Review of Dragon Quest XI (3DS version) (no spoilers)

Playtime: over 60 hours
I finally finished Dragon Quest 11.
I'd like to write a review for those who haven't played it yet, or those who are still deciding whether or not to buy it.

① Story
② Combat/System etc.
③ Graphics and music
④ Overall assessment
⑤ For efficient gameplay

① Story
First, let's talk about the story.
While it's not as impactful as Dragon Quest V, it's roughly as enjoyable as previous Dragon Quest games.

In terms of atmosphere, I think it's similar to number 4, as more and more people join your group.
Basically, the game progresses by repeating the following pattern: incident occurs in a new town → dungeon → resolution → (dungeon to the next town) → new town → ...

The plot follows the same pattern, but the quality that keeps it from becoming boring is truly impressive.

② Combat/System etc.
I don't think you'll have too much trouble with the battles.
The second half gets progressively tougher, but there are many ways to level up,
Overall, I think it's on the easier side.
The errand system where you accept quests and receive rewards was honestly a bit of a hassle, but you can ignore it if you don't want to do it, so you don't need to worry about it too much.
The system of crafting equipment through blacksmithing was quite interesting.
Thanks to this system, you can enhance your equipment or create reasonably strong equipment.

Perhaps because of this, I felt that I ran out of money less often compared to previous Dragon Quest games.

③ Graphics and music
The graphics were decent, as expected for a 3DS game.

However, the chibi-style characters blended well with Akira Toriyama's designs, had expressive faces, and I thought they had a certain charm.
While 2D mode might be more efficient for gameplay, it's undeniably less engaging.
I thought the music was quite good.

While the original songs from FFXI are great, remakes of music from previous games are used in various places, and just hearing those songs will get any series fan excited.

④ Overall assessment
In conclusion, if you like the Dragon Quest series, you will almost certainly enjoy this game if you buy it.
It's a high-quality, classic RPG that doesn't have too many twists and turns, and you can enjoy it in a predictable, harmonious way while anticipating what's going to happen next.

⑤ For efficient gameplay
To play efficiently, it's important to decide which skills to teach each character.

One thing I can say is that one-handed weapons are recommended over two-handed weapons, and equipping a shield makes boss battles much easier.
For fighting weaker enemies, dual-wielding is a good option.
Camus's strongest weapon is ultimately dual-wielding daggers,Focus on fighting weaker enemies until the mid-game, and boomerangs are recommended.
It feels like a waste to have nothing in your right hand, but the area-of-effect attack is powerful.


Also, since there are many campsites where you can fully restore your HP and MP, it's very efficient to fight regular enemies without worrying about MP and focus on dealing maximum damage.