Dragon Quest XI S: Echoes of an Elusive Age - Definitive Edition
By Chad Sapieha,
Common Sense Media Reviewer
Common Sense Media Reviewers
Fun cartoonish fantasy tale has bloodless turn-based combat.
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Dragon Quest XI S: Echoes of an Elusive Age - Definitive Edition
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Prostitution, blowjobs and a blatantly homosexual party member
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What’s It About?
DRAGON QUEST XI S: ECHOES OF AN ELUSIVE AGE - DEFINITIVE EDITION begins with a mother sacrificing herself to save her baby, who is found by a man in a small village who raises the child as his own. When this baby -- who happens to have a strange birthmark on his hand -- grows into a young man, he learns that he may have a special destiny, and sets out on a mission to learn more about himself by meeting the king -- who promptly imprisons him and destroys his village. This initiates a boy-against-the-world story that has our hero recruiting a group of loyal friends who fight by his side as he works to rid the realm of evil. The bulk of the game is spent exploring both towns and countryside. Towns are typically where we find information, colorful characters, and quests, while the countryside provides endless opportunities to experience turn-based combat against imaginative fantasy enemies, using the resulting experience, resources, and skill points to grow and augment the player's little band of heroes. This "definitive edition" of the game includes several upgrades and alterations from the original PlayStation 4 and PC versions, such as the ability to craft items anywhere in the world rather than simply at camps, and a new 2D mode that allows players to experience the game with a pixelated, retro look.
Is It Any Good?
This is a case of a so-called "definitive version" of a game earning its designation. Dragon Quest XI S: Echoes of an Elusive Age - Definite Edition is the same great game originally designed for PlayStation 4 and PC for all consoles, and updated on Windows machines. That also means you can now play this enormous RPG (Role-playing game) anywhere you take Nintendo's hybrid console -- surprisingly, with almost no noticeable compromise in graphics quality. More than that, Square Enix has updated and improved the experience in some substantive ways, the most notable of which is a 2D mode that lets us switch from modern 3D cartoon visuals to a much more old-school presentation -- and back again -- whenever we visit a church. It's not only a new way to see the kingdom of Erdrea; it provides a means of playing faster, which can be handy should you need to grind levels, harvest resources, or if you're just short on time. Other changes, meanwhile, have a noticeable quality-of-life impact, especially the ability to access the mini-forge to craft and acquire new items wherever you happen to be. That means you no longer need to head back to a campsite to upgrade your gear in the middle of a tough dungeon -- you can just do it on the spot.
But the fundamental appeal of Echoes of an Elusive Age is still the core game. The cartoon world is absolutely gorgeous and never anything less than a pleasure to explore on foot or horseback, and the lively characters who inhabit it are always willing to deliver interesting anecdotes and clever quips. Combat remains blissfully comprehensible, with players able to choose between commanding their characters' every action or simply setting them to fight automatically with the style of your choosing. It's a game designed to be played and experienced on your terms and with minimal frustration. Dragon Quest XI S: Echoes of an Elusive Age – Definitive Edition is indeed the best way to play a great modern Japanese role-playing game, and its 2D mode may even make it worth re-experiencing for those who've already played the original version on another platform.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about screen time. Dragon Quest XI S: Echoes of an Elusive Age - Definitive Edition is a very long game filled with missions that merge into each other and lengthy distances between save points, so how do you plan out game sessions that are of a healthy and responsible length?
How do friendships begin? How do they grow? Can you consciously orchestrate a good friendship, or must they form naturally?
Game Details
- Platforms: Nintendo Switch , PlayStation 4 , Windows , Xbox One
- Pricing structure: Paid
- Available online?: Available online
- Publisher: Square Enix
- Release date: December 4, 2020
- Genre: Role-Playing
- Topics: Magic and Fantasy , Adventures , Friendship , Horses and Farm Animals
- ESRB rating: T for Crude Humor, Fantasy Violence, Mild Blood, Simulated Gambling, Suggestive Themes, Use of Alcohol
- Last updated: October 7, 2021
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