I’ve been playing Dragon Quest 11 non stop for the past couple of months, but is it worth it for you on the Nintendo Switch? I will discuss why I think it is one of the best RPGs ever made and why the Switch is the best version of the game.
The Switch version of Dragon Quest is the best version of the game and beyond worth it for the switch, it has added story, a new 2D version of the game, option of a Japanese voice-track, orchestrated music, photo mode and much more. The game is around 80-100 hours to get the true ending.
I’m 25 and I’m proud to say Dragon Quest 11 made me cry, it is one of the best RPGs of all time and you OWE it to yourself to play it.
I will explain all the reasons why it’s worth it on the Nintendo Switch but if your a RPG fan you OWE it to yourself to buy this game!
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Why Dragon Quest 11 Is Worth It For Nintendo Switch
It Is The Best Version Of The Game
Dragon Quest 11 first came out on the PS4 in 2017 and lacked MANY of the features that make the Switch version, the true definitive edition. I’ve never played the PS4 version but I cannot imagine the game without these changes!
See the full differences on Square Enixs website here but I will quickly go through them.
There are New Side Stories For Companions
Characters in all forms of entertainment from movies to games are very important as you need to choose to be invested in them. Dragon Quest 11 has AMAZING characters across the board.
From the warrior princess Jade to your best pal the thief Erik I cannot put into words how much attention to detail goes into every character and the voice acting is phenomenal throughout every NPC in the entire game.
The Switch version includes 4 side stories that really go into detail with each character and flushes out their character. It’s roughly 5 hours of extra content and each side story plays different and FEELs different.
You can play the entire game in 2D mode!
You have the choice of switching from 3D mode to 2D mode anytime you want as various churches that act as save points throughout the game. It greatly affects how you interact with the game and even certain story points are changed.
I cannot lie I haven’t played 2D mode as the 3D environments are simply beautiful and were not living in the 90s no more so I didn’t see a point. Either way you’re basically getting two different games in one package as you can replay the game again in 2D mode and get a completely distinct experience
Visit the 16-bit World of Tickington
Early on you can visit Tickington, this completely optional area allows you to explore locations from all the main Dragon Quest games reproduced in 16-bit 2D art, even the games soundtracks are recreated in an 8-bit style to meet the aesthetic and it will be nostalgia overload to any Dragon Quest fan.
As for you I guess your new to the series so Tickington will have less of an appeal, I personally didn’t see Tickington too much as I was too busy loving life with the main game!
You Can Change The Voice Track To Japanese
If your like me, you usually watch anime in English sub so you can do the exact same with Dragon Quest 11, this was not an option with the PS4 release as the Japanese voice track is a new edition!
Should you play with the English or Japanese dub? In my opinion stick with the English, all the main characters and even NPCs you see on your travels voice acting is excellent and each sections of the game world are based on real life countries!
Gondalia is based on Venice (complete with canals and boats) and all characters will speak with an Italian accent! Other countries represented are France, Scandinavia, Spain, Japan, and more!
With the Japanese dub, you won’t get this regional humor and I can’t see the experience being as good.
New Orchestrated Music
The Switch editions fully orchestrated soundtrack is BEAUTIFUL and part of why certain emotional scenes especially towards the end of the main game tug so hard on the heartstrings.
The PS4 version was criticised with its synthesised music and whilst you can switch between the new and old music at any time, why would you? I read one review of Dragon quest friend walked into him playing the game and couldn’t BELIEVE the music was from a game, he thought he was listening to classical music!
New Fast Battle Setting
You ever play Pokemon and get annoyed by how slow the battles can be? This version of Dragon Quest sets a super fast battle mode that speeds up grinding considerably.
As the fighting is completely turn based all this done is makes the battles go quicker and saves you time, what’s not to like?
Saves You Time With A Quick Command Menu
Not with a push of a button you can access many quality of life improvements that make the game that much more enjoyable.
