The Dragon Quest games have always been immensely popular in Japan with sometimes releases within the West. These JRPG’s haven’t been as popular in the west as, say, the Final Fantasy games but have still been good enough to gain a following. However, they’re still JRPG’s, which means they demand a lot of attention and time from the players.
Dragon Quest XI S is a release for the Switch following a great amount of success for this eleventh game in the series. But it’s not just a re-release, there are a lot of new things contained within. Enough that it’s pretty easy to overlook some really cool features. To help with that, here are 10 things everyone completely missed in Dragon Quest XI S.
10 Convenience Changes
Most modern games come with a whole host of conveniences that older games would have loved to have. Things like skippable cut-scenes, automatic healing and so much more. The original release of Dragon Quest XI did have a decent number of these but they were still limited. Dragon Quest XI S has improved upon these conveniences in a number of ways.
While you could skip cut-scenes, it was only after having watched it once. Now you can skip them no matter what. Convenient for those who’ve already played it or want to make a fresh playthrough. Also, you can make the cut-scenes auto-play so that you don’t need to press any buttons. Additionally, you can set the battle speed to ultra-fast so that grinding levels doesn’t feel so grindy.
9 Audio Choices
The different sounds and music in a game can make a huge difference, especially in the case of an RPG. You’ll sometimes be hearing a piece of music or a particular sound effect for dozens of hours. This is why it’s so remarkable that Dragon Quest XI S has given the player so much more freedom.
You can switch between a MIDI or an Orchestral version of the music. You can turn off the different grunts and noises that the protagonist makes. Also, they’ve added the option to use the Japanese voices instead of the English ones. The point of any good new edition of a game is to give the players more. This has definitely been accomplished here with the number of choices given to the player.
8 2D Mode
Perhaps the biggest change to come to Dragon Quest XI with the S edition is 2D mode. Depending on your experience with older Dragon Quest games, this can easily be the reason to get this game. It completely changes the game to be like those old games. This means that combat will be much faster and encounters will be random.
This also means that if you’re a fan of sprite styled games, you’ll love this change. Furthermore, they’ve added a couple more things to make this more enticing. You can switch between 3D and 2D. The one catch is that you can only do so by visiting an in-game church and can only do so around certain major story parts. One more thing, you have the option to visit older Dragon Quest games. Not the whole games but at least parts of them.
7 Battle Options
In addition to the ability to speed up the battle by quite a lot, there are a few more things that have been changed to make things more fun or convenient. Camera angles have been a thing that video games have struggled to get right. In Dragon Quest XI S, the game lets you switch between the classic camera and a free-aim camera mid-battle. Additionally, anytime a character says something, it’ll appear in the top right-hand corner of the screen.
To note, the way you battle will change somewhat if you’re playing the game in 2D mode. Other than that, there are a couple of things which make leveling easier. You can now earn experience for running over and defeating enemies while on a mount. And there are more mounts than ever to try out.
6 Field Changes
Another important part of many JRPG’s is your time spent in the field or overworld or however you want to call it. There are quite a lot of things you can do here and in Dragon Quest XI S, there are some very nice features that have been included. The Fun-size forge is now usable almost anywhere, making crafting easier than ever.
You can now talk to your companions at the simple click of the minus button. Also, you can get an item called the Horse Hailer which lets you call for your horse anywhere you’d be able to ride. All of these changes and more are here to make the gaming experience as fluid as possible. One more thing, there is a quick command menu that lets you access these things very quickly.
5 Party Options
In almost all JRPG’s, being able to quickly switch your party around or interact with them is important. This is no different here and this newest version of the game aims to improve this even more. As mentioned before, you get to see your companions in-battle message at the top right of the screen but it also shows their portrait. Talking to them is easier than ever with the minus button.
They’ll also show up on the field, following behind you to really increase the sense of immersion. Additionally, there are a few other things that have been put into the game surrounding them. Your companions will have their own unique quests and there are more customization options than ever before.
4 More Outfits
Speaking of customization, in the original release of the game, it was sometimes frustrating to have come across some armor that you loved the look. The reason for this is because that armor or outfit didn’t have strong enough stats so you’d inevitably leave it behind. In this version, there is now a separate option for outfits that let you have the look you want while still having good stats.
To go along with this wonderful new feature, there are, of course, new outfits. For instance, Veronica now has a Wild Boar outfit that you might find adorable. Either way, it’s always awesome to have the ability to make your characters look good. Something many old games lacked.
3 New Quests
As mentioned before, a particularly noteworthy bit of content added are more quests. In most RPG’s, JRPG or otherwise, the quests, both mainline and side, are vital. It can be the difference between a world feeling full and wonderful or empty and boring. The Dragon Quest games have often done a fine job of this, making sure there’s always enough for you to do.
Dragon Quest XI S takes it a bit further with these new companion quests. The reason for this is because you get to be in control of your companion, learning something new about them. Also, they’ll have their own set of companions for you to quest with, revealing a whole new side to them all.
2 Difficulty Changes
For many JRPG’s, difficulty is something not commonly used. It’s rare to have options to make the game more difficult than it already is. Dragon Quest XI S does have this option. The Draconian Quest mode is something that you can activate whenever you start a new game file. In this mode, there are a variety of options to make the game more difficult. All of which can be turned off at an in-game church.
There’s the option to ban you from shopping. One that takes away your armor. Another that reduces the amount of experience you earn from enemies that a lower level than you. Another that makes every enemy super strong. You can also make it so your companions have a chance of not acting during battle. There’s an option of Game Overing whenever the main character is taken out. Finally, you can activate an option that may cause villagers to lie to you.
1 Other Changes
There are some other changes to the game that all aim to make it a better gaming experience. Materials that you would previously have to gather have all been streamlined. Instead of dropping onto the ground and requiring you to go get them, they just go straight to your inventory. This also happens for any materials that you purchase, they go right into your bag.
You can also navigate any of the menus with your Switch’s joystick. There’s a photo mode available for those of you who love that. Also, slightly spoilery, you can choose who to marry at the end of the game. You can also choose some alternative options that let you live with your bros. Finally, it comes with a bonus voice drama DLC.
NEXT: Dragon Quest: 10 Best Games In The Franchise, Ranked (According To Metacritic)
