Wow, that title is a mouthful, isn’t it? But here we are with another re-release, this time from the venerable Square-Enix. Dragon Quest XI originally came out back in 2017 on the PS4. Naturally, being a main line Dragon Quest game, it was a smash hit and probably the best modern Dragon Quest to boot. We never got Dragon Quest X in North America and IX was subject to a lot of discontent among fans (not all of us though). But Square-Enix didn’t stop there. In 2019, they remastered Dragon Quest XI as Dragon Quest XI S: Echoes of an Elusive Age Definitive Edition for the Switch, combining the Japanese only 3DS release with the PS4 one to create a new combined experience where you can choose to play either version.
Dragon Quest XI S has a ton of changes and additions to improve the game including new soundtrack options, the addition of Tickington, a ton of visual and GUI changes, and lots more. But that release has been out for seven years now and most people have had a chance to play it. Much like our recent review of the Crossbell Duology from the Legend of Heroes series (review here), this is more of a revisiting than a full review and it’s all because Square-Enix has decided to release Dragon Quest XI S: Echoes of an Elusive Age Definitive Edition on the Switch 2!
That’s right, one of the most immersive Dragon Quest games is now on the Switch 2. But…so what? You can already toss XI S into your Switch 2 on a Switch 1 cart right? But there are plenty of reasons to do so. Let’s just get a little housekeeping out of the way first though. If you’re entirely unfamiliar with the game, in Dragon Quest XI, you play The Luminary, a semi-mythical figure who is destined to defeat the Dark Lord and bring light to the land. Unfortunately, not everyone is on board with the Luminary changing the order of things and it’s going to be one heck of a challenge to set the world on the right path. Fortunately, you slowly gather a group of misfit ne’er-do-wells who will help you on your quest to save the world. While the background plot sounds trite, the character development of the supporting cast is fantastic and the stories that sprout up throughout the game are interesting and fun.
Combat is a fusion of real-time exploration and turn-based menu-driven combat. Those combat decisions can be manual or automatic based on criteria presets, limiting the amount of button spamming you have to do. Like any good JRPG, you’ll be questing, grinding, and upgrading to your heart’s content as well. The Luminary also has access to the Fun-Sized Forge in order to make their own weapons, armor, and accessories. As you progress in levels, you’ll be able to make more and more complex gear, saving you a ton of money in shops. There are mounts to ride strewn throughout the game too, boats (a staple of Dragon Quest), and even a variety of fun costumes if that’s your thing.
If you really want to get into the details of Dragon Quest XI, there are plenty of FAQs, walkthroughs, reviews, and tutorials out there that will explain the entire game in excruciating detail, but that’s really not what we’re here for. Instead, you want to hear about the Switch 2 version of the game and it’s definitely worth hearing about. The biggest change from the original version of the game to the Definitive version is of course the ability to switch between 2D and 3D. You can still go to a church and swap visual modes, though you will have to go back to the last major story branch in the new mode, which is a bit frustrating depending on where exactly you are. Sure, it’s not on the fly changes like that re-release of R-Type that came out a while ago, but given the complexity of the 3D world in Dragon Quest XI, that makes sense. The Switch 2 version of the game has preserved the same ability to swap modes, but the load times are much, much faster now and swapping is noticeably less frustrating as a result.
That’s not all though. All the changes from the original Definitive Edition are here as well, but there are also new visual modes available and performance is noticeably enhanced. In fact, you can run the game at 1080p and 60 frames per second now, and in handheld mode on the Switch 2, Dragon Quest IX S looks absolutely spectacular with no lag at all. Does it look identical to docked mode? No, but it’s so close that only the most picky graphics obsessives would notice. That’s the really big change here…massive upgrades to visuals and load times compared to the Switch 1. Will it keep up with the Xbox and PC versions of Dragon Quest XI S: Echoes of an Elusive Age Definitive Edition? Not quite, but they’re far more powerful and honestly, the difference is minimal at best. This is an amazing version of the game and the portability of the Switch 2 is honestly unmatched.
As you would expect, all the visuals, music, sound effects and dialogue are intact from previous versions of the game. Akira Toriyama’s artwork remains one of the most iconic game styles in gaming history and it’s in full effect here whether you are playing the 2D or 3D version of the game. The English dialogue is spectacularly acted too (though only in 3D mode) and the script translation is spot on. There’s really nothing to complain about here other than a tiny lack of crispness in the 2D version of the game that still hasn’t been fully resolved. Musical options are fun too and if you want to change it up, that’s always an option!
There are a couple of negatives here however. Most importantly, Dragon Quest XI S: Echoes of an Elusive Age Definitive Edition on Switch 2 is not an upgrade for owners of the first game. You have to buy the game separately for $40 and you can’t carry your saves over. It seems that Square-Enix was unable to port the game and had to essentially remake it, so if you’re halfway through the old version and don’t want to start a replay, keep this in mind. No upgrade path is definitely a bit disappointing. The other big thing is for you physical collectors out there… Dragon Quest XI S: Echoes of an Elusive Age is on a Game Key Card on Switch 2. That means that the game is not on the cartridge and you’ll have to drop the cart in and download it, unlike the previous Switch version. If you’re hoping to archive a physical release, this simply isn’t it and there won’t be one for Switch 2, although it is much better than a download code!
What you’re really getting here is a more definitive version of Dragon Quest XI S: Echoes of an Elusive Age Definitive Edition for Switch 2. This is a spectacular game, far surpassing the recently released Dragon Quest VII Reimagined (review here) with a more comprehensive story, some major tie-ins to the original trilogy (especially in 2D mode) and the most modern gameplay of any main line Dragon Quest game ever released. Even though the original game came out quite some time ago, there’s no question that this is an enduring classic that absolutely deserves to be in your collection and it plays much closer to other platforms that the older Switch version did with greatly enhanced load times and more stable frame rates. Honestly, this is arguably the best way to play Dragon Quest XI portably and a very solid version for docked play as well and the price point is excellent at only $40 as you’ll get up to over a hundred hours out of the game depending on how much time you want to put in. That’s a lot of bang for your buck and you’re going to love every minute of it, whether it’s your first time playing or you’ve come back to replay it once again!
This review is based on a digital copy of Dragon Quest XI S: Echoes of an Elusive Age Definitive Edition for Switch 2. It was played in both docked and undocked modes and played equally well in both. Dragon Quest XI S: Echoes of an Elusive Age Definitive Edition is also available for PS4/5, Xbox, and PC on Steam.
Nate Van Lindt has been a gamer since the days of yore (aka Commodore 64), and has played a bit of virtually everything out there. He's also an avid comic book collector, both vintage and current, and reads a fair amount of sci-fi and fantasy. On top of that, he watches a fair number of movies and TV shows as well. Oh, and he has a family, a full-time job, and lives somewhere in the urban wilds of Southwestern Ontario, Canada, foraging for old video cables and forgotten game soundtracks.