Dragon Quest XI S – Echoes of an Elusive Age

Dragon Quest XI S: Echoes of an Elusive Age – Definitive Edition is a role-playing video game by Square Enix. The eleventh entry in the long-running Dragon Quest video game series, it was released for the Nintendo Switch in September 2019; for PlayStation 4, Windows, and Xbox One in December 2020; and for Stadia in March 2021. Taking place in a world called Erdrea, the game follows the hero’s quest to save the world from an impending darkness. Throughout the game, he explores challenges related to his prophesied Luminary identity as he endures persecution from those who demonize him. The game is set in the world of Erdrea and begins as the kingdom of Dundrasil is invaded and destroyed by an army of monsters.

The protagonist, an infant during the attack, survives and is found floating down a river by an old man named Chalky in the village of Cobblestone. The protagonist is adopted by Chalky’s daughter Amber and raised in the village. After the protagonist’s coming-of-age ceremony, Amber reveals the truth to him about his birth and adoption and sends him to meet King Carnelian of Heliodor. However, the king accuses him of being an evil entity and throws him into the dungeons. Imprisoned, the protagonist meets a thief named Erik, who reveals that he was sent to meet him, as the mark on his hand is proof that he is the Luminary, a legendary hero chosen by the world tree Yggdrasil to save Erdrea from evil.

The pair escape and evade capture, later joined by two mages: Veronica, who is trapped in a child’s body due to a curse, and her twin sister, Serena. On their quest to help the Luminary reach Yggdrasil, they gain three other companions: Sylvando, a traveling entertainer, Jade, the exiled princess of Heliodor who helped the infant protagonist escape during the attack on Dundrasil, and Rab, the former king of Dundrasil and the protagonist’s grandfather. Dragon Quest XI continues the gameplay of previous games in the series, in which the player explores worlds and fights against various monsters, including the ability to explore high areas. 

The Nintendo 3DS version features a different style to the other versions, showcasing 3D graphics on the top screen and 16-bit styled sprites on the bottom screen. Outside of battle, the player can freely toggle between the 3D and 2D graphical styles. Like with Dragon Quest IX, on land, the game’s battle system features no random encounters and shows all enemies on the overworld. The battle system also adds a free-form camera option inspired by the MMORPG Dragon Quest X that allows the player to move around the enclosed battlefield, although it is purely visual and provides no other benefits to gameplay.