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Dragon Quest XI

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Dragon Quest XI: Echoes of an Elusive Age
North American PlayStation 4 cover art
Developer(s)Square Enix[a]
Publisher(s)Square Enix
Director(s)Takeshi Uchikawa
Producer(s)
  • Yosuke Saito
  • Hokuto Okamoto[1]
Designer(s)Yuji Horii
Artist(s)Akira Toriyama[2]
Eiichiro Nakatsu
Writer(s)Yuji Horii
Composer(s)Koichi Sugiyama
SeriesDragon Quest
EngineUnreal Engine 4
Platform(s)
Release
July 29, 2017
  • Nintendo 3DS
    • JP: July 29, 2017
    PlayStation 4
    • JP: July 29, 2017
    • WW: September 4, 2018
    Microsoft Windows
    • WW: September 4, 2018
    Nintendo Switch
    TBA
Genre(s)Role-playing
Mode(s)Single-player

Dragon Quest XI: Echoes of an Elusive Age[b] is a role-playing video game developed and published by Square Enix. An entry in the longrunning Dragon Quest video game series, it was released in Japan for the Nintendo 3DS and PlayStation 4 in July 2017, and worldwide for the PlayStation 4 and Microsoft Windows in September 2018. It will also be released for the Nintendo Switch sometime later. By the end of 2017, the game had sold three million copies across the PlayStation 4 and 3DS.

Gameplay

See also: Common elements of the Dragon Quest series

Dragon Quest XI continues the gameplay of previous games in the series, in which players explore worlds and fight against various monsters, including the ability to explore high areas.[3] The Nintendo 3DS version features a different style to the other versions, showcasing 3D graphics on the top screen and 16-bit styled sprites on the bottom screen. Before entering battle, players can also toggle between the 3D and 2D graphical styles at any time.[4][5] Like with Dragon Quest IX, the game's battle system features no random encounters and shows all enemies on the overworld. The battle system also adds a free-form camera option that allows players to move around the battlefield, although it remains turn-based and is purely visual.[6][7][8]

Story

The game is set in the fantasy world of Erdrea where it's said that The Great Tree of Life was the source for all life in it, a gigantic tree in a floating island in the middle of the world. The player takes the role of a young man with a strange birthmark on his left hand turning age 16 from Cobblestone Village where he grew with his childhood friend of the same age, Gemma. In a coming-of-age tradition of the village he must climb a great mountain, where it's said the spirits of the earth dwell. Upon his success the protagonist finds out that he's actually the reincarnation of a hero, who saved the world before and must again go on a mission against forces of darkness, described by other characters as the "Lord of Shadows" and the "Dark One". To better understand his role as a hero he leaves his hometown and starts travelling around the world.[9]

In the first hours of the game, upon arriving at the city of Heliodor, the Hero is recognized by soldiers as a "Luminary", a name common to classes in previous Dragon Quest games, and is sent to jail by King Carnelian, who suggests in a malicious way that the coming of the Luminary also heralds the rise of the Dark One, just as light casts shadow. At first it doesn't seem as the hero is trying to escape, but a blue-haired thief in another cell named Erik manages to get out of his incarceration and gets the protagonist out too. Together they run from the guards of Heliodor and continue their adventure.[10]

Development

As with every main game in the series, Dragon Quest XI was designed and written by Yuji Hori

Dragon Quest XI started development in 2013.[11][12] Initially, the team considered making the game fully open world, but decided against that as it would have led to issues telling its story.[13] The PlayStation 4, Microsoft Windows, and Nintendo Switch versions use the Unreal Engine 4 game engine and had developmental assistance from ORCA Inc, while the 3DS version had assistance from Toylogic Inc.[3][14] In January 2016, series creator Yuji Horii stated that the story was nearly finished and that the game's intro section was playable.[15] In April 2017, Square Enix held a special presentation for the game, where the release date for the PlayStation 4 and 3DS versions of the game were revealed to be July 29, 2017.[16][17][18] The same month, Sony Interactive Entertainment and Nintendo unveiled special editions of their PlayStation 4 Slim and New Nintendo 2DS XL hardware for Japan to tie into the game.[19]