- Summon your horse with the horse whistle
- Check how many chests are in the area
- Access the Fun-Size Forge
- Use Zoom to transport to any place you previously visited
These improvements might seem small but they make a BIG difference to how you play the game.
There are many other improvements like optional costumes, improvements to the forge and more but now I will discuss Dragon Quest is such a good game.
Why Dragon Quest 11 Is So Good
The Characters Are Perfect
The cast of characters in Dragon Quest 11 all come from very different backgrounds but are so full of life with fantastic writing and voice acting I consider them the best cast of characters in all games I have ever played!
I remember all of their names, and even characters or enemies you only meet once are very memorable. They will make you laugh and if you’re a big softy like me even cry!
The most beautiful thing is how much respect and how driven they are to protect you and complete the main quest, unique to Dragon Quest whenever a character does a certain move they will actually say the move out loud during battle! Adding more immersion in what already is an immersive gaming experience.
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Superb True Turn Based RPG With Deep Mechanics
If you played any turn based RPG before like Final Fantasy you will be right at home with Dragon Quest 11, What I love, is how simple it is it is completely turned based with characters ‘agility’ that determines who goes first.
The game automatically sets your party to ‘auto-attack’ where you cannot control your party, I recommend changing this to ‘listen to orders’ so you can control your parties movement. Also I suggest changing the camera mode to ‘classic’ as the free mode looks awkward and adds nothing to the gameplay.
All the classic character types are there, like black/white mage and you can buff your parties stats and debuff your opponents but what separates the game is how you can build your character.
Whenever your character levels up you get skill points that you can spend on a characters skill tree, kinda similar to FF12 leveling system. These builds completely change how your character plays and what weapons they specialise in and what abilities they learn.
Better still, if your not happy with how you spent your skill points simply go to any Church and spent a little gold and your skill points will be reset to zero! This allows playable experimentation and replay ability(despite the game being 80+ hours!) to see how your characters are with different builds.
Your characters can get ‘pepped up’ where they shout and glow blue in pulsating energy, think super Saigon in DBZ. Whilst pepped every stat is increased, and you have access to special ‘pep powers’ that are super powerful moves that can chain when other characters are pepped for massive damage or other stat-boosting effects.
The Game Is Beautiful
Considering it’s a PS4 game ported to the Switch you won’t notice the difference! I played it all on handheld mode and the cinematic cutscenes and general 3D environments are absolutely stunning. It’s why I have never played 2D mode!
Often I have took a step back and scanned the environment with my camera and marvelled how this is coming from a hand held!
I highly recommend the Satisfye Comfort Grip for playing the Switch on handheld, even since I started using it I never looked back, and playing the Switch without it is uncomfortable. Get it for a steal on Amazon here.
The World Is Super Immersive
Whilst you can get away with breezing through the story and not talking to anyone in this vast world you would be doing both Dragon Quest and yourself a big disservice.
Some towns are MASSIVE with tons of areas to explore and NPCs to talk to, I’ve spent hours walking through the towns and seeing what the NPCs have to say about the world events.
Uniquely the dialogue always changes and NPCs react to things you or your party do in the world, this makes the game world feel a lot more alive and well realised that even realistic looking game worlds like GTA.
You don’t have to if you don’t want to as the cutscenes are excellent as it is, but it’s the little details of talking to everyone and seeing what the NPCs say that make Dragon Quests world feel that much more real.
You Get MORE Than Your Moneys Worth
Games developers in modern times are constantly asking for your money, with unfinished stories repackaged as DLC really puts a sour taste in your mouth.
This is NOT the case with Dragon Quest! I currently have around 60 hours and just finished the main game with the post game still to be played! I also ignored a lot of the various side missions throughout the map.
I can’t see any better value than JRPGs with your hard earned cash, a game with a whopping 80 hours + will make you smile knowing your got your money’s worth.
The post game easily could have been added for DLC but Square Enix choose to reward the player with more amazing content. What’s not to love?
