Considering its history with Nintendo, it’s only fitting that Dragon Quest XI S arrives on Nintendo Switch 2. Sporting visual and performance upgrades that put Echoes of an Elusive Age on par with other console releases, this legendary Dragon Quest installment aims to delight fans on September 24th.
After spending some time with this iteration of Dragon Quest XI, here are my impressions!
What is DRAGON QUEST XI S: Echoes of an Elusive Age?
As the latest mainline installment in the long-running series, Echoes of an Elusive Age tells the story of the fabled ‘Luminary’, tasked with saving the land of Erdrea from grave danger. He meets a colorful cast of characters along the journey, taking him across a vast world, one of the most expansive ones in the series.
Featuring the series’ iconic turn-based combat system and stunning art from the late Akira Toriyama, it’s one of the best jumping-on points for people new to the Dragon Quest series. And for seasoned veterans, it’s also a grand celebration of the series.
Leveling Up – What Does the Definitive Edition Offer?
When Echoes of an Elusive Age made its way to the Nintendo Switch in 2019, it featured several fan-requested features and additions. Lords of Gaming originally covered the launch of Dragon Quest XI S: Echoes of an Elusive Age – Definitive Edition, with Hector Ramirez II saying the following:
Similar to Persona 4 Golden, Dragon Quest XI S looks to be everything you enjoyed about the game from before but now with a substantial list of additions and improvements to make something feel familiar, yet fresh and surprising.
From my own experience playing XI S Definitive Edition on Switch and when it eventually made its way over to Xbox Series consoles, the major quality-of-life additions and the awesome ability to switch from HD visuals to classic sprites made initial hours enjoyable.
But what about the best of both worlds: high-quality visuals from the PS4 release, with the portable edge of the Switch original? That’s where the Switch 2 release comes in.
Performantive Slime – Switch 2 Quality & Performance Modes
With the original Switch version of Dragon Quest XI S having muddy textures and sub-720p resolution, the Switch 2 addresses that issue with two graphical options. Players can select Performance or Quality modes when booting up the game and toggle it in-game.
When in Performance Mode, the game runs at a locked 60 FPS at a sub-1080p resolution. Meanwhile, the Quality Mode runs the game at 1440p (Docked) or 1080p (Portable). After testing both modes during the game’s early areas, it matches the visuals seen on the PS5 and Series X/S versions.
You can see for yourself below, with Square Enix spotlighting the visual features on offer in the Switch 2 version of Echoes of an Elusive Age.
Fresh Start – No Upgrade Path & Save Transfer Support
Sadly, similar to other Square Enix titles coming to Switch 2, Dragon Quest XI S doesn’t let players carry over their save files from the Switch original. For newcomers to XI S, this isn’t a major issue, but for those eager to continue their adventures with the upgraded visuals, it’s a disappointment.
More so considering the sheer investment Dragon Quest XI S demands from players, being one of the longest modern JRPGs of the generation, well over 100 hours for the main quest. Alongside the inability to transfer your saves, the game also features no paid upgrade path for digital or physical owners of the Switch 1 version of XI S.
This is something other Switch 2 releases, such as Sonic Frontiers and other Square titles, deal with. That being said, is this quest worth revisiting?
Legends in the Making – Overall Impressions of XI S Definitive Edition on Switch 2
As a casual fan of the series, Dragon Quest XI S was my first exposure to the series. Playing XI S through Xbox Game Pass and later on Switch thanks to a major eShop sale, I never got past the initial opening hours. But those opening hours were a joy, introducing me to a world I could easily see myself falling in love with.
The biggest highlight of reexperiencing those opening hours again on Nintendo Switch 2 was interacting with the lovable cast again. Starting with your childhood best friend and a cute dog, the trio ventures from a bright grassy landscape and then travels throughout a dangerous cave. It concludes with a major moment triggering the Protagonist’s latent magic, setting the stage for a grand adventure.
Your home village is filled with people who genuinely love the protagonist as found family, making it feel genuinely bad to leave them before starting the adventure. It’s not the deepest storytelling, but it reminded me of hanging out with Roxas’ friends in Kingdom Hearts II or helping the citizens of Clocktown in Majora’s Mask.
Outside of the Echoes of an Elusive Age pulling me in, the core turn-based combat still holds up all these years later. It’s classic Dragon Quest, leveraging the series’ strong art direction and responsive menus to use your many spells and attack skills.
It’s impressive how taking what works and altering the core foundation can still feel awesome, in an age of flashy turn-based battles of Persona 5 or reactive turn-based fights from Expedition 33.
Let us know in the comments below if you plan on returning to the land of Erdrea. Stay tuned for all things Dragon Quest and more, here at Lords of Gaming!
The publisher provided access for this impression piece.