Release

Coinciding with the release of the Japanese version, lead designer and scenario writer Yuji Horii announced that an international version, localized in five separate languages, would be released in 2018.[20] The exact date was later revealed to be September 4, 2018, along with a version for Microsoft Windows via Steam, a first for the main series. It will include voiced English dialogue, a first-person camera option, support for 4K resolution, and an additional "Draconian Quest" hard mode difficulty setting, among other minor changes.[21][22][23] Square Enix stated they wanted to expand the Dragon Quest brand outside of Japan, which they believed that these features, in addition to having a Windows version, would assist it.[24]

The international PlayStation 4 release also saw a special collector's edition, titled Edition of Lost Time, which includes the base game, a set of bonus in-game items, a 128-page hardback art book featuring original character design concepts from Akira Toriyama, a two-disc soundtrack featuring orchestrated versions of the game's music by Koichi Sugiyama, a cloth map of the game's world, and a steelbook case.[25][23] The 3DS version will not be localized outside of Japan, while the Switch version was delayed while the team updates it to a newer version of the Unreal engine that the system supports.[26]

Reception

Dragon Quest XI received "generally favorable reviews" according to review aggregator Metacritic, with critics praising it for its visuals, traditional turn-based combat, plot, and characters.[27][37] Multiple publications called it the best game in the Dragon Quest series, as well as one of the best contemporary JRPGs.[38][39][40] Kotaku's Tim Rogers, a long-time player of the series, called it one of the best games of all time.[41] GamingBolt wrote that it displayed a great command of the "ins and outs of its genre" the way few other games did.[40] USgamer considered the game to be the natural followup to Dragon Quest VIII, the last main-series console game to be released outside of Japan, and an ideal entry point for newcomers to the series.[36]

Despite the common points of praise, Dragon Quest XI received some criticism for its non-orchestrated, MIDI-sequenced soundtrack, which critics noted was often at odds with the game's visuals.[36][40] In addition, some critics noted that the traditionalism of the game was a detriment, such as Polygon stating that the upgraded visuals and presentation were "grafted onto a frail and aging skeleton" and that it was unlikely to bring in any new fans to the series due to its non-evolving nature.[42] PC Gamer also agreed, noting that while the Windows port was ran without issue and "looked great",[43] they believed the game itself was "disappointingly safe".[35] While praising its visuals and overall presentation, Metro considered the game to be "old school to a fault", adding that its combat and character customization options was "needlessly simplistic".[37]

The game sold two million copies on its first two days of sale in Japan; the Nintendo 3DS version sold 1.13 million, while the PlayStation 4 version sold 0.95 million.[44] By November 2017, the game had sold over three million copies.[45] By the end of 2017, the game had sold 3.12 million total copies in Japan, 1.76 for the 3DS and 1.35 for the PlayStation 4.[46]

Notes

  1. ^ Additional development support by Orca for the PlayStation 4 version and Toylogic for the 3DS version.
  2. ^ Dragon Quest XI: Sugisarishi Toki o Motomete (ドラゴンクエストXI 過ぎ去りし時を求めて) in Japanese

