Dragon Quest XI - Review @ VentureBeat

VentureBeat has reviewed the J-RPG Dragon Quest XI: Echoes of an Elusive Age:

The RetroBeat: Dragon Quest XI finally turns me into a fan

I love Japanese role-playing games like the Final Fantasy and Persona series, but I just never got into Dragon Quest. But I've finally corrected this oversight.

I had a few false starts with the classic franchise. When a remake of Dragon Quest IV came out for the Nintendo DS in 2008, I picked it up. This was right around the time I was marathoning my way through Final Fantasy, playing the first 10 games in the franchise in 6 months. After so much Final Fantasy, I thought I'd enjoy checking out the other major JRPG institution. But I barely got anywhere with Dragon Quest IV. I don't have a great reason; the game just didn't grab me. If there was one big thing, I just couldn't get into the first-person battles. Not seeing my party members on the battlefield just felt jarring.

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I almost got this with the last sale but it looks so kid-orient that I gave it a miss. Maybe some day.

Originally Posted by Zloth
I almost got this with the last sale but it looks so kid-orient that I gave it a miss. Maybe some day.

The story is more mature than 80% of JRPGs stories. Don't get hung up on the graphical style.

With some rare exceptions, I just can't do JRPGs anymore. It doesn't matter how serious the story is, the art style and writing just don't appeal to me as an adult.

I enjoyed DQ 1-4 on the NES when I was a kid, but I wouldn't be able to get into this series now.

Originally Posted by JDR13
With some rare exceptions, I just can't do JRPGs anymore. It doesn't matter how serious the story is, the art style and writing just don't appeal to me as an adult.

Don't get me wrong, DQXI is mature relative to other JRPGs (a world where the Trails of Cold Steel games are somehow considered to be well written by most fans), but not written at an adult level in an absolute sense. I can't play JRPGs anymore either, except that I genuinely liked the FF7 remake.

Originally Posted by JFarrell71
Don't get me wrong, DQXI is mature relative to other JRPGs (a world where the Trails of Cold Steel games are somehow considered to be well written by most fans), but not written at an adult level in an absolute sense. I can't play JRPGs anymore either, except that I genuinely liked the FF7 remake.

The Final Fantasy series has always been very hit or miss for me, but I'm definitely going to check out FF7 Remake when I get a PS5 or when it comes to PC.

The only Japanese developer who consistently makes games I like is Capcom. They're not known for JRPGs though.

I'm mostly in the same boat… played quite a number of jrpgs as a younger man in my 20s but I've probably only played a tiny handful of them since then (I'm over 50).

I still occasionally will play a really good Japanese sRPG but then those often suck me in because the battle mechanics are really good and I find I just put up with the juvenile writing and/or poor story.

I think most jRPGs are actually not childish. Maybe by visual design, but mechanically and story-wise, there is often much more there then what first sight suggests.

Originally Posted by JDR13
With some rare exceptions, I just can't do JRPGs anymore. It doesn't matter how serious the story is, the art style and writing just don't appeal to me as an adult.

That doesn't really mean anything. To me.
Aka I have no idea what are you talking about, but then again you probably haven't finish any Yakuza sidequest ever. Sidequest. Side.

Originally Posted by JDR13
I enjoyed DQ 1-4 on the NES when I was a kid, but I wouldn't be able to get into this series now.

But this means everything.
I could only vomit on those billions of years ago just as I'd do today. Never played them, but just seeing any of it gives me a shomachache.

That aside, this is DQ11 thread.
Stated before, DQ11 in my case was an utter disappointment. The game is just a nice looking sum of irritating outdated designs. Strip away it's graphics and you'll notice that under the hood it didn't move away from what was considered a videogame in VAX/VMS era.
I can understand a person who never played anything else before being amazed with DQ11. A person who tried at least a game from different genres in past few years? I expect spitting.

Yeah, they're kind of stuck with those old designs.
DQ is such a phenomena in Japan, if they change the tiniest thing it'll be a national scandal
DQ11 is mechanically silmilar to DQIII and the next one will be the same. It's a genuine cultural tradition at this point.

I only played DQ8 (the Cursed King thing) prior to this one, I had a blast with it, and I knew DQ11 would be more or less the same game. And that's kind of what I wanted.

But I admit I didn't finish it.
Didn't had a blast.
Dragon Quest never changes but I sure do.

Well I did finish it.
Explainable only by my masochistic tendencies that emerge occassionally, but so far aren't my cultural tradition.

Finishing the game doesn't mean I can recommend it, it's like food, you eat because it's something you normally do but it doesn't mean it tasted good.

Sweet, sweet side "quests"…

A similar thing happened to me with The Witcher 3 and those underwater chests all over Skellige.
I think I lost a part of my mind looting them all. And I hate mermaids now.

Originally Posted by JFarrell71
The story is more mature than 80% of JRPGs stories. Don't get hung up on the graphical style.

Too late - already passed it up and got Kenshi. I might come back around to it, especially if the games start drying up over the next couple of years.

If anyone does play this, remember to turn on some of the extra difficulty options at the start of the game. It's stupidly easy otherwise, and even bosses won't pose any challenege.

Sadly I made the mistake of playing it "as is", and whilst I enjoyed it, everything felt very superficial as a result. I stopped playing at a certain point when the game suddenly takes a sharp turn into repetition (about half-way, I think?). I keep meaning to go back, but it is hard when I feel like I've seen all there is to see, and there's no challenge.

Originally Posted by JFarrell71
, but not written at an adult level in an absolute sense.

As so many other vid products floating out there.