Note: This review is largely based on the review of the original version by Cheryl Gress (ccgr). Since the XI S port is largely identical save for some technical and story differences, my own comments will be in italics after each paragraph from the original review to denote changes. A few grammatical and formatting changes have been done as appropriate to the original content where needed as well. Like the original game, this has unofficial support for fan mods, which are, of course, done at the player's own risk, but is recommended to fix some technical shortcomings.



Sometimes, re-releases are a mixed blessing. Even if the original game was good already, a re-release that adds new content usually tends to be a good thing. However, if something that was good in the original is sacrificed anyway, then the re-release becomes a contentious topic. Dragon Quest XI S styles itself the "Definitive Edition", but having based a lot of things on the Switch port of the original Dragon Quest XI, some aspects are a step down in quality.

The Definitive Edition now includes an orchestral soundtrack, as opposed to the former retro-style soundtrack of the original, though modding allows any soundtrack one pleases to be included. The DE re-release also ships with a "retro" mode where the whole game can be completed as if it were a SNES/PS1-quality RPG, complete with pixel graphics, 2D top-down view, and other retro touches. The 3D mode visuals, however, are now more in line with the Switch port, which has much lower polygon detail, much less grass, and lower draw distance and LOD fidelity. There are mods to restore much of the original quality to this port, but graphically, the DQ XI S port is a big downgrade by default.

This version also runs quite well with the Steam Deck, being rated Playable. The only advisory is a minor need to invoke the manual onscreen keyboard, but this is only needed once or twice throughout the whole game on the Steam Deck. On a desktop Linux system, it will also run well out of the box via Steam Proton.

In Dragon Quest XI your character is the Luminary, a reincarnated hero destined to protect the life-giving tree, Yggdrasil, from the upcoming evil threat. The game begins with your character being born with a mysterious symbol on his hand that confirms his identity and marks him as a target of the forces of evil. When his hometown is destroyed by hordes of monsters, he escapes Moses-style by being placed in a floating bassinet and sent downriver. He is raised by some kind villagers and they inform him of his destiny after completing the coming-of-age ritual of climbing Tor’s summit.

While exploring Tor, you’ll learn the basic controls and battle mechanics. Though the keyboard and mouse are supported, I preferred playing with a gamepad since the button mappings are easier to navigate with it. The Luminary’s childhood friend, Gemma, accompanies him since she is the same age and must also complete the ritual. When a character who is not part of your party tags along, they seem to have infinite health and the means to restore your health and magic points indefinitely. Once a person officially joins your party you have full control of their inventory and skill tree abilities. You can have up to four active party members and can swap them out mid-battle as long as they don’t have a petrifying status aliment. Some battles continue if the Luminary dies, but in others, it’s an instant game over.

The default battle behavior is for the party members to “Fight Wisely,” and this mode works pretty well. Characters set to it are good at boosting, removing ailments from, and healing others in need as well as using their own powerful attacks. My only complaint about this mode is that my party members would often run out of magic from spamming their most powerful and magic point (MP) consuming attacks. Of course, there is the “Follow Orders” mode where you have full control of each of their actions.

This is largely unchanged from the original game, though some quality-of-life features have been added, such as more AI functions for having party members conserve MP and a few other tweaks to skills to make them more useful compared to the original.

Each of your party members has a unique personality and a backstory to them that gives them some depth and quests to complete. Every party member has different attributes they specialize in, and they can be equipped with various weapon configurations. Your first friend is a thief named Erik, and he can wield knives, swords, and boomerangs. Whatever weapon you equip on each person, you should also max out the abilities in their skill tree to unlock helpful special moves and related stat boosts. With every level gained, attributes are automatically adjusted, and skill points become available for spending on the skill tree.

There are many amazing abilities that you can unlock for party members. Many of them have a dual-wielding option which lowers defense by not being able to equip a shield, but the offensive gain is a worthwhile tradeoff. Some unlockable stat boosts increase base health, magic, and attack power (when wielding a specific weapon type). Plus, somewhere in each character’s skill tree is a hidden stash of free skill points when unlocking a random skill.

When going into a big battle, it’s highly recommended that at least one of your party members has the magic ability or items on hand to replenish health for injured teammates. There is a tactic for setting your healer to “Focus on Healing.” Having a buffer and a person capable of removing status ailments is helpful as well. If your party gets wiped out, you can restore your progress from the last auto-save or manual save.

Again, aside from a few tweaks for the new content, such as the intermissions between Acts One and Two, and the new Act Three content, this is largely unchanged.

Along with the main story, there are several side quests to keep you busy for quite some time. I saw the first ending after forty-two hours, and there’s an alternative ending available for those willing to complete a new post-game story arc. Some of the side quests are funny and often have good rewards for completing them. The ability to create your own weapons and armor from recipes is quite powerful.

There is added side content to flesh out what happens between Acts One and Two, and some additional Act Three content. This not only fills in some context missing from the original game, but it also fixed a few disturbing things, like some potential rape implications in the original version. The intermission recasts this content to be far less disturbing.

Be sure to explore all of the villagers' houses and read books on the bookshelves to learn how to make new items. It also pays to open up their dressers and take whatever clothes they find in there.

Aside from “borrowing” items from people, there are other moral concerns to address in this game. There’s an old man in your party who gets caught multiple times with a girly magazine. Some villages have girls offering the main character a “Puff Puff.” While not explicit, it does seem sexual and according to many fans, it’s referring to placing the character’s face between their bosom. After one Puff Puff service, it implied that makeup was applied to the main character. One of the male party members is rather flamboyant but nothing is confirmed in that department. Erik cusses a bit, but it doesn’t get much worse than d*mmit. Some characters are seen drinking and smoking. Many towns have a tavern and a couple of them have casinos. Gambling is required to complete the main story, but thankfully, the tokens are free in this particular casino.

Most of this is unchanged, though as mentioned above a few rape implications (or at least the potential for it) were excised and recast to be far less disturbing than in the original script.

Though there are many moral concerns, some good moral values are being promoted in this game. While some party members are driven by revenge, others learn about forgiveness on their journey. Another lesson taught is that a bad action is not canceled out because it is benefitting a wholesome cause.

In the end, Dragon Quest XI: Echoes of an Elusive Age is a game that I recommend to any Dragon Warrior/Quest fan. It’s well-designed, balanced, and fun to play. The characters are likable and the story is good. I look forward to completing the post-game content as time permits. If you’re not comfortable with reincarnation references or other moral issues, you may want to pass on this one.

I echo most of the same sentiments but be advised, without mods, this is going to look like a stripped-down version of the original from a graphical perspective. While it runs on much weaker computers this way, you will want to heavily mod it to restore much of the higher quality assets from the original version. The added content is still worth getting either way.