References

  1. ^ Okamoto, Hokuto. "Dragon Quest XI: Echoes of an Elusive Age Journeys West September 4". PlayStation Blog. Retrieved March 29, 2018.
  2. ^ Sato (January 4, 2017). Akira Toriyama Talks About His Work As A Character Designer For Dragon Quest. Siliconera. Archived from the original on January 5, 2017. Retrieved January 4, 2017. {{cite web}}: Invalid |script-title=: missing prefix (help); Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)
  3. ^ a b Sato (July 28, 2015). "Dragon Quest XI Announced For PlayStation 4, And Nintendo 3DS". Siliconera. Archived from the original on July 28, 2015. Retrieved July 29, 2015. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |dead-url= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)
  4. ^ Sato (July 28, 2015). "Dragon Quest XI's First 3DS Footage Shows Its 2D And 3D Styles". Siliconera. Archived from the original on July 28, 2015. Retrieved July 29, 2015. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)
  5. ^ Sato (July 30, 2015). "Dragon Quest XI On 3DS Won't Simultaneously Play In 3D And 2D For The Entire Game". Siliconera. Archived from the original on July 30, 2015. Retrieved July 30, 2015. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)
  6. ^ Williams, Mike. "Dragon Quest XI Is a Comfortable Callback to an Older Style of JRPG". US Gamer. Retrieved August 1, 2018.
  7. ^ Sato (July 30, 2015). "Dragon Quest XI Shows A Glimpse Of Its Fields And Battles On PlayStation 4 And 3DS". Siliconera. Archived from the original on August 1, 2015. Retrieved July 30, 2015. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)
  8. ^ Meister, Rich. "Dragon Quest XI's western release is adding a lot more than English voice acting". Destructoid. Retrieved August 1, 2018.
  9. ^ "Dragon Quest XI details protagonist, Camus, world, more - Gematsu". Gematsu. December 26, 2016. Retrieved March 29, 2018.
  10. ^ Dragon Quest (March 28, 2018), DRAGON QUEST XI – “The Journey Begins” (A First Look at the Western Version), retrieved March 29, 2018
  11. ^ "300万本突破！超人気｢ドラクエⅪ｣の舞台裏 | ゲーム・エンタメ". 東洋経済オンライン (in Japanese). August 8, 2017. Retrieved January 21, 2018.
  12. ^ Arnold, Cory (August 21, 2016). "Dragon Quest XI confirmed for NX, simultaneous launch with PS4 and 3DS versions suggested". Gematsu. Archived from the original on August 22, 2016. Retrieved August 21, 2016. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)
  13. ^ Sato. "Square Enix Initially Considered Making Dragon Quest XI An Open-World Game". Siliconera. Retrieved January 25, 2018.
  14. ^ "シリーズ最新作 「ドラゴンクエストXI　過ぎ去りし時を求めて」 発売決定のお知らせ" (in Japanese). Square Enix. Archived from the original on January 3, 2016. Retrieved January 30, 2016. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)
  15. ^ Romano, Sal (January 13, 2016). "Dragon Quest XI aiming for release before May 27, 2017 in Japan". Gematsu. Archived from the original on January 16, 2016. Retrieved January 18, 2016. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)
  16. ^ Romano, Sal (March 21, 2017). "Dragon Quest XI Japanese Release Date Presentation set for April 11". Gematsu. Archived from the original on March 26, 2017. Retrieved March 25, 2017. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)
  17. ^ "Dragon Quest XI Releases July 29 In Japan For PlayStation 4 And Nintendo 3DS". Siliconera. April 10, 2017. Archived from the original on April 11, 2017. Retrieved April 11, 2017. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)
  18. ^ "Dragon Quest XI for PS4, 3DS launches July 29 in Japan - Gematsu". Gematsu. April 11, 2017. Archived from the original on April 12, 2017. Retrieved April 11, 2017. {{cite news}}: Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)
