s. Except in wizardry’s you typed the name of spells which was both cool and infuriating since all the names were weird and I’d forget how to spell them.

Anyway can’t wait to grind some metal slimes, assuming that’s still a thing. The slimes are just so cute.

Esc cannot replace Backspace idiocy.
Thankfully, tab for menu instead of whatever other key and m for map instead of another whatever key can be set. This is the default keyboard setup:
https://s15.postimg.cc/yuhk96xzv/pic.jpg

Will Square Enix ever stop with this backspace bullshit?

EDIT:
:rolleyes:

https://s15.postimg.cc/yo3v5yre3/pic.jpg

I'll definitely be getting this sometime. For my kids if not for me.

I played DQ8 (PS2) over a few years, when I was looking after our young twins (also later, when I got "dad, whatever happened to that game with the fat guy who did the underpants dance?"). It was kid friendly, so I didn't have to worry about "exposing" them to anything objectionable. Also, being turn-based, I could play parts of it one-handed while I corralled a child with the other arm. Tone wise, the game avoided that squicky, uncomfortable combination of "kiddy stuff" melded with adult content that JRPGs often go for, whilst incorporating an almost British sense of humour (helped by some excellent voice acting).
I imagine this installment will be the same.

Graphics-wise, it's pretty much exactly what I would expect from a modern Dragon Quest; going from the lower res 3D of DQ8 and DQ9 (DS), to modern day 3D gfx, while keeping the same look.

Not sure if it's in the pricewatch thread but DQ XI is 20% off at greenman gaming. ( in the US, not sure about other region)

Going to grab it now.

PC port has some real funky unneeded crap (talking about keyboard); think I'll wait until they fix it with a patch. Of course if they never fix it i'll be waiting a long time.
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The thing I find confusing from reviews is that the key mapping for movement is different than that for the menu and while you can remap keys you can't remap movement to be the same as menu (wasd for menu and ESC force quit); really why is it so difficult for them to do a decent implementation any child could do.

Ahhhh, NOW I get it. I'm, actually around the same age as you. Thing is, tho, I grew up playing non-action RPGs ie real, turn based RPGs. Some of the first RPGs I ever played were Final Fantasy 1, Dragon Warrior 1, Bard's Tale 3, Ultima 4, Gold Box series, Might and Magic 1… some on console some on PC, so a menu driven combat system indicates a real RPG. Sure, action RPGs like Diablo and Morrowind don't do menus, but they're also not true blue RPGs and were made to appeal to the non-niche mainstream players(not that there's anything wrong with that). I'm guessing, being my age, you played mostly action games? I played my share, but Turn Based Strategy(X-Com, Civ, Master of Magic) and CRPGs were what really made my imagination soar. And a big part of that was the combat being slow, chess-like and representative of amazing battles that dwarfed anything in action games.

And none of that is to say that you are wrong, you're probably right, that having old timey, turn based combat will hurt a game's sales and probably increase the time investment. Still love them, and the people that were the base upon which the RPG genre survived long enough for Diablo and Morrowind to even exist love(d) it too. You might never grow to like it, but if you've never played a turn based RPG, you might discover something you might actually like.

As for keyboard remapping. I saw there was some, and I haven't tried it myself but I hope they do fix that. Otherwise, it seems like a great port and, personally, I'm using a gamepad as I grew up playing the series on the NES and it just felt right.

I used to play strategy games before RPGs. I was never into first person shooters if thats what you mean by action games. I love turn based and slow combat but I think it can be done without menus.

Maybe I am over reacting here about menus but we will see :)

How would you do turn-based combat without a menu? :thinking:

I've been playing it a bit. While I usually disagree with 90% of what Joxer says, this time I have to say he's spot on about the annoyance of the key bindings and it's restrictions. Some of the more annoying things can be remapped, but the button to exit out of a menu cannot be changed to escape. More annoyingly, every time you hit escape, a dialog box comes up asking you if you want to quit to desktop, and you have to click no before you can do anything else. I usually do this about 20 times in every play session as I try to exit out of something. You also use different keys to move in the game world than you use to move between menus so I'm constantly having to change the position of my hands on the keyboard. And of course you can't change that or just click on the menus with your mouse.

So anyway it's annoying and poorly implemented, but it's nowhere nearly as much of a train wreck as say Dark Souls. It's still extremely playable, just with a few jarringly bad design decisions that will take time to get used to. I haven't played it long enough to form an opinion about the core game yet.

Wouldn't it be a lot easier to just use a gamepad?

That question reminds me on school dealers - would you try some dope and make it a lot easier? And the result is the same. Addicts, mushrooms of plastic or nature, just push it forward trying to get more "followers".
:p

The port isn't trainwreck as @fadedc already posted, but could have been much better. Should have. I can't understand how Square Enix accepted to release this onto PC. Maybe they didn't expect much sales so left it in silly state?
Also, did anyone notice there is only one PC review out there (and not good at all, basically 10 sentences about the game)? I wonder why.

For me playing with an xbox controller on pc its a super smooth ride up until now. Love this game already. GFX is great, soundfx are oldschool, TB-combat, story seems to be nice enough. What else do you want? (theoretical question)

I almost got this but went with FFXV instead. I'm glad I did. I'll grab this later, but I did hear the DQ games are a bit formulaic. Which also is apparently why the fanbase continues to love them. It's a buy-when-have-money-and-need-new-game for me.

Like Might and Magic X. This is much better implementation than menus.

http://www.mobygames.com/images/shot…-boss-like.jpg

How is combat? Is there any chance for a pause and strategy, or just gamepad hammering?

I like to know that as well…

There is demo of that game on steam but its huge download and too lazy :)

Well I mean it's a turn based game, you pause for each character's turn and can spend all the time you want figuring out what to do. As for depth of strategy, I'm too early in the game to discuss that. DQ games aren't usually super complicated, but you do have multiple party members with multiple abilities. You need to use some basic strategy and ability management to win, but your not usually busting your brain.

I'm currently playing with the draconian quest option of "monsters are super hard". So far the level of challenge there seems good, not too hard and not too easy. I'll see how it is further in.

TB? Really?? From videos and reports i gathered that it is action combat: so everyone fights at the same time. Please clarify.

AAhh, you mean DQ! My question was regarding the latest FF game…