Dragon Quest XI S: Echoes of an Elusive Age – Definitive Edition

Genre: Turn-Based JRPG

Players: 1

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Review:

Dragon Quest XI S: Echoes of an Elusive Age – Definitive Edition (hereby referred to ad DQ11S, because damn is that title a mouthful) is a JRPG that represents the absolute cutting edge of the genre… well, in just about every way but one, that is (I’ll get to that later). More importantly, it also represents one of the most ambitious ports to the Nintendo Switch ever made, taking a game that was a technical marvel on the PS4 just a few years ago, and seeking not only to bring it faithfully to the Switch, but actually improve upon it.

For starters, it bears mention that you can’t quite call this version the “definitive” version of the game. The Switch version does sacrifice some of the graphical splendor of the PS4 version – dropping the resolution from 900p to roughly 720p (roughly 540p in handheld mode), with some reduced quality in textures, lowered poly count, less-detailed shadows, and there’s a lot more pop-in now too.

However, these changes aren’t really all that notable while you’re playing, because they have been implemented in a way that doesn’t generally interfere with the presentation, which is, in a word, gorgeous. Huge, detailed, colorful environments, detailed characters (to the point where you can see the stitching on their clothes), beautiful water effects, wonderful lighting and shadows, and this version of the game retains the 30FPS framerate of the PS4 version. This is one of the best-looking games on the Switch, and unless you’re doing a side-by-side comparison with the PS4 version, you probably won’t notice the differences between the two.

What’s even more impressive is that DQ11S retains its wonderful visual quality despite that the filesize of the game has been halved on Switch… and that’s even with all of the extra content that has been added to this version of the game. For those unaware, while this game’s graphics don’t quite fit the “definitive” description this game gets, in terms of content it’s a whole other story – this game has a laundry list of added content and improvements throughout the game. Multiple language options, multiple versions of the soundtrack, a new 2D mode you can switch back and forth from at save points, an entirely new 2D section of the game, quality of life additions… and all of this is just scratching the surface. Suffice it to say, where Square Enix had to make calculated cuts to the graphics to get this game to fit on the Switch, just about everywhere else they splurged heavily.

As for the game itself… wellll… Okay, look. This game is an graphical marvel on the Switch, and a fine example of a classic-style JRPG… but by “classic-style JRPG”, I mean that while this game was ported straight from the PlayStation 4, the gameplay seems straight out of the PS2 era… and I think I’m being generous here, since even during the PS2 era there were games like Final Fantasy X and XII that were experimenting with what the genre could do, gameplay-wise. Here, the battle system feels surprisingly quaint, given the visual presentation. I mean, the characters aren’t lining up in a row to trade blows back and forth (although that’s also an option if you prefer), but for all intents and purposes they may as well be.

The sound is also a bit of a disappointment for me, to be honest. Don’t get me wrong, I truly appreciate the trouble Square Enix has gone to so Switch players can choose multiple versions of the soundtrack and characters’ spoken languages, but even with the orchestral quality of the soundtrack, I never found myself enjoying any of the game’s music. And as for the voices, suffice it to say that the game’s voice acting was inconsistent, especially where it involved characters with accents.

DQ11S is still an absolute must-play game on the Nintendo Switch, don’t get me wrong – it is absolutely stunning what they were able to accomplish here in the port, and at least as far as the game’s feature set goes, this is the definitive version of the game. It’s just a shame that I can’t say that the gameplay is all that special. However, if you’re looking for a great throwback to old-school JRPGs that looks like an absolute dream, this game demands your attention.

tl;dr – Dragon Quest XI S is a graphical wonder on the Nintendo Switch, with calculated cuts to the graphics in the port from the PS4 have done little to reduce its jaw-dropping visual presentation, and the additions to the content are an embarrassment of riches. Unfortunately, the JRPG gameplay remains firmly-rooted in the past, and really feels long in the tooth. This game is still a must-play for JRPG fans, but don’t expect gameplay on par with the graphics.

Grade: A-

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This game has been nominated for one or more of eShopperReviews 2019 Game Awards:

Winner:

Best Port/Remake – This year, we had ports of games from other platforms that improved upon those versions of the game. We had ports that retained the graphical quality of the original version despite that the original version was already graphically stunning. We had ports that added in a wealth of new content not seen in the original game. And we have ports that took what was previously a platform exclusive from another platform and actually gave Switch owners a version that can now be called the new definitive version of the game. Dragon Quest XI S didn’t do just one of those things, it did all of those things. As such, it was by far the game I felt most deserved this award this year.

Best Graphics – In 2019, multiple games were ported to Switch that previously would have been thought impossible to run on Nintendo’s platform, but Dragon Quest XI S was a game that did so with such deft subtlety that for the most part only a side-by-side comparison would show that any sacrifice had been made. The result is that Switch owners got a massive, detailed, colorful, beautiful world that was one of the best-looking things the Switch has ever had running on it.

Runner-Up: Best RPG / Action-RPG

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