Dragon Quest XI: Echoes of an Elusive Age Reviews
If you're a fan of the JRPG genre, especially classics Final Fantasy 6, Chrono Trigger, or any of the original Dragon Quests I would heavily encourage you to check out Dragon Quest XI: Echoes of an Elusive Age.
This isn't the end-all, be-all of JRPGs, but it's still a damn fine Dragon Quest game, not to mention a great introduction to the genre for newcomers. Think of it as JRPG comfort food and you'll have no trouble whatsoever.
Every time Yuji Horii, Akira Toriyama, and Koichi Sugiyama reunite to churn out a video game, the whole world trembles and distorts itself in order to bow before their new creature. In this sense, Dragon Quest XI: Echoes of a Lost Era is no exception to the rule, offering the player a very classic but always original plot. Even if the user had in fact the unpleasant feeling of being in front of something already seen or taken for granted, the narrative canvas of the product would be able to successfully erase any suspicion, proposing unpredictable events and capable of making even the most experienced JRPG experts pale.
Review in Italian | Read full review
Dragon Quest XI: Echoes of an Elusive Age scratches that nostalgic itch for a traditional JRPG without looking like it had to try too hard at it. It’s not leaning on the crutch of pixel art or fake imitations. It’s the natural extension of what the Dragon Quest series of yore has grown into for an audience today. Turn based combat? Check. Traditional Dragon Quest aesthetics? Check and check. Blue slimes? Of course, there are blue slimes! Fun and relevant in today’s modern age? You bet. While it may be unintentional XI’s subtitle is more than fitting for just the story, it’s also fitting for Dragon Quest in today’s modern age. It echoes back to that elusive golden age of the JRPG.
The stories and characters in Dragon Quest XI are very intriguing and will make you want to see the end of this adventure with your own eyes. Dragon Quest XI is packed with content, both before and after the appearance of the credits. If you're still looking for an excellent JRPG for the fall, stop searching. Dragon Quest XI is a game you won't soon forget!
Review in Dutch | Read full review
DQXI is a fantastically fun romp through a gorgeous world that delivers on its promise of an epic, if conventional, JRPG adventure.
Dragon Quest XI not only manages to be the best game in Square-Enix's iconic series, but is one of the best JRPGs to be released in recent years.
An incredible achievement, and even after 150 hours in we didn't want it to end. From an emotional story, simple yet engaging combat, and gorgeous visuals. Dragon Quest XI: Echoes of an Elusive Age is simply remarkable and shouldn't be missed.
It may have been a long wait, but it was well worth it.
Dragon Quest XI is one of the best games ever made. From its deep gameplay and charming characters to its gorgeous visuals and stunning music, Echoes of an Elusive Age is a game that no one should miss out on.
Dragon Quest XI is a big game with lots to see and do, and you won't breeze through the game in a weekend. If you are willing to put in the time and see it to the end, though, the game is highly rewarding as a JRPG with a surprising amount of depth. Some of its larger story moments are enjoyable in their own right even if they can be derivative or are mere shadows of specific moments from classics of the genre, but while the game may not reinvent the JRPG, I had a blast making my way across Erdrea.
If you're a fan of Dragon Quest VIII, you'll find a lot to love about Dragon Quest XI. Its character-driven plot and skill system recall the series' breakout PlayStation 2 installment, though Dragon Quest XI's lively world and expressive monsters lend it a unique feeling and flavor. Some fans might feel let-down about Dragon Quest XI's lack of job system or other options that let you fine-tune every aspect of your party (what I wouldn't give to see Dragon Quest V's monster-friending system make a return), but if you're in the market for a turn-based RPG that feels nostalgic but doesn't force you to deal with old genre mechanics, you won't find a better quest.
Dragon Quest XI is an incredible example of how to take a classic series and modernize it with updated graphics and voice acting while still keeping what made the original so charming. If the story stayed strong all the way through, it would be my favorite in the series hands-down. Nevertheless, it's still in the top three Dragon Quests that I've ever played.
This isn't a shake up for the series and can sometimes feel dated, but the long, hard-fought adventure comes together in an engaging way
A sumptuous, generous and absolutely gorgeous RPG that isn't quite the measure of Dragon Quest's illustrious past.
Enix, and by proxy Square, have found myriad ways to repackage the journey of Dragon Quest and Dragon Quest XI: Echoes of an Elusive Age proves that they haven't run out of ideas yet. It's one of the easier modern Dragon Quests to get into precisely because it gets back to basics. If you've been pining for an older-school character-focused RPG instead of the player-created party focus of IX and the MMO aspect of X, the wait has ended.
Dragon Quest XI is a stellar game that displays a great command of the ins and outs of its genre the way few other games can and do. What it lacks in originality, it more than makes up for with its confident execution of ideas, showing that a game doesn't need to be revolutionary or the freshest thing on the block to be an incredible experience. With a memorable cast of characters, a well-told, briskly paced story, stunning and vibrant visuals, and a beautiful and extremely varied world as its setting, Dragon Quest XI serves as yet another excellent instalment in this amazingly consistent franchise.
If you have been missing the pure, genuine adventuring encouraged by the JRPGs of old, and you have been eager to see what the most traditional incarnation of the genre could achieve when paired with top-notch production values, this is most definitely the game for you.
If you've been waiting since DQVIII for a Dragon Quest title to hit your PlayStation, you'll be glad it's finally here. It may not do a lot to push the genre forward, but like the game's design so clearly sets out to do, Dragon Quest XI is an homage to the JRPG and its fans. It's an immense, addictive, and joyful experience from the first moment on. I cannot recommend it enough.
I have my issues with Dragon Quest XI: Echoes of an Elusive Age. It's a bit clunky when it tries to pretend it's cool like other video games. I wish I had vocations instead of skill points to play with, and it would be nice if I could get from point A to B a bit faster, or have more to do along the way. But at the same time, I found myself engrossed in the usual grind I've come to love over the years, the silly and fantastical creatures from my favorite artist, and the storytelling that met and even rattled my expectations. There's even a neat little crafting system I didn't have room to mention, secrets to find, and of course hours and hours of post-game content. If you want to go on an adventure, and I mean a real adventure that tugs on your heartstrings, makes you smile, and yells puns at you constantly, do not sleep on Dragon Quest XI.