An Array of Quality of Life Changes
Dragon Quest XI was a hugely critically acclaimed JRPG when it launched in 2018, and our own review awarded it the rare 5/5 score. Despite being an instant classic, Dragon Quest XI still had a number of areas it could have improved in, and the Switch port of Dragon Quest XI S does just that.
There are a number of small quality-of-life changes made in Dragon Quest XI S, that help smooth the experience out.
First among these is the ability to skip cutscenes at any time, changed from the original which only let you skip cutscenes you’ve seen before. On top of this, battles now have an Ultra-Fast speed to really help get things moving in some of the longer dungeon segments.
The two main gameplay changes are the ability to use the Fun-Size Forge absolutely anywhere, not just at camps. You can also equip outfits as cosmetic-only items, a huge improvement considering each costume had its own stats in the original, and once you found better equipment it was usually not worth equipping anymore.
There are also a handful of other improvements like the Horse Hailer item that lets you call your horse at any time, the ability to talk to your party members instantly by pressing minus instead of having to go into the menu, purchased items going directly in your bag, killing monsters while on a mount granting XP, and much more.
Dragon Quest XI S is so much more than just simple port of the original, as Square Enix has liberally taken to making the game experience smoother than ever.
Much-Requested Orchestral Score
Perhaps the greatest change in Dragon Quest XI S is one of the only true flaws the original game had, the soundtrack.
Dragon Quest XI had a fantastic soundtrack that, unfortunately, was marred by the game using MIDI versions. The lower quality simply couldn’t stand up to modern expectations, but that’s all been fixed now with a simply gorgeous orchestral score.
The entire soundtrack has been replaced with their orchestral versions, elevating the music to new heights and making the experience all that much more immersive.
However, if you do prefer the MIDI options, you can switch back and forth between the two at any time.
New Stories for Each Party Member
Dragon Quest XI S adds on a bunch of content like new quests and costumes, as well as the fact that your party members now follow you around the world.
However, the port also comes with a hefty dose of new story content on top of that. The big focus is that each and every party member gets a lengthy new story segment that focuses entirely on them, giving more context into their background and personalities.
These segments will let you take control of the part member directly, and even gives them their own unique party to help out. For example, in the part where you control Erik you get a handy Healslime to join you for the ride.
Dragon Quest XI was already an RPG packed with story content, but the Switch version has even more to dig into. Even better, the game now has a dedicated photo mode, so you can snap some pictures of your favorite characters.
2D Mode and a Brand New 2D Area
Dragon Quest XI S comes with a feature included in the 3DS version of the game, which sadly never made it out of Japan. You can now play the entire game in a sprite-based 2D mode, a nostalgic throwback to the series’ roots.
You can switch between this 2D style and the normal 3D one, but there’s a bit of a catch. You can execute the change at any save point, but you’ll actually be plopped back at the last story section you played through, and forced to play through it again.
There are other changes to the formula as well, namely the battle system. Instead of each character taking their own turn, you’ll pick the moves of your entire party at each turn, but characters and enemies will act based on their speed.
It’s a battle system that hearkens back to the early days of Dragon Quest, and will probably only appeal most to anyone that has serious nostalgia for the franchise.
Still, the 2D mode is a cool option that can add a different view on Dragon Quest XI. It’s not just the main game that you can play in 2D, however, as there’s a brand new area to the game that’s exclusively 2D.
The new town of Tickington is the home of the little blue spirits, and this location is where you can visit 10 unique 2D areas that correspond to the ten previous Dragon Quest games.
By finding hidden spirits around the world you can unlock each of these areas, and you’ll need to “repair” the timelines of the 10 special books that correspond to the other Dragon Quest worlds.
This new 2D content appeals to the nostalgia of the franchise, and is just another of Dragon Quest XI S’s new features.
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