  19. ^ "'Dragon Quest XI' spawns the best and worst special edition consoles". Engadget. Archived from the original on April 28, 2017. Retrieved April 29, 2017. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)
  20. ^ Osborn, Alex. "Dragon Quest XI Coming to the West". IGN. Retrieved July 28, 2017.
  21. ^ Skrebels, Joe. "Dragon Quest 11: PS4 and PC Release Date Announced, Switch Coming 'Much Later', No 3DS Version". IGN. Retrieved March 28, 2018.
  22. ^ Bailey, Kat. "Dragon Quest XI PC Will Support Native 4K, Learn From Nier: Automata's Problems". US Gamer. Retrieved April 15, 2018.
  23. ^ a b Barnett, Brian. "Dragon Quest XI: Echoes of an Elusive Age Release Date Collector's Edition". IGN. Retrieved July 3, 2018.
  24. ^ Frank, Allegra. "Dragon Quest 11 aims for Monster Hunter: World's Western success". Retrieved August 1, 2018.
  25. ^ Romano, Sal. "Dragon Quest XI 'Edition of Light' and 'Edition of Lost Time' special editions announced". Gematsu. Retrieved June 12, 2018.
  26. ^ Romano, Sal. "Dragon Quest XI for Switch delay due to outdated Unreal Engine 4". Gematsu. Retrieved April 8, 2018.
  27. ^ a b "Dragon Quest XI: Echoes of an Elusive Age for PlayStation 4 Reviews". Metacritic. Retrieved September 7, 2018.
  28. ^ Carter, Chris (August 28, 2018). "Review: Dragon Quest XI: Echoes of an Elusive Age". Destructoid. Retrieved August 28, 2018.
  29. ^ Patterson, Mollie (August 28, 2018). "Dragon Quest XI: Echoes of an Elusive Age review". EGM. Retrieved August 28, 2018.
  30. ^ Romano, Sal. "Famitsu Review Scores: Issue 1497". Gematsu. Retrieved August 28, 2018.
  31. ^ Faulkner, Jason (August 28, 2018). "Dragon Quest 11 Review – A Tradition Continues". Game Revolution. Retrieved August 28, 2018.
  32. ^ Wallace, Kimberley (August 28, 2018). "Dragon Quest XI: Echoes of an Elusive Age". Game Informer. Retrieved August 28, 2018.
  33. ^ Kemps, Heidi (August 28, 2018). "Dragon Quest XI: Echoes Of An Elusive Age Review - Back To The Good-Old Days". Retrieved August 28, 2018.
  34. ^ Petty, Jared (August 28, 2018). "Dragon Quest XI: Echoes of an Elusive Age Review". IGN. Retrieved August 28, 2018.
  35. ^ a b Schilling, Chris. "Dragon Quest 11: Echoes of an Elusive Age review". PC Gamer. Retrieved September 11, 2018.
  36. ^ a b c Oxford, Nadia (August 28, 2018). "Dragon Quest XI: Echoes of an Elusive Age Review". USgamer. Retrieved August 28, 2018.
  37. ^ a b c "Dragon Quest XI review – pretty old-fashioned". metro.co.uk. GameCentral. Retrieved September 11, 2018.
  38. ^ Kemps, Heidi (August 28, 2018). "Dragon Quest XI: Echoes Of An Elusive Age Review - Back To The Good-Old Days". GameSpot. Retrieved August 31, 2018.
  39. ^ "Dragon Quest 11: Echoes of an Elusive Age review - a staunchly traditional return for the stately RPG series". Eurogamer.net. Retrieved August 31, 2018.
  40. ^ a b c "Dragon Quest XI: Echoes of an Elusive Age Review – A Blueprint For JRPGs". gamingbolt.com. Retrieved August 31, 2018.
  41. ^ Rogers, Tim. "Dragon Quest XI: The Kotaku Review". Kotaku. Retrieved August 31, 2018.
  42. ^ Parkin, Jeffrey. "Dragon Quest 11 review". Polygon. Retrieved August 31, 2018.
  43. ^ Wilde, Tyler; Walton, Jarred; Fenlon, Wes. "Dragon Quest 11's PC port is barebones, but it looks great anyway". PC Gamer. Retrieved September 11, 2018.
  44. ^ 『ドラゴンクエストXI　過ぎ去りし時を求めて』発売2日間で208.1万本を販売. famitsu.com. August 2, 2017. Retrieved August 2, 2017.
  45. ^ Sinclair, Brendan. "New Dragon Quest, old Final Fantasy drive Square Enix growth". GamesIndustry.biz. Retrieved April 1, 2018.
  46. ^ "2017年度国内家庭用ゲーム市場規模は3878.1億円。前年比121.8％で、2年連続ハード・ソフト両市場が前年超えに". Famitsu (in Japanese). April 2, 2018.
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